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The San Antonio Spurs dispatched the Orlando Magic with relative ease on Friday night, picking up their second victory over the reeling Eastern Conference bottom dweller in as many tries.
Dejounte Murray stuffed the stat sheet, recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and a block. Keldon Johnson also chipped in a team-high 20 points to go along with nine boards.
The starters took care of business from the first tip, building an early lead behind their stifling defense. And the second string kept them out in front behind solid performances from Devin Vassell and Thaddeus Young.
Keldon Johnson blew by Jalen Suggs on the perimeter with a pump fake and drove hard into the paint before getting Mo Bamba to leave his feet and dumping the ball down to Drew Eubanks for a one-handed slam.
Keldon ➡️ @DrewEubanks12 for the first ✌️ pic.twitter.com/J0QDayq4Uh
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 5, 2021
The Spurs momentarily turned the clock back to the beautiful basketball era, whipping the rock around the horn until they found a wide-open Doug McDermott for their first three of the contest.
Mr. McBuckets from DEEEP @dougmcdermott pic.twitter.com/XBdOBvR8HS
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 5, 2021
Dejounte Murray also got in on the early three-point shenanigans after backcourt running mate Derrick White delivered a perfectly placed skip pass to the left corner.
@DejounteMurray pic.twitter.com/9nxMAAsxSc
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 5, 2021
Devin Vassell converted a smooth and-one finish over the outstretched arms of Mo Bamba with a finger roll that probably made George Garvin grin from ear to ear somewhere in San Antonio.
That finish though pic.twitter.com/wEQs1oBFTd
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 5, 2021
Although the game got sloppy from time to time, Derrick White remained calm and composed as he chased down a loose ball and stepped into an off-the-dribble three to give the Spurs a double-digit lead.
.@Dwhite921 for 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/S3qtYxzmrk
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 5, 2021
Dougie McBuckets continued showing off his unmatched off-ball craft, navigating screens on an inbound play to lose his defender and rising on the move down the baseline for an uncontested mid-range jumper.
Doug doing Doug things on the inbound play. pic.twitter.com/LbJr472OUk
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
Bamba may be among the league leaders in blocks, but that didn’t stop Thaddeus Young from delivering a power dribble right into the chest of the lanky center on his way to rattling home a soft baby hook in paint.
.@yungsmoove21 handling business in the paint pic.twitter.com/Ywz5p8VGZr
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
Second-year wing Devin Vassell has been a revelation off the bench, and he put an exclamation point at the end of this play as he curled around a stagger screen and unloaded a two-handed flush over Chuma Okeke.
DEVIN. VASSELL.@Yvngdevo pic.twitter.com/0mCiBx0ho0
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
The Silver and Black didn’t get much going from three-point land against the Magic, but Lonnie Walker IV drained an above-the-break trifecta that held Orlando at bay just as they started eating into the lead.
LONNI3 pic.twitter.com/0QZ8sQwGGx
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
Johnson pulled off a nifty little in-and-out dribble move in transition that left Okeke in the dust, opening a runway down the heart of the paint that he promptly took advantage of with a resounding rim-rocker.
BIG BODYYY!!! pic.twitter.com/PkLwdcsyPt
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
Lonnie tangoed with Drew Eubanks out of the pick-and-roll, dancing with the ball on the perimeter and then showing off some fancy footwork with a side-step jumper that found nothing but net.
Lonnie makin' it look easy pic.twitter.com/k4ZPCFbHxd
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
Vassell turned defense into offense as he picked off a pass and dished it ahead to the Big Body, who finished the fastbreak with an and-one floater off the glass and one of his trademark battle screeches.
LET'S GOOOOOO#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/g3fll8Ovri
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 6, 2021
And as always, here are the full-game highlights.
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