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Magic Beat Heat in Opening Night Thriller

ORLANDO – For months, and more specifically in the three weeks since they opened training camp, the Orlando Magic have stressed that they are a dramatically different team than the one that failed to meet expectations in years past.

Different now with no-nonsense head coach Steve Clifford calling the shots. Different with Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier grasping more control of the team as leaders and trip-captain Aaron Gordon maturing as a do-everything player. And different because of the influx of youth, athleticism and long-armed defense provided by towering 20-something big men Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba.