Second-year guard Jalen Suggs and ahead Franz Wagner will probably be game-time choices for the Orlando Magic’s Sunday residence recreation vs. the Brooklyn Nets, coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned after Saturday’s apply.
Suggs has missed the earlier 4 video games due to a concussion within the March 16 street loss to the Phoenix Suns.
He practiced Saturday with Mosley saying the crew is “going to see how he pulls up” earlier than figuring out whether or not he’ll play towards the Nets.
Wagner by accident stepped on Goga Bitadze’s foot and turned his left ankle early within the fourth quarter of Thursday’s residence win over the New York Knicks.
He was later dominated out due to a sprained left ankle. Wagner didn’t apply however went by drills with talent improvement/taking pictures coach Aubrey McCreary.
Jay Scrubb, who the Magic signed to a two-way contract Friday after he spent the season taking part in for the group’s Lakeland G League affiliate, didn’t apply Saturday. He was with Lakeland in Des Moines, Iowa for Saturday’s regular-season finale vs. the Iowa Wolves.
Mosley talked about Scrubb’s scoring capability as an space he may assist Orlando.
Scrubb is Lakeland’s main scorer, averaging 22.1 factors, 5.8 rebounds and a couple of.2 assists in 27 video games within the G League getting into Saturday.
“He knows how to get in the lane and get into his gaps,” Mosley mentioned. “He shoots the ball very well. he’s done a great job for Lakeland down there.”
The Nets, who entered Saturday on a five-game dropping streak, are a considerably completely different crew in comparison with when the groups final performed one another on Nov. 28 in New York — a 109-102 Brooklyn win.
Kevin Durant, who scored 45 factors in that aforementioned recreation, and Kyrie Irving are not with the Nets after being traded to the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, forward of final month’s commerce deadline.
Mikal Bridges, who Brooklyn acquired forward of the deadline together with Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, has led the Nets in scoring at 25.9 factors for the reason that All-Star break.
The Nets performed the Heat in Miami Saturday night time earlier than touring to Orlando for the second night time of the back-to-back.
“There’s a level of aggression to each one of those guys,” Mosley mentioned. “They score at a very good clip. They play drive-kick basketball. They play small. Our ability to make sure we can guard our own man one-on-one but know we have to help on the backside, be there to protect the rim and get out to shooters because they’re definitely letting a lot of 3s go.”
The Magic (31-43) are on their first successful streak since Feb. 3-5 after beating the Knicks. They haven’t received no less than three consecutive video games since mid-December.
Their wins of the Knicks and Washington Wizards on Tuesday featured “clutch” minutes — when the scoring margin is 5 factors or much less with 5 or fewer minutes remaining.
The Magic have grown considerably with their late-game execution.
They’re 15-11 of their final 26 video games that featured clutch conditions after beginning the season 3-12 in clutch video games.
“We’ve been in several situations like that throughout the year,” Cole Anthony mentioned. “A lot of competitive games. We’ve lost a bunch, we’ve won a bunch. It’s a matter of just being there. We’ve really been able to correct our mistakes as we’ve been in those situations more.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com