Clifford grateful to help others

The Magic at Cavaliers game was not completed in time for this edition. Read the late game story in our e-edition at OrlandoSentinel.com/late or on our website.

Magic coach Steve Clifford said he is grateful he can help others on Thanksgiving. The Orlando Magic will serve Thanksgiving breakfast to an estimated 700 men, women and children Thursday morning at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

It will be the 27th consecutive year the Magic have provided the meal, which is being funded by Clifford. He will be joined by the Magic community ambassadors and former players Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw, Magic CEO Alex Martins and Magic staff members and volunteers.

“I think that the players would say this too, all of us, what we get to do because of basketball and because of the fans and ownership and everything, we get to live this life where we’re flying around the country getting to play basketball against the best players in the world. It’s just a life that you dream of,” Clifford said. “It’s just a small way to have a chance to give back and to help out the organization. This is not something that you should ever take for granted and, again, it’s a way to help out and show thanks to other people.”

The Magic will also host a carnival for children after the breakfast at the Coalition’s campus. Festivities include guest appearances by the 321 Hype and 407 entertainment teams, pop-a-shot, bounce house, games, caricatures, face painting, balloon art and a live DJ.

GORDON OUT: The Orlando Magic were hopeful they might regain the services of starting forward Aaron Gordon for Wednesday night’s game at Cleveland, but the sixth-year NBA player missed his third straight game since suffering a bruised bone in his ankle at Toronto last week.

The Magic have been down two starters since the Toronto game on Nov. 20 after both Gordon and leading scorer and rebounder Nikola Vucevic both injured their ankles within a three-minute stretch during a loss to the Raptors. Vucevic is expected to be reevaluated this weekend.

After Gordon participated in Wednesday’s shoot-around, team officials decided soreness will keep him on the bench.