Spurs Beat Magic 107-97 in Preseason as Wembanyama, Paul Show Early Chemistry

The San Antonio Spurs secured their first preseason win on Wednesday night.

Oct 9, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles against Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The San Antonio Spurs notched their first preseason win of the year, defeating the Orlando Magic 107-97 on Wednesday night.

Despite scratching Tre Jones and Keldon Johnson from the lineup just before tipoff, the Spurs were able to overcome a shaky start with a strong second-half effort, led by rookie Victor Wembanyama and veteran Chris Paul.

Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year, showed flashes of his potential after a slow start, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in 23 minutes. His chemistry with Paul was on display early, as the pair executed a smooth pick-and-roll that ended with Wembanyama throwing down a powerful alley-oop dunk late in the first quarter.

Paul, making his Spurs debut after 12 All-Star appearances, played 23 minutes, contributing five points and three assists, two of which were to Wembanyama. The connection between the two stars helped San Antonio chip away at Orlando's early lead.

Orlando was led by Jett Howard, who scored a game-high 19 points, while Paolo Banchero, the reigning All-Star, added 12 points in 17 minutes.

After trailing 34-20 at the end of the first quarter, the Spurs responded with a 29-22 run in the second, cutting the Magic's lead to 56-49 at halftime. San Antonio kept up the momentum in the third quarter, tying the game midway through and eventually taking control.

Stephon Castle and Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Spurs down the stretch, as both teams cleared their benches in the fourth quarter.

San Antonio’s reserves took over in the final period, securing the 10-point victory with tough, physical play.

Castle continued to show improvement on both ends of the floor, particularly in his defense against Banchero after a rough start, and finished with 17 points, shooting 4-of-9 from the field, 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line.

He also contributed two rebounds, two assists, four turnovers, and three fouls, posting a +9 rating on the night.

Malaki Branham had a challenging night shooting, but also remained productive in the Spurs’ win.

He finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range, and 1-of-2 from the free throw line. Branham also added one rebound and one assist, ending with a +5 rating.

The Spurs, now 1-1 in the preseason, will face the Utah Jazz on Saturday before wrapping up their preseason schedule with games against Miami and Houston next week.

Their regular season opener is set for October 24 against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

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