As Jalen Suggs walked off the court inside Fiserv Forum after the Magic fell to the Bucks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday night, the Magic guard felt disappointed in himself.

Despite piecing together a career-high 32-point performance, which included 18 points in the fourth quarter, Suggs wanted only one thing as Orlando battled Milwaukee in front of a national TV audience on TNT.

“Good night, bad night, whatever it was, I like winning,” he said.

Suggs, who added 9 rebounds, 4 steals and a block in 38 minutes, missed a pair of key 3-pointers in the final 12 seconds against the Bucks — one would have put the Magic in front, the other to tie the game.

But neither fell for the fourth-year pro, who shot 3 of 11 from distance against the Bucks.

“I don’t like letting my brothers down,” he said. “It’s just hard. I felt like I let them down. People fought. I saw people fighting through fatigue, playing hard, playing defense — really doing everything that we needed to win.

“This one will probably sting,” he added.Although Suggs didn’t get the result he wanted, the Magic (17-10) got the type of performance they’ll need moving forward from him.

Orlando, without Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero (who both tore their right abdominal muscle), is leaning on Suggs to lead the way in the interim, and so far he’s stepped up to the challenge.

While a small sample size of two games without the star duo, Suggs has averaged 29.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 steals.

He’s remained aggressive on defense and hasn’t flinched despite shots not immediately falling.

In the last two first quarters, Suggs has averaged 4 points on 42.9% shooting with 1.5 turnovers in 6 minutes. Compare that to the fourth quarter, and it’s clear he’s improved as games have progressed.

Suggs is averaging a league-high 16.0 points in the fourth quarter on 58.8% shooting with 0.5 turnovers in 10.5 minutes.

Again, it’s a small sample size but noteworthy nonetheless. And it’s what Magic coach Jamahl Mosley is asking of Suggs.

“It’s what we need from him,” Mosley said of Suggs’ recent play. “We’re going to continue to demand a lot from him as well as the rest of the group to just continue to defend and play hard to give ourselves the chance and opportunity to go take some of these games.

“He’s doing a great job of continuing to fight, continuing to lead and continuing to put the team in a position to come away with a win,” the Magic coach added.

That fight and effort from Suggs — and Orlando as a whole — is capturing attention on the national stage.

Following the 5-point loss at Milwaukee (13-11), TNT’s Inside the NBA crew, including Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, lauded the Magic.

“The Orlando Magic, when they’re healthy, they’re the new OKC,” Barkley said. “To me, in my opinion, I still believe in the Knicks, and the Cavs are playing great, but the [Magic], if they could ever get healthy, they would be scary to play. Because what’s going happen — they got a bad break with Wagner going out, because now, when you watched them play in the playoffs last year, they just gave everything to Paolo and he was making some mental mistakes down the stretch — those other guys are gaining confidence now. Suggs is gaining confidence. This team is going to be very dangerous.”

Added O’Neal, who had his jersey number retired by the Magic last February: “I like the fact that Orlando, with players in, with players out, you have to really put them away to beat them. We all expect[ed] Milwaukee to blow them out but coach Mose said it — the effort that they play with, how they play, how they play together — you really have to put this team away. So, to answer your question, yes they are the OKC of [the East]. If guys keep getting confident like that, they’ll definitely be a good team.”

While the Magic didn’t advance further in the NBA Cup, which is what they wanted, the group gets rewarded in another way.

Orlando gets much-needed rest.

Entering Wednesday’s slate, the Magic had played the most games league-wide regardless of the location (27) and on the road (17).

Whether Orlando travels Sunday to Atlanta or hosts New York at Kia Center — pending the results of Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal between the Hawks and the Knicks — it will be four days between contests for Mosley’s squad.

And after Sunday’s game, regardless of the opponent, the Magic will get an additional three days off until they host the Thunder at Kia Center Dec. 19 on TNT.

It’s crucial time for recovery and provides an opportunity for the group to practice multiple days at home, which is key for Orlando as it continues to adjust without Banchero and Wagner.

“Regardless of who’s on the floor, we’re going to play hard,” Mosley said. “We’re going to try and do all of the right things that put ourselves in a position to be successful within a game. That’s what they’re learning and understanding throughout this process and why those small possessions matter. They matter.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com