Magic vs Cavs Injury Report: Latest On Jalen Suggs, Dean Wade And Others For Game 3 In Orlando

The ongoing NBA Playoffs have brought two of the most underrated teams of the season to the forefront: the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers. As part of the six-game playoff series, two games have already taken place, with the Cavaliers winning by double digits in both matches. Since another loss will harm the Magic’s chances to proceed to the Conference semi-finals, they aim to establish a proper offensive momentum during their next game, while their rivals will be looking to break the same. In order to do so, the availability of their respective leading scorers is a must.

A few hours ago, an ex-NBA contributor, Evan Dammarell, highlighted details from the Cavaliers Injury Report by taking to his official X account. He revealed that Ty Jerome, Craig Porter Jr., and Dean Wade remain in the ‘Out‘ category. Except for the trio, all the other players will be present during the upcoming matchup at the Kia Center in Florida.

Dean Wade had been a consistent player for the Cavaliers during the regular season. However, that streak ended after he developed a right knee sprain in the aftermath of a Timberwolves game back in March. According to a statement made by head coach J. B. Bickerstaff last week, the Cavaliers expected themselves to start the regular season without the presence of the 27-year-old. While the franchise has been doing well till now, the absence of one of their top defenders may haunt them if they proceed to the next stage of the tournament.

Will Jalen Suggs play?

The recent report carries similar details as the one highlighted before the second Cavs-Magic clash. There was some doubt initially about the availability of point guard Darius Garland and small forward Issac Okoro. The former had been dealing with a ‘back tightness’ for quite some time, while a rival player had accidentally stomped on the latter’s neck during Game 1. Fortunately, both players are absent from the report and absent from trouble.

The Orlando Magic has revealed no details about their Injury Report yet. It will continue to cast doubt on the availability of the team’s shooting guard, Jalen Suggs. During the first quarter of the previous game, the player bumped his left leg into Donovan Mitchell and ended up injuring the same. His teammates had to pick him up and accompany him to the locker room. Fortunately, he returned during the third quarter and played for a few additional minutes, dropping 9 points in total. While he was well enough to play then, circumstances can change in a span of a few days.

Magic, Cavaliers Depth Chart

Craig Porter Jr. is set to miss his third consecutive game in light of his ankle sprain. However, since he isn’t a member of the main lineup, his absence won’t affect the Cavaliers in any way. Therefore, with this and the above-mentioned update, the Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup for Game 3 is expected to look something like this:

Since there is no news on Jalen Suggs’ unavailability till now, one can assume the player will be present. However, in case he isn’t, his place in the main lineup will be taken by 25-year-old Markelle Fultz. The Orlando Magic starting lineup for Game 3 is expected to look something like this:

It will be one of the last chances for the Orlando Magic to avoid getting eliminated from the tournament. Do you think they will succeed in their endeavor? Let us know in the comments down below.