After the Miami Heat's loss to the Dallas Mavericks last Wednesday, the team was looking to get back in the win column on Friday night against the Orlando Magic. Though Heat star Tyler Herro would miss the game with a toe injury, the team would end up losing in a 106-105 result, where fans will point to the final possession as a missed opportunity, one that Norman Powell blames himself for.

With 3.7 seconds left in the game, Miami had a chance down one point to win the game as the inbound pass went to Bam Adebayo, but as he was setting up to get a good look, Powell would run a backcurl action that jammed up the play. It led to two defenders getting into Adebayo's space, putting up a highly contested shot that ended up with the loss, as frustration within the big man was noticeable.

Finishing with 28 points, Powell would blame that sequence on himself, saying that he “pushed” Adebayo off his spot with a chance to win the game.

“It kind of got messed up because it pushed Bam off his spot,” Powell said, via video from HeatCulture on X, formerly Twitter. “And so I was still trying to curl and cut to the ball. And then there was like 3.7 seconds on the clock, and I'm continuing, trying to go to the ball, and I kind of ran into Bam's space. I think he thought, like, plays broken…it was just a little messed up in the last play. And I feel like it's on me. I hate messing up in the games. I should have spaced out and gave him some room to work.”

Heat's Bam Adebayo, Erik Spoelstra on final play with Norman Powell

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after a basket against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center.
Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With the Heat being one of the league's highest scoring teams and fast-paced teams, it was another game that saw the team slow down and play more out of the mud, though still having a chance to win. Adebayo would blame that final play on “miscommunication.”

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“Usually the last set is like, in that situation – Norm hasn’t been here long enough – it’s usually my iso play to go get a bucket,” Adebayo said, who finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds. “So, just miscommunication on the last play.”

For Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra, he would express how “that stuff happens,” which to Adebayo's point, could be the byproduct of Powell still being new to the team.

“Just a play call that we had, if you have a little bit more time, you can run some other triggers to it, but once Bam got to half court, I think that determined that the other actions would not be available in three seconds,” Spoelstra said, via video by Heat Central on X. “Norm was zigging, while Bam was zagging, we'll get that all sorted out.”

The Heat look to snap the two-game skid with a game against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, which is the second contest of the current back-to-back.