Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford has examined constructive for coronavirus, although he and the group are ready on re-tests earlier than figuring out if he should miss time.
Clifford doesn’t count on to be cleared in time for Sunday’s house sport in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, although no remaining willpower has been made but. He might be able to coach in Monday’s house sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers, supplied he returns two adverse exams by then.
Clifford initially examined constructive Thursday evening. He returned two adverse exams Friday, giving hope that the primary constructive was a false end result, then realized Saturday afternoon that a check he took that morning got here again constructive.
“I really feel high quality,” Clifford mentioned Saturday night. “I’ve no temperature. I really feel 100%.”
If Clifford can’t coach Sunday or in subsequent video games, Magic assistant Tyrone Corbin will take his place.
Clifford has obtained each doses of the Moderna vaccine, getting the second on Thursday. He’s not but thought of “totally vaccinated” by Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention protocols, since two weeks haven’t handed since his remaining dose. He mentioned he has skilled no uncomfortable side effects from getting the vaccine.
He has handled some well being points prior to now, together with lacking 21 video games throughout the 2017-18 season when he coached in Charlotte after issues brought on by sleep deprivation offered themselves, and he left a sport at Minnesota in March 2020 after experiencing dizziness brought on by dehydration.
“I really feel comfy that I am not likely at risk,” Clifford mentioned. “That with the truth that my temperature, my oxidation numbers, how I really feel, I’ve no uncomfortable side effects proper now, I am very comfy with that.”
Clifford’s scenario is simply the newest in a sequence of challenges for the Magic this season, following a trade-deadline franchise restart with the trades of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, together with Markelle Fultz being misplaced early within the season to a knee harm and Jonathan Isaac lacking your entire yr with a knee harm he sustained within the NBA’s restart bubble final August.
Orlando was the NBA’s final group to stay unbeaten in the beginning of the season, getting off to a Four-Zero begin. The Magic had been 6-2 after an early January sweep of a two-game set in opposition to Cleveland — then misplaced 15 of their subsequent 18 video games, and it is solely gotten worse from there.
Their longest successful streak within the final two months has been a mere two video games. They’ve misplaced 10 of their final 11 and entered Saturday with the fourth-worst report within the NBA at 18-41, only a half-game forward of Detroit for the worst mark within the Japanese Convention.
“It has been a tricky yr,” Clifford mentioned. “However it’s important to consider issues, it’s important to self-reflect, and this isn’t straightforward for guys both. The simple factor to do for me as a head coach is say, ‘Oh, woe is me.’ However our guys are attempting arduous. … I need them to get essentially the most out of this final 13 video games as they will.”