Jalen Suggs made his long-awaited return to the court after missing eight games with a Grade 1 right MCL contusion. And while the scoreboard didn’t swing in Orlando’s favor, the Magic guard was just glad to be back in action - back making plays, hearing the crowd, and sharing the court with his teammates.
“Yeah, I feel great playing basketball again,” Suggs said after the game. “It felt great to make plays, hear the crowd, just do all that in real time, have that experience again.
So, it was love. Don't like losing, but sometimes you can't control that.”
Suggs logged just over 24 minutes in his return, finishing with nine points and six assists. He looked comfortable initiating offense, and his energy was evident from the jump - literally. He opened the game with a confident 27-foot pull-up jumper from the top of the key, a shot he’s clearly been putting in work on during his rehab.
“Yeah, jumper felt good,” Suggs said. “Been working on that, especially off the dribble, I'm trying to create space to get to that, watch some different films with some different guys... and then just go rep it out.”
But for all the positives Suggs brought, the Magic couldn’t overcome a cold shooting night. Orlando went just 11-of-40 from deep - a brutal 27.5% clip that made it tough to build any real momentum. Suggs acknowledged the team got some decent looks but just couldn’t cash in when it mattered most.
“I thought we got some pretty decent ones to be honest,” he said. “I thought we were passing up a couple good ones.
I love the mindset. I think it's tough, man.
We went through a couple of stretches and we just couldn't get some buckets when we needed them.”
That inability to string together scoring runs proved costly. The Magic never quite found the rhythm or surge needed to flip the game’s momentum - the kind of 7-0 or 10-0 burst that can ignite the crowd and shift control.
“I don't think that we were able to string enough together to go on a 7-0 run; 10-0 run, or something like that to really, not only get the crowd into it, but build a lead and kind of get ahead,” Suggs said. “That momentum is big time, especially if you're trying to play a team like this.”
Despite the result, Suggs’ return brought a spark. And after weeks of watching from the sidelines, he’s bringing more than just on-court production - he’s bringing perspective. The rehab process forced him to grow, to study the game from a different angle, and now he’s trying to channel that experience into leadership.
“Just trying to apply everything that I've taken throughout the year, from when I was playing early to how film sessions and things we're talking about,” he said. “All experience is good experience, you know what I'm saying? So, I take them all.”
With the Magic now on a three-game skid, Suggs is leaning into his voice - encouraging teammates, injecting positivity, and doing what he can to keep the locker room connected.
“Trying to keep spirits up, trying to keep speaking, you know, life and positivity and confidence into everybody, I think is the main thing I'm trying to do throughout the flow.”
The box score didn’t tell a winning story, but Suggs’ return was a step forward - for him, and potentially for a Magic team still figuring out how to navigate the bumps of a long season.