Gordon misses Clips game
sat out the Orlando Magic’s home game Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Gordon suffered a concussion five days earlier and had not completed the NBA’s return-to-play concussion protocol before tipoff.
The 22-year-old forward had hoped to pass all the steps and gain medical clearance in time to play against the Clippers.
“He’s frustrated,” Magic coach said. “He wants to play. The protocols that are in place here are smart. They have player safety in mind, and you have to adhere to them. It’s very black-and-white. So there’s nothing really to get upset about.”
The Magic had a skeleton crew against the Clippers.
Back spasms prevented swingman from playing Wednesday, and
and also didn’t play. Afflalo turned 32 years old in October, and he has suffered from back spasms on at least one other occasion since training camp convened.
“At this stage, I’ve got to start realizing how to take care of my body even better in terms of becoming more flexible,” Afflalo said. “Obviously, I’m strong enough at this stage of my life and career, but I’ve got to start doing different things to stay healthy.”
Afflalo likened the situation to something he experienced during his first stint with the Magic. He missed the final 12 games of the 2012-13 season because of a strained right hamstring. During the subsequent offseason, he concentrated on improving his legs. The following season, his legs didn’t give him any problems. Injuries to and (and to earlier this season) have required former Winter Park High star to take on a bigger role for the Clippers this season. Rivers entered Wednesday averaging career bests of 14.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. “It’s been great,” said his father, Clippers coach “As a parent, it’s always nice. But as a coach, it’s in some ways nicer — a lot nicer — because you need him. You need him to be what he is right now.
“He’s been really good for us offensively. His game is starting to grow to where he’s starting to facilitate a lot more as well, and he’s doing something that I didn’t know he would ever do in high school at least. He’s become one of our better defensive players as well, and that’s been good for us.”
Isaac missed his 17th consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle. He did some one-on-one work Wednesday, and Vogel said the team hopes Isaac will participate in a portion of the team’s next practice.
one of the Magic’s two-way players, experienced a whirlwind Tuesday and Wednesday.
Because the Magic have so many injured players, Artis and his Lakeland teammate practiced with the Magic on Tuesday at Amway Center. After the practice ended, Artis and Payne drove to Lakeland to play in Lakeland’s G-League game against Windy City. Artis played 34 minutes and assisted on the buzzer-beating 3-pointer that lifted Lakeland to a 117-116 win.
On Wednesday morning, Artis participated in the Magic’s shootaround at Amway Center.
Hours later, the 6-foot-7 swingman was in uniform for the Magic against the Clippers — the first time he’d ever been eligible to play in a regular-season NBA game.
“I can’t say I’ve never been scared for a game, but I’m very excited,” Artis said before tipoff. “Just being here, I don’t think I will get butterflies. But hopefully I don’t.”
Artis played four seasons of college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh but wasn’t picked in the 2017 NBA Draft.
He joined the New York Knicks for training camp but was waived before the regular season.
The Magic signed him to a two-way contract. Under NBA rules, two-way players spend the bulk of the season in the G League but may spend up to 45 days during the G-League season with their parent NBA Clubs.
Payne also was available to play Wednesday night, and the Magic also called up center from Lakeland.