4 Players who stepped up big with the Magic’s season on the line

2. Jalen Suggs

If there was an NBA All-Dawg team, Jalen Suggs would be on it. He hustles, plays hard, and is a pain on defense. He usually does all the little things well, but last night he did so much more than that. 

Obviously, he was a menace on defense and chased loose balls and rebounds all over the floor. He also hit 6 three-pointers on his way to 22 points, however. That is the same number of threes Suggs made in the other five games combined. 

Three-point shooting is one of the Magic’s biggest weaknesses, especially with Gary Harris out due to a hamstring injury. Suggs responded to that problem last night, and his offensive production was huge. 

Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell combined for 71 points for the Cavaliers. Other than that, they didn’t get much from anyone else. Meanwhile, the Magic’s big three was in full effect, combining for 75 points. 

Without Suggs’ contribution, the Magic might not have been able to beat the Cavaliers the way they did. As a team, Orlando only made 11 threes. More than half of those came from Suggs. 

Last night, Suggs stepped up with the Magic’s season on the line, but the job is not done yet. Sunday’s game in Cleveland will decide who will move on to the second round and it will be a bloodbath. The Cavaliers desperately need this win. The Magic won’t just give it to them, though. 

To keep their season alive beyond the first round, Suggs will have to put together another big game. So far, he has not shot the ball well in Cleveland, however.