SAN ANTONIO - The Orlando Magic haven’t had too many defensive letdowns this season – and when they have happened, they’ve nearly always been followed by a stellar defensive effort.
That was again the case Wednesday, as the Magic, two nights after struggling to contain Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, wore down the San Antonio Spurs in a 108-98 victory at Frost Bank Center.
Making his presence felt during his 18 minutes on the floor, as he typically does defensively, was Jonathan Isaac, who made things awfully difficult when matched up with 7-foot-4 rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.
The 6-foot-10 Isaac, who possesses a near 7’2 wingspan, used his length in combination with his technique and instincts to, at times, overwhelm the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick out of France. In 30 minutes, Wembanyama posted 21 points, with most of them coming when Isaac was on the bench.
“I thought he was great,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Isaac. “I thought he read his timing well, got into his body, tried to be as physical as possible without disrupting too much and fouling. The timing was good on some of the shot blocks, but Victor is an unbelievable player.”
Orlando, as a team, locked in defensively down the stretch. After the Spurs pulled within three after trailing by as many as 25, the Magic closed the game on a 9-2 run – forcing San Antonio into three of its 19 turnovers during that stretch.
Paolo Banchero, who hopes to hear his name called when the NBA All-Star reserves are announced Thursday night, had another terrific all-around performance with 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. It was the first ever meeting between the two most recent No. 1 overall draft picks.
“It was kind of funny at first, just taken aback by it,” Banchero said of seeing Wembanyama's height up close. “His presence out there, you can feel it. It kind of deters you from the rim. You don’t want to go up and just give him a free block. It makes you think some more, kind of change your angles a lot more, change kind of the way you attack a little bit. But he’s a great player. He’s a rookie. I remember being in that position last year, just figuring it all out. It’s going to be scary once he gets a year, two years, three years under his belt.”
Playing in his sixth straight game after missing the prior eight with a sprained right ankle, Franz Wagner recorded 20 points, eight boards and five dimes. Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in with 14 points, while Isaac, to go along with blocking four shots, scored eight and had four boards.
The Spurs made only nine of their 31 3-point tries (29 percent). Wembanyama, in addition to his 21 points, had eight rebounds, three assists and six blocks. Devin Vassell, a Florida State alum, tallied 26 points.
It was the first time in quite a while a Magic road game didn’t come down to the wire. Before Wednesday, the final score in seven of Orlando’s prior eight away games was within five points.
The Magic will have a much tougher test Friday when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.