Magic's Comeback Against OKC Falls Short in Third Consecutive Loss

The Orlando Magic spotted the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder a 23-point second-half lead. A feverish comeback — with Jalen Suggs watching from the bench with a left ankle injury — ran out of gas in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots the ball over Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) in the second quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. – Through 24 minutes Thursday night, the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder were having their way with the Orlando Magic: steals, blocked shots, and too much Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

When a left ankle injury forced Jalen Suggs to the bench for good four minutes into the second half, Orlando's deficit was 18 points.

But the Magic wouldn't go down quietly on national television. A 22-3 third-quarter run helped cut the margin to three points down the stretch, but the comeback ran out of steam midway through the final quarter when the Thunder responded with a closing run of their own.

Oklahoma City prevailed 105-99. Orlando, now 17-12, has lost three consecutive games.

Oklahoma City's league-leading defense (15 steals and six blocked shots) created turnovers and converted off of them. The Magic's 20 turnovers led to 26 points for the Thunder, something coach Jamahl Mosley said "can't happen" when the margin for error is so slim.

Absent Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to torn obliques, Orlando misses its two best offensive creators. Without their nearly 60 combined points and assist contributions, defenses have turned up the pressure on the Magic guards, forcing hasty decisions and errant passes.

With Suggs lost for most of the second half, Orlando faced a tall hill to climb. Credit where due, the Magic rallied to make life uncomfortable of the NBA's best teams. But there is no category in the standings for moral victories.

Anthony Black tied a career-high with 23 points, leading a group of six double-digit scorers for Orlando. As Suggs watched from the sideline, the second-year guard accepted the challenge to step up.

"Just to be aggressive," Black said of his mindset. "That's what my teammates are telling me to do, coaches are telling me to do."

But the Magic had no match for Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a game-high 35 points — his fifth game of 30-plus points in his past six outings.

The remainder of the Magic's homestand offers no relief. They'll play an above-.500 Miami team twice, defending champion Boston, and New York. As 2025 approaches, the Magic are locked in a middle-seed race where every game carries significance.

"These are invaluable lessons," Mosley said. "You'd like them to come on the other side of the column, but in order to feel the sting of how important the possessions are, how important the communication is, understanding what the game plan is, those are so important for these guys to feel and see as we move forward.

"Again, as you get healthy, it also allows for guys to see what we are capable of doing and I think that's going to be an important piece. But right now, we've got to take this, look at it [and] understand what we can learn from it, but be able to apply it as well."

It's fair to say that the Magic's luck with injuries has been awful. But with their next seven games against Eastern Conference rivals, the Magic will have opportunities to improve their possibilities.

#Magic coach Jamahl Mosley confirmed Jalen Suggs is dealing with a left ankle injury but wasn't sure of the severity when we chatted with him postgame.

“… I want to make sure he’s going to be okay for the long haul. There’s too many things going on with this team when it comes… pic.twitter.com/DSJIxsPsds

— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) December 20, 2024

Up Next

The Magic play host to the Miami Heat Saturday evening for the first of two meetings on this season-long seven-game homestand. Tipoff is 7 p.m. ET at the Kia Center.

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