Spurs Weather the Chaos, Outmuscle Magic in Frost Bank Center Win
SAN ANTONIO - Sunday night in San Antonio was anything but ordinary. From travel delays to tip-off time changes, the Magic-Spurs matchup felt more like a test of resilience than a regular-season game. But when the ball finally went up at Frost Bank Center, it was the Spurs who seized the moment - and the momentum - on their way to a gritty 112-103 victory.
Let’s start with the chaos: the game was originally set for 4 p.m. local time, then pushed back twice due to winter weather that stranded the Spurs in Charlotte overnight. Equipment issues forced a detour through Atlanta, and the team didn’t touch down in San Antonio until just a few hours before tip. Meanwhile, the Magic were stuck in hotel limbo, unsure if the game would even happen.
But if you thought that travel fatigue would slow down the Spurs, you’d be wrong.
San Antonio came out with energy and edge, dropping 37 points in the first quarter and setting the tone early. They controlled the glass (48-34 advantage), attacked the paint relentlessly (52 points inside), and looked like the more prepared team - despite the whirlwind travel day.
“We weren’t ready to play,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said postgame, offering a blunt assessment. “We were a step slow, especially on the defensive end. I mean, they were getting whatever they wanted.”
That first quarter deficit - 16 points by the end of it - proved costly. Orlando did battle back, outscoring San Antonio 40-23 in the second to grab a 61-60 halftime lead.
But the third quarter told a different story. The Magic mustered just 18 points - their lowest-scoring frame of the night - as the Spurs clamped down defensively and regained control.
It didn’t help that San Antonio got to the line 17 more times than Orlando, hitting nine more free throws along the way. Foul trouble plagued the Magic early and often, especially center Wendell Carter Jr., who picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and never found his rhythm.
“Probably one of my worst games of my career, honestly,” Carter said. “It was just tough.
I know what kind of impact I have on this team when I’m scoring, rebounding, but I’ve got to be out there. I’ve got to be a lot smarter.”
Carter finished with just two points and two rebounds in 19 minutes before fouling out. His absence forced head coach Jamahl Mosley to go deep into the bench, rotating through Jonathan Isaac, Moe Wagner, and Goga Bitadze in the frontcourt.
To their credit, Isaac and Bitadze had some success in limited minutes against Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. According to league tracking data, Wemby went 0-for-2 from the field and only got to the line twice in the 3.5 minutes when either Isaac or Bitadze was matched up on him.
But that was a small window. Over the full 28 minutes he played, Wembanyama reminded everyone why he’s already one of the league’s most unique forces. He finished with 25 points, eight boards, five blocks, and four steals - all on the second night of a back-to-back.
“It was tough,” Isaac said. “They created a certain set of problems with him being as tall as he is, and they’ve got guards that can really get downhill. Our ability to defend the paint was a little choppy.”
Those guards - De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and rookie Dylan Harper - were steady all night. The trio combined for 45 points on 20-of-39 shooting (51.3%), keeping the Magic defense off-balance and feeding off Wembanyama’s gravitational pull inside.
On the other side, Orlando’s guard rotation didn’t have the same punch. Beyond Bane’s efforts, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Tyus Jones combined for just 16 points on 6-of-25 shooting. That’s a 24% clip - not nearly enough to keep pace with one of the West’s most exciting young teams.
Still, Bane wasn’t pointing fingers.
“That’s on us,” he said. “The coaches aren’t the ones out there sitting down and guarding.
We don’t have elaborate schemes really on either side of the ball, but we know what’s asked of us. And we’re a team that plays physical and plays hard, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
That wasn’t there.”
At 25-23, the Magic now find themselves needing to regroup quickly. Their next stop? Oklahoma City, where the defending champs are 21-4 at home and currently lead the league in scoring at 120.3 points per game.
“It’s going to be a tough matchup playing them in their place,” said Paolo Banchero. “They’re the best team in the West, so we’ve just got to come out and be ready.
We can’t expect to get calls there. We’ve got to find a way to win.
They’re a really good team and a well-oiled machine. So, it’s going to be a hell of a challenge.”
And after a night like this, Orlando knows exactly what kind of focus and fight it’s going to take.