Jalen Suggs was not sweating the moment where he fell short.
This was an exhibition after all. And as much as he and Cole Anthony would have loved to play a second game, they made the impression they needed to make.
It was all smiles for the duo as they exited early having given the crowd inside the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse a few highlights to take home with them.
So what Jalen Suggs missed a potential game-clinching free throw or was called for the foul that would send Desmond Bane to the line for the winner.
He had the highlight of the night.
The Orlando Magic’s trio of young players showed off during the Rising Stars game, having fun in the spotlight at All-Star Weekend.
With the game tied at 46, he contested a shot from Bane and immediately took off. When Josh Giddey grabbed the rebound he fed it ahead to Jalen Suggs who seemed in line for a dunk. Instead, Suggs seemed to catch Anthony’s eye and slowed down enough to throw the ball high off the backboard for Anthony to throw down.
This was not a game to take seriously. Nobody was sweating their stats.
"“I ain’t going to lie, I was out there having fun,” Cole Anthony said after Friday’s game. “I didn’t care about that game at all. I literally was just out there with a bunch of young ones just having fun. I air-balled a three. It happens to the best of us.”"
As much as everyone wants to see the Rising Stars game be a bit more competitive (and the first two games came down to a next-score-wins situation), it is still about showing off the young talent around the league. With the way this year’s rookie class has played especially, that future looks incredibly bright.
With three players from the Orlando Magic on the court, there were plenty of chances for the Magic to create some national buzz and show off. For Team Worthy, both Suggs and Anthony made their presence felt.
More importantly, they showed how much fun is in store for Magic fans as these players continue to develop.
This was perhaps the most important thing for everyone coming out of this game. this is an exhibition, after all. It is supposed to be fun.
Suggs was certainly having fun when he lined up for a 360 dunk early in his game. Suggs said after the game that he planned either to throw the ball off the backboard or do a 360. He chose the 360 as he came down the lane and did so effortlessly.
Suggs finished with 16 points in the game, making 6 of 8 shots and 3 of 5 3-pointers. He was playing at ease. As was everyone else in the game. Life is a lot easier when there is not a ton of resistance at the rim. This was not a game for defense — aside from some moments where Isaiah Stewart and Precious Achiuwa put up some resistance.
Nobody is going to sweat the small stuff in a game like this.
Still, Suggs was playfully frustrated he was not able to close the game and set up the all-Magic final fans wanted to see.
"“First of all, heartbroken, we were supposed to win that,” Suggs said after Friday’s game forming a broken heart with his fingers on his chest. “That’s on me. That was super fun. Great experience. Great environment. We all had fun out there on the court. Everyone got to make some plays. That was very fun. I look forward to getting back here next year.”"
It has been a hard season for the Magic to have fun. They have not been anywhere near the national spotlight. This was a good chance to let loose and relax a bit.
Then again, it hardly felt any different from how the team usually reacts. This has been a loss group powered by the energy of its young players. Especially from someone like Cole Anthony who is always putting on a show.
He was spending his entire game hyping up his teammates — whether it was with Jalen Suggs or with G-League Ignite player MarJon Beauchamp. When it was time for him to try to take over, he certainly did too.
His team just turned to Jalen Green in the biggest moment. He earned that with his scoring and shooting throughout the game.
Even in the background, Wagner was having fun, even if this was a game that was not quite his style. He obviously contributed in a major way at the very end of the game. But he scored a total of six points across two games and was often overlooked.
"“I thought it was a lot of fun,” Wagner said after Friday’s game. “I think the coolest part is you get to talk to people and meet so many people who are big parts of our NBA community. I think that’s the coolest thing for the young players.”"
It was certainly a whirlwind 36 hours for the players.
All-Star Weekend is full of media obligations and appearances associated with the NBA along with other business dealings for the players — Anthony and Suggs did some promotional work with adidas before the game. And there were plenty of other promotional stops along the way.
There are a lot of people to meet and a lot of things to do.
The Magic’s rookies seemed to keep up with the fun. More importantly for the team, the Magic’s rookies all had their moments to shine. They all did something that resonated and remained memorable long after the game ended.
Cade Cunningham might have won MVP, but it was Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony with the highlights of the night. And it was Wagner delivering the clinching shot.
"“This is what 30 hours or something like that, a lot of different experiences from a lot of different guys,” Wagner said after Friday’s game. “Playing was the most fun. Feeling the energy of the arena and playing with guys I don’t normally get a chance to play with was all pretty cool.”"
Everyone had a good time playing in the game. And Suggs and Wagner seemed eager to return next year. All three still have eyes of spending the whole weekend in the future.
This is just a taste of things to come.
That is the hope of course. And the Magic’s rookies and young players have to put in the work during the regular season.
The fun will end after Saturday’s Dunk Contest. They will get their reset for the break and return to Orlando and the reality of a losing season. A losing season that has still been about the team’s growth and development. One that still feels like it has a bright future.
The Magic did not dominate the Rising Stars game. But they put that future on display in a meaningful way.
And, more importantly, the team had some needed fun.