ORLANDO – Simply having former all-star center Dwight Howard and head coach Frank Vogel back at the Amway Center would usually be intriguing enough to stoke emotions. But when you also throw in superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the NBA’s leading shot blocker in Jonathan Isaac, tonight’s game should feature no shortage of storylines.
The Los Angeles Lakers (21-3) come to the Amway Center tonight to face the Orlando Magic (11-12) in a game that should feature plenty of drama, intrigue and sizzle. The Lakers come into Wednesday having won four games in a row and 14 of 15, while the Magic saw their encouraging four-game win streak snapped on Monday in Milwaukee.
Orlando is facing its most difficult week of the season in terms of the level of the competition. After playing the top team in the East on Monday the Magic get the best from the West tonight in the Lakers. The combined winning percentages of the Bucks and Lakers at the time of the Magic playing them (.872, 41-6) makes it the second-most difficult set of games in the 31-year history of the franchise, according to SportsRadar. The toughest two-game stretch in Orlando history (minimum 20 games played) was Dec. 23 and 25, 2010 when it played San Antonio (25-3) and Boston (23-4), who combined for a 48-7 record and an .873 winning percentage.
As if facing the Bucks and Lakers wasn’t difficult enough, the Magic host James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets (15-8) on Friday before departing on their first trip of the season that will include a stop on the West Coast.
``That’s the NBA, though, and you have to be ready for the best teams on any given night,’’ Magic guard Evan Fournier said. ``Next game (after tonight) is Houston, which I think is third in the West. It’s a tough stretch and it’s definitely challenging, but it’s fun to play the best teams. So, I’m looking forward to playing the Lakers tonight.’’
The best news to come out of Wednesday morning’s shootaround was the improved health of injured center Nikola Vucevic (right ankle sprain) and Al-Farouq Aminu (meniscus tear in right knee). Vucevic, an all-star last season when he led Orlando in scoring and rebounding, went through the team’s morning practice and is hopeful he’ll be able to return by Friday’s game against Houston. As for Aminu, he has opted against having surgery on his knee and he’s hoping that more rehab will allow him to get back on the court sooner.
``It’ll be based on how his knee responds,’’ Clifford said of Aminu. ``It gives him a chance to get back sooner.’’
Howard, Orlando’s all-time leader scoring (11,435), rebounding (8,072), blocked shots (1,344) and minutes played (22,471) from his time with the Magic from 2004-12, returns to the Amway Center for a second time in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Following his messy divorce with the Magic in 2012, Howard has played for the Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards and now Lakers again, while also briefly being a part of the Nets and Grizzlies. He last played in Orlando on Nov. 9 while with the Washington Wizards and compiled 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes.
Howard, who turned 34 years old last week, is averaging 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots while shooting 74.2 percent from the field in 24 games off the bench this season for the Lakers.
``I’m happy for him,’’ said Clifford, who coached Howard in Orlando, Los Angeles and Charlotte. ``If you hadn’t been around him when he got older, people have no idea how much work he’s put in just to go out there and play. You’re talking about a guy who has had a really bad knee, major back surgery and the really bad groin (injury) last year. But when you see him, he’s thin, he does a ton of extra stretching and lifting, and he eats great. He appreciates the NBA and it’s important to him to be able to keep playing. That’s one thing I saw in Charlotte – I appreciated everything that he had to do just to play every night.’’
Vogel returns to the Amway Center for the first time since he was let go by the Magic following two seasons as their head coach. Vogel, the Magic’s coach from 2016-18, never had much success with a misaligned roster that featured Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo alongside of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Fournier. Vogel’s two Magic teams went 29-53 in 2016-17 and 25-57 in 2017-18.
``It’s unfortunate that we had two rough seasons, but Frank is a great guy,’’ Fournier said of his former coach. ``He’s a great human being … but it just didn’t work out for him and for us here.’’
This time around, Vogel is bringing a much better supporting cast with him. James (25.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists) and Davis (27.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.65 blocks) have been the NBA’s most potent duo this season, battering foes with their versatile and dynamic skills.
The Magic will throw the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Isaac – the NBA’s leading shot blocker at 2.86 swats a game – at Davis tonight. Isaac blocked nine shots in his last two games and moved ahead of Davis (2.65) for the league lead in swats. He opened Monday’s game by blocking Milwaukee’s first two shots and three of its first seven tries. Isaac had four by the end of the first quarter and he notched his fifth by stuffing superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the third quarter.
Teams continue to challenge Isaac at the rim despite him quickly becoming one of the league’s premier defenders.
``Obviously with Magic fans, we all know (Isaac), but outside of us I don’t think the league really does (know about Isaac’s exploits) because we’re not on (national) TV and we’re not a big market or anything,’’ Fournier said of his towering teammate. ``And he’s still young … it’s just his third year. But he just needs to focus on doing it every night. (The recognition) will come, for sure, and it’s no doubt that people will notice him for his defense. It’s just a matter of time.’’
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