San Antonio at Orlando, End RESULT: Spurs Drop Other Straight Coupling Games 112-111

San Antonio Spurs was a shot away from winning a tight match against Charlotte Hornets Friday night. They were in another coupling situation against Orlando Magic on Saturday. Once again, they could not seal the game as the clock expired when Victor Wembanyama missed a pointed shot when Spurs lost 112-111 to the magic.

San Antonio led with 13 points in the third quarter, but let Orlando itch back into the game in the fourth. The magic was led by Franz Wagner, scoring 33 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Wagner relentlessly attacked the edge, causing Spurs to pay for a weak inside game. San Antonio was outscored by Orlando 56-34 in the paint and allowed Magic Grab 13 offensive rebounds.

Devin Vassell led the sprouts to score with 25 points on an effective 11-4 shooting evening from the field. Stephon Castle was again the key from the bench with 15 points and 2 steals.

The spurs get a day off before playing Washington Wizards Monday night.

Observations:

• Harrison Barnes was red hot from three in the first quarter. He made 6 of his 7 triangles and had 18 points in the first one. He disappeared offensively after that, which made only one more three and ended with 21 points.
• De’Aaron Fox had his worst game as a spur that ended with 9 points, 9 assists and 5 revenue. The magic defense sworded the fox on the drive and forbade him to get to the edge, which forced him to settle for middle jumpers. Orlando deserves a lot of credit in general for their defensive efforts. They did not give San Antonio anything easy in the paint all the game for a long time.
• Wembanyama looked a little more energetic on Saturday night. He had 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks in the loss. While he is still clearly struggling against a kind of illness, the big man rose much better than in previous games. There were still moments when a greater effort from Wemby could have led to a better defensive possession, like a clutch corner three from Jonathan Isaac late in the game.
• San Antonio’s late play possessions were a bit awkward, partly thanks to Magic’s defense, but also some uninspired game calls. They routinely went to the high pick-and-roll with Fox and Wembanyama, or just straight-up insulation requires their guards. They got the discrepancy they wanted on the last game of the game, but Wembanyama was unable to do well on the mid-range jumper he hit for the majority of the game.