The Orlando Magic need to halt their present freefall as Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and the new-look San Antonio Spurs come to city on Saturday.
The Magic have misplaced 10 of their previous 12 video games, together with 5 of six on their just-concluded street journey, which ended with a 112-90 defeat in opposition to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
The Spurs have not fared a lot better currently, dropping eight of their previous 11. They’re coming off a 117-116 street loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday evening, Fox’s second recreation with the workforce.
Fox, who arrived from the Sacramento Kings through a three-team commerce earlier within the week, put the Spurs forward 116-114 by sinking a step-back jumper with 7.9 seconds remaining. Miles Bridges responding with a game-winning 3-pointer for the Hornets with 1.4 seconds to go.
Spurs performing head coach Mitch Johnson lamented his workforce permitting Charlotte to seize 16 offensive rebounds that led to 27 second-chance factors.
“I put that beneath the physicality umbrella, and fairly, fairly disappointing,” Johnson mentioned.
Fox scored 22 factors and dished out six assists in opposition to the Hornets after producing 24 and 13, respectively, in his debut with the Spurs on Wednesday, a 126-125 win over the host Atlanta Hawks.
“He makes robust pictures, large pictures. He would not draw back from the second. That is undoubtedly one thing that we anticipate from him and that is large time,” Johnson mentioned. “When there’s gamers which have been in these conditions quite a few occasions, there is a sure stage of calm and confidence that they play with, and I feel it exudes to their teammates.”
Orlando, in the meantime, noticed Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. mix for 58 factors on Thursday, outscoring the Magic’s beginning lineup by 10. Orlando middle Wendell Carter Jr. matched his season finest with a team-high 19 factors off the bench.
The Magic are beginning a stretch of 10 residence video games of their subsequent 11.
“It is an amazing alternative for us to steal a pair video games, get our mojo again, our swagger again,” Carter mentioned. “With us being again within the Kia Heart, I do know our followers are ready for us again there, I feel it’s going to be a very good factor. Particularly these subsequent three going into the (All-Star) break, I feel it’s going to set our tone for that again half of the season. I feel there’s going to be quite a lot of emphasis on these subsequent three.”
Wembanyama leads the Spurs in scoring (24.4 factors per recreation) and rebounding (10.9), although his most spectacular contribution has come on the defensive finish. He’s averaging 3.88 blocks per recreation. If he maintains that tempo, it will be probably the most by an NBA participant since Alonzo Mourning averaged 3.91 through the 1998-99 marketing campaign.
Franz Wagner has been Orlando’s engine this season, averaging workforce highs of 24.8 factors and 5.1 assists per recreation, plus 5.4 rebounds. Paolo Banchero has been a heavy contributor in his 19 video games, averaging 22.3 factors and seven.2 boards.
Georgian middle Goga Bitadze is within the midst of a breakout marketing campaign and leads the workforce at 8.1 rebounds whereas including 9.1 factors per recreation. Each are profession highs.
–Discipline Stage Media
