SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs nearly pulled a rabbit out of the hat after trailing the Magic by 25 in the second half, but their comeback bid fell short in a 108-98 loss.
Victor Wembanyama capped off a stellar January with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 blocks, while Devin Vassell led the team with 26 and Jeremy Sochan played with a palpable intensity after being left off the Rising Stars team at All-Star weekend. As has been the case this season, poor shooting and bad ball security doomed San Antonio in this one.
Sochan made his presence felt early with an offensive board and a driving and-1 finish. On the other end he popped off the floor for an emphatic block.
Wemby missed his first mid-range attempt, but got closer and hit his second He stepped back into a three and drilled that too. In transition Devin Vassell lobbed it up and Sochan threw it down for a reverse jam that made it 12-4.
Wemby finished an easy dunk, then Vassell finished using smooth fakes a few times before pulling for three. Sochan fed the hot hand, and Vassell launched into the teeth of the defense for an and-1. Sochan grabbed another offensive board and finished through contact again.
Sochan went to the bench with the Spurs in front 30-19, and when he returned a few minutes later it was 35-35. A depleted bench unit struggled with Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins both out. Orlando took their first lead at 39-38 and began extending it.
Barlow made a shot and grabbed a steal, and Sochan scored another inside, but he may have been a little frustrated and too rambunctious for his own good, committing three fouls on high effort plays in quick succession. By halftime, the visitors led 57-51.
Wemby came out of the locker room aggressively and caused some havoc in the paint on both ends, but he and the rest of the Spurs got a bit sloppy with it and their deficit ballooned to 23. Blake Wesley closed the third with a pair of fast-break dunks, but by the start of the fourth the Magic held a 91-72 advantage.
When Wemby canned a triple to start the fourth quarter, it was just the team's fourth make from distance in 22 tries. Then Tre Jones hit one, then Osman as San Antonio tried to make a run. Sochan rose up for a reverse slam, Barlow stepped in for a block, and Vassell swished again to make it a 13-point game.
Tre Jones tipped a pass, tiptoed the sideline, and got it up to Osman for a layup. Sochan impacted a shot, got the ball trailing the play and swished from the top, then Vassell matched him. Sochan faked and muscled in a shot to make it a one-possession game.
Wemby had been on the bench for much of the run, but when the Magic called time he was one of the most pumped people in a rocking building. Wemby checked in down 5 with 2:41 to play, but he turned it over on a backdoor pass and San Antonio made more of the mistakes that got them in a 25-point hole in the first place.
Orlando breathed a sigh of relief and won 108-98. The Spurs (10-38) will host the Pelicans on Friday.