ORLANDO – Even though the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline and the flurry of activity leading up to it have dominated the NBA landscape in recent days, Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic said he plans to treat today like any other game day.
``I’m on my same routine – go home, get lunch and rest a little bit,’’ Vucevic said. ``Nothing changes much, really.’’
Rather than paying attention to the numerous deals that have gone down in recent days – seven of them on Tuesday alone – or the final hours leading up to the deadline, Vucevic said his focus will be on helping the Magic (22-32) beat the Minnesota Timberwolves (25-28) at the Amway Center. Both teams desperately need a victory to try to get back into the top eight in their respective conferences. With the trade deadline looming and the break for NBA All-Star Weekend a week away, Vucevic knows that now is a time when a team such as Orlando can make up ground in the standings.
``It’s very important for us, these last five games, to try and get as many wins as we can and go into the break feeling good about ourselves,’’ said Vucevic, whose Magic came into Thursday tied for 10thin the East and four games back of No. 8 Miami. ``(The days leading up to the break) can be tricky because your mind can go off and already be on vacation. But it’s important to stay focused and understand that every game is important – especially for us. So, we have to approach every game 100 percent seriously and try to get as many wins as we can.’’
Orlando saw its modest two-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday when it fell 132-122 in Oklahoma City. After scoring a season-best 69 points in the first half, the Magic were mostly defenseless in a second half in which they surrendered 70 points.
The Magic saw a similar scenario play out on Jan. 4 in Minnesota. Orlando shot 76 percent and led by 19 points after 17 minutes of play only to see the game completely flip around just before the half. Despite scoring 68 points in the first half that night, Orlando fell 120-103 to the Timberwolves. That loss started the Magic on a four-game slide, tying for the longest losing streak of the season.
``We played well for 18 minutes,’’ Magic coach Steve Clifford recalled. ``We had 63 (points) with like 5:45 left in the second quarter up like (19) and we went in up 68-64 at halftime. We shot ourselves in the foot there and that was the bigger problem.’’
Vucevic, who can be a free agent at season’s end, said he has tried to stay away from the usual rumors and hype surrounding the NBA trade deadline. In years past, Vucevic’s name was often bandied around in internet trade talks, but nothing ever materialized, allowing him to become the longest-tenured player on Orlando’s roster. In the midst of his finest season as a professional and an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career, Vucevic sounded on Thursday morning as if he feels he’s safe from getting dealt at today’s deadline.
One transaction where Vucevic will be involved will be the NBA All-Star Draft, which will be televised tonight at 7 p.m. by TNT. The teams for the Feb. 17 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played in Charlotte, will be picked by the leading vote-getters from the Eastern and Western Conferences – Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers’ forward LeBron James. Like with the trade deadline, Vucevic said he has little concern at all about the made-for-TV event.
``I don’t really care, man; I’m there, so I’m all good with it,’’ Vucevic said. ``It would be nice if I could be on the same team as (Dallas Mavericks’ legend) Dirk (Nowitzki) with me being such a big fan of his. It would be nice to share the court with him once before he retires. But it’s just an honor to be there and whatever team you’re on, you’re going to be surrounded with great players and the best players in this league. It will be fun competing against the best and playing with the best.’’
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