Subscribe
Follow Us
The Orlando Magic concluded their five-game road trip with a 102-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, finishing the stretch with a 3-2 record. The loss brought the Magic's season record to 16-9 as they prepare to return home for a matchup against the Phoenix Suns (12-9) on Sunday night at the KIA Center.
Jalen Suggs, who led the Magic with 22 points along with three assists and three rebounds, addressed his performance, particularly his fourth-quarter surge. Suggs, who had just seven points through the first three quarters, described the change in his approach late in the game.
“Shots fell. Literally I think that was the only difference,” Suggs said. “No different process, no different perspective. I wasn’t thinking different, I was just hooping the same way. I slowed down a bit trying to find certain matchups and stuff like that – shots really just fell, which is always nice. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t. You keep going at it.”
Turnovers prove to be key factor in Magic's loss to 76ers
Despite Suggs' strong showing, the Magic struggled offensively, shooting 42.3% from the field and just 28.3% from beyond the arc. Head coach Jamahl Mosley highlighted turnovers as a key factor in the loss, with the Magic committing 21 turnovers that led to 18 points for the 76ers.
“I think it started in the second quarter. There was a lull in play on both sides, turned it over 21 times for 18 points,” Mosley said. “You’re not giving yourself many opportunities there when you turn the basketball over to even get a shot up. But again, our guys fought to the very end, gave ourselves a chance in the end. It became a one possession game. Being able to take care of the basketball is crucial in these games. The possessions matter.”
Turnovers have been a recurring issue for the Magic throughout their road trip, where they averaged 17.2 per game. Their highest turnover count came during a win over the Brooklyn Nets, where they committed 22. Mosley emphasized the importance of addressing this trend through film study and practice.
“You know looking at the film and that’s what I think I’m going to have to do more than anything,” Mosley explained. “Some of it comes from the time where we turn shots down. Other times it’s right on time, on target passing. So it’s one of those things where we go back and look at the film and make sure we understand exactly what we’re getting and how we can continue to get it.”
Jalen Suggs, Jamahl Mosley highlight resilience during road trip ahead of Suns matchup
Reflecting on the road trip, Mosley remained optimistic about the team’s overall effort.
“I think we battled through. I think we’ve fought the entire time,” Mosley said. “Throughout the entire road trip, we never stopped fighting. We never stopped playing, we play 48 minutes to give ourselves a chance in each and every single game.”
Suggs echoed his coach’s sentiments, expressing pride in the team’s resilience during the nine-day stretch.
“I mean you always want to go above .500 on the road if you can, especially on longer road trips,” Suggs said. “They played good tonight. They executed down the stretch, props to them. We leave out of here above .500 going back home – again, like I said, a really good bounce back on a second night of a back-to-back after a tough loss to New York and flying out here. So really proud of everyone on that one.”
Looking ahead, Suggs expressed excitement about returning to Orlando for a brief home game against the Suns before heading to Milwaukee to face the Bucks (11-11) in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
“That’s dope,” Suggs said. “I’m excited to get back home even if it’s less than for 36 hours or something like that. You get one at the crib and then go play in contention for the Cup, which is exciting stuff.”
The Magic will look to build off their strong road trip and address their turnover issues as they aim to maintain momentum heading into a challenging stretch of the season.
