With the Magic direct the kings 107-106 with 25.6 seconds left in Saturday’s game at the Kia Center, Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes handed the ball to De’Aaron Fox near midcourt.
Orlando guard Jalen Suggs defended Fox closely before dropping back after making brief contact.
About three seconds later, Fox lost his balance and Suggs was cautioned for a foul.
Suggs couldn’t believe it. Neither could Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and the fans inside the arena.
Fox then made the game-tying free throws and free throws before Keon Ellis later added another free throw to secure the two-point victory and end Orlando’s five-game winning streak.
“I don’t understand why I would want to foul in that situation, but I put myself in a position to let the refs call it, and I can do better on that end,” Suggs told the Sentinel after the match in the Magic locker. bedroom. “I don’t think it’s anything more than that, to be honest.”
The NBA Last two minute reportwhich is the league’s assessment of official events occurring in the last two minutes of games that ended in 3 points or less at any point during the last two minutes of the fourth quarter (and in overtime, the (if applicable), confirmed that the correct decision was made.
“Suggs reaches into Fox’s chest and delivers contact that affects his SQBR. This contact occurs before and causes Fox to walk to the half-court line,” said the report declared.
SQBR stands for “speed, quickness, balance or rhythm”, which in this case likely refers to Fox’s balance given that he moved back to catch up after Suggs’ contact.
The report also stated that an incorrect non-call occurred on the possession before Cole Anthony’s layup gave Orlando a one-point lead. The NBA said Kings big man Domantas Sabonis made contact with Anthony’s “lower body while defending the driving shot attempt.”
If Anthony had made the free throw, Orlando would have led by 2 points – instead of 1 – before Suggs fouled Fox.
Who can say what would have happened next?
One thing is clear, however. The Magic (42-29) still had several chances to win the game even after the missed call on Sabonis and the correct call on Suggs.
Following Fox’s free throws, which gave Sacramento the lead (41-29) by 1 with 21 seconds left, Anthony and Franz Wagner each missed the 3 as Orlando grabbed two offensive rebounds late . Anthony then headed to the paint but his layup wasn’t falling either.
After Ellis added a free throw, Paolo Banchero couldn’t connect from beyond the arc when the final buzzer sounded and the Magic lost 109-107 at home.
“Stay calm,” Suggs said when asked what he could take away from Saturday’s loss. “I felt like I let the boys down in that aspect because we had a chance of winning. We had moments to keep changing momentum, to keep running.
“Personally, I let circumstances knock me out of the game. So learn from it, watch it, grow, keep pushing.”
Suggs, 22, didn’t want to use the Magic’s youth as a reason for the team’s loss. Orlando features the fifth youngest team in the NBA with an average age of 24,792.
“I don’t think anyone can blame anyone for using that as an excuse, but I’ve been playing basketball for 20 years,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? This isn’t a new situation. There’s nothing different.
“I just have to be better.”
Orlando’s first opportunity to respond comes Wednesday when it hosts the Warriors (36-33) at the Kia Center (Bally Sports Florida, 7).
Jason Beede can be contacted at [email protected]
