Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The NBA season is mere days from tipoff and the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat are meeting once more for their preseason finale.

These teams have had barely any chance to get their final rosters in order and prepare for the shortened year, so they need to take this game seriously.

Both Southeast Division teams are projected to make the playoffs in the East again, but a Dwight Howard trade might shake that up and send the Magic to the bottom of the conference.

He’s with the club for now, so keep reading to see how these two powerhouses match up in tonight's battle.

Where: Amway Center, Orlando, FL

When: Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7:00 p.m. EDT

Watch: Sun Sports - Miami; Fox Sports Florida - Orlando

Listen: Heat Radio Network, Magic Radio Network

Betting Line: Heat (-6.5)

Key Injuries

Heat:

Shane Battier - out

Eddy Curry - out

Magic:

No major injuries to report

What's at Stake?

The only thing noteworthy to look for in this game is Dwight Howard’s performance.

When these two teams matched up on Monday, Howard looked lethargic and unwilling to dominate the scrubs Miami sent out to guard him.

It fueled rumors that he was unhappy with his situation and would sulk through the season until he is traded.

See if he changes his tune tonight and actually tries to destroy Joel Anthony and a very out-of-shape Dexter Pittman.

What They're Saying

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Howard spoke to his team in the locker room after the first preseason game and tried to get them to realize he is their leader, for now.

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'I told the guys we're in this together…we're going to stay on the path to win a championship,' Howard said. 'Like I told the guys, at the present time we're all on the same team and we're all in this together. Until that changes, we should go out and play hard every night.'

"

Michael Wallace of ESPN found that Shane Battier won’t be healthy right away, but he should have no problem gelling when he is fit for the court.

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'As a 10-year veteran, I'd like to think I can pick up the game pretty easily,' Battier said Tuesday. 'It's going to take time for me to get my conditioning back and to fit in with these guys. I've had a couple of days, but I'm not entirely comfortable with the guys yet and the system. The good news is that we have a lot of games and I should be able to pick things up pretty quickly.'

"

Heat Player to Watch: LeBron James

James was heavily criticized for his weak showing in the Finals last season and has vowed to change his attitude on and off the court.

Let’s see if that starts showing in the preseason.

Magic Player to Watch: Dwight Howard

All eyes will be on Howard, who played awful on Monday, to see if he is truly content with sticking in Orlando for the year.

Key Matchup: Jameer Nelson vs. Mario Chalmers, rest of Miami point guards

Nelson will by far be the best point guard on the floor this game. If he can exploit that mismatch, the Magic have a chance to win.

Prediction

Heat 98, Magic 85