The Orlando Magic started to see Game 7 slip away late in the first half on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons, and for a moment, it looked a little more perilous.
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs went down with an apparent leg injury late in the first half against the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 on Sunday. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham stepped on Suggs after a shot attempt at the end of the first half.
Suggs fell to the floor and grabbed his leg, and he limped off the court with help at halftime when the Pistons led 60-49. He ultimately returned for the second half, but his reaction to the contact elicited strong fan reaction on social media, even on a respectful level.
What Fans Said About Jalen Suggs
Fans called Suggs out for acting amid Cunningham’s contact, but fans were even more vocal about Suggs’ play.
“Jalen Suggs is shooting 25% on 52 3PA in this first-round series,” one fan wrote via X. “If this holds, he’d have the 5th instance in history of a player attempting at least that many 3s and shooting that poorly (or worse) on them in a single series.”
Another fan chimed in on what Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley should have done for halftime adjustments.
“I wouldn’t play Jalen Suggs or Wendell Carter another minute in this game… but what do I know,” the fan wrote via X.
Both Suggs and Carter kept playing in the second half as the Pistons pulled away in the third quarter. Carter, a center, didn’t create the plays in the front court that the Magic needed, and Suggs’ continued struggles had one fan talking about a roster problem for the Magic.
“Do you know how bad the Magic backup guards gotta be cause Jalen Suggs giving them nothing and still playing 30+ minutes,” the fan wrote via X.
No Magic backup guard averaged more than 8.2 points per game in the series going into Sunday. The Magic could improve backcourt depth this offseason, but one fan made voiced thoughts on another move for the Magic.
“Gotta trade Jalen Suggs,” the fan wrote via X.
Jalen Suggs Struggled All Day
Suggs struggled in the first half with 1-5 shooting for two points, and he had two rebounds and three assists. It didn’t improve in the second half.
He averaged 13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the regular season, and he shot 43.5% from the field. In the Pistons series, he had been averaging 12 points, four rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
A former No. 5 pick from Gonzaga in 2021, Suggs has been a key part of the Magic’s backcourt for five seasons and two playoff appearances in that span.
Paolo Banchero vs. Cade Cunningham Again
Much of the Magic-Pistons series has been Magic star forward Paolo Banchero and Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham going at it.
Banchero started that trend again on Sunday with the first 11 points for the Magic, as he kept his team in the game most of the way. He ultimately led the Magic with 20 points on 9-14 shooting with five rebounds and three assists.
Cunningham didn’t start as hot but finished with 15 points on 3-9 shooting, and he grabbed eight rebounds and one assist.
Magic Guard Elicits Strong Fan Reaction Against Pistons