NBA Cup east picks
Predicting who will advance from the NBA Cup semifinals in the Eastern Conference.
They’re from the same division and the same state, and even have the same record (14-10) as the knockout rounds for the 2025 NBA Cup get underway. So the stakes will be a little higher than when the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic played just four days ago in a regular-season matchup.
The two Florida-based teams are set to tip off quarterfinal action on Tuesday, Dec. 9 with the first of two East quarterfinal games. This will be the third meeting for the two rivals this after the Magic beat the Heat in both teams’ season opener on Oct. 22 and then secured a 106-105 win on Dec. 5.
The Magic got star Paolo Banchero back after a 10-game absence last week, but announced forward Franz Wagner will miss Tuesday’s game after an MRI revealed he suffered a high ankle sprain against the New York Knicks on Sunday. Wagner’s return will depend on how he responds to treatment, while ESPN reported a typical recovery timeline for the injury would be 2 to 4 weeks. Wagner had 32 points to lead Orlando past the Heat last Friday.
The Magic have righted themselves after a slow start to the season after high preseason expectations following the team’s offseason trade for guard Desmond Bane. The Heat have been one of the NBA’s pleasant surprises to begin the 2025-26 campaign, going from one of the slowest tempos in the NBA to playing with the most pace in the league through a quarter of the schedule. But Miami enters Tuesday’s NBA Cup on a downswing, with three-straight losses and four setbacks in the past five games.
Refresh your browser and follow along for live updates and analysis from Tuesday’s NBA Cup East quarterfinal between the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat:
Miami opened the game on a blaze, hitting all five of its field goals. The Magic, meanwhile, have missed each of their four attempts and have turned the ball over once, leading to a quick, 13-0 run to start the game.
Early indications clearly show Orlando struggling without Franz Wagner.
What time is Heat vs. Magic NBA Cup game today?
The Orlando Magic will host the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. ET at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.
How to watch Heat vs. Magic NBA Cup game: TV, live streaming
The game between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic will be live streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.
- Date: Dec. 9, 2025
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Location: Kia Center (Orlando, Florida)
- TV: None
- Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Watch NBA Cup games with Amazon Prime
The Miami Heat will have their full complement of players for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic, with Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith all upgraded to available.
The Magic, meanwhile, will be missing Franz Wagner (high ankle sprain), Moritz Wagner (left knee) and Colin Castleton (fractured left thumb).
Here are the starters for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Miami Heat:
- G Jalen Suggs
- G Anthony Black
- G Desmond Blane
- F Paolo Banchero
- C Wendell Carter Jr.
Here are the starters for the Miami Heat in the NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Orlando Magic:
- G Davion Mitchell
- G Tyler Herro
- F Norman Powell
- F Andrew Wiggins
- C Bam Adebayo
