Magic defeats the Spurs 108-98 and thwarts their fourth-quarter surge.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — On Wednesday night, Paolo Banchero scored twenty-five points, Franz Wagner added twenty, and the Orlando Magic managed to hold off the San Antonio Spurs, winning 108-98.
Victor Wembanyama scored 21 points and Devin Vassell scored 26 for San Antonio, which has dropped its previous two games.
In the last quarter, San Antonio embarked on a 15-0 run over 3:38 to cut the deficit to three points, 99-96, after trailing by 25 points. However, in the last three minutes, the Spurs committed three mistakes, and the Magic stopped the surge.
It was almost a repeat of Orlando’s 131-129 loss to Dallas on Monday. The Magic missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer against the Mavericks after leading by 16 points in the third quarter.
For this group, growth is vital, according to Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. “We still need to go through these situations in order to comprehend that the game lasts for 48 minutes. Obviously, in the Dallas game, we were on the receiving end of this. You may thus immediately reflect and realize that teams will run, just like we did against them, but we must always maintain our composure.
Jeremy Sochan helped San Antonio build on their quick start with another 18 points and 12 rebounds. Hours after discovering he had not been chosen to compete in the NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars tournament, Sochan was filled with energy.
On the opening possession of the game, Sochan outmuscled Wagner for an offensive rebound and then heaved past and over him for a three-point shot. After that, Sochan leaped to block Wagner’s jumper and added a reverse slam after Vassell had passed him an alley-oop pass. Sochan played the first ten minutes of the first quarter and finished with nine points, six rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.
During the latter three quarters, Sochan was limited to nine points, six rebounds, no blocks, and an assist.
Gregg Popovich, the coach of San Antonio, stated, “He just needs to slow down. He goes too fast too fast sometimes.” “He starts off quickly and skips a few steps, but he plays with aggression. I believe he’ll produce some better plays once he understands that it’s not necessary to play at full throttle all the time.
With Sochan sitting on the bench, San Antonio was unable to score in the last 2:20 of the first quarter. After Keldon Johnson was sidelined for the game due to a left elbow laceration, the Spurs backups found it difficult to score points.
Orlando took advantage with Wagner, Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr. and Jonathan Isaac 25 for 48 from the field
“They’re huge,” Popovich said. “They’re strong, they’re big. Talking about 6-9, 6-10, 6-11 guys that are athletic. Just really impressive.”
