SAN ANTONIO _ Mired in a four-game losing streak, the Orlando Magic opened a lengthy road trip Tuesday night needing to turn their season around.
They got their trip off to the best possible start: a win over the powerhouse San Antonio Spurs.
The Magic played one of their best defensive games and ramped up their offense in the second and third quarters to beat the Spurs 95-83 at the AT&T Center.
Serge Ibaka scored a team-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and Evan Fournier added 13 points and tied a career high with seven assists.
The victory had only one negative: Point guard Elfrid Payton left the game with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter after he rolled his right ankle and didn't return.
The Spurs played a poor offensive game. They made only 37 percent of their shots and turned the ball over 19 times.
The Magic took a 77-65 lead when C.J. Watson sank a jumper with 10:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Then, it seemed the Spurs (14-4) were set to make a run. Patty Mills stole a pass by Watson, sprinted upcourt and connected with LaMarcus Aldridge on an alley-oop dunk.
After Orlando's Jeff Green missed a long 3-pointer, Kawhi Leonard scored from mid range as he absorbed a foul by Green. Leonard made the ensuing free throw to cut Orlando's lead to 77-70. For the first time all night, the crowd inside the AT&T Center sounded energized.
A short while later, with Orlando ahead 79-70, Aldridge rose up for a one-handed dunk, but Payton blocked the attempt from behind.
It was the key hustle play of the game and stopped San Antonio's momentum.
A few sequences later, with the Magic on defense, Payton jumped and rolled his right ankle when his foot tangled with Nikola Vucevic's left foot. Payton left the game and went to the locker room before he returned to the Magic's bench.
December hasn't started, but the Magic (7-11) already find themselves in a precarious position.
If they don't right themselves soon, they could be far out of the playoff hunt before New Year's Day.
The Magic's schedule is starting to show its teeth. Tuesday's showdown tipped off an arduous road trip that will also include games against the Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.
"I think it's a big part of our season right now: making sure we get some W's on this trip," coach Frank Vogel said before the game.
The difficulty will increase after they complete their road swing Dec. 6 in Washington. The game against the Wizards will kick off an exhausting stretch in which the Magic will play four games in five nights.
"This is definitely an important trip," point guard D.J. Augustin said before tipoff. "We take every game as an important game. It's going to be a long, hard trip for us, but we feel like we can get it done."
The Magic opened the game making only three of their first 14 shot attempts, but they didn't just miss shots early on.
The players also looked confused on that end of the floor.
On one play midway through the first quarter, Ibaka and Fournier had a disagreement after Ibaka missed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc. Late in the first quarter, Bismack Biyombo and Vucevic differed about where the other should have gone, pointing to different spots on the floor.
The offense improved in the second quarter, though. Magic players made 12 of their 21 shots and made all three of their 3-point tries.
In the half's final minute, Ibaka swished a wide-open 3 to tie the score 40-40.
On the Spurs' ensuing possession, Biyombo deflected a lob, which started a fast break. The play ended with a layup by Green.
After a 3-pointer by Aldridge with 4.1 seconds left in the half, Fournier hoisted a trey just before the halftime buzzer and sank it. The score put the Magic ahead 45-43.
