Desperate to win, Magic host Raptors again after 2-point loss

For weeks, those inside the Magic organization repeatedly pointed toward the return of Jalen Suggs as a sign that help was on the way.Well hopefully have Jalen back soon, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman told the Sentinel after the NBA trade deadline passed Feb.

6.Were trying to integrate Jalen as fast as possible, rookie Tristan da Silva said four days later.Having him come back as soon as possible is going to be great for us, veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said Feb.

19 after the team returned from NBA All-Star break.Unfortunately for them, Suggs this week is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee and he was ruled out indefinitely on Friday.Although the Magic had already been without the guard for 24 of the last 25 games (10 due to a low back strain and then 14 because of a left quad contusion), Sundays contest against the Raptors was the first since it was determined he would need surgery.Its tough knowing one of our main guys is going to be out, center Wendell Carter Jr.

told reporters in the locker room Sunday night after Orlandos 2-point loss to Toronto.

It definitely took a hit to our morale as a team.Added Caldwell-Pope: Hes our point guard, our starting point guard, at that.

And also what he can do on the defensive end cause havoc, put heat on the ball hes truly going to be missed.Magics Jalen Suggs to undergo surgery for left knee injuryAnd Suggs was missed greatly Sunday.Orlandos offense appeared stagnant most of the night until a scoring spree in the final 2:53 brought the Magic within two points of the Raptors.Thats when Franz Wagner missed a layup with 2 seconds left that would have tied the game at 104.But by then, the damage already had been done.Without their All-Defensive guard, the Magic allowed Toronto to score 58 points in the paint, record 22 assists and lead by as many as 19 points in just their 19th win of the season (their second over Orlando).The Raptors (19-42) took control in the third quarter when they closed out the frame on a 14-4 run before opening the fourth on a 9-2 run.

Eleven of their 19 fastbreak points came in the second half.Weve got to do a better job of sustaining our level of play throughout the whole 48 [minutes], Carter said.

We have our spurts where were amazing.

But we have to do a better job of noticing whats going on throughout the game and making adjustments.And not necessarily the coaches but just us being out there, seeing how theyre playing, knowing every team is going to want to be in transition against us because were one of the best [defenses] in the half-court, he added.While theres no directly replacing players such as Suggs or reserve center Moe Wagner, whose season ended in late December due to a left torn ACL, the Magic now know theyll be without both players for the foreseeable future.Suggs return to the court will depend on how he responds to post-operative treatment and rehabilitation, the team said.In the meantime, guards such as second-year pros Anthony Black and Jett Howard as well as veterans including Cole Anthony and Cory Joseph will have to help fill the gap left by Suggs.We preach this next man up mentality, but we can preach as much as we want to, Carter said.

As a team weve got to come out and do it.

As simple as that is, from top to bottom, weve got to find a way to get wins.

However it may look, weve just got to do better.But with just 20 games remaining in the regular season, time is running out.No.

8 Orlando (29-33) entered Mondays slate half-a-game back of No.

7 Miami (28-31) and only 1 game in front of No.

9 Atlanta (27-33).The Magic have another chance Tuesday against the Raptors before they close out their seven-game homestand against the Bulls on Thursday.On a 3-game losing streak, Orlando is already 1-4 in this home stretch.

Theyve fallen to 18-14 at Kia Center compared to 11-19 on the road, where they head later this week.We can blame it on a lot of things but at the end of the day, as men and as professionals, weve got to look ourselves in the mirror, including myself, and figure out ways where we can continue to help each other, Carter said.

Its not necessarily about ourselves, its not about scoring more points.

...

Whatever the case may be, its just about getting the win and getting the job done, whatever it takes.Weve got to play desperate right now.Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected] next ...Magic vs.

RaptorsWhen: 7, Tuesday, Kia CenterTV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida.

This article has been shared from the original article on orlandosentinel, here is the link to the original article.