ORLANDO – When the Orlando Magic were last on the Amway Center parquet floor last spring for regular-season action, ear-splitting noise filled the air and the home team dominated the action in a game that they absolutely had to have to reach the postseason.
Tonight, when the Magic return to the Amway Center and host the rebuilding Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular-season opener, they are hopeful that they can recapture the same sort of success in an electric atmosphere before the home fans.
``What really sticks out to me (from late last season) was how involved the fans were and hopefully they’re going to be just as loud throughout the season,’’ Magic guard Evan Fournier recalled. ``A lot of (the burden of exciting the fans) is on us, obviously. But I really remember that game against the (Atlanta) Hawks (back on April 5) when we really killed the game in the first quarter and the fans were a big part of it. They were really engaged and … it was a different atmosphere.’’
The game Fournier spoke of from last spring was a 149-113 Magic defeat of the Hawks for their ninth straight home victory. That home streak – Orlando’s longest at home since the 2009-10 season – will carry over into tonight when Orlando will try and whip a young Cleveland team that will be making its debut under first-time NBA coach John Beilein, who had success previously at the University of Michigan.
As for the Magic, they will play nine of their first 13 games of the season at the Amway Center, where they were 25-16 last season. The last time they had a home winning streak of this magnitude, they won the final seven home games of the 2009-10 season and the first four of the 2010-11 season.
The Magic are well aware that regaining their dominance at home could be a big factor in the team getting back to the playoffs again this season. And with difficult road stretches coming in December and January, there’s even more of an importance on starting strong at the Amway Center.
``It’s important because you always want to protect home court,’’ Magic all-star center Nikola Vucevic said. ``We obviously start the season at home and if we get off to a good start and win a lot of games here (in Orlando) it can kick-start our season. Last year, we did a good job at home and it helped us get to the playoffs, and we have to repeat that this year and do even better. Home is where you make your living in the NBA, so hopefully we can protect in front of our home fans, who are always great.’’
All time, the Magic are 17-13 on Opening Night, winning 12 of the past 19 in their first game at the season. In home openers, Orlando is 20-10 all-time and it has captured victories in 15 of the past 21 openers in The City Beautiful.
Head coach Steve Clifford is just eager to see how his team will respond to the jitters and challenge of an opener. Then, Clifford said, the Magic will be able to better judge where they are playing well and playing poorly, and it will dictate their plan of attack going forward. Clifford feels the Magic are as ready as possible for tonight’s opener after having an extended stretch at home to focus on practice.
``I feel like we had a good four days and we made good progress, so it will be good to get out tonight and play and then that allows you to get into your routine,’’ Clifford said. ``We’ll play the game, learn from it and then try to get better.’’
An Orlando team that returns 12 players who comprised 86 percent of the minutes played last season. Their hope is that the continuity from last season to this one will allow them to seamlessly pick up where it left off after winning 22 of the final 31 games of last season. That stirring closing kick allowed the Magic to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Vucevic, the longest-tenured player on the roster, feels the Magic are far ahead of where they were this time last year when they were still getting used to Clifford’s offensive and defensive systems. That undoubtedly played a role in Orlando’s 20-31 start to the season – a learning curve that the Magic hope to avoid this time around with a strong start. Vucevic, who averaged 20.8 points and 12 rebounds a game last season, said experience has taught him that starting well in openers is more about handling jitters than anything else.
``There’s always are (nerves) because it’s the first game, you have a longer intro and the arena is always almost sold out,’’ Vucevic said. ``To me, it’s (nerve-racking) for the first six minutes and then it goes back to normal. When you are younger, you feel it a little more. But as you get older, you know how to manage it better.
``And it’s always fun to start with a win,’’ Vucevic added. ``Especially with us being in this position, where we want to have a good year and be better than last year, I think this first game can really help us if we start off well.’’
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