De’Aaron Fox has been stepping up as the leader for the San Antonio Spurs in the absence of Victor Wembanyama, and he was instrumental in their 114-112 road win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
With the game tied at 112 with 7.7 seconds left, Fox drew a crucial shooting foul on Jonathan Isaac and sank the game-winning free throws. The one-time NBA All-Star finished with 31 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 11-for-20 shooting from the field in 31 minutes.
“Everybody in our locker room knows they have to step up when you have someone like Vic (Wembanyama) out, someone like Steph (Castle) out. For me, it’s just trying to lead with my voice,” Fox said via Greg Luca of the San Antonio Express-News. “I have played a few more years than some of these guys, but they all listen.”
“We could’ve easily come in here on the second half of a back-to-back, getting in at 4 am, and just lost this game. It definitely shows how resilient this team is, and we’re continuing to try to build and try to move forward,” he continued.
San Antonio Spurs News: Luke Kornet clinches the win with a game-saving block
After De’Aaron Fox calmly made his free throws to put the San Antonio Spurs up 114-112. The Orlando Magic had one more chance to tie or win the game. Aaron Black found a cutting Franz Wagner inside the shaded area for a layup, but Luke Kornet came out of nowhere and swatted his shot.
Credit: Reginald Thomas II/AP Photo
Kornet has been playing more with Victor Wembanyama on the mend. The one-time NBA champion chipped in five points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks on 2-for-3 shooting in 28 minutes.
“Being able to win games coming down to the final possession like that, it’s obviously a great feeling to come out on the other end,” Kornet said. “It was great to be able to get that win and keep chugging along.”
