Former Magic Star Victor Oladipo Makes History In Eastern Conference Finals Game 4

The former Magic No. 2 overall pick is enjoying a great playoff run with the Miami Heat.
Former Magic Star Victor Oladipo Makes History In Eastern Conference Finals Game 4
Former Magic Star Victor Oladipo Makes History In Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 /

Former Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo continues to impress for the Miami Heat during their deep playoff run.

Despite a brutal 102-82 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics, Oladipo made some history.

Victor Oladipo
Joshua C. Cruey/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo
Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo
Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports

Victor Oladipo

The former Magic guard became the first player in NBA history to come off the bench and outscore all five of his starters combined. Oladipo's 23 points led the Heat Monday night, but a slow start and only 18 points from the Miami starting five gave Boston the win in wire-to-wire fashion.

Despite playing just eight regular season games (including a 40-point effort against the Magic in the regular season finale), Oladipo has played in 12 of the team's 15 playoff games so far and scored double digits in six of those games.

But he isn't just adding value on the offensive end. His defense has also been important to the Heat's success.

It's been a long road for Oladipo to get to this point in his career. After turning 30 last week, Oladipo finally feels at home with the Heat.

He didn't fully feel that way in his stops in Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indiana and Houston, and while he projected to be a different player at different spots in his career, perhaps his role with the Heat is the one that serves him best.

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Oladipo will likely never live up to the potential he once had as the second overall pick, but he's proving how valuable he can be in a playoff series on a winning team. And when you're winning, it doesn't matter how you got there, but rather how you can maintain a spot at the top.


Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.