Suggs admits the Thunder dominated in every facet. He emphasizes focusing on the Magic's process to elevate their own game and secure crucial wins.
On the first-quarter stretch where the opponent jumped out to an early advantage and maintained it all night:
"Everything. Better pace, physicality, they were more crisp in their actions and movements, got in transition on us. Every aspect of the game. I mean that's the reason we went down so big so early. For us, especially coming out against a team like this, you got to be intentional out the gate. You got to come out and fight out the gate and keep yourself in the game, almost give yourself a lead. Understanding that it's a game of runs and they're going to go on one, especially at home. So we just couldn't do that. Like I said, they were better in every area. You saw the result."
On how much the Thunder being the best team in the West contributed versus what the team wasn't able to do:
"No, I mean, you don't never really look at the other team. You always look at your own process and what you got going on. And ours wasn't good enough today, clearly. Things that we talking about and places we want to go. They set the standard for it. When you come across a team like that they going to check if you're about it for real. So it was tough man. Tough to lose any night but losing like that really sucks. And again it's not we not looking at nobody but our process and it wasn't good enough."
On evaluating the locker room atmosphere with the trade deadline approaching and the team not where they want to be:
"All that jumps out of our control. So whatever happens happens, but for us, we're just trying to get better. We still laugh. We still love each other. We still find joy in every day with our group. We just got to produce it to wins. So we never really think about that too much. I don't think anything more than any other team is time of year gets stressful for sure. You never know what goes on, but yeah, I don't think about that too much."
On the importance of the upcoming four-game home stretch before the All-Star break to build momentum:
"Got to have them to be honest. Got to have them all four. Again, like I said, we're talking about our process and the things we want to do in the places we want to get to. It's just a four game stretch where you want to be a good team, an elite team in this league. You go win those, you go off in the break, four-game win streak and you look to carry that going into the West Coast coming out of break. So I think for us, we got to go get them. There's no ifs ands or buts about it. We ain't been home and that's been tough, but we are home now. We're about to get four straight games straight into break. So got to happen."