EMIRATES NBA CUP

December 12, 2025

Jamahl Mosley

Orlando Magic

Semifinal Practice Day

Q. Indiana talked quite a bit about this experience being a bit of a springboard to do what they went on to do over the next 18 months. We know what losing here meant to the Thunder and what they learned from this last year. How much of an education do you think your team can get from playing one or two games here, just the bright lights, the format and trophy and all that good stuff?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: I think it's great for our guys. Speaking with some of the guys from Indiana, knowing some of the coaches there, being able to lean into that experience that they had. But it's great for the guys, the bright lights, the stakes. I think these guys understand what is at stake and the intensity, the focus, the game planning that you have to go through. Those are such great pieces for us to experience.

Q. How much progress have you guys made from opening night to now?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: I think there's been a ton. I think us being able to keep creating the chemistry, following our principles, setting our standard and just following the process throughout each and every single game. Our guys knowing what we are asking of them, them communicating to one another about what it looks like on the floor. But just that chemistry and camaraderie keeps continuing to build. Being here in Vegas also adds to that.

Q. What is the energy like in practice today, and what is the message to the team after practice?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: The energy is great. These guys are feeling and seeing what it's like, all the media attention, the different focus that will try to distract you. But our guys have really locked into what it is for the game plan. Obviously playing New York again.

But our guys are really locked into what it is. The energy is great. They feel good about it. Again, I keep talking about the chemistry and camaraderie that keeps being built each and every single day, and just Vegas being able to provide that.

Q. You have such a young squad. I think the oldest guy on the team is Tyus Jones, who’s 29. Do you feel like you need to adjust yourself to just make them understand what you want them to do?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: When we first got here as a coaching staff, we talked about the growth of each guy, finding the development. We're always going to be about development. But there's different phases that you go through that development. Guys now, with the stakes and the expectation, understanding that standards continue to rise.

That's what we have done with this group. We're going to continue to play hard. They are going to continue to fight for one another. But with more stakes, I have to change because now helping them understand exactly what it means to win at a high level. You're always growing. You're always getting better. But I think that's when you focus in more on the details of the process of what you're trying to accomplish.

Q. You guys have had two playoff series under your belt now. How much confidence does that give you going into a game as you try to level up and try to compete for something bigger throughout the season?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: It helps out a lot. Our guys are really understanding game-planning, the tendencies of guys, knowing how to focus in on those things and understanding the value of each possession within the game.

Q. You guys had a West Coast trip coming up. I would imagine travel is contingent on how you do tomorrow. Like Doc talked about it, they played here and got thumped after they won it because it's too hard to squeeze this in. Do you know what you guys are doing? Are you staying home? Going home either way? How will this work?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: Us right now, we've talked about it as a staff and our travel party, knowing what we think about doing, you stay for a moment. But if you don't get it, then you have to get back home because that's a lot of time being away from family. Then we have to bump back in. We'll go back out to Denver after that.

But what we have really tried to focus in on is let's take care of Saturday and see what happens there.

Q. Is it a downside? Look, they are playing for a trophy, playing for money. All that stuff is great and everybody seems to like it. There is the reality that the schedule in place awaits you. Is there a hope this could be tweak or something? Do you see an issue with it?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: I think the league does a good job putting it all in place. The schedule is going to be what it is in so many ways. We basically started our season off with three-in-four-nights three times. You're not going to get away from that. That's part of what the league is, and we embrace it. We've always talked about the right recovery and right attitude toward it because it's not changing. I think our ability to adjust to what that is is what our guys are learning and continuing to do.

Q. How much was Jalen limited by the groin issue, or whatever it was that he tweaked on Sunday, in the Quarterfinals, and how much will he be impacted with his movement tomorrow?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: Yeah, right now, he's in a good space. What he did was it did allow him to just slow down and play more detailed and locked-in defense, as well as calming down and slowing down on the offensive end.

But again, I don't know how limited he was. It wasn't a hundred percent. But at the end of the day, that's why Jalen is who he is, because he finds a way to push through and he finds a way to do that because of his toughness and competitive edge.

Q. In your career coaching people, how many players have the pain tolerance that he has?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: Over years, there hasn't been many that are able to do the things he's capable of doing. You see him go down with big hits, and he's able to bounce back. If he's out, you know there's something really going on. But he's able to push through a lot of the pain.

Q. Next year, the semifinal game would be in Orlando. You’d have another home game. I know it's cool to be here and you guys haven't had a chance to experience this yet, but do you like that tweak; that if you have the No. 1 seed like you guys did, you get an extra home game? You come to Vegas for the championship game, but for these games that count in the schedule, they both, in that sense, would be in Orlando?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: Oh, absolutely. Who wouldn't want to take a home-court advantage? Absolutely.

Q. Do you think that change makes sense for just having, like, the environment you guys had for that quarterfinal, to have that again for the semifinal, then to have the one game here instead of two?

JAMAHL MOSLEY: I think it's similar to playoffs. You earn the right to get the higher seed and you get to take care of home. I think that's very important. As the league continues to make adjustments as they see and they get the feedback there from you all, as well as the fans, understanding what works and what doesn't work, the league will continue to do a great job of making those adjustments.

But I don't think I'll be opposed to getting home court, if you happen to be the No. 1 seed next year.