[ad_1]
The San Antonio Spurs blew up the Magic, 104-77, holding them to 48 points in the final three quarters and giving the Magic their seventh straight loss.
Rudy Gay punctuated the Silver and the Black with 19 points. And a booming Nikola Vucevic led Orlando with 26 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.
Observations
- We got a 48-minute glimpse of what Spurs might look like in a post-LaMarcus Aldridge / DeMar DeRozan era, and it was at the very least an intriguing exercise for the if you handed the keys to the young core. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that San Antonio blew up an eight-man Magic squad, but it was always refreshing to see them going about business. Silver and Black have shown tantalizing defensive prowess, and while they don’t possess an explosive attack, DeMar’s return should make them more dynamic.
- Watching the Dejounte Murray and Derrick White combination share the floor for an extended period made me smile. We didn’t have a lot of them a season ago, and they’ve been spectacular on the defensive end. Neither of the two being a knocked down three-point shooter, the spacing remains awkward at times. That said, both made solid cuts in the hoop and showed continuous improvement beyond the arc. Fans should be excited to see what this duo can do now that they are healthy and have 40 games to build chemistry.
- Fans have been clamoring for PATFO to act for Nikola Vucevic since San Antonio announced a mutual separation from veteran big man LaMarcus Aldridge. And the Montenegrin center’s 26-point masterclass in domestic efficiency shows why this is both reasonable and utterly ridiculous. Any team would be lucky to have the double All-Star on their side, but it’s obvious Spurs lack the assets to put together a legitimate package without giving up several members of their young core. Would PATFO pull the trigger on this type of transaction if it didn’t make them fight for the title? Probably not.
- Keldon Johnson started San Antonio with a nice roll of the fingers, marking the 12th time the second-year forward has scored the first bucket of the night for Spurs. The Kentucky elder leads the Silver and Black in this obscure statistic, and while that doesn’t correlate with individual or team success, it certainly shows how integral the rising star is to their plan. match. And whatever the outcome, you can always count on Keldon to deliver energy and intensity with every second he spends on the floor, and he put the limited capacity crowd together with a resounding dunk. at the heart of defense.
- San Antonio beat their league-leading opponents 143 points in the second quarter of the season, and they improved on that stat by keeping the Magic down to just 10 points while scoring 31 of their own in the second period. A stifling team defense, 11 points from Dejounte Murray and a 10-0 run to end the game resulted in a massive turnaround for Spurs.
- The Silver and Blacks officially welcomed fans to the AT&T Center for the first time in over a year, and perhaps their presence gave the good guys a bit of nervousness as San Antonio had little chance to put up with anything. points on the board to open the first trimester. . Orlando took the 10-2 lead in the first four minutes and nearly doubled Spurs 16-29 in the opening frame.
- Although Rudy Gay took a while to get started, he never looked back once he got started. The veteran combo forward dropped 19 points in 20 minutes and solidified his new status as one of the NBA’s top bench players. His two blocks and singular steal were a welcome addition to his usual offensive contributions, and it could have been his best overall outing of the season.
- Devin Vassell has returned to the field for the first time since four positive COVID tests forced San Antonio to take a break from basketball after their Valentine’s Day game with the Charlotte Hornets. His first possession was a drive and kick assist on a Lonnie Walker IV three-ball, and the rookie looked well conditioned and confident throughout his stint late in the first quarter.
- Fiesta swimsuits are a perfect celebration of San Antonio’s cultural diversity, so it’s no wonder the returning merchandise has flown off virtual shelves. You don’t have to search long for vibrant Spurs clothing on social media, and you’ve probably seen Dejounte Murray swinging that signature orange, pink, and teal on his feet against the magic. Lucky for you, New Balance announced a shoe collection inspired by the Urban Edition earlier today, and you can own a pair of these colorful shoes for the low (very expensive) price of $ 140 starting March 15. .
For the perspective of Magic fans, visit the Orlando Pinstriped Post.
The San Antonio Spurs return to battle this Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers to kick off a five-game Eastern Conference road trip.
[ad_2]
Source link