The Orlando Magic pulled off a tasty upset win Thursday night, tripping up the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors at home to the tune of a 130-129 score. Magic guard Jalen Suggs played a huge role in that Magic victory, making several excellent plays, perhaps none bigger than the 3-pointer he buried with less than a minute to go and one that put Orlando ahead for good.
After making that three, Jalen Suggs would go to work on the other end of the floor, coming away with a game-saving steal that led to a Warriors foul, which he parlayed into two made free throws to put the Magic ahead by four points. It was an incredible sequence of a complete Jalen Suggs takeover, reminiscent of his playing days with the Gonzaga Bulldogs under Mark Few.
In the postgame presser following the win over the Warriors, Jalen Suggs revealed that he and his teammates woke each other up after their 116-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road last Tuesday. They knew they had to come up with a much better effort when they returned home to face Stephen Curry and the Warriors, and fortunately for the Magic, everyone responded and stepped up.
"We spoke after the loss in Oklahoma City…"
Jalen Suggs on the growing @OrlandoMagic culture and their team meeting to refocus on winning basketball. pic.twitter.com/3sq6QEkEXM
— NBA (@NBA) November 4, 2022
Jalen Suggs led the way for the Magic with 26 points, nine assists, and four steals in 36 minutes. Paolo Banchero put up 22 points to go with eight rebounds. Orlando’s bench churned out a total of 45 points.
The 2-7 Magic will look to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when they host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.