Working Jalen Suggs back from March’s knee surgery was always going to present challenges in the early portion of the season, so while the Orlando Magic are thrilled to see him back out there, being responsible with his workload was always going to be priority.
Suggs sat out the second night of a back-to-back situation in Saturday’s home loss to the Chicago Bulls after playing against the Atlanta Hawks the previous night and will sit in Charlotte as Orlando aims to snap a four-game losing streak on Thursday.
Suggs played 20:41 in Wednesday’s 135-116 loss at the Pistons, finishing with eight points and five assists, and that minutes number is significant because it marked the most he’s logged in a game at the onset of the season.
Tyus Jones started against Chicago and is likely to step in against the Hornets, allowing Anthony Black to remain in his role as a top reserve. Forward Franz Wagner being listed as questionable due to a heel contusion was a surprise on the NBA’s 1:30 PM ET injury report.
Back-to-backs always come with unique situations that must be accounted for, which is why the NBA has cut back on them in the interest of player safety. Situations where teams play four games in five nights, once the norm, have been eliminated, but how teams fare on the second night of this situation is always worth monitoring and often plays a huge role in the standings.
Orlando, led by one of the league’s youngest cores, finished 7-7 in no rest situations last season after going 5-10 in 2023-24. Considering that standout forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner each missed substantial time and Suggs missed all but three games in the new year due to injuries, a .500 mark is a testament to the resiliency of last season’s group.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley will look to help guide the Magic to their first win in this situation after a 110-98 loss to the Bulls in the team’s first attempt on the second night of a back-to-back. A one-possession game ultimately resulted in a double-digit loss due to a 27-18 fourth-quarter disparity, although Chicago was also playing with no rest after beating Atlanta at the United Center the previous night.
This visit to Charlotte marks the first time in 2025-26 Orlando plays at a rest disadvantage, but it remains favored to win, listed as 3-point chalk by most sportsbooks hours prior to tip-off. The game’s total is expected to close around 240, which would be the highest in a game involving the Magic this season and larger than any the team played all of last season. Clearly, Orlando’s defensive drop-off at the onset has been noticed, and Charlotte will look to push tempo to try and capitalize on its fresher legs.
Stamina may also be an issue on Saturday as the Magic plays for the third time in four nights at the Washington Wizards. Orlando swept the season series from the Hornets last season and only allowed more than 100 points once in the four wins, holding Charlotte to 89 or less three times. Two of the victories were notched without Suggs in the lineup, so look for Jones, Black and Desmond Bane to be tasked with containing Charlotte star point guard LaMelo Ball.
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