ORLANDO – In many ways, head coach Steve Clifford is the Orlando Magic’s lone on-court link to the most recent glory days when the franchise was a perennial playoff power and a feared opponent in games held in Central Florida.
An Orlando assistant coach from 2007-12, Clifford was a part of Magic teams that reached the playoffs five straight years (six overall) and advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals and the ’10 Eastern Conference Finals.
A common denominator during those years – besides Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu? It was the Magic’s ability to protect their home court – whether it was at the since-demolished Amway Arena or at the state-of-the-art Amway Center since 2010.