Magic SG Jalen Suggs 'More Comfortable' for Game 2 vs. Cavaliers

Jalen Suggs made his 2024 NBA Playoffs debut on Saturday, but the Orlando Magic guard is even more ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 22, 2024

Apr 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) defends Cleveland Cavaliers / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

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ORLANDO — Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs is ready to go tonight as his team looks to even the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Suggs was one of many Magic players making his playoff debut on Saturday, a 97-83 loss to the Cavs on the road. However, the third-year guard feels even better coming into tonight's Game 2, a contest the Magic need to win if they don't want to face a 2-0 deficit.

“I thought I played well," Suggs said at Monday morning's shootaround about his Game 1 performance. "I thought mentally I was in a great space. Physically, embraced it all. Ready to get out here for Game 2. Honestly, just a feel lot more comfortable going into the next one.”

In Suggs' debut, the former Gonzaga guard scored 13 points on an inefficient 4 of 16 from the field, but he was strong on the defensive end with two steals and a block.

In order for the Magic to be competitive in the series, Suggs must continue to be a menace defensively, but his offensive output needs to be more efficient. If Suggs and his teammates can start hitting shots more frequently, they could find themselves back in the series.

The Magic and Cavaliers play tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

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Published Apr 22, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.