Rowan Kavner
ORLANDO – The Clippers are on their first extended road trip of the season, but it may feel like home to begin with for many of them.
Guard J.J. Redick and forwards Matt Barnes, Glen Davis and Hedo Turkoglu all played for the Magic at one point, while Clippers head coach Doc Rivers served in the same role in Orlando for four seasons.
Rivers, who was a head coach in Orlando for four seasons before any of the current Clippers were there, had a hard time naming every single player who spent time with the Magic, since the number was so high. Redick and Turkoglu both spent six-plus seasons with Orlando to lead the group of current Clippers.
Some of those players saw better times than others.
Both Redick and Turkoglu were on a 2008-09 Magic team that went to the NBA Finals. Redick and Barnes were on a 2009-10 Magic team that lost in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Redick was involved in a 2013 trade between Orlando and Milwaukee that sent Tobias Harris to the Magic. Harris is now starting in Orlando, averaging 18.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this year.
Davis shared some success during his 2011-12 season, but that was followed with a 20-win season in Orlando during the 2012-13 season. Davis said that was difficult to go through, particularly coming from a contender in Boston.
“It’s tough to go through that and not play for something,” Davis said. “My whole career leading up to that, I’d always played for something.”
Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn said he enjoyed having Davis’ “competitive nature” on the team.
“He brought it every night,” Vaughn said. “Every individual is not made with the same fabric and thread, so you embrace what the person’s about and try to push the strengths forward. I hope Glen will say that there’s a mutual respect between he and I and what he brought to our team.”
Rivers, who also had Davis in Boston, joked that he’ll now probably have “Big Baby” the rest of his coaching career.
“He’s going to pop up somewhere with me,” Rivers said. “But he’s good. He’s been very good for us with the way he plays.
LAST TIME OUT
Bulls 105, Clippers 89: The Clippers couldn’t take advantage of the Bulls playing without Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol. Once again, they let a double-digit lead slip as Chicago mounted a comeback to pull within two points at halftime. They continued their run in the second half, outscoring the Clippers by 17 points in the third quarter.
Magic 107, Pistons 93: Nikola Vucevic dropped in 25 points and came down with 14 rebounds in the victory. As has been the case for the Magic to start the year, it was all about the big men. Tobias Harris also added 24 points and five steals.
NOTEWORTHY MATCHUP
DeAndre Jordan vs. Nikola Vucevic. The center matchup will be one to watch, with the league’s leader in rebounds in Jordan going against a double-double machine in Vucevic, who’s second in the league in rebounds. Jordan’s put up better numbers as the season’s progressed, and he’s got at least 13 rebounds each of the last five games. He also has double-doubles in each of his last two games and three of his last five games. The Clippers have relied on him for their defense, and he’ll have his hands full in the Magic’s 7-foot center.
NOTES
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Vaughn said before the game that Evan Fournier won’t play for the Magic with a sore heel … Fournier is averaging 17.3 points per game … The Clippers should have everyone available other than Chris Douglas-Roberts (Achilles) … The Clippers average and allow more than 100 points per game, while the Magic average and allow fewer than 100 points per game
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