The Heat and the Bulls are the marquee matchup on opening night, but the Pacers and the Magic actually got the season started earlier in the evening.
Orlando is hanging much closer than expected on the road against the team that finished last season just a game short of making the Finals, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Roy Hibbert’s dominance inside.
Jason Maxiell elevated for a baseline jam midway through the third quarter, perhaps thinking that Hibbert had rotated too far away to get back in time to challenge the shot. He chose poorly, as Hibbert not only got back, but timed his jump perfectly to meet Maxiell in midair and come away with the violent rejection.
