ORLANDO — After going 3-1 on their post-All-Star break West Coast road trip, The Orlando Magic will host the Houston Rockets on Thursday for their first home game in over two weeks. 

Orlando is 31-26 and seventh in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Rockets hold the third seed in the Western Conference at 36-21. 

Despite being shorthanded during the West Coast trip, the Magic were able to defeat the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers — illustrating high-level defense throughout. Their only loss of the trip came in a double overtime thriller to the Phoenix Suns.

“I think before that Phoenix game, the rebounding, our ability to finish possessions, it's just got to continue to rise,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said before the game. “Guys focusing on the game plan, more personnel, understanding who they're guarding, how they're guarding these guys I think is going to continue to be important, especially for the teams we have coming up.” 

Orlando will return some much-needed help to its lineup as Jalen Suggs is set to return from a three-game absence due to back spasms. 

“I think he's just been getting work done around the clock,” Mosley said. “Obviously, sitting on fights doesn't help a ton, but his ability to get himself rested — our training staff has done a tremendous job with him, listening to him, how his body feels and just kind of responding back to that each day.” 

Suggs is averaging 13.9 points and a career-high 1.9 steals this season, and the Magic will need his defensive prowess against a Rockets team featuring Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun as the catalysts of the offense with other supporting players such as Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. And Reed Sheppard. 

“Not easy to guard at all,” Mosley said. Reed Sheppard is, I mean,he comes off the bench; hits 16 points quick. That changes the game for them. In each game, you have to account for him, what he's doing in the pick and roll, and then when he's off the ball, you've got to be alert for him. So, if our bigsaren't up, he's letting it go. If they're too far up, he's going by them, but he's got a scores mentality, and he's doing it at a high clip. 

“I think Jabari's done an unbelievable job of finding his shot in the midrange, but also spacing the floor to the three, and he's also a guy that can sit down and guard and guard multiple positions.” 

While Mosley is cognizant of the threats Smith and Sheppard are, Rockets coach Ime Udoka is well aware of what Jalen Suggs can do on the floor. 

“I mean, he's a pit bull on defense,” Udoka said. “Brings a level of toughness and physicality to them and kind of sets that tone on a nightly basis. And he's really improved offensively. 

“We'll see how he is coming off the games missed like you mentioned. But, when he's out there, they're a different team because of those things.” 

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