Magic's Goga Bitadze Feels 'Good to Go,' Available to Return Monday vs. Miami Heat

MIAMI – After participating in the Orlando Magic's Monday morning shootaround at the Kaseya Center, Goga Bitadze expressed his excitement for his potential return to action in the evening tilt with the Miami Heat.

"I feel good, man," Bitadze said. "Good to go."

While Bitadze himself said he's feeling better, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley cautioned that Bitadze was yet to fully clear the NBA's concussion protocol. Yet a little more than three hours before tipoff, the team said Bitadze had cleared the protocol and would be available to play versus Orlando's division rival.

"There's always steps that he's going to have to cover to get all the way through concussion protocol and whatnot with the league," Mosley said Monday morning. "So I know he feels great right now, but we're going to make sure that we follow the proper steps to make sure that everybody is on the court the right way [and] fully healthy.

"Yes, he feels amazing, he looks amazing, he can move. But there's always a process to everything that we do."

Bitadze cleared protocol a week and a half after entering on the morning of Jan. 15, when he began experiencing late-developing symptoms of a concussion picked up in the Magic's Jan. 12 win over Philadelphia. He also picked up a hip contusion in that game, which is what he originally appeared with on the team's injury report released the day prior.

"Against Philly, I got headbutted in the first half and then the bump happened," Bitadze explained. "The bump was good. I just didn't realize at that time that the hit caused a concussion. I think it was early in the second quarter, and I got hit again so I think that's what made it worse."

Through 36 games and 33 starts this year, Bitadze is averaging career-best numbers in points (9.6), rebounds, (8.2), assists (2.4), steals (0.9), blocks (1.6) and field goal percentage (61.9).

Orlando is 22-14 when he's available and just 2-9 when he isn't. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Magic have a point differential of +11.9 over 100 possessions with him on the court, which ranks in the 94th percentile of all players this year.

Of his concussion, Bitadze said it was no joke while describing the challenge of the last couple of weeks.

"It was hard not being able to help my teammates, help my brothers," Bitadze said. "We were a couple of bodies down so it was kind of frustrating that I wasn't there. But, I'm back now, so yeah."

As for how that may look Monday night in his return, Bitadze is giving himself the same grace the Magic have preached as of late with other returning contributors – i.e., star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

"It's probably going to be dusty... is that how you say it? Rusty? Well, it's gonna be dusty and rusty, so we're gonna see," Bitadze said. "First game back, really excited."

Jalen Suggs also returned recently, playing his first game Saturday night after missing the previous 10 with a low back strain. But the excitement was put on pause when Suggs limped off the court in the fourth quarter of Orlando's win over Detroit and didn't return to the contest.

At morning shootaround, Suggs went through a shooting workout early in the session but was not visible during the portion of shootaround open to media. The fourth-year guard is listed questionable to play with a left quad contusion, which is slightly different than the sore left knee designation he left the Kia Center with on Saturday evening.

"I think he bumped that knee bruise – I'm not exactly fully sure what it is; the knee for the most part is where it is," Mosley said. "So [he's] getting treatment on that, getting that looked at, seeing how he responds and we'll probably have more information on that tonight before the game."

Suggs is averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 35 games this season. He played 16 minutes in his return on Saturday, but Mosley alluded to him having a minute restriction that he likely wouldn't have reached anyway because of foul trouble before the injury occurred.

The contest carries plenty of consequence for the Magic and Heat, who are separated by only a half-game in the East standings. Orlando owns a 2-1 season series advantage over Miami this year. A win for the visiting Magic on Monday night could secure a pivotal season series victory, meaning Orlando would own the head-to-head tiebreaker. That could prove significant come April.

For Miami, Tyler Herro is available as he deals with right groin tightness, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. is questionable after he missed the Heat's shootaround because of a stomach illness.

Jimmy Butler was set to return for the Heat from a two-game suspension, but he was again suspended by the team on Monday – this time indefinitely – after walking out of the team's shootaround on Monday.

Up Next

Orlando and Miami tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET from South Beach. | TV Info | Injury Report