By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-11-10 11:42:49
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11月9日星期六，在弗罗斯特银行中心举行的与犹他爵士队的NBA比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)（24号）将球传给中锋扎克·科林斯(Zach Collins)（23号）。瓦塞尔在本赛季的首场比赛中得到21分，但犹他队以111-110击败了马刺队。
马刺队临时主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)在周六对阵犹他的比赛前暗示，德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)的赛季首秀可能不会有令人瞠目的数据。
“我敢肯定他今晚不会拿到职业生涯的最高分，”约翰逊在解释这位后卫的上场时间将受到限制后说道。
约翰逊是对的。瓦塞尔没有超过去年11月战胜洛杉矶湖人队时得到的36分。但如果他的上场时间没有受到限制，他可能会接近这个数字。
由于右脚罕见的应力性损伤，瓦塞尔自3月29日以来首次出战，这次伤病让他错过了上赛季的最后八场比赛以及本赛季的前九场比赛，并在今年6月接受了手术。尽管如此，瓦塞尔几乎没有表现出任何生疏的迹象。
他替补出场22分钟，得到21分，但这不足以阻止马刺队在五连主场的第二场比赛中以111-110负于爵士队。
“能回到赛场感觉很好，”瓦塞尔说。“能和这些家伙一起打球感觉很好。但最终，我想要赢下比赛，所以我现在有点沮丧。”
马刺队（4胜6负）也没能利用维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)和新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)的出色表现。文班亚马得到24分、16个篮板和7次盖帽，卡斯尔则得到赛季最高的23分。
科林·塞克斯顿(Collin Sexton)以23分领跑犹他队（2胜7负）。劳里·马尔卡宁(Lauri Markkanen)贡献20分。
尽管输给了10天前他们以106-88击败的球队，但在瓦塞尔令人印象深刻的表现之后，马刺队在周一对阵萨克拉门托的比赛前对他们的未来感到兴奋。
“他看起来就像从未缺席过一样，”卡斯尔说。“很高兴看到我们未来的样子。”
瓦塞尔上赛季场均得到19.5分，是马刺队仅次于文班亚马的第二得分手。本场比赛他13投8中，其中三分球6投3中。
“他可能比我们预期的还要好，”文班亚马说。“他的节奏和投篮都在状态，所以这令人印象深刻。他完全走在正确的轨道上。我不知道我们还能对一个缺席这么久后复出的球员期待更多。”
当被问及他何时回归首发阵容的目标日期时，瓦塞尔说：“这是教练的问题……如果我现在能打37分钟，我会打的。但你知道情况如何。”
瓦塞尔的回归对于一支饱受逆境困扰的球队来说是一个令人欣慰的时刻。这支球队正为教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)因未公开的健康问题无限期离开球队而担忧，并且杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（拇指手术）、特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)（脚踝扭伤）和马拉基·布拉纳姆(Malaki Branham)（脚踝扭伤）也无法上场。
“(瓦塞尔的回归)是我非常期待的事情，”文班亚马用法语对法国记者说。“我真的很期待再次和他一起打球。我知道他整个夏天都付出了很多努力。即使在奥运会期间和奥运会备战期间，我们也一直在交流，为今年做计划。事实上，自从他开始康复以来，我们一直在合作，为他的回归做准备，并让他立即恢复状态。”
瓦塞尔在第一节还剩5分35秒时替补上场。他错失了前两次投篮，然后在上半场还剩7分40秒时，在马尔卡宁面前投进了一记中距离跳投。
“就是让比赛来找你，”瓦塞尔谈到他进入比赛的心态时说。“我一辈子都在打篮球。它会回来的。”
约翰逊对瓦塞尔几乎没有表现出生疏并不感到惊讶。
“他已经连续工作了将近七个月，这要归功于他，归功于我们的医疗团队，归功于支持人员，”约翰逊说。“他已经进行了大量的实战训练。”
在这场经历了16次领先交替和15次平分的比赛中，爵士队通过在最后11.8秒内罚球7中6，报了他们在盐湖城万圣节之夜输给马刺队的一箭之仇。
爵士队以107-104领先，当文班亚马在比赛还剩10.1秒时撞上瓦格纳大学毕业的乔丹·克拉克森(Jordan Clarkson)犯规时，他们获得了喘息的机会。马刺队挑战了判罚，但裁判维持原判。
文班亚马的犯规让他本场比赛的失误数达到了职业生涯最高的6次。马刺队全场出现20次失误，导致爵士队得到27分。
克拉克森在比赛还剩8.9秒时罚进两球后，朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)投进一记三分球，将马刺队的比分追至109-107。被迫对塞克斯顿犯规后，塞克斯顿在比赛还剩3.9秒时又罚进两球，马刺队落后4分。
瓦塞尔在终场哨响时投进一记三分，得到了最后的3分。
虽然输球让他很困扰，但瓦塞尔很高兴再次做他喜欢的事情。
“我只想打篮球，”他说。“我很高兴能重新开始。就像我说的，我希望我们今天能赢，但我们周一还有一场对阵萨克拉门托的比赛，所以让我们拿下那场比赛。”
San Antonio Spurs’ Devin Vassell (24) shoots against Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) passes the ball past Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, center, and forward John Collins during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Utah beat the Spurs 111-110.
点击查看原文：Spurs excited about future after Vassell's impressive return
Spurs excited about future after Vassell’s impressive return
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) passes the ball to center Zach Collins (23) during the second half of their NBA game with the Utah Jazz at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Vassell had 21 point in his first game of the season though Utah beat the Spurs 111-110.
Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson suggested before Saturday’s game against Utah that Devin Vassell might not have an eye-popping stat line in his season debut.
“I am sure he won’t score his career high tonight,” Johnson said after explaining the guard’s minutes would be capped.
Johnson was right. Vassell didn’t top the 36 points he produced in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers last November. But he might have come close had his playing time not been restricted.
Despite playing in his first game since March 29 due to a rare stress injury to his right foot cost him the last eight games of last season and the first nine of this campaign after surgery in June, Vassell showed few signs of rust.
He scored 21 points in 22 minutes off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Spurs from falling 111-110 to the Jazz in the second contest of a five-game homestand.
“It was good for me to be back out there,” Vassell said. “Good for me to be playing with some of these guys. But, ultimately, I wanted to get that win, so I’m kind of upset about that right now.”
The Spurs (4-6) also failed to take advantage of strong outings by Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks, and rookie Stephon Castle, who had a season-high 23 points.
Collin Sexton led Utah (2-7) with 23 points. Lauri Markkanen chipped in 20.
Despite the loss to a team they beat 106-88 just 10 days ago, the Spurs head into Monday night’s game against Sacramento excited about their future after Vassell’s impressive performance.
“It doesn’t look like he has missed a step,” Castle said. “Just happy for what our future is going to look like.”
Vassell, who finished last season as the Spurs’ second-leading scorer behind Wembanyama with 19.5 points per game, was 8 for 13, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range.
“He was probably even better than we expected,” Wembanyama said. “His rhythm and shot making were there, so it was pretty impressive. He’s totally on the right track. I don’t know that we can expect more from a guy coming back after so long.”
Asked if there is a target date for him to return to the starting linieup, Vassell said, “Coach’s question…If I could play 37 minutes right now, I would play it. But you know how that goes.”
Vassell’s return was a feel good moment for a adversity-stricken team worried about an undisclosed health problem that has coach Gregg Popovich away from the team indefinitely and is without Jeremy Sochan (thumb surgery), Tre Jones (ankle sprain) and Malaki Branham (ankle sprain).
RELATED: As league adjusts to Wemby, Spurs look for a counter
“(Vassell’s return) was something I was really looking forward to,” Wembanyama told French reporters in his native language. “I was really looking forward to playing with him again. I know he put in a lot of hard work over the summer. Even during the Olympics and the preparation for them, we kept talking and planning for this year. In fact, since the start of his rehabilitation, we’ve been working together to prepare for his return and to get back into the swing of things straight away.”
Vassell checked in with 5:35 left in the first quarter. He missed his first two shots before sinking a pull-up mid-range jumper over Markkanen with 7:40 left in the first half.
“It was just let the game come to you,” Vassell said of his mindset entering the game. “I’ve played basketball my whole life. It’ll come back.”
Johnson wasn’t surprised Vassell showed little rust.
“He’s put in almost seven months constant work, so that’s a credit to him and a credit to our medical staff, credit to the support staff,” Johnson said.“He’s been playing live a good amount.”
In a game that featured 16 lead changes and 15 ties, the Jazz avenged their Halloween night loss to the Spurs in Salt Lake City by hitting 6 of 7 free throws in the final 11.8 seconds.
Leading 107-104, the Jazz gained breathing room when Wembanyama committed an offensive foul by running into Wagner graduate Jordan Clarkson with 10.1 seconds left. The Spurs challenged the call, but the review upheld it.
Wembanyama’s foul gave him a career-high six turnovers for the game. The Spurs finished with 20 turnovers, which led to 27 points for the Jazz.
After Clarkson sank two free throws with 8.9 seconds left, Julian Champagnie hit a 3 to pull the Spurs within 109-107. Forced to foul Sexton, the Spurs fell behind by four after he sank two more freebies with 3.9 second left.
Vassell accounted for the final score with a 3 at the buzzer.
While the loss bothered him, Vassell was happy to once again doing what he loves.
“This is all I want to do is play basketball,” he said. “I’m excited to get this thing back rolling. Like I said, I wish we would’ve got that ‘W’ today, but we got another game on Monday versus Sacramento, so let’s get that one.”
San Antonio Spurs’ Devin Vassell (24) shoots against Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) passes the ball past Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, center, and forward John Collins during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Utah beat the Spurs 111-110.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News