Magic's Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. Expected to Return vs. Chicago on Wednesday
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Magic's Tuesday afternoon injury report had two notable omissions on it ahead of the team's Wednesday night matchup with the Chicago Bulls.
Neither starting guard Jalen Suggs and center Wendell Carter Jr. were listed, presuming they should be available for a return when the Bulls visit Orlando at 7 p.m. in the final game before Thanksgiving.
Suggs sat out Monday night's game at Charlotte with a left hamstring strain, which Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said was an act of precaution more than anything. He left the Magic's Saturday night contest versus Detroit after nine minutes of action with a sore left hamstring, but didn't return to the game. After initially not being listed on the team's injury report, he showed up Monday afternoon as questionable before being downgraded to out less than two hours to tipoff in Charlotte.
Carter Jr. has missed 12 straight games with left foot plantar fasciitis, which stems back to the Magic's Nov. 3 game at Dallas. Carter Jr. was returning from a brief one-game absence due to right knee tendinitis, but left the contest vs. the Mavericks with the foot injury.
After a string of being ruled out more than 24 hours in advance of the contest, the Magic big was listed as questionable for four consecutive games before eventually being downgraded to out: Nov. 20 at the Clippers, Nov. 21 at the Lakers, Nov. 23 vs. Detroit and Nov. 25 at Charlotte.
This is the first time since Carter Jr. picked up the injury that he's not been featured on the injury report with any designation at all.
Through six games this year, Carter Jr. is averaging 8.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. Suggs is averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 18 games this season.
Should Carter Jr. be able to return, the Magic will have a decision to make regarding whether or not he will return to the starting lineup and presumably take the place of Goga Bitadze, the fill-in starter in his absence. In 15 games this season, Bitadze has averaged 7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game.
BItadze has been 'steady' in Carter Jr.'s absence, Mosley said earlier in November. His production and plug-and-play ability with the first unit will make for a tough decision for the Magic staff to make.
Suggs would likely return to the starting lineup alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Magic backcourt.
The Magic's injury report does feature two names: Paolo Banchero, who's missing his 15th straight game with a torn right oblique, and Gary Harris, who picked up a left hamstring strain of his own on Monday night in Charlotte.
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