ORLANDO — The Victor Wembanyama circus was in town but it was Franz Wagner who put on a show instead, much to the delight of a robust home crowd of 19,074 at the Kia Center.
Wagner, a third-year veteran out of the University of Michigan, scored 34 points and the Orlando Magic topped the visiting San Antonio Spurs 127-111 on Thursday night.
Wagner hit 13 of 17 field goals and drilled 3-of-4 treys in a sizzling performance that also included 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Jalen Suggs added 17 points and Paolo Banchero pitched in 15 for Orlando.
Wembanyama, the much-hyped No.1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, recorded 15 points, 1rebound and 2 assists in 23 minutes. The French sensation hit 6-of-12 shots in limited play.
With Wembanyama’s less than stellar performance, Devin Vassell picked up the slack with 30 points on 11 of 18 shooting from the field. Vassell also had 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Vassell’s fiery shooting, which was highlighted by a 23-point third quarter, kept the Spurs within striking distance from the Magic who controlled the game and led by as many as 23.
“I said: ‘Dev, I don’t want to be too pushy or anything, but if you want to go ahead and score a little bit and play a little bit better, that’d be fine,’” Popovich said referencing his pep talk with Vassell during the halftime break.
The Magic put the game away with an 8-0 run led by Jonathan Isaac early in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a new experience for him,” Popovich said of Wembanyama’s struggles. “He’ll get a certain period where he’ll run out of gas and then he gets it back again. Who doesn’t? It’s a new thing playing four games in a week.”
The Magic made 16 of 27 3-pointers (59.3%) after entering the game with the NBA’s second-lowest percentage at 34.4 and the fewest 3s (10.73) per game.
