Let’s review the GameFlow of each of the Magic’s first 8 games. Shoutouts to popcornmachine.net for their GameFlow charts that track what players are on the court for which stretches of the game while also identifying big runs by both teams.
Game 1 vs. Miami: Orlando starts the season off strong with separate runs of 8-2 and 12-2, spanning a total of about 9 minutes through the middle part of the first quarter, featuring the starters vs. starters and bench vs. bench respectively. However, in the third quarter they are outscored 30-16, and the Heat tack on a 9-1 run at the start of the 4th to seal the game away.