By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-12-03 16:00:00
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。
马刺队在这场NBA杯小组赛的最后一场比赛中将面临生死攸关的考验。
在2024-25赛季常规赛仅仅进行了20场比赛之后，圣安东尼奥马刺队就迎来了近两年来最重要的一场比赛。周二晚上，马刺队将南下挑战菲尼克斯太阳队，进行一场成败在此一举的NBA杯小组赛。比赛的利害关系很简单：赢球就晋级。两队在小组赛中均为3胜1负，都需要一场胜利才能晋级淘汰赛，争夺NBA杯冠军以及高达50万美元的奖金。
当被问及奖金是否是马刺队球员在赛前考虑的事情时，朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)开玩笑地告诉记者：“对我来说，这是最重要的。”
年轻的马刺队将在与强大的太阳队交锋时充满动力。凯文·杜兰特(Kevin Durant)、德文·布克(Devin Booker)和布拉德利·比尔(Bradley Beal)等全明星球员领衔太阳队的进攻，场均得分高达113分。太阳队的进攻效率排在联盟前十，但防守效率却排在后十。这与马刺队形成了有趣的对比，马刺队的防守效率排名联盟第13，进攻效率排名第16。在这场类似季后赛的比赛中，能够更好地限制对手的球队可能会占据优势。
杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)的回归将对马刺队有所帮助，他很有可能参加自11月4日以来的首场比赛。然而，正如圣安东尼奥本赛季的大部分时间一样，有人回归就有人缺席，特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)在周日受伤后将缺席本场比赛。在近乎全员健康的情况下，这将是这支年轻的马刺队第一次有机会在一场真正重要的比赛中与一支拥有丰富季后赛经验的球队较量。
圣安东尼奥马刺 (11-9) 对阵 菲尼克斯太阳 (11-8)
2024年12月3日 | 美国中部时间晚上8点
观看：FanDuel Southwest | 收听：WOAI (1200 AM)
马刺队伤病情况： 杰里米·索汉 – 出战可能 (拇指)，莱利·米尼克斯 – 缺席 (发展联盟)，哈里森·英格拉姆 – 缺席 (发展联盟)，大卫·杜克 – 缺席 (发展联盟)，特雷·琼斯 – 缺席 (肩部)
太阳队伤病情况： 布拉德利·比尔 – 出战可能 (小腿)，科林·吉莱斯皮 – 缺席 (脚踝)，尤素夫·努尔基奇 – 缺席 (大腿)
比赛看点
远投大战
马刺队和太阳队的一个共同点就是依赖三分球。两队场均出手约40次三分球，圣安东尼奥的三分命中率为35.8%，而太阳的三分命中率为37.6%。马刺队的对手三分命中率排名联盟第八，仅为34.9%，而太阳队排名第24，对手三分命中率高达37.2%。
以上是很多数据。关键在于这两支球队都会大量出手三分球。圣安东尼奥更擅长防守三分线，但太阳队拥有遍布球场的射手，这将带来独特的挑战。对于两队来说，三分球的手感好坏可能会决定比赛的胜负。
索汉的回归
索汉的回归对马刺队来说是一大利好。他们不仅在已经拥有良好防守的基础上增加了一位最好的防守球员，而且还找回了他们的第三得分点。索汉在他参加的7场比赛中场均得到15.4分、7.7个篮板和3次助攻。考虑到索汉似乎直到上周才恢复全场对抗训练，预计他会出现一些状态上的波动。圣安东尼奥可能会让他替补出场，类似于他们对德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)的做法，并限制他的出场时间。他的活力、空切和防守应该会为第二阵容带来好处。
维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的关键时刻表现
这将是文班亚马NBA职业生涯中最重要的比赛。他将如何应对这场“必须赢”的比赛？我们已经见过文班在关键时刻的出色表现，包括在马刺上一场对阵萨克拉门托国王队的比赛中的一些制胜球。由于尤素夫·努尔基奇缺阵，应该没有球员能够在内线对抗他。文班亚马有机会通过在这场优势对决中的出色表现来展现他在重要比赛中的能力。
Pounding the Rock 将在 Playback 上直播这场比赛！点击此链接加入我们，观看马刺队本赛季最重要的一场比赛。
点击查看原文：Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns
Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns
It’s do-or-die for the Spurs in their final NBA Cup group game.
The San Antonio Spurs enter their most important game in two years, just 20 games into the 2024-25 regular season. The Spurs will head south on Tuesday night to face the Phoenix Suns in a make-or-break NBA Cup game. The stakes are simple: win and advance. At 3-1 in group play, both teams need a win to advance to the elimination rounds and compete for the NBA Cup, and its cash prize of up to $500,000.
When asked if the money was something on the Spur’s minds heading into the game, Julian Champagnie jokingly told reporters: “For me, it’s number one.”
The young Spurs will be motivated heading into the game with a tough Suns squad. NBA All-Stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal headline Phoenix’s offensive attack that puts up 113 points per game. The Suns are in the top ten in the NBA in terms of offensive rating but in the bottom ten in terms of defensive rating. That’s an interesting clash with the Spurs, who are 13th in defensive rating and 16th in offensive rating. In a playoff-type game, the team that can get the most stops could have the advantage.
The Spurs will be helped by the return of Jeremy Sochan, who is probable to play in his first game since November 4th. However, as has been the case for much of San Antonio’s season, it’s one man in, one man out, with Tre Jones missing the game after injuring his shoulder on Sunday. At close to full health, this will be the first chance these young Spurs have at playing a game with some real stakes against a team with plenty of playoff experience.
San Antonio Spurs (11-9) at Phoenix Suns (11-8)
December 3rd, 2024 | 8 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Jeremy Sochan – Probable (thumb), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Tre Jones – Out (shoulder)
Suns Injuries: Bradley Beal – Probable (calf), Collin Gillespie – Out (ankle), Jusuf Nurkic – Out (thigh)
What to watch for
Bombs away
If there is one thing the Spurs and Suns have in common, it’s the reliance on the three-ball. Both teams take about 40 deep shots a game, with San Antonio shooting 35.8% from deep and the Suns hitting 37.6% of their threes. The Spurs are eighth in the league in opponent three-point percentage, allowing them to hit 34.9%, while Phoenix is 24th, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2% from three.
That’s a lot of numbers. The point is both of these squads are going to fire away from deep. San Antonio is better at defending the line, but the Suns present a unique challenge with shooters all over the floor. Getting hot from three could make or break this game for either team.
Sochan’s return
The Spurs are getting a huge boost with the return of Sochan. Not only are they adding one of their best defenders while they are already playing good defense, but they get their third-leading scorer. Sochan is averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3 assists in his 7 games. It’s fair to expect a bit of rust, as it sounds like Sochan just resumed full-contact activity last week. San Antonio will likely bring him off the bench, similar to what they’ve done with Devin Vassell, and put him on a minutes restriction. His energy, cutting, and defense should pay dividends in the second unit.
Victor Wembanyama in winning time
This will be Victor Wembanyama’s biggest game of his young NBA career. How will he respond to the “must-win” stakes? We’ve seen Wembanyama play well in the clutch before, including some game-winning plays in the Spurs’ last contest against the Sacramento Kings. With no Jusuf Nurkic, there should be no player capable of pushing him around inside. Wembanyama has an opportunity to show what he can do in important games with a good performance in an advantageous matchup.
Pounding the Rock will be streaming the game on Playback! Join us at this link for one of the most important games of the Spurs’ young season.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock
