Injuries Strike Magic and Cavaliers; Pistons Roll Past Hawks to Reach 20-5
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ORLANDO, Fla. / CLEVELAND / DETROIT — A busy Saturday around the NBA delivered mixed fortunes, with the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers losing key starters to injuries while the Detroit Pistons kept surging after a dominant offensive display.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs exits with left hip injury
Jalen Suggs matched New York’s Jalen Brunson shot for shot in the first half of Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal before suffering a left hip injury midway through the third quarter. The incident occurred with 5:58 remaining when Knicks forward OG Anunoby stripped the ball on a drive. Suggs briefly tried to continue but left the game for good moments later.
The third-year guard finished with 26 points in just over 29 minutes, including 25 in the opening half, yet the Magic fell 132-120 at Madison Square Garden. Visibly uncomfortable afterward, Suggs said he would undergo further evaluation once the team returns to Orlando on Sunday.
Durability has dogged Suggs since he entered the league; he has topped 53 games only once in five seasons and ended last year in January following knee surgery. Orlando, now 15-11 and already without Franz Wagner, only recently welcomed Paolo Banchero back from injury.
Cavaliers lose Evan Mobley for two to four weeks
Cleveland’s frontcourt depth took another hit as the club announced Evan Mobley has a Grade 1 strain of his left calf and is expected to miss two to four weeks. The injury occurred Friday night in Washington and an MRI on Saturday confirmed the diagnosis.
Mobley has appeared in 25 of the Cavaliers’ first 26 games, averaging 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 blocks. His absence compounds issues for a unit already missing Jarrett Allen (right finger strain) and Larry Nance Jr. (calf). Veteran center Thomas Bryant is projected to see increased minutes while Allen and Nance remain sidelined.
Pistons light up Hawks, declare themselves ‘best team in the league’
After nearly a week without a game, Detroit returned Friday and overwhelmed Atlanta 142-—their highest scoring output of the season—to move to 20-5. Center Jalen Duren wasted little time setting lofty expectations.
“I think we’re the best team in the league, and we’re going to continue to show it,” Duren told reporters.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff deployed all 13 available players thanks to a clean injury report, allowing for extensive lineup experimentation, switching schemes and pressure looks. The Pistons remain healthy, confident and increasingly vocal about their contender aspirations.
Source: Hoops Wire
