By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-11-03 12:08:20
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。
周六晚，克里斯·保罗、维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)和马刺队在弗罗斯特银行中心以 113-103 击败了森林狼队。
洛杉矶——周六赛后新闻发布会上，马刺队助理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)神态自若，头发一丝不乱。
与约翰逊第一次在主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)缺席的情况下带领马刺队获胜时不同，这次在帮助马刺队以113-103获胜后，没有球员用水淋浴庆祝。
“那是一次性的，”约翰逊说。
由于75岁的主教练周六因病缺席，约翰逊在比赛开始前90分钟得知他将被临时提拔为代理主教练。
比赛结束后，约翰逊只得到了球员们的赞扬，他们称赞他在关键时刻挺身而出。
“米奇做得很好，”控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)说。“联盟里总是会发生各种事情，就像球员一样，‘下一个该你了’。所以要为米奇点赞。”
马刺球星维克托·文班亚马表示赞同，并指出约翰逊的工作方式比火爆的波波维奇更温和。
“绝对不像波波那样，”文班亚马说。“但这很好。”
这是约翰逊第三次被要求代替波波维奇。
第一次是在2021年5月，当时波波维奇请假参加蒂姆·邓肯的篮球名人堂入选仪式。马刺队在那天以103-140输给了菲尼克斯太阳队。
2023年3月，波波维奇因病缺席，约翰逊带领球队以110-99战胜了印第安纳步行者队。
在那场比赛结束后，更衣室里的球员们将瓶装水倒在约翰逊的头上，以纪念他非正式的NBA执教首胜。
根据联盟规则，约翰逊作为代理主教练的2胜1负的战绩将正式记在波波维奇的账上。
马刺队没有透露波波维奇是否能在周一客场挑战洛杉矶快船队的两连客首场比赛中复出。约翰逊誓言做好一切准备。
“我认为每个人都必须时刻做好准备，下一个该你了，”约翰逊说。
马刺队对快船队的新主场漠不关心
周一的比赛是马刺队首次在快船队全新的、最先进的球馆——Intuit Dome球馆——与快船队交手。
尽管这座耗资20亿美元的建筑在本赛季初期一直是联盟的热门话题，但马刺队的球员们似乎对参观快船队的新环境有些漠不关心。
“我还有其他事情要考虑，”文班亚马说。
凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)说：“这是一次商务旅行。我每晚都为比赛感到兴奋。”
保罗曾在快船队效力了六个赛季，当时快船队与更受瞩目的湖人队共用斯台普斯中心。
他是马刺队中唯一一个已经踏入Intuit Dome球馆的成员，他在夏天曾与快船队老板史蒂夫·鲍尔默(Steve Ballmer)一起参观了这座球馆。
保罗似乎最兴奋的是能与他的妻子和两个孩子共度时光，保罗搬到圣安东尼奥后，他的家人留在了洛杉矶。
“那里很不错，”保罗谈到Intuit Dome球馆时说。“我很期待在那里打球是什么感觉。”
新的球馆还没有为快船队创造预期的主场优势。他们在赛季初主场4连败。
瓦塞尔和琼斯继续缺阵
随着后卫德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)和特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)的伤势好转，马刺队可能会逐渐恢复完整阵容。
瓦塞尔在休赛期接受了足部手术后，赛季初被列入伤病名单，最初预计在周五重新评估。球队已将更新推迟到本周初，尽管瓦塞尔一直在参加训练。
琼斯在达拉斯的赛季揭幕战中扭伤右脚踝后，正在逐渐康复。
“希望他和德文能继续保持这种状态，我们能尽快让他们回来，”米奇·约翰逊说。
点击查看原文：For Spurs, business as usual with Popovich out
For Spurs, business as usual with Popovich out
Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs beat the Timberwolves 113-103 on Saturday night against the Timberwolves at Frost Bank Center.
LOS ANGELES — Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson arrived for his postgame news conference Saturday with his head dry and hair undisturbed.
Unlike the first time Johnson led the Spurs to victory with coach Gregg Popovich out and ailing, there would be no bottled water shower celebration after he helped guide the Spurs to a 113-103 triumph.
“It was a one-time thing,” Johnson said.
With his 75-year-old boss out sick Saturday, Johnson learned 90 minutes before tipoff he would be receiving a one-night promotion as a fill-in head coach.
After the win, Johnson was showered only with praise from his players, who commended him for coming through in a pinch.
“Mitch did a great job,” point guard Chris Paul. “Things happen within this league all the time, and just like with players it’s ‘next man up.’ So shout out to Mitch.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama agreed, noting Johnson comes at the job with a softer touch than the fiery Popovich.
“Definitely not the same behaviors as Pop,” Wembanyama said. “But it was good.”
It marked the third time Johnson has been asked to pinch hit for Popovich.
The first came in May of 2021, when Popovich took time off to attend Tim Duncan’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Spurs dropped a 140-103 decision to Phoenix that day.
In March of 2023, Popovich was out with illness and Johnson shepherded the team to a 110-99 win over Indiana.
In the locker room after that game, players dumped bottles of water over Johnson’s head to commemorate what was unofficially his first NBA coaching win.
Under league rules, Johnson’s 2-1 record as acting head coach officially is credited to Popovich’s ledger.
The Spurs did not say if they expected Popovich to be available for the start of a two-game road trip Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Johnson vowed to be prepared for anything.
“I think everybody’s just always got to be ready, next man up,” Johnson said.
Spurs blasé about Clippers’ new digs
Monday’s game represents the Spurs’ first trip to face the Clippers at the Intuit Dome, the team’s sparkling, state-of-the-art new arena.
Though the $2-billion building has been the talk of the league in the early going of the season, Spurs players seemed somewhat ambivalent about checking out the Clippers’ new environs.
“I’ve got other things to think about,” Wembanyama said.
Said Keldon Johnson: “It’s a business trip. I’m excited to go play every night.”
Paul played for the Clippers for six seasons when the club shared the Staples Center with the more high-profile Lakers.
He is the only member of the Spurs to have already stepped foot inside the Intuit Dome, having been treated to a tour with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer over the summer.
Paul seemed most excited to get to spend time with his wife and two kids, who remained in Los Angeles when Paul relocated to San Antonio.
“It’s pretty nice,” Paul said of the Intuit Dome. “I’m excited to see what it’s like to play in there.”
The new arena has not created the expected home-court advantage for the Clippers just yet. They are 0-4 at home to open the season.
Vassell, Jones remain out
The Spurs could be inching back to full strength with guards Devin Vassell and Tre Jones on the mend.
Vassell, who opened the season on the injured list after undergoing offseason foot surgery, was initially expected to be reevaluated Friday. The team has pushed that update back to early this week, though Vassell has been practicing.
Jones is making progress after spraining a right ankle in the season opener at Dallas.
“Hopefully him and Devin continue trending that way and we get them back sooner than later,” Mitch Johnson said.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News