Jalen Suggs outduels former Gonzaga teammate

Suggs got the better of Andrew Nembhard one-on-one, though the Pacers had the last laugh in 118-111 win over Magic

Cole Forsman | 2 Hours Ago

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Gonzaga Bulldogs

Andrew Nembhard was on his way to extending the Indiana Pacers’ double-digit lead over the Orlando Magic, though his former Gonzaga teammate Jalen Suggs had other plans.

Suggs was right on Nembhard’s back hip, in perfect position to swat away the shot attempt from behind. Magic forward Goga Bitadze saved the ball from going out of bounds, sparking a 2-on-1 fastbreak that ended with an easy layup from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Jalen Suggs big block on Nembhard leads to a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope layup leaking in transition pic.twitter.com/NF5I5fKjvR
— The Magic Way (@MagicFilmRoom) November 7, 2024

It was the second time in the past 10 days in which Suggs had gotten the better of Nembhard by rejecting one of his shot attempts, as a similar situation played out when the two crossed paths in Orlando on Oct. 28. This time however, Nembhard’s Pacers came out victorious over Suggs’ Magic, 118-111, despite an all-around effort from Suggs on both ends of the floor.

The 6-foot-5 Minnehaha Academy product finished Wednesday’s game with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds. Suggs went 6-of-10 from the field and 1-of-3 from behind the arc for Orlando, which was without Paolo Banchero for the fourth consecutive game with a torn right oblique. Without their All-NBA forward in the lineup, Suggs and company had a next-man-up mentality against a potent Pacers squad.

After Orlando fell behind by as many as 18 points, Suggs’ emphatic rejection on his college teammate helped turn the game’s script around. Suggs had a pair of scores inside on the team’s ensuing offensive possessions, followed by back-to-back dimes to Caldwell-Pope and Bitadze to make it a 2-point game with 4:04 left in the second quarter. Suggs scooped up a loose from a Myles Turner turnover, then found the 6-foot-11 Bitadze in transition for an alley-oop dunk.

Jalen Suggs with the steal on Myles Turner leads to a Goga Bitadze alley-oop dunk. Bench loves it pic.twitter.com/RDfkVksYII
— The Magic Way (@MagicFilmRoom) November 7, 2024

Suggs found Bitadze again in the third quarter with a sweet wrap-around pass to avoid the defender in the paint.

Despite Orlando’s connectivity on the offensive end, Indiana’s depth overwhelmed as six Pacers players finished with at least 15 points. Benedict Maturin’s 20 points and 11 rebounds led the way.

After starting the season 3-1, the Magic dropped a fifth straight game without Banchero in the lineup. Suggs has been a bright spot for Jamahl Mosley in lieu of the latest skid. Wednesday marked the second time in Suggs’ career in which he had back-to-back games with at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. He’s scored in double figures in all nine games to start the season, including a career-high 28-point night against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 1.