One final preseason tune-up before the games start to count!
The Miami Heat travel north to face the Orlando Magic tonight at Kia Center, wrapping up their 2026 preseason schedule before returning home for Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Miami enters tonight’s matchup with a 3-1 preseason record following an impressive 144-128 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. The Heat have shown plenty of offensive firepower throughout the preseason, providing an encouraging glimpse of what this revamped roster could accomplish once the regular season gets underway.
However, Erik Spoelstra will be without his two biggest stars tonight.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will receive the night off, while Bam Adebayo remains sidelined with a groin injury. Pelle Larsson will also miss the game due to illness. Their absences should provide additional opportunities for Miami’s reserves and younger players to make one final impression before the coaching staff settles on its regular-season rotations.
Orlando enters the matchup with a 2-1 preseason record and presents another interesting test for Miami. With Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane leading the way, the Magic have plenty of offensive weapons of their own.
Although it’s only the preseason, Miami would certainly love to close things out on a winning note before turning its attention to opening night.
STARTING LINEUPS
Miami Heat
- Davion Mitchell, PG
- Klay Thompson, SG
- Andrew Wiggins, SF
- Bobby Portis, PF
- Nikola Jović, C
Orlando Magic
- Jalen Suggs, PG
- Desmond Bane, SG
- Franz Wagner, SF
- Paolo Banchero, PF
- Wendell Carter Jr., C
INJURY REPORT / PLAYER AVAILABILITY
Miami Heat
- Giannis Antetokounmpo — OUT (rest)
- Bam Adebayo — OUT (groin)
- Pelle Larsson — OUT (illness)
- Dru Smith — OUT (calf)
- Keshad Johnson — AVAILABLE (hamstring)
Orlando Magic
- Anthony Black — OUT (ankle)
- Jonathan Isaac — OUT (knee)
- Izaiyah Nelson — OUT (ankle)
- Nikola Vučević — AVAILABLE
- Jalen Suggs — AVAILABLE
GAME INFO
Matchup: Miami Heat (3-1) at Orlando Magic (2-1)
Date: Friday, October 16, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Kia Center — Orlando, Florida
TV: WPLG Local 10 (South Florida), Magic TV 27 (Orlando)
Radio: 104.3 FM / 1140 AM (South Florida)
Tonight marks the end of the preseason, and the next time Miami takes the floor, the games will count.
One final opportunity for Spoelstra to evaluate his roster, experiment with different combinations and prepare the Heat for what promises to be an exciting season.
Let’s go HEAT!
***
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Three best players tonight for me was Portis, whose 3 ball is looking good. Also jovic, looking better, hope stays consistent, plays at least 60 games. Lastly Richards got 9 and 11 in 18 minutes. I hope he makes the team 🙏
Did Richard’s do enough to earn a contract? I think he did. To me, he is a very important depth piece, sort this years version of Precious, only better. If he makes the team he be solidifying an important area.
Absolutely. He has been the best rebounder in preseason. He has the size and is aggressive. Doesn’t need to do more than what he’s done.
if we had richards for jokic few years back wed have had a parade..he’d be eye to eye with jokic make it tough to get all those passes through.bams not a center this guy is.do u have tv yet for heat
If Heat releases him he’ll get picked up by another team in a NY minute (Sixers and a few other teams are looking for a back-up C). Then if Giannis, Bam or Portis gets hurt, Heat is up shitz creek without a paddle. Vlad as next man up won’t cut it.
I hope Miami doesn’t release Richards. He’s a keeper. Front court insurance.
There’s Vlad
Vlad The Impaler retired some time back.
Magic has a different mindset. Playing the starters like its the regular season already?
gardner having rough game
Klay having a very rough preseason. (7-31 – 33.3% overall shooting and 3/25 – 12% 3 pt shooting). Unless he finds his mojo soon, I can see Hardaway or Larsson bumping him out of the starting spot or even Conwell bumping him out of the rotation altogether. Everyone has to carry their own weight. No excuses…no regrets.
give him 10-15 games hes earned it
At least as many for Jovic. He’s getting paid for it…for the next 4 years.
Ooh, we agree on this.
He did have some times when he struggled with the Mavs last year. Too early to tell but it’s possible someone else could bump him down the rotation if he continues his shooting woes. .
Absolutely! If he gets his mojo back, it will be great. If he doesn’t, it will be necessary to make adjustments. The Heat has other 3 point shooters.
hes iconic he gets a longer leash than most.top 5 shooter all time maybes just in a shooting slump right now or possibly ft has reared its ugly head again.ft got mookie big time.not sure what mookies contract is but hes just about done unless he was hurt during ws
Can’t live off his past. He did that for Warriors. Now he must do it for the Heat.
wonder if there related to george gobel remmeber him rc
The old comedian? Yes.
yes they were showing the gobel bros ones ref others coach
is there a better nba play by play guy than e reid now im a homer rc
No, that’s an objective observation. There may be announcers as good, but none better than Reid.
vlad must be injured or did kelly leap frog him
Vlad still has the 2-way. Was he on the bench?
CONWELL!
suggs ex football player plays rugged game
if u dont think banchero looks diff i recommend optometrist rc
So if I don’t want you to recognize me, all I need to do is get a haircut, lol.
keshad gets 3rd team reps not a spo fav
It’s sad when you see all these really old men coaches on or near the bench and realize you watched every one of them when they were playing.
Klay what’s wrong?
father time.small sample size on him here .wait for reg season hopefully with greek in there his greatness will rub off on klay
lets see niko in reg season if he can carry this forward.just dont try to do to much.hes playing smarter
Niko had an encouraging preseason.
82 nights casey hintz nice
Jovic first half – 12/6/1 and 1 block.
best player out there
Needs to do it when the real games start. But he looks better, playing with more confidence, and much more aggressive.
first game ive watched whole half.klay looks slow besides missing his shots.
sweet wggy
jeez niko looking good
cute lady ref
game 4 in rain delay cleve tb was looking forward to that
is portis our 3rd best player?
jovic when a bro goes up like that just let him score u jump to slow
Absolutely not. Have you even noticed his rebounding and that he also has blocked some shots? He frustrated us when he was too passive. Now we are going to complain when he’s being aggressive? Not me.
hes a slow jumper rc banchero jumped way to high and fast at least that one just give up the duce not a 3 pt play .now if bam or greek was guarding thats diff story
He has to make the effort. You just want him to stand there? I don’t.
got magic at 35 47
banchero get plastic surgery looks like diff guy
Conwell showing up. Again.
I wonder what its like if hfl is the live game host?
Or even just play by play podcaster? 😁
You can play the drinking game where you drink a shot of whiskey every time he says something negative. And you’ll end up very drunk.
Wahaha!
im not a homer i call it like i see it.there wont be one neagative comment towards greek not one i promise manila and rc the rest are fair game .
Key Traits of a Sports Homer
That is definitely not what I am or what Manila or SM is. We’re just not negative nellys.
i praise when necessary criticize when necessary
Nah
dunc ty d gone shnozzy looks better greek no negatives i promise bam a few .klay might get alot lol
What you are describing is a cult member. A few of those around these days.
P.S. We aren’t Debbie Downers or Pessimistic Peters either.
u see game or just follow on manillaespn.com
just espn… no coverage here. I’m just following ur play by play haha!
last year u were able to watch it?
Some games.
Haha, Conwell with 2 nice back to back plays
i can see bam and greek not playing who do they think pelle is hes an ok player .no big deal let him play wtf
Been out sick
ok
no vlad minutos dam hes gone
Second half
hardaways getting tylers shots
baker allen butler that a nice front line for 50 and over team
heat coach ok
vin baker what happened here hope hes ok
conwell some bad minutos.dont see him getting to much pt only in blowouts.hard to play rooks on champ level teams
I still disagree with that and we shall see
klay pelle thjr same position
cant believe orl didnt try to upgrade over suggs
richards def gonna get pt
nikos impressed me not trying to do to much letting the game come to him
If it carries into the regular season, it will be helpful. He has pg-like skills.
great passer once he starts going to hoop u know whos waiting for him dem bros jump very high run very fast
He has been going to the hoop quite well. Pay more attention.
that will not happen in reg season consistently
Says who? Yes he will.
voice is happening before shot not synched up correctly wplg
Yeah, weird
thought it was just me
fonz shoot catch guy quit dribbling
conwell klay dru th jr pelle gard all 64 6 6 guys no real studs though
Second team so far is Hardaway or nothing
vukevich is washed
hard jr not at dads level no way
wplg has exclusive rights to heat games gotta live in broward or dade
The games are now available in many counties, including Florida west coast.
i hope 30 gets them
His area is now getting the games.
orlando stayed the same lots teams in east got better see them 8-10 seed
foul on fonzi the grab there huh crotty (homer)
banchero unrecognizable
I recognize him
looks diff no?
Thinner?
hair he had long dreads goatee/beard/clean cut look now