By John DentonOct. 30, 2015
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic’s ability to bounce back from yet another heartbreaking loss will be put to the test tonight when they have the unenviable task of trying to beat superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Magic were staggered on Wednesday when they lost separate eight- and five-point leads in the fourth quarter of their 88-87 loss to the Washington Wizards. Especially damaging was the fact that the Magic were up five with 2 minutes to play, but they never scored again and allowed Washington to pump in the game’s final six points for the victory.
The Magic (0-1) had Thursday’s film session and practice and Friday’s morning shoot-around session to analyze their errors and get ready for the Thunder (1-0). First-year Magic coach Scott Skiles liked how his team bounced back from the loss and he’s eager to see the response tonight at the sold out Amway Center. Tipoff is just after 7 p.m.
“I felt like the guys had a good spirit (on Thursday) and had a good spirit again today, but I hope it’s because they’re used to losing those types of games,” Skiles said. “Hopefully it’s because we feel like we should be 1-0 right now because we let one get away. We played well enough defensively to win the game, but we made some mistakes and didn’t win it. Now, we’ve got to go again against another great team.”
The Thunder are coached by Billy Donovan, the longtime former University of Florida coach who had the Magic’s coaching job for 48 hours in 2007 before changing his mind. Donovan made the leap from college basketball to the NBA again this spring with the Thunder and he actually stuck with it this time around. After leaving the Magic and returning to UF, Donovan looked on from afar as the Magic reached the 2009 NBA Finals and the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals. He never knew if he’d get another shot at coaching in the NBA, but he said the Thunder job appealed to him because of the talent on the roster and the leadership in the front office. He played for former NBA coach Rick Pitino and Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, and he’s friends with former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy – who succeeded Donovan after he changed his mind about the Orlando job – to get advice on making the transition from college basketball to the NBA.
“To me, that happened long ago (with him leaving the Magic) as it did and I kind of moved on from it and I was totally entrenched in Florida,” Donovan said. “It wasn’t like I was worrying or wondering if I’d ever coach in the NBA because I was very, very happy at Florida.
“I was fully entrenched in my job at the time and then this opportunity came and it’s very, very unique in my opinion,” Donovan continued. “If it didn’t, I’d still be at Florida.”
As for Orlando’s Skiles, one of his biggest decisions tonight could come down to what he does at the small forward position against Durant, who scored 19 points in OKC’s season-opening come-from-behind win against San Antonio on Wednesday night.
The most logical choice would seem to be second-year forward Aaron Gordon, the Magic’s best wing defender because of his 6-foot-9 frame, incredible leaping ability and lateral quickness. Gordon was impressive in the opener, giving the Magic 12 points, seven rebounds, a blocked shot and two incredible put-back dunks in 17 minutes.
Because the Thunder start two big men – Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka – and play center Ennis Kanter big minutes off the bench, the Magic could opt for a taller lineup with veteran power forward Channing Frye alongside of center Nikola Vucevic. Frye, who played well in the preseason, didn’t play in the opener, but could see time tonight after Orlando made just five of 26 3-point shots on Wednesday.
Starting a bigger lineup would shift Tobias Harris from power forward to small forward and opposite of Durant.
“He’s one of the best scorers in the NBA and you just have to try and make his shots tough and limit his touches,” said Harris, who had 15 points in the opener, but saw his potential game-winning layup rim out in the final seconds. “But they’re a good screen team and they screen a lot and move the ball. And they have a lot of guys who can do a lot defensively. So it’s going to be our focus to get back.”
Durant, who missed most of last season with a foot injury but is back healthy now, said on Friday morning that he watched the Magic’s one-point loss to Washington and he was impressed with how hard the Magic played and their improved defense.
“They play extremely hard. They played that way last year too, but you can tell that Coach Skiles has implemented a drive-and-kick offense and they are using their athleticism to their advantage,” said Durant, who drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer for OKC late in Wednesday’s win. “(The Magic) have always been one of my favorite teams to watch because of their athleticism and Vic (Oladipo) has been a friend of mine since he was at Indiana. It’s always fun to watch them and they’ve added some pieces that is going to make them even better.”
