Team earns a return trip to playoffs
Vucevic: Back-to-back ‘great accomplishment’
The Orlando Magic clinched their second consecutive playoff berth Friday night when Washington’s loss to New Orleans eliminated the Wizards from contention. It was the first time since 2011 and 2012 that the Magic have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
And despite the way the Magic backed their way into this year’s postseason party, center Nikola Vucevic said that doesn’t matter.
Center Nikola Vucevic has been through all of the recent lean years with the Magic, so back-to-back playoff appearances are very important for the 7-footer.
“It’s a great accomplishment for us. After all the years of struggle we had, to make it for two years in a row is great,” Vucevic said. “Considering this year we had a lot of injuries, we had to fight through a lot of stuff, and we stuck with it and we were able to get in.
“So, yes, we’re very happy and very proud of my teammates and all the work we did, the coaching staff, as well. It’s a step in the right direction for us and hopefully we can do something significant once we get there.”
It’s the first time in seven years the Magic have clinched back-toback playoff spots. Back then, the Magic had made the playoffs in six straight seasons, advancing to the NBA Finals in 2009.
“It’s a big deal. Our goal at our
initial meeting this year was to qualify for the playoffs and playing in a manner where we could be a factor,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said. “That goal remains our goal. I think the guys did a terrific job. If you look at the number of injuries that we’ve had, at some difficult parts of the schedule, they hung in there and we kept playing better. We were playing our best right before the play stoppage.”
Speaking of injuries, the Magic will once again likely be dealing with some absent players heading into Sunday night’s game against Boston. Clifford said forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and backup guard Michael Carter Williams (knee) are listed as dayto-day, so their availability is unknown, although the Magic will not rush them back on the floor given that they are officially into the playoffs. Forward Jonathan Isaac (torn ACL) has already has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
“My feeling … the priority is to have them ready at full health by Game 1 of the playoff series, regardless of who we’re playing,” Clifford said of Gordon and Carter-Williams. “We’d like to win these [final seeding] games and we’d like to finish as high as we can but the reality is that we’re going to play one of two terrific teams.
“Milwaukee and Toronto are both teams that are capable of winning the championship and we understand that, so we want to be at full health as a priority above everything else.”
The seventh seed, which would put the Magic in a first-round series with Toronto for the second straight season, is definitely on the minds of Magic players.
“It’s still doable, so we’re going to fight for that as much as we can,” Vucevic said. “You always want to finish on a positive note, so obviously if we can get some wins and get some momentum it would be great.”
Point guard Markelle Fultz will be playing in his first playoff series, having sat out his previous two seasons — one in Philadelphia and one in Orlando — with injuries.
“I’m extremely excited. Every year I’ve been on a playoff team, but I’ve been watching. I haven’t gotten a chance to actually, like, be in that atmosphere,” Fultz said. “I kind of know what it’s like, but being able to be suit up and get on the court and play in it … I’m extremely excited, I’m extremely motivated and I’m super locked-in just to take these nine days that we have to prepare myself as best I can to get ready for the playoffs so I can make some noise.”