If you are into moral victories, the Miami Heat picked one up on Wednesday night, considering how huge an underdog they were against the Orlando Magic. If you are into actual victories, the Heat fell short 125-121 to open the season 0-1.
And in the end, what ended up costing Miami was a key fatal flaw everyone saw coming from a mile away.
One missed rebound costs Miami a chance at winning
Down by two with less than 30 seconds to go, Miami was looking for a defensive stop to get one last shot attempt. The Heat got that stop on a contested jumper.
The only problem was that Wendell Carter Jr. overpowered Bam Adebayo for the rebound, was fouled, and hit two free throws to seal the game.
It was a frustrating finish, but one that played out time and time again last year.
Miami came into this game with a massive size disadvantage, as Orlando was littered with 6'10" guys, but for the bulk of the game, Miami held up. The Heat actually had a 75% defensive rebounding rate in this game, which is good for 7th in the NBA right now.
But there is a reason why Miami was also 3rd to last in the NBA preseason in this same category and why Miami fans have to hold their breath at the end of every game.
Adebayo has to gobble up everything when on the court because he's not going to get much help elsewhere. Norman Powell did have nine rebounds, but Nikola Jovic only had three, Andrew Wiggins had four, and Kel'el Ware had four in 13 minutes of play off the bench.
But then, when it's crunch time, opponents are able to send out a fresher body, and that's part of how Carter Jr. was able to collect four offensive rebounds in the final seven minutes of the game.
The roster is what it is at this point, and the only immediate fix is to give Ware more minutes (he was dealing with an ankle injury prior to the game) or play UDFA Vladislav Goldin, who was on the bench on Wednesday but didn't play.
Beyond that, this feels like it could become a recurring theme when the Heat go up against some of the taller teams in the NBA.