Lakers had coach Darvin Ham had some high praise for the young Magic team after the game

ORLANDO Magic guard Jalen Suggs has proven to be a fierce competitor with his performance in Monday’s 106-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The ex-Gonzaga star got emotional after missing a 3 that would have sent the game into overtime.

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Orlando Magic star Jalen Suggs nearly broke down in tears after missing a last-second 3 in Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles LakersCredit: NBA

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Suggs had a chance to tie the game at 106-106 and send it to overtimeCredit: NBA
Suggs had a strong showing against the Lakers.

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard recorded 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal in just over 26 minutes on the court.

Although he went just 4-for-12 (33.3%) from the field, the former No. 5 overall pick also knocked down three of his seven 3-point attempts (42.9%).

That seventh try nearly brought Suggs to tears.

The Minnesota native created the chance himself, snatching a rebound off Franz Wagner’s missed triple.

He then found some space outside the arc to attempt the last-second 3 and even fooled Anthony Davis with a pump fake before firing the shot.

But the ball bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded and Suggs immediately covered his face with his shirt.

Magic rookie Anthony Black embraced the shooting guard to console him.

The devastated player eventually wiped his eyes with his shirt and then appeared to have released an angry scream.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham found Orlando to be a relentless opponent on Monday night.

“They force you to play and compete each and every possession on both sides of the ball,” Ham said.

“They never stop coming. You can see the growth in that team, albeit they’re very young.

“They make you play, and they put a lot of pressure on you.”

The Magic suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the Lakers after missing their final five shots.

But head coach Jamahl Mosley lauded his players for the effort despite execution issues toward the end of the clash.

“The intensity, the fight, the resiliency is what we’re asking of them, and we knew what it was going to be in this environment,” Mosley said.

“For our guys to sustain that is a good sign. It didn’t just come down to those last couple of shots.”