With three quarters of Saturday’s matchup between the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in the books, the Heat appeared to be a virtual lock to come out on top. The Heat held a 22-point lead heading into the final frame against an Orlando squad that was missing some of its top players.
But Miami proceeded to have a historically woeful final frame. The Heat were outscored by 29 points across the last 12 minutes of the game alone, as they mustered just eight points compared to Orlando’s 37.
Miami became the first team since December of 2019 to lose a game after holding a 22-point lead or more entering the fourth quarter. Following the embarrassing defeat, which also marked the Heat’s third consecutive loss, numerous users on X shared their candid thoughts, with some calling for Miami to blow things up.
That’s one of the worst Heat losses I’ve ever seen in my life.
Humiliating.
Embarrassing.
Shameful.
Give them no airplane and make them walk home down the turnpike— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) December 22, 2024
The Miami Heat just got outscored 37-8 in the 4th quarter
We just witnessed the most embarrassing comeback loss in Heat history
— HEAT NATION (@Zachppp) December 22, 2024
Against a magic team without half their team…who’s been struggling…shame on Spo and shame on the players
— Super Saiyan Gains 🏦 (@SuperSaiyan_Blu) December 22, 2024
I’m ready for a new front office and new coaching staff and let’s retire the Heat Culture bullshit. Let’s just start over man this shit is torture. We have no direction
— Austin (@ChefTrillie) December 22, 2024
— calling a TO with no timeouts
— blowing an 8 point lead in OT
— blowing a 25 point lead in the 4thIs it time? pic.twitter.com/2BaFLo1SpR
— HeatMuse (@Heat_Muse) December 22, 2024
THE SHORTHANDED MAGIC COMPLETE THE 4TH QTR COMEBACK AGAINST THE HEAT 🔥
Cole Anthony dropped 35 points off the bench! pic.twitter.com/VFXgEGtKNw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 22, 2024
Erik Spoelstra, we need to have a talk
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) December 22, 2024
Let me be emotional and say maybe we should #FreeJimmy 💔
Unserious organization 💔💔
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) December 22, 2024
This team needs a reset
— GG (@guerlin_nelson) December 22, 2024
Just awful https://t.co/53sUobug1C
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) December 22, 2024
I went to sleep in the 4th quarter. Woke up to THAT final score?
I’m done. Blow it up.
— Greg Sylvander (@GregSylvander) December 22, 2024
I legitimately would look forward to a soft reset and how they navigate that.
Middle of the pack is torture.
— Greg Sylvander (@GregSylvander) December 22, 2024
He’s not having a good season. That is clear.
But he’s not part of the problem at a macro level. https://t.co/uZ9JKj4QQ7
— Greg Sylvander (@GregSylvander) December 22, 2024
It’s worth noting that the Heat didn’t have star veteran Jimmy Butler — who was sidelined with an illness — against the upstart Magic, and perhaps his presence would have changed the final outcome of the contest. But Butler’s absence doesn’t make Miami’s fourth-quarter performance any less concerning.
Miami’s eight points in the quarter marked the fewest points scored in a single frame by any team in the league since the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Orlando also hadn’t rallied all the way back from a 25-point deficit to earn a win since the year 1989, before the team even drafted star big man Shaquille O’Neal.
The Heat are now back at the. .500 mark on the season at 13-13 following their loss to the Magic, and they sit as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Heat fans should be interested in how the team responds after it suffered maybe its worst loss of the season thus far. Miami can snap its losing streak with a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
But if the Heat pick up their fourth loss in a row — this time to a lowly Nets team — perhaps the calls for Miami to blow it all up will only grow louder and stronger in the coming days.
