Magic's Aaron Gordon ruled out for Game 1 vs. Bucks

The Orlando Magic have ruled out Aaron Gordon for Game 1 of their series against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a hamstring injury, diminishing the team's already-small chances of pulling an upset in the opening round of the playoffs.

Since being drafted fourth in the 2014 draft, Gordon has been a solid, if not spectacular player for Orlando. This season, he has averaged 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season while helping lead Orlando to a playoff berth. The team has long waited for him to break out and become a star in the league. While that has not happened, Gordon has proven to be a valuable starter in the league and Orlando will miss him on the court.

Even before Gordon was ruled out, Orlando was struggling with injuries, as Jonathan Isaac broke his leg in the opening week of the bubble. The burden of leading the Magic now falls squarely on the shoulders of Nikola Vucevic, who averaged 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds this season.

But even with a fully healthy roster, the Orlando Magic would have been considered massive underdogs to the Bucks, who had one of the more dominant regular seasons in NBA history led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who appears primed to win his second straight MVP award. But without Gordon and Isaac, most experts assume that the Bucks will get by Orlando with relative ease.

Michael Carter-Williams has also been ruled out by Orlando due to a strained left foot tendon.