Magic Sticks With Adubato for Season

The Orlando Magic dropped the word “interim” from Coach Richie Adubato’s title, saying he will be retained for the remainder of the season.

Adubato replaced Brian Hill, who was fired on Feb. 18, has a 6-0 record after Friday’s 94-73 victory over San Antonio.

“We’re very pleased to see how our players have reacted and responded to Richie Adubato’s leadership and his staff,” General Manager John Gabriel said. “Naturally, the win-loss record speaks for itself.”

While expressing confidence in Adubato on the day of the change, the Magic did not rule out the possibility of bringing in a permanent replacement before the end of the season.

Gabriel said he has established no guidelines for what kind of finish Adubato needs to retain the job beyond this season.

“There’s no parameters or measuring stick that I’m going to use to discuss Richie’s future. However, it’s very safe to say Richie Adubato will be a candidate to proceed with this team.”