PHOENIX – A sometimes friendly, sometimes fierce rivalry that started in high school, AAU and college between Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba and Phoenix Suns’ center DeAndre Ayton has carried over to the NBA – even if Ayton doesn’t always understand the seriousness of it.
As they were playing the ``Fortnite’’ video game together back in the summer at the NBA’s Rookie Transition Symposium, Ayton looked down at Bamba’s buzzing cell phone and shockingly saw a picture of himself shaking hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Bamba, the No. 6 pick in last June’s NBA Draft, strategically put a picture of Ayton – the No. 1 overall pick – on the background of phone to serve as daily motivation as he was working on his game throughout the offseason. Bamba has since changed the wallpaper, but Ayton still gets a chuckle out of the idea that a fellow 7-foot NBA rookie uses him as a source of motivation.
``I saw it and I was like, `Is that me? Why am I on your lock screen?’’’ Ayton recalled. ``I was like, `Yo, stop this madness.’ A few guys told me about it and asked me how I felt about it, but when I actually saw it, I was like, `Is that really me on this dude’s phone?’ He uses it as motivation, but I hope he took it off. We’re both here in the league, but, hey, whatever works for him to do right, I guess that’s up to him.’’
On Friday, the two 7-footers met for the first time in an NBA game, albeit the game didn’t carry the same sort of heavyweight fight type of one-on-one showdown feel because their roles on their respective teams are so different. However, the 20-year-old Bamba admitted there is still something of a rivalry there because of how he uses Ayton as a personal measuring stick.
``DeAndre has been the No. 1 guy in our class since we were younger, and I’ve always used that as a sense of motivation,’’ Bamba said. ``I use that as fuel against everyone (that he was the No. 6 pick). You try to find a little bit of motivation when I’m going up against anybody.’’
Ayton has proven why he was the No. 1 pick in last June’s NBA Draft by coming into Friday ranked second among all rookies in scoring (16.4), first in rebounding (10.4), first in field goal percentage (61.5 percent), fourth in assists (2.5), seventh in blocks (0.86) and second in minutes (32.1). Whereas Ayton is a fully developed 7-foot-1, 250 pounds, Bamba is considered to be light at the center position at 226 pounds and has been working to add muscle and bulk. However, he has used his enormous wing span – stretching 7 feet and 10 inches – to rank fourth among rookies in blocked shots (1.32) despite playing just 17.1 minutes a game on average.
Asked about where he’s made the biggest strides this season, Bamba said: ``I’d say defensively, learning how coverages (work) and being there when I’m supposed to be there.’’
For the season, Bamba has averaged 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds to go with his 1.32 blocked shots a game.
GORDON RETURNS: To the surprise of some – even Magic forward Aaron Gordon himself – the Orlando standout returned to action and the starting lineup on Friday after missing part of Monday’s loss to Golden State and sitting out all of Wednesday’s game in Portland because of stiffness in his lower back.
Gordon, 23, did very little in practice on Thursday and in the team’s shoot-around session on Friday morning, but warmed up prior to tipoff and decided to give it a go. His return moved Jonathan Isaac back to the second unit and playing off the bench. It’s the third time this season that Gordon was listed as questionable to play only to suit up and battle through an injury.
In addition to Jonathon Simmons (illness) also being able to play, the Magic got more good news when Phoenix standouts Devin Booker (toe injury) and T.J. Warren (sore ankle) being out on Friday. Those injuries meant that the Suns were missing 42.2 points of production without Booker (24.5 ppg.) and Warren (17.7 ppg).
Gordon initially suffered the back injury in the second half of Monday’s 116-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Magic led by 18 at the time when Gordon went out of the game, but they were unable to get the win after Gordon’s primary defensive assignment – Kevin Durant – scored 29 of his 49 points in the second half. Gordon also missed Wednesday’s game against Portland – another game where the Magic squandered a double-digit lead in the second half.
``I feel like we could have won both of those games, but that’s neither here nor there,’’ Gordon said.
Magic coach Steve Clifford admitted that the team was tempted to rest Gordon as it has three nights off before playing again after Friday. However, Gordon was cleared to play about an hour prior to tipoff on Friday.
HONORING CRAIG SAGER: Clifford and a couple of members of his coaching staff wore suit jackets on Friday that could be described as colorful and loud in honor and remembrance of late TNT broadcaster/reporter Craig Sager.
Sager’s former wife, Stacy Sager, the NBA, ESPN and Turner Sports launched a two-day memorial on Thursday and Friday in hopes of bringing awareness to the attempts to finding cures for cancer. Stacy Sager, the NBA and their TV partners are also asking for fans to donate money to The V Foundation for cancer research.
Also, Stacy Sager is donating two jackets worn by her late husband while covering games for auction in hopes of raising more money for cancer research. The jackets will be auctioned from Nov. 26-Dec. 6 on www.ebay.com/espnwith the proceeds going to The V Foundation for cancer research.
UP NEXT: Their five-game, nine-night road trip finally complete, the Magic will head home for a few days of rest. The team was scheduled to arrive back into Central Florida at just after 4 a.m. on Saturday morning and will take that day off.
Orlando will practice on Sunday and Monday before facing the rival Heat in Miami on Tuesday. The Magic will finally return to the Amway Center on Wednesday when they host the surging Denver Nuggets.
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