By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-11-25 11:10:38
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3月27日，星期三，在盐湖城举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场，犹他爵士队前锋泰勒·亨德里克斯（Taylor Hendricks，右）防守圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)。 (美联社照片/里克·鲍默)
盐湖城——周二在三角洲中心，当马刺队与犹他爵士队交锋时，两队负责球探工作的助理教练或许可以休假一天了。
“我认为双方都不会有任何意外，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说道。
这场比赛感觉像是NBA版的“土拨鼠日”，将是马刺队和爵士队本赛季的第四次也是最后一次交锋，两队将在万圣节和感恩节之间完成彼此之间的系列赛。
再加上一场季前赛，马刺队和爵士队现在对彼此已经足够了解，甚至可以互相模仿对方的战术了。
双方都不太喜欢这种程度的熟悉。毕竟，多样性才是NBA赛程的趣味所在。
“我可不想成为第一个因为谈论赛程而被罚款的人，”犹他爵士队教练威尔·哈迪(Will Hardy)笑着说道。
在马刺队看来，如果他们必须再次击败爵士队来保持他们微弱的连胜势头，那就这样吧。
马刺队目前对阵犹他的战绩是2胜1负，包括上周四在弗罗斯特银行中心以126-118的比分获胜，其中包括从落后20分的情况下逆转，这是俱乐部本赛季最大的逆转胜利。
马刺队带着三连胜的战绩来到盐湖城，追平了上赛季的最长连胜纪录。他们自2022年3月以来就没有取得过四连胜。
为了实现这一目标，马刺队必须重新集中精力，对抗一支4胜12负的犹他队，他们正与新奥尔良鹈鹕队争夺西部联盟最差战绩。
“对我们来说，最重要的是每晚都这样做，”马刺队前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)说道。“我知道在（上一场）对阵犹他的比赛之前，我们是他们三四个胜场之一，你知道吗？我认为有时候很容易说，‘好吧，你要和这支球队比赛，’但我们每晚都能保持一致吗？”
尽管由于一系列伤病导致轮换阵容不断变化，但马刺队正在打出他们赛季初以来最好的篮球。
周六以104-94战胜金州勇士队的比赛是维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)八天来的第一场比赛，他因膝盖挫伤缺席了三场比赛。
准首发球员德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)（左膝）和杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（左手拇指）在对阵勇士队的比赛中仍然缺席。
尽管如此，在过去的三场比赛中，马刺队找到了一种方法击败了西部两支顶级球队——金州勇士队和俄克拉荷马雷霆队，同时避免了在对阵爵士队时尴尬的失利。
“我们正在努力避免那种我们人手不足的心态，”中锋扎克·柯林斯(Zach Collins)说道，他在文班亚马缺席期间三次首发。“我们只是努力以正确的方式打球，不去想谁缺席或谁上场。”
文班的回归对阵勇士队时有所帮助，他得到25分，送出赛季最高的9次助攻，并盖帽3次。
然而，正如马刺队大部分迷你连胜一样，从落后17分到逆转金州勇士队的比赛是一场真正的团队努力。
巴恩斯得到22分，新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)得到19分，同时将勇士队球星斯蒂芬·库里(Stephen Curry)的得分限制在14分，马刺队将金州勇士队的得分限制在赛季最低，包括第四节的13分。
赛后，老将控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)引用了他经常提到的已故大学教练斯基普·普罗瑟(Skip Prosser)的一句话。
“他总是说这是一个由个人参与的团队比赛，”曾在维克森林大学为普罗瑟效力的保罗说道。“所以我们总是讨论我们每个人每晚都要为球队带来什么。”
爵士队在周二以121-106大胜纽约尼克斯队，取得了本赛季最一边倒的胜利，这对于他们来说是一个高潮。
这场胜利终结了犹他爵士队的四连败，他们本赛季也以五连败开局。
劳里·马尔卡宁(Lauri Markkanen)在这场胜利中得到了赛季最高的34分，而爵士队投进了赛季最高的19个三分球。
在弗罗斯特银行中心输给爵士队一次，并且在上周勉强从爵士队造访圣安东尼奥的比赛中幸存下来之后，马刺队知道周二会发生什么。
“他们是一支年轻、有身体对抗、渴望胜利的球队，”前锋朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)说道。
哈迪表示，在感恩节切火鸡之前，他会尽量从积极的方面看待再次与马刺队交手——一次又一次又一次——这件事。
作为格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)的前马刺队助理教练，哈迪在过去一个月里看到如此多的银黑色，可能会误以为自己被重新雇用了，这也可以理解。
“在某些方面，在更短的时间内看到相似的球队，也许我们能够在这些比赛中创造一些延续性，因为我们正在努力培养一些习惯，”哈迪说道。“感觉我们已经和马刺队打了很多场比赛，但我认为这并没有太大的影响。”
无论周二的结果如何，当三角洲中心的终场哨声响起时，两支球队都可能会庆祝。
在那之后，马刺队和爵士队直到下个赛季才会再次见面。这一时刻来得正是时候。
San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks for an outlet as Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz forward John Collins (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul, left, drives against Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
点击查看原文：San Antonio Spurs face familiar foe in Utah Jazz
San Antonio Spurs face familiar foe in Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks, right, guards San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY – When the Spurs face the Utah Jazz on Tuesday at the Delta Center, the assistants for both teams in charge of scouting the other can probably take the day off.
“I don’t think there will be any surprises on either side,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said.
In what feels like the NBA version of “Groundhog Day,” the game will mark the fourth and final matchup between the Spurs and Jazz this season, as the clubs complete their series against each other in the space between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Throw in an additional preseason meeting, and the Spurs and Jazz know each other well enough to run each other’s plays by now.
It is not a level of familiarity those on either side of the equation particularly enjoy. Variety, after all, is the spice of the NBA calendar.
“I’d hate to be the first person to be fined for talking about the schedule,” Utah coach Will Hardy said with a grin.
The way the Spurs see it, if they must beat the Jazz again to keep their modest winning streak going, then so be it.
The Spurs are 2-1 against Utah so far, including a 126-118 win at that Frost Bank Center on Thursday that included a rally from 20 points down, the club’s largest comeback victory of the season.
The Spurs arrive in Salt Lake City having won three games in a row, equaling their longest streak from last season. They have not won four in a row since March of 2022.
To get there, the Spurs must bring a renewed focus against a 4-12 Utah club jostling with New Orleans for the worst record in the Western Conference.
“The biggest thing for us is just doing it every night,” Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said. “I know going into that (last) Utah game, we were one of their three or four wins, you know? I think sometimes it’s easy to say, ‘OK, you’re playing this team,’ but every single night can we be consistent?“
The Spurs are playing their best basketball of the young season despite a rotation cast into flux due to a rash of injuries.
Saturday’s 104-94 victory against Golden State marked the first game in eight days for Victor Wembanyama, who missed three contests with a knee contusion.
Would-be starters Devin Vassell (left knee) and Jeremy Sochan (left thumb) remained out against the Warriors.
Still, in the past three games the Spurs have found a way to beat two of the top teams in the West in Golden State and Oklahoma City, while avoiding an embarrassing pratfall against the Jazz.
“We’re trying not to have the mentality that we’re down guys,” said center Zach Collins, who started three times in Wembanyama’s absence. “We’re just trying to play the right way and not think about who’s out or who’s in.”
Wembanyama’s return helped against the Warriors, as he scored 25 points, handed out a season-best nine assists and blocked three shots.
As it has been for most of the Spurs’ mini-run, however, the rally from 17 points down against Golden State was a true team effort.
Barnes had 22 points, rookie Stephon Castle had 19 points while limiting Warriors star Stephen Curry to 14 and the Spurs held Golden State to season scoring low, including 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Afterward, veteran point guard Chris Paul channeled a saying he often references from his late college coach, Skip Prosser.
“He always used to say it’s a team game played by individuals,” said Paul, who starred for Prosser at Wake Forest. “So we always talk about what each one of us has to bring to the table night in and night out.”
The Jazz enter Tuesday on what for them constitutes a high note, having routed New York 121-106 for their most lopsided victory of the season.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Utah, which also began the season on a five-game skid.
Lauri Markkanen scored a season-best 34 points in the victory, while the Jazz swished a season-high 19 3-pointers.
Having lost once against the Jazz at the Frost Bank Center and barely surviving Utah’s trip to San Antonio last week, the Spurs know what to expect Tuesday.
“They are a young, physical team hungry for a win,” forward Julian Champagnie said.
For his part, Hardy said he will try to look on the bright side of seeing the Spurs again – and again and again and again – before carving his Thanksgiving turkey.
A former Spurs assistant under Gregg Popovich, Hardy might be forgiven for mistakenly believing he had been re-hired after seeing so much silver-and-black in the past month.
“In some ways, getting to see similar teams in shorter period of time, maybe we are able to create some carryover in those games as we are trying to build some habits,” Hardy said. “It does feel like we have played the Spurs a lot, but I don’t think it’s overly impactful.”
No matter the outcome Tuesday, both teams are likely to celebrate when the final buzzer at the Delta Center sounds.
After that, the Spurs and Jazz won’t have to see each other’s faces until next season. It won’t be a moment too soon.
San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks for an outlet as Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz forward John Collins (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul, left, drives against Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News