“All in all, we moved the ball real well.”
That was San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 blocks) after the Spurs defeated the Orlando Magic 110-89 in Orlando on Wednesday, in a game in which the Spurs collected 26 assists.
The leading scorer of the night for the Spurs, Manu Ginobili (20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists), was a recipient of many of those passes as he had several open looks at the 3-point line where he connected on 6-of-9 three pointers.
After seven players finished in double-digit scoring in a blow out of the Washington Wizards on Monday, the Spurs had a similar performance against the Magic as five players finished in double-digit scoring, while the offense maintained its machine like precision, while the defense also did a number on the Magic.
Along with Ginobili and Duncan, Gary Neal (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals), Tony Parker (14 points, 8 assists), and DeJuan Blair (11 points, 6 rebounds) all scored in double figures on Wednesday.
The Spurs’ offense maintained consistency throughout as the team shot 52% from the field on the night while also scoring 26 points or more in every quarter. Out in the open court is where the Spurs created some of their damage, as they outscored the Magic 25-11 in fast-break points.
Defensively, the Spurs held the Magic to shooting 43%, they held them to 18 points in the first quarter, and never let the Magic put more than 25 points on the scoreboard in any one quarter. Aaron Affalo and Jameer Nelson both led the Magic with a combined 30 points, but they both took a combined 30 shots to score those points. The Spurs’ defense also forced the Magic into 17 turnovers on the night.
Throughout the majority of the second half, the Spurs maintained a 15-20 point lead. The lead at one point got as large as 25 points. Danny Green and Tiago Splitter both poured in nine points, as they too were efficient in the game for San Antonio.
The win in Orlando marks the Spurs at 5-0 on their six-game East Coast road trip. They’ll end the road trip in Miami on Thursday as they prepare for a back-to-back game against the defending champion Heat. The Spurs are the first team to 13 wins this season with a 13-3 record overall.
Post-game notes
· One reason for the Spurs’ back-to-back blowouts is their improved 3-point shooting ability. The Spurs made 13 three pointers against the Wizards, and then followed with 11 made three pointers against the Magic.