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  • Magic find keys to success in time for clash with Spurs

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    (Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

    The Orlando Magic will look to build on a momentum-changing comeback win when they battle the host San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon.

    The Magic head to San Antonio with a two-game winning streak, the most recent victory a 130-120 home victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Desmond Bane scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and sank seven 3-pointers to lead Orlando back from a 14-point deficit.

    The Magic dominated the final period, outscoring Toronto 44-21.

    ‘It just continues to say what we’re capable of doing,’ Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. ‘We can sit and watch this and learn from it. What were the things that allowed us to be successful here? That was sharing the basketball, playing with intention, and getting back in transition to keep them from easy baskets.’

    Anthony Black connected on all 14 of his free-throw attempts while scoring 25 points for Orlando, with Wendell Carter Jr. adding 23 points and Paolo Banchero dropping in 20. Jalen Suggs (14 points, 10 assists) produced a double-double in the win.

    ‘I thought tonight was really huge,’ Suggs said after the win on Friday. ‘You never want to lose at home. It really was a mindset to come out through fatigue and through mistakes and play hard and leave it all out there.’

    Orlando’s back-to-back wins came on the heels of a four-game losing streak that began with a setback to the Memphis Grizzlies in London.

    ‘We started having real dialogue before the overseas trip, just being intentional about what we want on both ends of the floor,’ Bane said. ‘We have been putting that into action.’

    The Spurs head home for the second game of a back-to-back after a 111-106 loss to the Hornets in snowy Charlotte on Saturday afternoon. The game was moved up to facilitate San Antonio’s return home as difficult travel conditions out of North Carolina were expected.

    The Spurs were just as cold as the weather outside for three quarters, trailing by as many as 20 points before rallying to within two when Stephon Castle hit a pair free throws with 1:37 to play.

    Rookie guard Dylan Harper paced San Antonio’s seven double-figure scorers with 20 points off the bench. Castle and Victor Wembanyama each finished with 16 points while Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie had 13 points apiece. De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes both hit for 11.Barnes played 25 minutes but came off the bench for the initial time in a Spurs uniform. It was the first time since Jan. 14, 2016, when he was with Golden State that has the 33-year old Barnes (who has played 352 games in a row) did not start, breaking a streak of 775 regular-season games as a starter.’We all occupy a role, and the main focus is winning,’ Barnes said of coming off the bench. ‘So it’s just trying to figure out ways to impact the game, to still be vocal, to do my part, to help contribute to winning.’

    San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said bringing Barnes off the bench was part of a plan to get Vassell back into a starting role. Vassell played in his third straight game after missing 13 contests with an adductor injury.

    ‘I just felt like Devin the last couple of games didn’t quite find his rhythm, and I thought maybe just getting him back to that starting lineup could maybe get him back in that fold,’ Johnson said.

    San Antonio has alternated losses and wins over its past five games since Jan. 20 and went 8-7 in the month of January.

    The Spurs captured the first meeting between the teams 114-112 on Dec. 3 in Orlando.

    -Field Level Media

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  • NBA roundup: Paolo Banchero bankshot lifts Magic past Nets in OT

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    (Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

    Paolo Banchero banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime off an inbounds pass from Anthony Black as the Orlando Magic eked out a 104-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets after blowing an 18-point lead Wednesday night in New York.

    Rookie Egor Demin banked in a 3 with 5.3 seconds left over Wendell Carter Jr. to put Brooklyn up 103-101 in the extra period after the Nets rallied from a 10-point deficit with 4:02 left in regulation.

    Banchero finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, Carter added 20 for the Magic, who shot 42.7% and were outscored 29-14 in the fourth.

    Michael Porter Jr. led all scorers with 34 points and hit eight of Brooklyn’s 17 3s. Demin scored all of his 18 points after the third quarter but the Nets shot 41.9% and lost for the fourth time in five games.

    Thunder 129, Jazz 125 (OT)

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 46 points to lift host Oklahoma City past Utah and end a brief two-game losing streak.

    Gilgeous-Alexander forced overtime with a tying basket at the buzzer to end regulation, then Chet Holmgren made perhaps the biggest play in the extra period, slamming home Gilgeous-Alexander’s miss with 30 seconds left to break a tie. Gilgeous-Alexander then grabbed the rebound off Svi Mykhailiuk’s missed corner 3-pointer and sank both free throws to make it a two-possession game with less than 10 seconds remaining.

    Holmgren finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Williams had 17 points and eight assists. Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 29 points and added 13 rebounds. Keyonte George had 25 points and 11 assists in the loss.

    Nuggets 114, Celtics 110

    Peyton Watson scored 30 points and Jamal Murray added 22 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 17 assists to lead visiting Denver over Boston for the Nuggets’ NBA-best 15th road victory.

    Watson made 6 of his 7 3-point attempts, including a 3-pointer that put Denver up 106-93 with 2:24 to play. Watson has scored at least 20 points in each of his last five games. Denver’s Nikola Jokic missed his fifth straight game with a knee injury. The Nuggets have a 3-2 record without him.

    Boston received a game-high 33 points along with seven rebounds and four assists from Jaylen Brown, who also committed seven turnovers. Neemias Queta had six points and a career-high 20 rebounds for the Celtics. Ten of Queta’s 20 rebounds came at the offensive end.

    Trail Blazers 103, Rockets 102

    Deni Avdija scored 41 points and Portland held off visiting Houston as Tari Eason’s would-be game-winning tip-in was ruled to come after time expired.

    Portland led in the final seconds when Houston’s Kevin Durant missed a jumper with 0.8 seconds left. Eason got his hand on the ball and tapped it into the net. But the officials reviewed the call and ruled that Eason’s fingertips were still in contact with the ball when the red light on the backboard came on and waved off the hoop.

    Durant matched his season high of 37 points and Amen Thompson added 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, as the Rockets lost for just the second time in seven games. Durant needs just 15 points to pass legendary Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and move into seventh place on the all-time scoring list.

    Hawks 117, Pelicans 100

    Zaccharie Risacher knocked down seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points to lead Atlanta over visiting New Orleans, ending the Hawks’ two-game losing streak while handing the Pelicans their second nine-game losing streak of the season.

    Four-time Atlanta all-star Trae Young was on the bench in street clothes with a right quad contusion when reports surfaced during the fourth quarter that he had been traded to Washington. Young left the area for a few minutes, returned to the bench and stayed there until seconds remained.

    With Onyeka Okongwu out with an illness and Kristaps Porzingis on restricted minutes, Atlanta started reserve Mouhamed Gueye at center. Porzingis still wound up with 13 points, while Gueye contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, finishing the game at plus-27.

    Knicks 123, Clippers 111

    Karl-Anthony Towns scored nine points during a decisive 30-13 run spanning the third and fourth quarters as host New York snapped a season-long four-game losing streak with a win over Los Angeles.

    Towns finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds while adding seven assists for the Knicks, who avoided their first five-game losing streak since December 2022. Jalen Brunson had 26 points and seven assists while OG Anunoby finished with 20 points.

    Ivica Zubac (22 points, 11 rebounds) and John Collins (18 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles for the Clippers, who lost for just the second time in nine games. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points while James Harden finished with 23 points following a one-game absence due to a shoulder injury.

    Raptors 97, Hornets 96

    Immanuel Quickley’s 3-point basket at the buzzer lifted Toronto past host Charlotte as the Hornets were unable to build off their win over NBA-best Oklahoma City on Monday.

    Quickley’s basket, which was launched just left of the top of the 3-point arc, delivered the final points in a back-and-forth sequence down the stretch. LaMelo Ball’s drive for a basket with 1.6 seconds left broke a tie and gave the Hornets a 96-94 lead. Each team called a timeout before the Raptors inbounded the ball for the last shot, which was the seventh successful 3-pointer of Toronto’s 34 long-range attempts, with Quickley going 3-for-11.

    RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 28 points, Quickley finished with 21 and Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half. Collin Sexton’s 22 points off the bench led the Hornets while Ball added 15.

    Pistons 108, Bulls 93Isaiah Stewart poured in a career-high 31 points and host Detroit pulled away from Chicago.Stewart made 14 of 17 field-goal attempts while easily surpassing his previous high of 26 points. Duncan Robinson had 12 points, while Javonte Green, Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson contributed 11 apiece. Daniss Jenkins dished out 15 assists in Detroit’s third straight win.Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls with 24 points. Nikola Vucevic had 20 points with 16 rebounds and Matas Buzelis also scored 20 for Chicago.

    76ers 131, Wizards 110Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all scored more than 20 points for the first time in 1 1/2 seasons together, guiding Philadelphia to a comfortable win over visiting Washington.Embiid (28 points), George (23) and Maxey (22) led seven players in double figures for the Sixers, who used a 16-0 run spanning the final two quarters to post their fourth win in five games. VJ Edgecombe chipped in with 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.Tre Johnson scored 20 points and Bub Carrington made five 3-pointers in an 18-point effort for Washington, which had won five of its previous seven games. The Wizards played without CJ McCollum (quad) and Kyshawn George (hip), among others.

    Suns 117, Grizzlies 98

    Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Grayson Allen added 19 off the bench as Phoenix ended a six-game losing streak to host Memphis, winning for the seventh time in nine games.

    Brooks, who spent his first six seasons in the NBA with the Grizzlies, had 18 points in the first half. Allen, who spent two seasons with the Grizzlies, was playing in his second game after returning from a nine-game absence because of a knee injury.

    The Grizzlies, playing the second game of a back-to-back, lost for the fifth time in six games. Memphis swept the series (4-0) last season and won the only meeting between the two early this season in Phoenix. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 19 points.

    Spurs 107, Lakers 91

    Keldon Johnson scored 27 points and San Antonio’s balanced attack overcame Luka Doncic’s individual excellence as the Spurs defeated visiting Los Angeles in the second game of a back-to-back for both teams.

    Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for the second straight game and racked up 16 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in 26 minutes of court time for San Antonio. Castle scored 15 points, De’Aaron Fox had 14 and Julian Champagnie added 11.

    Doncic amassed 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James (out for rest on the second game of a back-to-back). Doncic also had seven turnovers. Jake LaRavia added 16 points and Jaxson Hayes scored 10 for Los Angeles.

    Warriors 120, Bucks 113

    Stephen Curry had a team-high 31 points, De’Anthony Melton added a season-high 22 and Golden State opened an eight-game homestand with a victory over Milwaukee in San Francisco.

    Melton, who hadn’t scored more than 16 points or made more than three 3-pointers in a game this season, bombed in 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Al Horford came off the bench to contribute eight points, a game-high-tying 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks for the Warriors, while Jimmy Butler III chipped in with 21 points.

    Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a 34-point, 10-rebound double-double in just 31 minutes, but it wasn’t enough for the Bucks to pick up a third straight win. Kevin Porter Jr. had 15 points and a game-high nine assists, while Ryan Rollins added 16 points.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Victor Wembanyama unconcerned about knee as Spurs prep for Pacers

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    (Photo credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images)

    In what easily could have been an NBA Finals preview between two of the best teams in the league, the San Antonio Spurs rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit for a 134-132 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

    But as thrilling as the win was, the postgame focus was on the health of Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs superstar left the game with 10:32 remaining with a hyperextended left knee.

    ‘I have not been able to talk to the medical staff yet, but I saw what everybody else saw,’ said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson. ‘There’s a visual there, but he finished the game on the bench with his teammates so that made me feel good. I have no idea what to say, but it was good to see him walk back out and finish the game with his teammates.’

    Wembanyama said he was sore after the game, but ‘very confident’ he won’t have to miss any time with the injury. Still, given how important Wembanyama is to the future of the Spurs, the team will be cautious with their superstar. That puts his status in question when San Antonio travels to face the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

    ‘I was this close to coming back into the game, but they had to hold me back,’ Wembanyama joked. ‘The good thing was that it was just a hyperextension, so it should be minimal. We’re going to do everything tomorrow and make sure everything is OK.’

    Regardless of whether Wembanyama suits up on Friday, the Spurs will look to build off Wednesday’s momentum.

    The Spurs trailed the Knicks by 10 at the half and by nine heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored New York 41-30 in the final 12 minutes to close out a much-needed home win and snap a two-game losing streak.

    ‘I thought we were not very good for a lot of stretches in the first half and the competitive response and the energy we were putting as the game went on into the right areas, we felt it,’ Johnson said. ‘I was extremely proud of guys who stepped up tonight, especially those guys in the fourth quarter.’

    Nobody stepped up more than Julian Champagnie, who set a franchise record with 11 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 36 points. The fourth-year pro took all 17 of his shots beyond the 3-point arc and converted five more than he ever had before.

    ‘I think we’ve been there before when it comes to a guy going down and someone having to step up and figure things out,’ Champagnie said. ‘For us (Wednesday), it was one of those things where we dropped two at home, Utah and Cleveland, but we want to protect our home court.’

    The Pacers, on the other hand, are trying desperately to find answers in what has been a challenging season. Indiana has battled injuries all year and comes into Friday’s game on a 10-game losing streak, including a 112-110 defeat against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. They enter 2026 with the worst record (6-28) in the league.

    ‘The real question should be why did we give up 68 points in the first half and only 44 in the second half?’ said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. ‘And that’s because in the second half, we played like a together team that was supporting each other and not like strangers. That’s how this has got to be. We’re having too much pity nonsense going on during games that needs to go away.’

    –Field Level Media

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