By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-26 13:33:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
马刺和休斯顿火箭之间本就激烈的德州10号州际公路德比可能会随着赛季初两队频繁的比赛而变得更加白热化。
周六晚上在冰霜银行中心的比赛是这对老对手在12天内的三场交锋中的第一场。他们将于周一再次在冰霜银行中心对决，然后于11月6日在休斯顿展开较量。
“当你和同一支球队交手如此频繁时，你们更容易互相感到厌烦，”马刺队的替补中锋扎克·科林斯(Zach Collins)说。“你知道那些球队的打法，尤其是休斯顿，他们总是打得很强硬，而且在过去的几年里，他们增加了一些球员，使他们非常有竞争力。我们也做了同样的事情，尤其是在今年。所以，（这种竞争）将会继续升级。”
当被问及这场竞争时，马刺队前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)给出了一个更简洁有力的回应。
“是啊，去他的休斯顿，”他说。
马刺队与火箭队的比赛场次比任何其他对手都多。他们在周六的比赛前以118胜97负的总比分领先，但在本赛季早些时候加时赛输掉一场比赛后，火箭队赢得了最后三场比赛的胜利，以3-1的比分赢得了2023-24赛季的系列赛。
休斯顿上赛季占据主导地位的一个重要原因是他们在维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)身上取得了成功，顽强的6尺7寸前锋狄龙·布鲁克斯(Dillon Brooks)经常带头防守这位7尺3寸的法国人。
当被问及布鲁克斯咄咄逼人的防守风格时，索汉说：“他还不错。他有点疯狂。我尊重他在防守端的努力。他是那种不在乎别人怎么想的球员，所以我也尊重这一点。所以，是的，他是一名非常优秀的球员。”
马刺队和火箭队计划在2月26日在休斯顿结束他们的四场常规赛。
索汉回归单手罚球
在季前赛中使用更传统的双手罚球方式后，索汉在揭幕战中回归单手罚球。
“我觉得我用一只手投篮已经很久了，你已经习惯了，”他说。“说实话，我单手投篮命中率接近80%，所以我（决定）继续保持下去，而不是在赛季开始前改变什么。”
在周四以121-109输给达拉斯的赛季揭幕战中，索汉7罚5中，得到18分。
这位三年级职业球员在2023年12月与马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)和助理教练布雷特·布朗(Brett Brown)交谈后，开始使用非传统的单手罚球方式。索汉在贝勒大学(Baylor)读大一时，罚球命中率为58.9%，在新秀赛季提高到69.8%，在上赛季达到77.1%。
在夏天与马刺队投篮教练吉米·巴伦(Jimmy Baron)一起训练投篮姿势后，他又改回了双手投篮。
“这是为了更好地帮助（外线）投篮，”索汉在谈到回归双手投篮时说。
脚踝受伤导致琼斯缺阵
马刺队替补控球后卫特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)在对阵独行侠的比赛的第四节末段受伤后，对自己的健康状况表示乐观。
琼斯受伤的原因是独行侠中锋德里克·莱夫利(Dereck Lively)在试图抢夺一个地板球时，扑到了他的腿上。比赛结束后，琼斯的右小腿下部缠着绷带。
“我会没事的，”他说。“希望冰敷会有帮助。”
琼斯表示自己每天都在接受评估，但马刺队在周五宣布，由于右脚踝扭伤，他将缺席周六主场迎战休斯顿的比赛。
琼斯的缺阵使得马刺队在首发控卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)身后的控球后卫位置捉襟见肘。这位四年级职业球员是唯一一位在这位未来名人堂成员身后有经验的纯控球后卫，尽管三年级后卫布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)和马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)都在NBA的比赛中担任过控球后卫，而新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)在开始他的NBA职业生涯时，被认为是球队的未来场上指挥官，但他可以打多个位置。
在季前赛期间，波波维奇有时会使用三名控球后卫同时上场的阵容。
“我认为我们能够在整个赛季的某些时间段做到这一点，”琼斯当时说。“我们都能在与彼此配合的同时，打出自己的比赛，这就是我们球队的优点。我们每个人都有自己的特点，但我们也能够防守，如果我们超级活跃，能够破坏对手的进攻，那么我认为我们没有理由不能一起上场。”
德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市 - 3月12日：2024年3月12日，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市的冰霜银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克多·文班亚马1号与休斯顿火箭队的乔克·兰代尔2号和弗雷德·范弗利特5号在上半场争夺篮板球位置。
德克萨斯州休斯顿市 - 10月17日：2024年10月17日，在德克萨斯州休斯顿市的丰田中心举行的季前赛上半场，休斯顿火箭队的阿尔佩伦·申京28号与圣安东尼奥马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯40号对位。
德克萨斯州休斯顿市 - 10月17日：2024年10月17日，在德克萨斯州休斯顿市的丰田中心举行的季前赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队的特雷·琼斯33号带球突破休斯顿火箭队的弗雷德·范弗利特5号的防守。
2024年10月17日，星期四，在休斯顿丰田中心举行的NBA篮球赛下半场，休斯顿火箭队中锋阿尔佩伦·申京(28号)试图从圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(54号)手中抢到球。
点击查看原文：Familiarity could add contempt to already heated Spurs-Rockets rivalry
Familiarity could add contempt to already heated Spurs-Rockets rivalry
The already fierce Interstate 10 rivalry between the Spurs and the Houston Rockets could heat up even more with the teams playing so often early in the season.
Saturday night’s game at the Frost Bank Center marked the first of three meetings over 12 days between the longtime rivals. They play again Monday at the Frost Bank Center before squaring off Nov. 6 in Houston.
“When you play somebody so many times, you are going to get annoyed with each other that much easier,” Spurs backup center Zach Collins said. “You know how those teams play, especially Houston, which always plays physical, and they’ve added a few pieces over the last couple of years to make them very competitive. And we’ve done the same, especially this year. So, the (rivalry) is going to continue to grow.”
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan offered a more succinct and passionate response when asked about the rivalry.
“Yeah, (bleep) Houston,” he said.
The Spurs have played the Rockets more than any other opponent. They entered Saturday’s game holding a 118-97 lead in the all-time series, but the Rockets captured the 2023-24 series 3-1 after winning the last three meetings in a row following an early season loss in overtime.
A big reason for Houston’s dominance last year was the success it had aggressively collapsing on Victor Wembanyama, with tenacious 6-foot-7 forward Dillon Brooks often leading the charge against the 7-foot-3 Frenchman.
Asked about Brooks’ aggressive style of defense, Sochan said, “He is all right. He is a little crazy. I respect that he goes hard on defense. Kind of one of those players who doesn’t care what other people think, so I respect that too. So, yeah, he is a pretty good player.”
The Spurs and Rockets are scheduled to conclude their four-game season series Feb. 26 at Houston.
Sochan back to shooting one-handed foul shots
Sochan returned in the opener to shooting free throws with one hand after using the more conventional two-handed style in the preseason.
“I feel like I shot with one hand for so long you kind of get comfortable with it,” he said. “And to be honest, I was making nearly 80 percent one-handed, so I (decided) to just keep it instead of changing something right before the season.”
Sochan connected on 5 of 7 attempts from the foul stripe on his way to 18 points in the 121-109 season-opening loss to Dallas on Thursday.
The third-year pro began using the unconventional one-hand delivery in December 2023 after a conversation with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and assistant coach Brett Brown. After shooting 58.9% from the foul line as a freshman at Baylor, Sochan improved to 69.8% as a rookie before connecting on 77.1% last season.
The switch back to two hands came after a summer of working on his shooting form with Spurs shooting coach Jimmy Baron.
“It was to more help with the (perimeter) shot,” Sochan said of reverting back to two hands.
Ankle injury sidelines Jones
Spurs backup point guard Tre Jones expressed optimism about his health after suffering an injury late in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks.
Jones was injured when Mavericks center Dereck Lively dove at his legs while trying to corral a loose ball. After the game, Jones had a wrap around his lower right shin.
“I’ll be OK,” he said. “Hopefully, the ice will help.”
Jones pronounced himself day-to-day, but the Spurs ruled him out Friday for Saturday’s home opener against Houston with a sprained right ankle.
The loss of Jones left the Spurs thin at the point behind starter Chris Paul. The fourth-year pro is the only experienced true point guard backing up the future Hall of Fame, although third-year guards Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham have both logged minutes at the point in the NBA, and rookie Stephon Castle is considered the team’s floor general of the future while starting his NBA career playing a variety of positions.
During the preseason, Popovich sometimes used lineups featuring three of the point guards.
“I think we’ll be able to have stretches where we do that throughout the season,” Jones said then. “We’re all able to play our own games while playing with one another, and that’s what is good about it. We’re all unique in our own way, but then we’re also able to defend, and if we’re super active and disrupting, then I see no reason why we aren’t able to be out there together.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 12: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs fights for rebounding position with Jock Landale #2 of the Houston Rockets and Fred VanVleet #5 in the first half at Frost Bank Center on March 12, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 17: Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets works to the basket against Harrison Barnes #40 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of a preseason game at Toyota Center on October 17, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 17: Tre Jones #33 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against Fred VanVleet #5 of the Houston Rockets during the second half of a preseason game at Toyota Center on October 17, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) tries to hang onto the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News