Norman Powell did not sugarcoat where the Miami Heat are right now. After the Heat crashed out of the NBA Cup with a 117-108 loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, the veteran guard admitted opponents have the book on Miami’s revamped, up-tempo attack.
“We’re all on everybody scouting report and how we play,” Norman Powell said. “The pace, trying to slow us down. We have to do our jobs better to make it easier for everybody else.”
Norman Powell says teams have scouted the Heat offense
“We’re all on everybody scouting report and how we play. The pace, trynna slow us down. We have to do our jobs better to make it easier for everybody else”
Noah LaRoche where you at? https://t.co/9CSjYlK6WY pic.twitter.com/5pLvJWLZ72
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 10, 2025
The numbers back him up. Miami came out flying, opening the game with a 15-0 blitz and leading 30-17 after one, but the Magic slowly dragged the game into their preferred tempo. Orlando outscored Miami 39-27 in the second quarter, then controlled the final stretch behind Desmond Bane’s 37 points and six threes via the ESPN Box Score.
Norman Powell still led the Heat with 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting, adding seven rebounds and two assists. Tyler Herro, back from a toe issue, chipped in 20 points, while Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins each finished with 19. Davion Mitchell added 11 as Miami shot a respectable 45 percent from the field but just 24 percent from deep, going 8-of-33 from three.
That shooting dip, combined with a slower game, is where Powell’s comments hit. Early in the season, their speed shocked teams. Now, defenses are loading up on the first action, bumping cutters, and forcing Miami deep into the clock.
Fans in the comments section were quick to blame Powell himself, claiming that his press conference with Adebayo, where they spoke about their offense in depth, is the reason teams are now figuring them out.
It has added up to a four-game losing streak and five losses in six games, dropping the Heat to 14-11 and out of the Cup.
