Jalen Suggs is constantly trying to find a way. That is what makes him so endearing. Nothing seems able to slow him down.
Everyone understands Suggs' history as a football player and how tough he is. He has gotten up from hard falls, dusted himself off and kept going. Everyone takes it for granted that Suggs will always play.
Thursday was different.
With about 90 seconds to play before halftime, Jalen Suggs drove against Luguentz Dort and fell over without contact, grabbing his left ankle. He lost the ball and the Thunder started a fast break that ended with a foul—another turnover in a long string of turnovers in the second quarter.
Everyone's eyes were on Suggs though. With all the injuries the Magic have had, losing Suggs at this point would be a catastrophe. That was going through coach Jamahl Mosley's mind as he watched things unfold.
"There were times when he was limping up the floor and he's a tough kid," Mosley said after Thursday's game. "He wants to be out there. That's what you see. His passion, his energy, his intensity to want to be on the floor with his guys. The way he was moving, I wanted to make that decision and say let's get something different going."
The Magic have become accustomed to Suggs bouncing up quickly after those hard falls and playing through it. He is an energizer bunny at all times. And his toughness rubs off on the entire team.
Suggs stayed on the ground for some time before getting up and walking off the floor under his own power. He stayed on the bench as Vice President of Player Performance and Wellness Arnie Kander worked on him.
As he came out at halftime for warmups, Suggs had two giant ice packs wrapped around both ankles. On cue, Suggs started the second half.
But this time, Suggs was not moving right. Mosley understood that. After a little more than four minutes in the third quarter, Mosley pulled him from the game for good. He was not playing at the pace he was used to.
Mosley said he felt like he had to protect Suggs for the long term, especially considering how many injuries the team has dealt with so far. And Suggs is far too important.
The good news is that Suggs appeared to be fine leaving the arena after Thursday's game. Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported Jalen Suggs left the game without a walking boot. He told The Athletic that the only thing going through his mind was how he could continue to help his teammates.
That speaks to Suggs' mindset at all times. It also speaks to why the Magic likely felt they needed to hold him back this time and preserve him to fight another day.
Suggs is currently listed as probable on the Magic’s injury report and will hopefully be available against the Miami Heat on Saturday.
Whether the Magic have Suggs or not, they showed in Thursday's game they are going to fight. And that is something the team will lean on.
"This team is not going to stop fighting," Mosley said after Thursday's loss. "It has the grit to keep going no matter what's happening on the court. It's a 48-minute game. There are going to be ups, there are going to be downs, there are going to be runs. But not getting too high or too low. Getting it to two points there and being able to sustain that is going to be important."
Anthony Black stepped up
With Jalen Suggs' out in the second half, things fell to Anthony Black to take over more.
Black indeed stepped up, scoring 19 of his career-high 23 points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter. He was aggressive attacking the basket, giving the Magic the downhill attacker they needed with Suggs out of the game.
He also took on the responsibility of defending some of the Thunder's best perimeter players, helping contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after his big first half where he scored 24 of his 35 points. According to NBA.com's tracking stats, Gilgeous-Alexander scored only two points and had three turnovers with Black as his matchup.
Black has had an inconsistent second season, showing a ton of promise in spots and disappearing in others. The hope for the Magic is that Thursday's game and the potential opportunity with Suggs out is a chance for Black to step up.
He did what his teammates have wanted from him for a while. There is a lot of confidence in what Black can do.
"Just to be aggressive. That's what my teammates are telling me to do, coaches are telling me to do," Black said after Thursday's game. "Obviously, losing another player in the middle of the game makes it tough. So, I think that was part of it."
The Magic have had to band together and fill in for all the injuries. That has not been anything new for this team. And they had to rally again in the second half.
The hope is Black will be able to step up more as the Magic try to manage Suggs' minutes more. Orlando needs more players to step up and fill in to help Suggs get the breather he needs.
Right now, Orlando has to think at least a little about the big picture with Suggs. There are a lot more games to come and the Magic are likely without Paolo Banchero for at least another few weeks.
The team had to protect Suggs from himself. The Magic hope that means he will feel better and ready to play Saturday. Certainly better so he can be available through a busy week to close this homestand during the holidays.