By Josh Cohen
Feb. 22, 2018
Nikola Vucevic
Vucevic made his return after a prolonged absence because of a hand injury. He got off to a hot start, scoring 14 of his 19 points in the first half and making eight of his first nine shots from the field. Vucevic, who was limited to 24 minutes, also connected on two of his three 3-point attempts. Aaron Gordon (hip) also played 24 minutes in his first game back, recording nine points, five rebounds and five assists.
Evan Fournier
Fournier always seems more comfortable when he’s on the floor with Vucevic. Teammates with the Magic since 2014, Fournier and Vucevic have developed outstanding chemistry through the years. So, unsurprisingly, Fournier had a splendid night against the Knicks with Vucevic back in the starting lineup, scoring 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. He also added five rebounds and five assists.
Mario Hezonja
Frank Vogel said prior to Thursday’s game that Hezonja would get plenty of minutes in a reserve role. Hezonja was playing his best basketball of his career before the All-Star break, and he vowed that nothing would change as far as his aggressiveness and confidence is concerned. It was just one game but Hezonja definitely showed that same buoyancy off the bench, posting 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.