The San Antonio Spurs get ready for the third game of their Rodeo Road Trip off the heels a franchise-record performance. One that didn't come from super rookie Victor Wembanyama. Instead, Devin Vassell's 23 points in the third quarter against the Orlando Magic are the most a Spur has scored in a quarter since 1996-1997 when play-by-play data was introduced.

The offensive explosion came after a scoreless first half for Vassell. He finished with a team high 30 points in the 127-111 loss.

Gregg Popovich's halftime “encouragement”

Perhaps some inspirational words from head coach Gregg Popovich were the key to Vassell's turnaround. In setting a team mark against the Magic, the 11th overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft didn't miss in that third quarter. At all. He went nine for nine from the filed, including two from beyond the arc. He also made all three free throws he took.

For good measure, he didn't leave the rest of the stat sheet empty with two assists, two rebounds and a steal in that third frame.

“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 better, that'll be fine,” Popovich said about the sarcastic message he relayed to the fourth-year forward.

“And he did,” the Hall of Fame coach concluded.

Vassell had a different recollection about Popovich's halftime speech.

“He didn't say anybody in particular but I knew who he was talking about and I knew how the game was going for me in the first half so I just knew I had to get involved,” the Spurs second leading scorer for the season admitted.

“This is a tough team, I've got to sit here and play my A game. So that was just the biggest thing for me, just coming out and being aggressive and trying anything to get going.”

Devin Vassell looks to avoid previous troubles

Spurs' Devin Vassell looking serious

As Vassell's jumper's gone, he's gone. In an effort to find other ways to score when his shot isn't falling, the former Florida State star is looking to attack the rim more often.

“I just feel like I was mores aggressive. At halftime I thought about those two games when we played Atlanta and against Chicago – where I just couldn't get going. And I just let it…I was just shooting a lot of jump shots and I just let that dictate my game,” Vassell said about those two contests before switching gears to Thursday's game in Orlando.

“The first couple of times I got the ball, I was just, like, let me just get downhill and even get to the free throw line or get something going so I can at least feel good. And then after that, once I saw a couple go down, I'm good. At that point, it's just if I miss or not.”

Vassell is enjoying his best scoring stretch of the season. He's scored at least 20 points in every game but one out of the last seven and in the one, he put up 19. For the season, Vassell is averaging 18.9 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds through the 47 games he's played.