Eric Gay / Associated Press
Orlando Magic striker Aaron Gordon’s hamstring injury will keep him out for Tuesday’s playoff opening.
According to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, Magic officials said Gordon will not play Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 24 year old suffered the hamstring injury on August 5 against the Toronto Raptors within the league campus-like setting at Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando, Florida area. Despite the setback, he has been quite resilient in recent times, appearing in at least 78 games in three of the previous four seasons before 2019-20.
While Gordon did not become a superstar like Orlando hoped when he selected him with the No. 4 in 2014, he’s a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor and has made great strides throughout his career.
After failing to average double-digit scores in his first two years in the league, the product of the University of Arizona since then he has recorded at least 12.7 points per game each season.
Gordon averaged 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 43.7% from the field and 30.8% from three points this season, helping to lead the Magic in the playoffs.
Orlando can’t afford to lose more depth after Jonathan Isaac tore his ACL and Mo Bamba left the bubble for a medical evaluation, but they will likely turn to the combination of Nikola Vucevic, James Ennis III and Khem Birch in the frontcourt until Gordon returns.
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