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| - Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford was taken ill during his team's NBA game at Minnesota on Friday and taken to hospital for evaluation, the Magic said. "During the third quarter of tonight's game at Minnesota, Orlando Magic Head Coach Steve Clifford came down with an illness," the team said on its Twitter feed. "Clifford is being taken to a local hospital to undergo further evaluation." Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Clifford was examined by team doctors at the arena and the trip to the hospital in Minneapolis was apparently a precaution. The Magic did not elaborate on what symptoms Clifford, 58, experienced during the team's 132-118 victory over the Timberwolves. During the 2017-18 season, when he coached the Charlotte Hornets, Clifford took a break from coaching duties for six weeks because of severe headaches which he said doctors told him were due to his heavy work schedule and lack of sleep. In 2013, Clifford, then coaching Charlotte, had a heart procedure to address blocked arteries after experiencing chest pain. There was no indication from the Magic on Friday that his current illness was related to any previous health issue. "Well, the only thing we know now is he wasn't feeling well," assistant coach Tyrone Corbin, who took over on the sideline when Clifford departed, said after the game, according to the Orlando Sentinel. "They took him to the hospital to check him out. We're praying everything is well with him." Corbin said he was taken by surprise when Clifford had to leave. "He just came over and said 'You're going to have to take it' and I didn't really know what it meant until I saw him walk off," Corbin said. "It was kind of a shocker." bb/gph
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