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Jalen Suggs · The light couldn’t have been greener for Jalen Suggs, as he steered the mettlesome Orlando Magic into the NBA Cup Quarterfinals without each of its top two scorers. In great irony, though, it was Suggs’ ability to stop-and-go and proceed with caution that gave December 10, 2024’s underdogs a bucket during its must-score possession. Deliberate in his initial midcourt dribble, Orlando’s fourth-year star uses a teammate’s screen to create a sliver of an opening down the floor’s right side against Gary Trent Jr.’s resistance. Sprinkling enough “zig” and “zag” into the fluid between-the-leg crossover that follows, the former Gonzaga guard discovers the space needed to bury a cold-blooded pull-up, gifting Orlando a one-point lead in the final two minutes. A late-game takeover by the Milwaukee Bucks’ stars would deal Orlando a defeat, but Suggs was unspeakably brilliant anyhow. Menacing on both sides, Suggs finished with 32 points — including 18 in the fourth quarter — (on 12-of-26 shooting), alongside nine rebounds, four steals, one block, and three 3-pointers. · State of Mint