Magic full of confidence, and will rest

Associated Press

ORLANDO, FLA.

Team Sweep has more time to do some housecleaning.

Waiting around for their next opponent again, about the only questions the playoff-perfect Orlando Magic face are when and where they’ll begin the Eastern Conference finals. Fourteen straight wins — including 8-0 in the postseason — have left the Magic beaming with confidence ahead of another lengthy layoff.

But the time off provides no assurance of continued success.

“The one thing you have to understand about playoff basketball is you’ve got to get beyond the last game and the last series,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “It has no meaning for the game or the series coming up, whatsoever. So you go in with good confidence, you get a little rest, but it will come down to how you play in the next series.”

Orlando proved prior perfection — or imperfection — doesn’t guarantee anything last year. The Magic squeaked out two series before toppling the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.

The earliest Orlando will play again is Sunday, and it could be as long as next Tuesday — eight days between games. The Magic would have home-court advantage against Boston but would start on the road against Cleveland.

Van Gundy gave his team two days off after dusting aside Atlanta in the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA playoff history. The Magic will return to practice Thursday.

That might be the only thing Van Gundy doesn’t seem concerned about.

“I’ve said the one thing that I have real confidence in with our team is our mind set, our preparation and what we bring to the game in terms of energy and intensity will be very good,” he said.