ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic did an admirable job of keeping their team afloat in the 10 games they were forced to play without Nikola Vucevic, but their hopes are that those scrambling efforts will end tonight with the potential return of the all-star center.
Vucevic, out since Nov. 20 with a lateral sprain in his right ankle, could be in play tonight when the Magic (11-13) face the high-powered Houston Rockets (16-8) at the Amway Center. The 7-footer went through Thursday’s practice and this morning’s shootaround, but he is still considered to be a game-time decision for the 7 p.m. tipoff.
The Magic are also holding out hope that dynamic point guard Markelle Fultz – out on Wednesday and Thursday with the stomach flu – and play tonight against superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook and the Rockets. Fultz, who has played the best basketball of his career in recent weeks, went through the Magic’s shootaround on Friday morning and got up some post-workout shots and similarly hopes to play tonight.
``They both did the shootaround, but we’re not going to know until right before the game to see how they feel after they do their routines,’’ Magic coach Steve Clifford said of Vucevic and Fultz. ``(Fultz) is feeling better, but he’s certainly not 100 percent. But he does feel better.’’
Vucevic said following Thursday’s practice that if he’s unable to play tonight that he almost assuredly would be back by Sunday’s afternoon game in New Orleans against the Pelicans (tip time: 3:30 p.m. ET). That game is the start of a four-game, seven-night trip that also includes games against the Utah Jazz (Tuesday), Denver Nuggets (Wednesday) and Portland Trail Blazers (Dec. 20).
The Magic faced major questions about the viability of their offense when Vucevic – the team’s second-leading scorer (17.6 points) and leading rebounder (11.6 rebounds) – went down early in a Nov. 20 loss in Toronto after landing awkwardly on his right ankle. However, Orlando was able to not only survive, but also thrive at times even without their most well-rounded offensive player by getting improved contributions from several players.
The Magic went 5-5 in the 10 games without Vucevic and compiled their longest win streak of the season by beating Golden State, Washington, Phoenix and Cleveland consecutively. The Magic were able to up the production from Evan Fournier (23.8 points per game, up 6.7 points), Terrence Ross (15.5 points, up 4.5 points), Fultz (14.1 points, up 3.5 points), Mo Bamba (7.8 points, up 4.0 points) and Khem Birch (4.9 points and 7.2 rebounds, 1.7 points and 4.6 boards) without their big man on the floor.
``We always have known that we could play without Vooch, and even when Vooch is one the bench, we have ways to score with Khem, Terrence and Mo,’’ Fournier said. ``We have our ways, but it’s just about beiong consistent with it. The ball movement has been better, and we’ve used more slips than before. The more ways that you have to score, the better. If you have just one way to score, you become predictable. If you have multiple, you become dangerous. So, for sure, we’re still going to post (Vucevic) up and use him as a screener, but we should have other things with (Isaac), (Gordon) and Markelle to get the ball into the lane.’’
Fournier drew the bulk of the monumental task of guarding Harden last season when Orlando rallied in the fourth period to beat the Rockets 116-109. That night, Harden tied Kobe Bryant’s record for consecutive 30-point games at 16 by hanging 38 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds on the game. But what was significant was the inefficiency that the Magic’s defense forced Harden to play with. By crowding him, Orlando was able to force Harden into an 11-of-32 shooting night and he missed 16 of his 17 tries from 3-point range.
``He’s going to score points regardless, but you have to try and get him to shoot the ball with low efficiency,’’ Fournier said. ``That’s really the key because he’s going to score. He’s going to get to the paint and make some of these step-backs, but the whole thing is about making it hard for him and making sure you don’t send him to the free throw line. And just make sure you don’t just give him easy stuff or he’s going to knock (shots) down.’’
Harden, the NBA’s MVP two seasons ago, is coming off a game in Cleveland on Wednesday when he poured in 55 points – 20 of which came in the fourth period – with incredible efficiency. Not only did he make 20 of 34 shots and all five of his free throws, but he buried 10 of 18 threes to rally the Rockets in the fourth period. It was his fourth 50-point game of the season and he became the fourth player in NBA history to have multiple games with 10 made 3-point shots, joining Stephen Curry (15), Klay Thompson (five) and J.R. Smith (three).
``You definitely can’t get frustrated because that’s his greatness and that’s what he does,’’ Fournier said of defending Harden, who leads the NBA in scoring at 38.7 points per game. ``The whole challenge is you can’t give up straight-line drives because that’s a layup and on those step-backs you have to be close to him enough to contest it. But at the same time, you can’t jump or he’s going to fall and it’s going to be a foul. So, you have to be extremely disciplined with him.’’
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