Victor Wembanyama seemed a little rusty tonight but the connection between him and Chris Paul began to pay off as Spurs began to overcome a sloppy start and make the game competitive by half-time. Stephon Castle continued to show progress as a defender and on offense and did well against Paolo Banchero after a difficult start. The Spurs finally made the comeback and equalized midway through the third quarter, and Paul and Wembanyama's night was over. The Spurs, led by Stephon Castle and Mamukelashvili, led the Spurs until the fourth quarter when both teams cleared the bench as the Spurs took over with vigorous play from their reserves and won by 10 points.

Observations

• The conventional wisdom is that preseason games are just meaningless practice games because they don't count in the standings. This probably applies to players who have already secured a roster spot on the team, but for players who want to make a living in professional basketball, these games are very important. It's probably their only chance to land a spot on the NBA roster or get into an organization where they have a chance to develop. The Spurs organization is aware of this and is making sure they have some time to showcase their skills before being cut before the start of the season.
• I'm not sure about Jacob Tobey yet, but he had big shoes to fill to replace Bill Land. It will likely take some time for him to get used to the job, and the relationship between him and Sean Elliott still seems a bit awkward. I think he should get better with experience. On the other hand, Dan Weiss seems comfortable and relaxed in his role, and he was great in his role on the show.
• The Spurs looked more organized than in the first game when Chris Paul scored the point, but the shooting in the first quarter was Star Wars Stormtrooper-level. There was just a lot of shooting and never hitting the target, except for Julian Champagnie, who was still on fire from his six-triple performance on Monday.
• Jett Howard looks really good for the Magic. He definitely learned a lot from his father.
• Paolo Banchero took Stephon Castle to school with a beautiful play under the basket and a spectacular dunk in the first quarter. It is a good learning experience for the tower.
• Wembanyama had some bad throws, but Chris Paul made it clear to him by hitting him in an alley-up for an easy-and-one. We've heard a lot about Victor's improved shot this summer, but it wasn't on display early in tonight's game, his most impactful plays were in the paint where his length gave him a big advantage.
• The Spurs trailed 20-34 after one quarter and couldn't do much right on either end of the court. The Magic just looked more prepared and organized, and the Spurs defense was as chaotic as I've ever seen in the NBA. Things were better in the second quarter, especially on defense as the effort increased and Wembanyama worked closer to the basket, cutting the lead in half, with them trailing by seven points at halftime.
• Wemby's attempt to dupe one of the Magic guards was pretty daring, but Pop wasn't having it as it ruined the Spurs' chance to tie the game early in the third quarter. The Spurs tied the score at 63 with 6:38 left in the quarter.
• Sidy Cissoki – how can a player look so good despite being so bad? He just looks like he's an elite basketball player, but every time he steps on the court he gives it away by confusing routine offense and defense plays. Every now and then you see a flash of something, but then it is quickly sniffed out. I still believe in Sidy, but he makes it so hard. I just have to keep reminding myself that he's still very young and still improving.
• Stephon Castle had a much more impactful game than his debut, drawing fouls and putting in effort in defense. He and Mamukelashvili were in the lead late in the third period, and the Spur entered the final period tied at 79 points each. After a few more minutes in the fourth quarter, his night was over with 17 points and some impressive plays on both ends of the court.
• After the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, both teams cleared their benches and it started to look like a Summer League game, with guys like Matt McClung and Riley Minix competing for a real roster spot. Brandon Boston made a good impression for the Spurs, which he likely will in Austin once the G League season begins.

The Spurs have a few days off before another preseason game against the Jazz on Saturday, then finish preseason next week on Tuesday in Miami and Thursday night in Houston. The Spurs' actual games begin on October 24th in Dallas against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.