The San Antonio Spurs blew the Magic by 104-77, keeping it with 48 points in the last three quarters and handing Magic their seventh straight loss.
Rudy Gay won Silver and Black with 19 points. And a growing Nikola Vucevic led Orlando with 26 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.
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- We had a 48-minute preview of what Spurs could look like in a post-LaMarcus Aldridge / DeMar DeRozan era, and it was at least an intriguing exercise for what would happen if you handed over the keys to the young crowd. It should come as no surprise that San Antonio eliminated a Magic team that had less than eight players, but it was still refreshing to see them running the business. Silver and Black exhibited tantalizing defensive dexterity, and while they lack an explosive attack, getting DeMar back should make them more dynamic.
- Watching the combination of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White split the court for a long time brought a smile to my face. We haven’t received much in a season and they were spectacular in defense. Since none of them is a three-point shooter, the spacing remains awkward at times. That said, both made some solid cuts in the arc and showed continuous improvement beyond the arc. Fans should be excited to see what this duo can do now that they are totally healthy and have 40 games to build chemistry.
- Fans have been clamoring for PATFO to make a move for Nikola Vucevic since San Antonio announced a mutual separation from veteran great man LaMarcus Aldridge. And the Montenegrin center’s 26-point masterclass on efficiency from the inside out shows why this is reasonable and totally ridiculous. Any team would be lucky to have the two-star All-Star by their side, but it is obvious that the Spurs do not have the resources to assemble a legitimate package without giving up several members of their youth nucleus. Would PATFO pull the trigger for this type of trade if it didn’t push them into the title race? Probably not.
- Keldon Johnson started San Antonio with a beautiful twist of fingers, which marks the 12th time that the second-year striker scored the first goal of the night for Spurs. The Kentucky alumnus leads Silver and Black in this obscure statistic, and while it may not correlate with individual or team success, it certainly shows how the rising star is an integral part of his game plan. And regardless of the outcome, you can always count on Keldon to bring energy and intensity with every second he spends on the ground, and he put the limited-capacity crowd on its feet with a resounding dunk in the heart of the defense.
- San Antonio beat their opponents by 143 points, the league’s lead, in the second quarter of this season, and they increased that statistic by keeping Magic by just 10 points, while scoring 31 points in the second period. The team’s stifling defense, 11 points from Dejounte Murray and a 10-0 run to end the frame generated a massive turnaround for the Spurs.
- Silver and Black officially welcomed fans back to the AT&T Center for the first time in more than a year, and perhaps their presence caused some nervousness in the good guys, as San Antonio was unlucky to put points on the table for open the first quarter. Orlando went ahead 10-2 in the first four minutes and almost doubled Spurs 16-29 in the first half.
- Although Rudy Gay took a while to get started, he never looked back when he started rolling. The veteran striker dropped 19 points in 20 minutes and further solidified his status as one of the best bank players in the NBA. The two blocks and single ball stealing were a welcome addition to his usual offensive contributions, and this may have been his best overall move of the season.
- Devin Vassell returned to the court for the first time since four positive COVID tests forced San Antonio to a hiatus in basketball after the Valentine’s Day fight with Charlotte Hornets. His first possession of the ball was an assist and kick in a three-ball from Lonnie Walker IV, and the rookie looked well conditioned and confident throughout his pass at the end of the first quarter.
- Fiesta T-shirts are a perfect celebration of San Antonio’s diverse cultural background, so it’s no wonder that old products have flown off the virtual shelves. You don’t have to look long to find Spurs’ vibrant outfits on social media and you probably saw Dejounte Murray swinging that signature orange, pink and teal on his feet against Magic. Luckily for you, New Balance earlier today announced a collection of shoes inspired by the urban edition, and you can purchase a pair of these colorful shoes for the low-low (very expensive) price of $ 140 starting on March 15.
For the perspective of Magic fans, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post.
The San Antonio Spurs returns to action this Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers to begin a five-game trip to the Eastern Conference.