National Basketball Association

Magic make a statement in win over red-hot Spurs

Updated Sep. 13, 2022 12:39 p.m. ET

foxsports

By SAM GARDNER
FOXSportsFlorida.com Magic Writer
Dec. 23, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Watch out, world.

After feeling things out for two games, the Orlando Magic's new additions stepped up on Thursday night, and the results were scary.

Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu combined to score 40 points on only 38 shots and Dwight Howard scored 29 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as Orlando snapped a four-game losing streak with a 123-101 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs.

"It felt like we hadn't won all year," Howard said. "To get us one tonight, it feels good, but we don't just want to win one game and go back to losing. So we're going to keep playing."

Orlando dropped its first two games after acquiring Arenas, Richardson and Turkoglu on Saturday, but the mantra around the Magic locker room all week has been patience. The team hadn't practiced together, the new players were learning the system and expectations were about as low as they could be.

But if the thrashing of San Antonio was any indication of what's to come for the Magic, the rest of the league better make room for another contender.

"It shows what's possible with this group," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We still have to get a lot better on the defensive end of the floor, and we still have to get a lot better in our half-court execution. There's a long way to go ... but nonetheless, we just keep talking about (how) we want to get better, we don't want to take a step back. I thought we took a step forward (on Tuesday) against Dallas, and I thought we took another step forward tonight."

A step forward? Try a colossal leap.

The team that took the floor Monday against Atlanta didn't even look like it could win the division. On Tuesday against Dallas, Orlando didn't look like a team that could get past the second round of the playoffs.

But on Thursday, the Magic looked like a team that could win a championship.

This wasn't just a ho-hum drubbing of an NBA also-ran, either. San Antonio is, arguably, the hottest team in basketball. The Spurs have the league's best record.

"This team was 25-3," Van Gundy said. "I know they were coming in on a back to back, but we have our own problems, too, so this was a hell of a game for us against the best team in the league that had won 10 in a row and only lost one road game. That's a hell of a team, and we played very well."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wasn't using the back-to-back games as an excuse either.

"That's got nothing to do with it," he said. "Everybody has back-to-back games. ... They really played well and kicked our ass."

With seven players in double figures, Orlando improved to 4-1 on the season when six or more players score 10 points, and it seemed that everyone who took the court had a role in the victory.

Arenas had his best game to date, dishing out nine assists and pulling down six rebounds to go with his 14 points. Richardson scored 15, his highest point total since joining Orlando. J.J. Redick had 17 points, including a 5-of-5 night from 3-point range, Brandon Bass scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Turkoglu had six assists.

"(If) we play the right way and guys are just about winning, not worrying about statistics ... we're going to be pretty dangerous," said point guard Jameer Nelson, who was limited by illness but still scored seven points in 21 minutes.

The victory gave the Magic a chance to relax -- something they hadn't done in a long, long time, and something that will prove invaluable going forward.

"I hope so," Van Gundy said. "That's what they need to do. To me -- and I've always felt with this guys, I've said this to the guys -- every time they're struggling, my first suggestion is really, really focus on playing hard and defending, and just let your offense come. Get your focus on something that you can take care of. Shooting comes and goes, but you can defend and rebound and run every night. Focus on those areas, get your mind off of the offensive part of it and just play to your instincts.

"I think that helps a lot. I really do. If you focus on that end of the floor, the offense will take care of itself. When you start thinking about 'Oh god, I missed two in a row,' and everything else, now you're in trouble."

The new-look Magic still have had only one practice -- and even that was more like a walk-through -- so things are still definitely looking up in Central Florida.

"It's only our fourth day together; we've only had one practice," Richardson said. "We still have a lot to learn about each other, but this is just a glimpse of what we can be."

Said Arenas: "Once we get in sync and do get practice time, a month from now, we should be dangerous."

Be sure to follow @FSMagic on Twitter for Magic news, analysis and more all season long!