Orlando, Florida — magic Forward Jonathan Isaac Standing at the scorers’ table, he had a quick chat with his coach, Jamal Mosley, and calmly took off his shooting shirt. We played our first match.
of waited a long timeWhen he checked in on a game between pairs Jason Tatum A sold-out crowd of 19,196 inside the Amway Center responded with free throws and enthusiastic applause.
Isaac, 25, has not played in an official NBA game since August 2, 2020, when he tore his ACL in his left knee during a game at the Orlando Bubble.he on monday night boston celtics.
With tight time limits, Isaac scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in less than 10 minutes of action as the Magic beat the Celtics 113-98.
Isaac said he had a lot on his mind when he checked in. He also admitted that there were times when he didn’t know if this day would ever come, but in times of doubt he relied on his faith.
“There were days when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue,” he said. “But again, I have to thank Christ for being able to return to my faith and say that God has put me on this journey for a purpose. I know I was made to play basketball, I was made to give glory to God, this stage.”
Isaac was Orlando’s first submarine and he checked in alone. What Mosley did on purpose was to make the crowd aware of the moment.
It wasn’t long after Isaac checked in that the first touch of the night. When Orlando stepped off the court for the first time, Isaac found himself with the ball in his hand.
He caught it along the baseline and tried to drive Boston Jalen BrownIsaac said he thought Brown would charge, but didn’t, and Isaac failed when he attempted a layup.
On the Magic’s subsequent offensive possession, Isaac was able to get the shot down.
“Shout out to Coach Morse for painting for me,” said Isaac. “It was really supposed to be a catch and a jumper, but they played well. Done.I was just like “thank you”. just disturb it. ”
Isaac’s first stint lasted just under four and a half minutes. In addition to the jumper over Brown, he added a layup, but just off the floor he was 2/5.
He admitted that fatigue was an early problem.
“The first wind like that got to me. In that final moment, I could barely speak and my breath was rough,” Isaac said. “But the second rotation in the second half, those four minutes, made me feel relaxed and better.”
There was a notable difference in the second half when Isaac returned. He made his two 3-pointers and picked up two steals. Paolo Banchero for a slam on his final play of the night. He completely checked out with his 2:08 left in the 3rd quarter.
“I thought he was great,” Mosley said. “I thought he played great at a calm level and I think that was important. he set a time in the G leagueThere were a lot of emotions, obviously. I thought the way he treated himself was great. ”
Mosley and Isaac shared some pre-match moments. Mosley took a seat on the edge of Magic’s bench and he called as Isaac was walking off the court. The two had a brief conversation, during which Mosley was overjoyed to see Isaac back.
Before playing two games with the Orlando Bubble, Isaac had not played since spraining the same left knee on January 1, 2020. His last game at Amway’s center he was on December 30, 2019, in a loss with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Atlanta Hawks.
The only team member who played in that game was Markelle Fultz, Terrence Ross When MobambaNeither Ross nor Bamba saw the minutes for Monday’s game against Boston.
“I may have had a lot going on tonight, but I thank God that I was able to do something like this.
Jonathan Isaac
cole anthonyAfter spending some time on the floor with Isaac on Monday, he was very pleased that Isaac was back on the floor after seeing him have to watch his first two-and-a-half seasons with the team from the sidelines. I am happy to
“It can definitely get frustrating when you’re out for so long.” But he was very supportive of the whole team. They hit us when we were playing good.It’s a pleasure to be a room guy and a teammate.”
Anthony said he’d played some pickups with Isaac before, so it was nice to actually share an NBA court with him.
Magic 2nd Year Forward Franz Wagner His locker is next to Isaac and he knows how much Monday night meant to his teammates. He was also excited to have a healthy Isaac to help the young Magic team move forward.
“I think we’ve found a piece of our identity, even without some,” Wagner told ESPN. However, each position has a great deal of talent and size.
“But most importantly, we have great company. Everyone cares about doing the right thing. You saw it today.” [Isaac] We all want to see our next guy succeed. ”
When Isaac was completely ejected from the game in the third quarter, he briefly disappeared from the bench. When he returned, he sat on the bench and continued to cheer on his teammates.
As day fell, his teammates poured water on him.
“Relief and peace,” Isaac was asked how he felt after finishing his time on the court. I’m grateful. He’s really loyal. I just want to thank him. Tonight could have gone in many ways. ”
