SAN ANTONIO — For the first time Tuesday night, Spurs fans got to see future Hall of Famer Chris Paul play in the Silver & Black alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama as the pair made their preseason debuts.
They didn't waste any time showing off their blossoming chemistry.
The first quarter was all Orlando until around the one-minute mark, when Paul and Wembanyama executed a perfect pick-and-roll that ended with an alley-oop slam over the Orlando Magic's Mortiz Wagner.
Going into the second quarter down 34-20, San Antonio was able to cut the lead down to just seven points after going on a 29-22 run, making the score going into half 56-49, advantage Magic.
San Antonio opened the third quarter hot offensively, with several possessions in a row ending with a number of Spurs seeing the rock before ultimately scoring.
The third quarter also gave us CP3's first points in a Spurs uniform when he hit a 3-pointer following a few screens by Wembanyama.
The Spurs managed to rally all the way back towards the end of the third to tie the game, 79-79.
San Antonio's offense picked up where it left off with everyone getting involved and even getting some help from their D when a turnover turned into a fast break "and-one" from Blake Wesley to give the Spurs their first lead of the game.
The Spurs continued to press on the gas and were able to break away and beat the Orlando Magic, 107-97. They're now 1-1 in the preseason.
Several Spurs played a key role in this comeback win, and having Paul on the court made one thing clear: The offense is wide open when he is on the court as five separate Spurs (Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, rookie Stephon Castle and Wembanyama) finished with double-digit points. The Spurs had the advantage in nearly every facet of the game, including assists (27), blocks (seven), shooting (43% from the floor) and three-point shooting (31.8%).
Orlando's Jett Howard led all scorers with 19 points.
San Antonio's next game will be against the Utah Jazz on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Frost Bank Center. The regular season gets underway Oct. 24.
