Miami Heat 103, Orlando Magic 97

10 games. That's how many times in a row Orlando had defeated Miami. A sign of the pure domination the Magic have had over the Heat the last two or three seasons as the two teams have flipped their roles -- Miami winning the title just three season ago.

After a poor effort at home against Boston, it seemed like the perfect way for Orlando to bounce back.

They didn't.

The Heat got superb efforts from surrounding players and their bench, taking a big lead in the third quarter. The Magic were good enough to erase the deficit and tie the game with two minutes left. But they were not good enough when it counted.

Doubling Dwyane Wade every time he touched the ball, the superstar found Udonis Haslem twice for layups and Orlando chirped at the referees after the Heat cleanly swiped the ball.

It was a poor effort throughout from Orlando until they made a big run to close the gap and make it a game. There was not much positive in the game besides the Magic's will to win a game against mediocre opponents when it wants to.

The first half was all about offense. Both teams shot well over 50 percent and the Heat led 56-52 at the break.

Wade was getting to the basket and Miami's shooters were making shots from the outside. That makes them a tough team to defend, but the Magic were not getting down to play defense at all. To Orlando's credit, neither was Miami.

The Heat had no way to stop Dwight Howard. When the Magic got him the ball, he had his way in the paint. Howard finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He made some nice post moves and scored in a variety of ways. He looked like he was coming out with a purpose to score after his poor game against Boston.

That fire though was used in the wrong way late in the game. Howard picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing a call -- he was being bumped and pushed, but not any more than he usually is. It was an odd loss of composure for Howard.

Miami was frustrating the big guy. The Heat forced the Magic to beat them from the outside in by denying Howard the ball in the post. He was fronted and swarmed by players at all point of the game. Even though Orlando was emphasizing him in its offense, it struggled to get him the ball. It helped slow the team's offense in the third quarter for sure.

Fouls were a big issue throughout the game and lend itself to the larger defensive issue. Miami had 32 free throws in a game. A top defensive team does not give up that many free throws. It was a frustrating game on the defensive end.

Howard did not feel it was being reciprocated and continued complaining about a late no-call (a good no-call) with the Magic trailing by three and was thrown out on his second technical foul with one second left. An odd loss of poise, indeed.

Orlando seemed to be wearing the after effects of that Boston loss still. I think (and Doug Collins made this point Thursday night on the TNT telecast) that the team is a little high on itself after getting four days off after its 4-0 road trip.

These two losses should bring the team back down to earth. It is the first time Orlando has lost two in a row since the beginning of the season.

This does make Tuesday's game against Indiana very important. The Magic have to come out with renewed focus and a lot of energy to get a win.

The Celtics went through the same kind of lull (it is well documented). This was bound to happen in such a long season. You cannot keep up the way the Magic were playing for the entire season. It is a marathon, not a spring.