Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac suffered what appeared to be a significant knee injury while driving to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Instead, the coronavirus pandemic forced the NBA to suspend play in March and gave him more time to recover.
Magic coach Steve Clifford and the team’s front office staff brushed off the suggestion Isaac might be strong enough to play during the NBA restart, but he kept pushing through every barrier and looked strong during five-on-five work in practice.
After shining in the final minutes of the team’s last pre-restart scrimmage, Isaac was allowed to play the restart opener Friday and again Sunday with a minutes restriction.