By John Denton Feb. 13, 2017
MIAMI – An Orlando Magic team desperate for good news of any kind right now got
some in the form of the expected return of small forward Aaron Gordon tonight.
Gordon, who missed the past two games with a bone bruise in his right foot, went
through the team’s morning practice and is expected to play with no restrictions
tonight for the Magic (20-36) against the Miami Heat (24-31).
“It feels good. I haven’t been really running around too much, but when you get
out there you’ve got to get your feet right and I did that today and it was a
good shootaround for that,” Gordon said. “I was very determined to get back.”
Gordon, Orlando’s best defensive player all season, is expected to return to the
starting lineup and play without a minutes limit. Mario Hezonja, the starter at
small forward the past two games, is expected to return to a reserve role.
Gordon, 21, said that while he will be back on the floor, he must be smart about
the injury and not overdo things if pain should return in his foot. He said he
was pain free on Monday morning and making it through the practice allowed him
to clear whatever mental hurdles that might be there when returning from an
injury.
“You have to listen to your body, but when I’m out on the floor you’ve got to
go all in. That’s the only way to protect yourself really – to completely put
yourself into the game,” said Gordon, who played in the Magic’s first 54 games
before the injury and has averaged 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in
27.5 minutes a night. “So that’s what I’m going to do.”
Though it’s not a high priority at all now considering the struggles that the
Magic are facing, Gordon is expected to still compete in the NBA Slam Dunk
Contest on All-Star Saturday night in New Orleans. Gordon said the foot injury
kept him from practicing for the event, but he vowed that he still has plenty of
tricks in his bag for the event. He was the runner-up in the dunk competition
last year in Toronto.
If the Magic are looking for inspiration in trying to turn around their slumping
season, they need only look across the court tonight at the rival Heat.
Once 11-30 and seemingly headed to their worst season in years, Miami incredibly
and improbably strung together 13 straight wins for the longest winning streak
in the NBA this season. During that spree – one that ended Saturday night in
Philadelphia – the Heat topped Houston, Golden State, Chicago and Atlanta to
rise back into contention for a playoff spot.
The Magic would love to do the same thing, but first they must find a way to
beat the Heat and shed a disturbing four-game losing streak. The Magic have been
routed in three of those defeats, falling 112-80 most recently in Dallas on
Saturday night.
Now, they have turned all their focus to tonight and trying to beat the Heat and
stop another slide.
“We can’t get too caught up in (Miami’s recent run) or caught up in the
standings. We’ve got to worry about trying win one game,” Magic coach Frank
Vogel said. “That’s the best way to stop a drought or a losing streak – keep
your eyes on the task at hand.”
Gordon, a third-year pro, marvels at how Miami turned its season around with its
recent torrid play. He said there’s no reason the same thing can’t happen in
Orlando because of the talent and experience on the Magic roster.
“We’re just looking to compete tonight and it’s going to be a fun game,”
Gordon said. “We want to get better, improve and compete.”
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