By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-29 09:41:16
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。
2024年10月28日星期一，在圣安东尼奥进行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的克里斯·保罗（右）在对阵休斯顿火箭队的弗雷德·范弗利特（5号）时带球突破。(美联社照片/达伦·阿贝特)
俄克拉荷马城——从休赛期到训练营，马刺队日复一日地努力从技战术的角度提高防守，扎克·科林斯称之为“非常有教育意义”。
“能够得到这样的指导，了解每个人应该处在什么位置，这太好了，”这位替补中锋说。“我不认为自从我来到这里以后，努力对我们来说曾经是什么问题。一直以来，问题在于知道自己应该站在哪里，知道队友在哪里。所以，我认为我们今年解决了这个问题。”
马刺队在前三场比赛中，场均失分110.7分，排名联盟第11位，而上赛季他们场均失分118.6分，排名第24位，因此他们在防守端确实有所进步。
但是他们在周一晚上遭遇了挫折，当时一次沟通失误让弗雷德·范弗利特在比赛还剩18.5秒时命中一记空位三分，帮助休斯顿队领先5分，最终在弗罗斯特银行中心以106-101获胜。
这个回合开始时，凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)离开了在三分线外的范弗利特，去和杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)一起包夹杰伦·格林(Jalen Green)，后者为火箭队贡献了全队最高的36分。马刺队一包夹格林，格林就把球传给了范弗利特，后者接球就投，命中了一记25英尺外的跳投。马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)拼命地试图干扰这记投篮，但为时已晚。
随着这记三分球应声入网，火箭队以104-99领先。索汉沮丧地举起双手，抱住了自己的脑袋。
“只是沟通失误，”他后来告诉记者。“我和凯尔登·约翰逊，我们必须做得更好，我们俩都要。没有借口，只是沟通失误。”
范弗利特太冷血了
pic.twitter.com/QwxDnhpHeK
— NBA TV (@ NBATV) 2024年10月29日
当被问及这个回合有什么让他失望的地方时，马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说:“球进了，这很令人失望。球员们就是能投进球。(范弗利特)是个非常棒的球员。他做得很好。”
范弗利特把大部分功劳都归功于格林。
他说:“他做出了正确的选择，(索汉和约翰逊)都去防他了，我得以获得空位，然后把球投进。”
终场哨声响起几秒钟后，范弗利特指着索汉的脸，与这位前锋发生了口角。赛后，他们对这次冲突都没有多说什么，不过合理的猜测是，这可能源于索汉在周六的投篮训练中被问及10号州际公路 rivalry 时说的“该死的休斯顿”。
索汉得到全队最高的22分，外加9个篮板和4次助攻。当被问及他是否把范弗利特对他的愤怒视为针对个人时，他说:
“从来没有。……不过，他们确实是的，”索汉说。
火箭队在周一的比赛中获胜，报了上周六主场109-106输给马刺队的一箭之仇。两队将于11月6日在休斯顿再次交锋。
瓦塞尔加强康复训练
波波维奇说，德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)正在进行“有限的”对抗训练，并重申俱乐部希望这位四年级后卫能够在“11月的第一周的某个时候”复出。
瓦塞尔上赛季场均得到职业生涯最高的19.5分，是队内得分仅次于维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的二号得分手。他自6月份接受右脚手术以来一直处于休战状态。
马刺队在9月下旬表示，瓦塞尔将缺席赛季初的比赛，并将在11月1日接受重新评估。
2024年10月28日星期一，在圣安东尼奥进行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克多·文班亚马（1号）在对阵休斯顿火箭队的弗雷德·范弗利特（5号）时带球突破。(美联社照片/达伦·阿贝特)
2024年10月28日星期一，在圣安东尼奥进行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克多·文班亚马（1号）在休斯顿火箭队的阿尔佩伦·申京（28号）之前抢到一个篮板，马刺队的杰里米·索汉（左）在一旁观看。(美联社照片/达伦·阿贝特)
2024年10月28日星期一，在圣安东尼奥进行的一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队的杰里米·索汉在上半场对阵休斯顿火箭队的阿尔佩伦·申京（28号）时投篮。(美联社照片/达伦·阿贝特)
2024年10月28日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥：圣安东尼奥马刺队的哈里森·巴恩斯（40号）和杰里米·索汉（10号）在上半场与休斯顿火箭队的贾巴里·史密斯（10号）在弗罗斯特银行中心争抢一个地板球。
2024年10月28日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥：圣安东尼奥马刺队的杰里米·索汉（10号）在上半场与休斯顿火箭队的塔里·伊森（17号）在弗罗斯特银行中心前抢到一个篮板。
2024年10月26日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥：圣安东尼奥马刺队的板凳席，包括德文·瓦塞尔（左前）、布雷克·韦斯利和维克多·文班亚马，在下半场在弗罗斯特银行中心对阵休斯顿火箭队的比赛中，为前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（0号）在投篮得分并造成犯规后欢呼。马刺队在他们的第一个主场比赛中以109-106击败了火箭队。
2024年10月26日，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔在弗罗斯特银行中心与休斯顿火箭队的NBA主场揭幕战开始前为球迷签名。马刺队以109-106击败了火箭队。
2024年10月7日星期一，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥：圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫克里斯·保罗（3号）、维克多·文班亚马（1号）和德文·瓦塞尔（24号）在弗罗斯特银行中心观看他们的队友在下半场与俄克拉荷马城雷霆队的季前赛NBA比赛中较量。马刺队以112-107输给了雷霆队。
点击查看原文：Communication breakdown played role in Spurs' loss to Rockets
Communication breakdown played role in Spurs’ loss to Rockets
San Antonio Spurs’ Chris Paul, right, drives against Houston Rockets’ Fred Van Vleet (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
OKLAHOMA CITY– Day after day in the offseason and then into training camp, the Spurs worked to improve defensively from an X’s and O’s standpoint, a focus Zach Collins called “very educational.”
“It’s just good to have that teaching to understand where guys need to be,” the backup center said. “I don’t think since I’ve been here that effort has ever been an issue for us. It’s always been kind of knowing where to be and knowing who is where. So, I think we have that this year.”
The Spurs rank 11th in the NBA after their three games in opponent’s points per game at 110.7 after finishing last season 24th at 118.6, so they have shown improvement on that end.
But they suffered a setback Monday night when a communications breakdown allowed Fred VanVleet to drain a wide-open 3 with 18.5 seconds left to gave Houston a five-point lead on its way to a 106-101 win at the Frost Bank Center.
The play began with Keldon Johnson leaving VanVleet alone on the perimeter to join Jeremy Sochan for a double-team against Jalen Green, who led the Rockets with 36 points. As soon as the Spurs closed on him, Green passed out to VanVleet for a catch-and-shoot 25-foot jumper he released while Malaki Branham rushed over in a desperate attempt to contest the shot.
After the ball swished through the net to give the Rockets a 104-99 cushion, Sochan signaled his frustration by raising his hands toward his temples.
“It’s just miscommunication,” he told reporters later. “For me and Keldon Johnson. We got to be better, both of us. There’s no excuses, just miscommunication.”
VanVleet is COLD
— NBA TV (@ NBATV) October 29, 2024
Asked if anything disappointed him about the play, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "It went in – that was disappointing. People make shots. (VanVleet) is a hell of a player. He did a great job.”
VanVleet gave most of the credit to Green.
“He made the right read, both guys (Sochan and Johnson) went with him, and I was able to step up and knock it down,” he said.
Seconds after the final buzzer sounded, VanVleet pointed a finger in Sochan’s face while having words with the forward. Afterward, they didn’t have much to say about the exchange, although a logical guess would be it might have stemmed from Sochan saying “(expletive) Houston” when asked about the Interstate 10 rivalry at shootaround Saturday.
Sochan, who finished with a team-high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists, was asked if he took VanVleet’s anger toward him personally."
“Never. … They do, though,” Sochan said.
Monday’s victory by the Rockets avenged last Saturday’s 109-106 home loss to the Spurs. The teams will meet again Nov. 6 in Houston.
Vassell ramps up rehab work
Popovich said Devin Vassell is doing contact work on a “limited basis” and reiterated the club is hopeful the fourth-year guard will return “sometime in the first week of November.”
Vassell, who averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game last season to finish as the team’s second-leading scorer behind Victor Wembanyama, has been sidelined since undergoing right foot surgery in June.
The Spurs said in late September that Vassell would miss the start of the season and be re-evaluated Nov. 1.
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (1) drives against Houston Rockets’ Fred Van Vleet (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (1) grabs a rebound ahead of Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun (28) as Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan, left, watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan shoots against Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 28: Harrison Barnes #40 and Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs scramble for a loose ball against Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at Frost Bank Center on October 28, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 28: Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs grabs a rebound in front of Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at Frost Bank Center on October 28, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
The San Antonio Spurs bench, including Devin Vassell, from front left, Blake Wesley, and Victor Wembanyama, cheer for forward Keldon Johnson (0) after he makes a shot and draws a foul against the Houston Rockets in the second half at Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs defeated the Rockets, 109-106, in their first home game of the season.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell signs autographs for fans prior to the start of their NBA home opener with the Houston Rockets at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. The Spurs beat the Rockets 109-106.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3), Victor Wembanyama (1) and Devin Vassell (24) watch their teammates take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of the pre-season NBA match-up at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Thunder, 112-107.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News