Coming off the largest margin of defeat in franchise history via a 52-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, the Orlando Magic return home to host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. After the morning shootaround, Jalen Suggs became candid with the media about the team’s situation.

“I mean, it's what it has to be,” Suggs said. “It's our present reality. You can't do anything to change it.”

The Magic are 1-7 in their last eight games after Sunday’s loss, and they currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. When asked if the team’s situation is ideal, Suggs’ response was simple:

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I think top to bottom, it's the worst feeling in the world. Not only playing like this and losing games, but knowing that the city is ready and waiting. You know what I'm saying? That it's bigger than just everybody in this building. There's a lot more that goes behind who the Orlando Magic are, so it's been frustrating.”

Despite Orlando’s circumstances, Suggs made it clear the team is not giving up.

“But I think as a collective, if you just go and bow out now, it says a lot about your character,” he added. “And I don't think we have those type of guys in here. So really just trying to keep looking for ways to improve, looking for ways to get better, working on your own craft while we have these practices and days off, so that when we come out, you have the utmost confidence in what you're doing to go out and get a dub.”

Throughout the season, the Magic have been dedicated to adhering to their process. It is a talking point coach Jamahl Mosley has leaned on, as have the players, but recently, the urgency to produce the right results has come to the forefront.

“I mean, not only do we have to continue applying things, improvements, you know what I'm saying, but we've got to win, quite frankly,” Suggs said. “Yeah, we're in the play-in regardless, but to settle for that can't happen. 

We're not a play-in team,” Suggs added. “So, we don't want to settle for being strictly a play-in team. For us, like I said, these last eight games, we've got eight more live reps, live opportunities to apply to things that we're trying to talk about, that we're trying to work on, and to go get a dub, you know what I'm saying, to come out with energy and prepare ourselves for a playoff series that is on the way.”

For Suggs and his teammates, winning is imperative in the final games of the regular season.

“This is a must-win,” he said. “Like I just said, every game these last two weeks are a must-win. So for us, we're at home. We've got two back-to-back games here at home. We've got to come off and at least get the first one. 

“We definitely want the second one as well.But to not respond to that with effort, with energy, with some passion, like I said, it just speaks volumes.”

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