Yeah, so about that 18-point lead at the half

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

by Scott Simone

The Heat did it again.

Or, better yet, didn’t do it again.

It looked as though they took some Charlie Sheen, had their faces melt off, and had their fans weep over their exploded selves as they blew a 24-point lead in a losing effort to the visiting Orlando Magic.

The Heat looked to be at Championship level in the first half and it seemed like men among babies as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade torched defenders, schooling Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, and every other Magic player that was thrown into the fire. The duo combined to shoot 18 for 21 in the first half. They seemed poised to win, and not a person watching thought the Magic had any shot to win.

But, after trailing by 24 points in the second half, and perhaps a booster-shot of tiger’s blood at halftime, the Magic seemed to hit every three they took (they were 16-29 on the night), while Quentin Richardson slowed down James to eventually take the lead. The Magic held onto this lead in the final few minutes and survived a final Heat possession that saw missed threes from both Chris Bosh and “Mr. Not-So-Big Shot” LeBron to win by three. It also seems as though, at least for the moment, Mike Bibby isn’t the huge boost to Miami that his first-half standing ovation may have implied. 

LBJ, Wade, your thoughts?