Miami Heat: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener

Following their road loss to the Orlando Magic on opening night, here are three takeaways from the game for the Miami Heat.

While they had their chances, the Miami Heat ultimately came up short in their 2018-19 season opener, with their 104-101 loss marking the second straight year the Heat have lost to the Orlando Magic on the road on opening night.

The Heat certainly got out of the blocks fast, racing to a 28-14 lead with a decidedly unfamiliar looking starting lineup. With James Johnson and Dion Waiters looking on from the sidelines as they continue to recover from their respective injuries, Rodney McGruder and Derrick Jones Jr. were each given a starting nod.

Despite the Heat’s quick start, the game quickly became a nip-and-tuck affair, with 13 lead changes and seven other times in which the game was tied. After Evan Fournier missed two free throws with four seconds remaining, the Heat trailed 102-101 and were thus given  the chance to take the lead for good.

However, on the ensuing play, Josh Richardson was called for stepping out of bounds as he made his way to the basket.

Despite being without the services of Johnson, Waiters, Justise Winslow and sharpshooter Wayne Ellington, this was nonetheless an extremely disappointing result to start the season .

Goran Dragic led the Heat with 26 points and his backcourt partner Josh Richardson had 21, while center Hassan Whiteside impressed inside with 12 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. For the Magic, forward Aaron Gordon was the story of the game, finishing with 26 points, 16 rebounds and four triples. Overall, the Magic had six players reach double figures in scoring, compared to just three for the Heat.

After a disappointing night overall, here are three main takeaways from the game.