ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Magic are ending the preseason on top after beating the Miami Heat 136-115 in the preseason finale inside the Kia Center.
The Magic have put together a strong level of preparation as they get ready for the first year of the Sean Sweeney era . However, during the team's preseason finale, there were some studs and duds. Here's a look at the top winners and losers from the game against the Heat.
Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane shoots during the first quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bane showcased exactly why the Magic traded for first-round picks for him in the summer of 2025. He made 7 of 12 of his attempts from downtown, which led to 23 points on the night.
Getting Bane a high volume of shots has been a point of emphasis for the team during training camp, and this is a sign that whatever they are doing is starting to work. It's still a work in progress, as we need to see it translate to the regular season, but things are definitely moving in the right direction.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero dribbles during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Banchero led all Magic players with 24 points, even though he made just 5 of his 11 attempts from the field. He went to the free-throw line 8 times and made 13 of his 16 attempts from the charity stripe. Banchero's ability to drive into the lane and draw threes is going to be crucial for the Magic, and this was a great night for him in terms of generating offense.
Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva brings the ball up court during the first half. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
da Silva continued his run as the unofficial MVP of the preseason with another solid performance. He scored 10 points off the bench and was a team-high +16. He showed a willingness to shoot open looks, which has been a big part of the new offense head coach Sean Sweeney is incorporating.
da Silva appears to be one of the players benefitting most from the coaching change and it will be interesting to see how it translates to the regular season.
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner goes to the basket against Miami Heat guard-forward Klay Thompson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Penda, Richardson, and Wagner are leaving the game in a little more pain than they started the evening with. All three of them left prematurely due to injuries.
Penda was lost in the first quarter after tweaking his right hamstring, which has been giving him problems throughout training camp. Richardson left after the first half with lower back soreness, while Wagner felt some discomfort in his right shoulder.
It remains to be seen how serious all three of these injuries are, but the hope is that all of them will be ready for the team's season opener on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/magic/onsi as 3 Winners, 3 Losers in Magic Preseason Win vs. Heat .
