ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 5: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic grabs a rebound against Flamengo during a preseason game at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on October 5, 2018. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) The Orlando Magic made quick work of Brazilian team Flamengo in a preseason exhibition. Aaron Gordon led the team with 29 points. The opponent is not one that will allow for anyone to make any sweeping conclusions. Really all the Orlando Magic wanted to do was look more organized and prepared for the regular season. They wanted a sense that they were moving in the right direction and correcting some mistakes from their previous game. Against a team like Flamengo, the Magic should have been able to outwork them with their talent and overwhelm them with their skill. That turned out to be the case early on as the magic raced ahead and led by as much as 43 points in a 119-82 win at the Amway Center on Friday. Orlando’s defense was on point, challenging shots and making things largely difficult for Flamengo. Of course, they should, the Magic are the far better team. Orlando’s dominance was not unexpected. And in that sense, the team performed exactly as the team could hope for. Aaron Gordon ran wild on Flamengo with 20 first-half points. Mohamed Bamba and Nikola Vucevic played together with some success, including Bamba taking a dribble handoff at the elbow and breaking his man off the dribble. That probably will not happen when the games start counting or even against most NBA competition. The biggest concern was whether the team would be able to look more organized defensively and limit their fouling. The Magic certainly looked better on that end, stymying any attack Flamengo put together and turning them into transition opportunities. The communication was solid as the team switched more seamlessly and had their coverages set to keep Flamengo from getting too deep into the paint. Orlando could have led by more if not for regular preseason rust and a few missed 3-point opportunities. The fouling was something of a problem. The team gave up 16 free throw attempts and had 15 fouls in the first half. Gordon had four fouls alone in the first half. But even that got under control as the team gave up just eight more free throw attempts the rest of the game. At least the team was willing to be plenty physical. Whether the team can dial that back or wait for officiating to return to regular season levels is the next question. Overall an easy night for the Magic. AARON GORDON PF, Orlando Magic A Aaron Gordon certainly tried to shake off some rust in Monday’s preseason opener as he tried to force some offense and settle for mid-range jumpers. That is the greatest fear with Gordon as he tries to take a bigger role in the offense. How he looked Friday is probably more the direction the team wants him to go. And a perfect example of how he can play. Gordon scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half, working really within the offense. Gordon made 10 of his 12 shots. He got out in transition to finish at the rim himself — in only the way Gordon can. . . with force. But he also looked to get others involved and dished the ball well. He was searching for his teammates. Gone were the forced shots and over dribbling that characterizes his poor games. When the ball worked to him at the 3-point line he took the open three or kept the ball moving. This is an example of exactly how Gordon needs to play. Steve Clifford has gone out of his way to praise Nikola Vucevic and his offensive ability throughout training camp. He said there are few players with his size and shooting ability in the NBA today. And especially his passing ability. Vucevic had that on full display Friday with 21 points and seven rebounds. He worked the post really well and held his own in the post defensively. He blocked a shot and was present to challenge shots. That is something he can probably get away with against a team like Flamengo. More interestingly, the Magic are running a lot of offense through him out of the high post. They let him hold the ball there and seek out cutters. This is unlocking a more pronounced passing side to him. Definitely something to keep an eye on. " > NIKOLA VUCEVIC C, Orlando Magic B+ Coach Steve Clifford has gone out of his way to praise Nikola Vucevic and his offensive ability throughout training camp. He said there are few players with his size and shooting ability in the NBA today. And especially his passing ability. Vucevic had that on full display Friday with 21 points and seven rebounds. He worked the post really well and held his own in the post defensively. He blocked a shot and was present to challenge shots. That is something he can probably get away with against a team like Flamengo. More interestingly, the Magic are running a lot of offense through him out of the high post. They let him hold the ball there and seek out cutters. This is unlocking a more pronounced passing side to him. Definitely something to keep an eye on. " > Mohamed Bamba at home this preseason. And it was hard not to come away impressed. He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds along with four blocks. He was active and his presence was certainly felt. Flamengo was searching for him when they drove. It was still how he scored those points — a 3-pointer and a jumper, off the dribble after a handoff from Nikola Vucevic or a put-back jam. And it was the willingness to take contact and still come back that remains impressive.<doc-sep>Basketball officially returns to Orlando tonight. In their preseason home opener at Amway Center, the Magic will take on Flamengo Brazil, which includes recently-signed former NBA veterans Leandro Barbosa and Anderson Varejao. The Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac, who suffered a mild ankle sprain in Monday’s preseason opener against the Sixers. Isaac seemed to practice with the team without limitations, but given that he missed all but 27 games due to lingering ankle issues last season, the Magic will take the cautious approach. Orlando will also be without Terrence Ross due to a right foot contusion. The home crowd will also be denied the opportunity to see Timofey Mozgov, who suffered a dislocated finger in practice. Three things to keep an eye on: 1) Wes Iwundu gets the start in place of Isaac. The second-year forward, who had six points in 16 minutes off the bench on Monday, started just 12 games as a rookie last season. 2) Evan Fournier is coming off a disastrous 1-for-11 shooting performance. Let’s see how he bounces back. 3) Isaiah Briscoe made the most of his minutes on Monday, scoring 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting in just eight minutes. For a team with obvious point guard issues, if Briscoe continues to produce, he could make a serious case for playing time in the regular season. Also, be sure to check out our Magic preview, which includes some hot takes, for SB Nation’s season preview package. The game will not be televised, but you can follow along on the FOX Sports app and on 96.6 The Game. Join the conversation below....<doc-sep>GAME INFO Start Time: 7 p.m. ET Radio: FM 96.9 The Game, AM 740, Salsa 98.1 FM (Spanish) Location: Amway Center in Orlando PREVIEW By John Denton ORLANDO – If preseason basketball in the NBA truly is all about steadily progressing and building momentum toward the regular-season opener, the Orlando Magic took a major step toward that goal on Thursday. Now, the next mission is to carry that progress over to tonight’s preseason game at the Amway Center. Magic head coach Steve Clifford exited Thursday’s workout and called it ``our best practice’’ and added that it featured ``our best intensity combined with purpose of play.’’ Clifford couldn’t have been more pleased with the focus that Orlando (0-1) brought to its preparation for tonight’s exhibition game against Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo. ``It was a very, very good pro practice,’’ Clifford raved. ``It’s fun for the coaches and the whole staff when you have talented players with an attitude to come into the gym to get better, it’s fun to watch. If we get so that’s who we become (daily) in practice, we’ll make good progress very quickly. It was the right approach – from everything to the warmup to the drill work to playing live. It was very good.’’ The new-look Magic will make their Amway Center debut tonight before Orlando’s fans tonight. Clifford, who was hired in late May, is back with a Magic franchise he worked from 2007-12 as an assistant coach. Now, he is charged with helping to get Orlando back into the postseason for the first time in six seasons. Not exactly the sentimental type, Clifford said he hasn’t given much thought to coaching his first game as the Magic’s new head coach. Naturally, his focus has been on how the team has performed throughout training camp. Orlando lost 120-114 in Philadelphia on Monday, but Clifford saw plenty of positives that the team can build on tonight – his first game back in Orlando as head coach. ``What happens is once you get started (into a season) you get so locked into our team, but there’s no question that coming back here I feel blessed,’’ said Clifford, who worked previously in Charlotte for five seasons. ``But you know how coaching goes – if you want to be able to stay here for a while, you had better get your team to play well. I’ll think about (coaching in Orlando) next summer, but tonight I want us to play well.’’ This will be the third meeting all-time between the Magic and Flamengo, a professional squad based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Orlando defeated Flamengo at the Amway Center in 2014 and then won in Rio in a hotly contested game in 2015. Flamengo, which has won the Brazilian National Championship five times, recently signed former NBA standouts Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa. ``We’ve played them already before and sure, we’re not going to take them (lightly),’’ Magic center Nikola Vucevic said. ``They obviously have two great players who had great NBA careers and played for a long time. It will be different because we won’t be so familiar with them, but we just have to focus on ourselves right now and make sure that we do the things that we worked on in practice and execute on both ends of the floor.’’ Tonight’s game will be the home debut for rookie center Mohamed Bamba, the No. 6 pick from last June’s NBA Draft. Bamba, who features the longest wing span ever recorded in NBA history at 7-feet, 10 inches, scored 12 points and drilled two 3-pointers in his debut in Philadelphia on Monday. Jonathan Isaac (sprained ankle), Terrence Ross (sore foot) and Timofey Mozgov (dislocated finger) will not play tonight as they try and recover from minor injuries. Jonathon Simmons, who underwent offseason wrist surgery, will play, but is on a minutes restriction, Clifford said. Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.<doc-sep>The Orlando Magic's Nikola Vucevic (9) and Aaron Gordon (00) stop Flamengo's Anderson Varejao, middle, during an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. Flamengo is a professional team from Brazil. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) The Orlando Magic are coming together slowly as the preseason prepares to ratchet up in intensity. The team did the little things to power a blowout win. If Orlando Magic fans wanted to point to a highlight from Friday’s 119-82 romp over Flamengo, they could find plenty. Aaron Gordon had a few himself, grabbing an early rebound and whooshing past the retreating defense for an acrobatic layup. Or the two-handed alley-oop jam he leveled on the defense in transition. All part of his 29-point effort during the exhibition game. Mohamed Bamba added a few more. In one instance he took a dribble handoff from Nikola Vucevic, put a crossover on his man and went limberly to the basket for a layup. Or there was the one-handed putback jam he skied for with his massive 7-foot-10 wingspan. And just pick any four of his blocks. There was a lot to look at that could get the Amway Center crowd excited and hopeful about the upcoming season. It would be easy to race to conclusions and start buying stock in the Magic after this one. It was, of course, just a game against Flamengo. But something important is underlying those highlights. Something that is vital to the team’s development. Something the Magic actually can take away from an otherwise meaningless exhibition against a non-NBA team. Slowly but surely, the Magic are getting more organized and more comfortable in Steve Clifford’s system. They are getting the little details down and taking steps in the right direction. As Clifford puts it often, the team is looking more organized. As one of the key goals for the game, the Magic seemed to pass with flying colors. “We were much more organized tonight on both ends of the floor,” Clifford said. “It’s a different level. It’s not the Sixers and all that. But we were more organized in practice the last two days and there was carry over tonight, which is what we are looking for.” That is, of course, what is supposed to happen. The team is supposed to understand and grasp the concepts more and more as training camp goes on. The general progress the team is seeing is the biggest positive sign to take away but one that is generally expected. Clifford again highlighted the team’s high assist total — 28 assists on 44 field goal makes — as a sign of the team’s unselfish play. That is a tangible sign of the team’s understanding of the offense and where they and everyone else is supposed to be. This term of being “organized” that Clifford has thrown around so often in camp can have several meanings. To the players, like Evan Fournier, it seems specifically to mean being in the right place and running through the plays and rotations with the same intensity on every play. It is a statement about consistency as much as it is about execution. “It means that every possession is very important,” Evan Fournier said. “You can’t take any possession off. When you have one coverage in the pick and roll, it should be the same every single time. There should not be any possession where you switch things up or do things your own way. It has to be the same approach every time. That has really been the focus under Coach Cliff.” That was evident throughout the game as the team scrambled and switched effectively most of the night. One guy got beat, the next guy stepped up and the team filled in around until he recovered. The team seemed on a string defensively and it showed in how difficult it was for Flamengo to execute most of the night. Flamengo shot just 31 percent for the game. Their best offense was getting to the foul line, which was still a problem for the Magic but not as pronounced as it was in the preseason opener Monday. There were still coverage breakdowns and open shots the team gave up. Flamengo got its share of offensive rebounds — although hardly the same amoung the Philadelphia 76ers did Monday. There will be plenty to tweak and improve upon for the next game. But even considering the opponent, there was a clear difference in how the Magic looked in Monday’s preseason opener and how the Magic looked in Friday’s second game. “We got better definitely,” Fournier said. “As a new team with a new coaching staff and new players, every day is important to build habits. We had three good days. Even though it was not a NBA team in front of us, I thought we did the right thing pretty much every time on the floor. The intensity was there and the focus was there. It was a good day for us.” The final week of the preseason will provide a firmer test. There are obviously three more NBA teams on the schedule and games coming in rapid succession. There will now be little time to pause in practice and work on corrections. The team will have to implement its fixes much faster now. And then the regular season begins a week from Wednesday. Taking this step and showing this kind of organization was critical to the team’s ultimate success and ultimate goals heading into that big day. All the big highlights the team made and the ease with which the Magic won are based on these simple underpinnings of knowing where to be and working together. If anything, even when the opponent gets better, Friday’s win was a formula for how the Magic can win. “We took a step forward this week,” Nikola Vucevic said. “We had a couple of good practices. We looked better tonight. We executed well on both ends of the floor. I know it was not a NBA opponent, but I thought we did what we were supposed to do.<doc-sep>
ORLANDO – New head coach Steve Clifford is a link to the Orlando Magic’s most recent glory days, working as an assistant coach for the squad’s 2009 and ‘10 teams that reached the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals. In addition to having elite-level talent, those Magic teams weren’t afraid to defy basketball convention and take risks with their personnel and style of play. Taking a cue from those Magic teams that sometimes shot 3-pointers in record numbers and dared playing forwards Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu simultaneously, Clifford is eager to experiment with the present-day Orlando squad in ways that will allow it to potentially use centers Nikola Vucevic and Mohamed Bamba at the same time. The Magic rolled out that ultra-big lineup featuring Vucevic and Bamba at times on Friday night and it produced extremely positive results in their 119-82 exhibition-game rout of Brazil’s Flamengo at the Amway Center. Orlando (1-1 in the preseason) never trailed and led by as much as 43 points in the fourth quarter. ``I thought we played well with Mo and myself out there, and maybe it can be something that’s good for us,’’ said Vucevic, who had 21 points and seven rebounds on Friday. ``Mo’s a smart player and I’m a smart player and when you have people who have a feel for the game, usually you just figure it out. It’ll probably take some time for us to really make it work well, but I think it’s something that can work for us. He can shoot and I can shoot; he can be inside and I can be inside and we can put it on the floor, too. It can put pressure on the other team and on the defensive end it gives us a lot of length. So far, it’s been really good – probably better than we thought it would be.’’ Vucevic is the Magic’s longest-tenured player, while Bamba is one of the franchise’s newest additions after being selected No. 6 in last June’s NBA Draft. Clifford, who worked previously for the Magic from 2007-12 and was hired in May as head coach, used Vucevic and Bamba together several times this week in practice. And that combination produced almost immediate results on Friday night. Seconds after Bamba checked into the game and joined Vucevic along the Magic front line, the latter stuffed a shot at the rim. Both 7-footers played extremely well in the early going, combining with Aaron Gordon’s hustle and muscle, to list the Magic to a lead as large as 25 points in the first half and by 34 points in the third quarter. Clifford, who worked previously in Orlando under former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, said the pairing of the team’s two big men comes down to a simple strategy. ``My feeling is, again going all the way back to what Stan used to say: `You have to find ways to get your best players on the floor,’ and (Vucevic and Bamba) are two of our best players,’’ said Clifford, who noted the pairing will obviously face stiffer tests against other NBA talent. ``Two months from now, as Mo learns, (it might work better then), but you just don’t wait until then. If we’re going to become the team that we can become, (Bamba’s) progress is part of that. So, you can’t get into December and say, `(Bamba) is playing well, but two of our best players are at the same position’ and then start it from there. We may as well start it now and make it a part of what we do.’’ Making his Amway Center debut on Friday, the 20-year-old Bamba scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked four shots and contributed one of the best highlights of the night in the second quarter. All in one motion, Bamba used every bit of 7-foot, 10-inch wingspan to rebound a missed 3-point shot and jam the ball through the rim for a thunderous dunk. Showing off vast versatility as a player, Bamba also drilled two 3-point shots, giving him four makes in as many attempts in two preseason games. ``I don’t know, there must be something wrong with me,’’ Bamba said of his lack of nerves while making his Amway Center debut. ``It felt really good being in front of the home crowd.