By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-12 06:00:19
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12月5日星期四，在圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心举行的NBA比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)试图突破芝加哥公牛队中锋尼古拉·武切维奇(Nikola Vucevic)的防守。芝加哥以139-124击败了马刺队。
俄勒冈州波特兰——一些马刺球员无法解释为什么球队本赛季在如此多的第一节比赛中表现挣扎。
“这是个好问题，”德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)在最近一次训练后告诉记者。“我们肯定在努力找出原因。我们已经讨论过这个问题。我们显然知道这是一个问题……你们有什么想法吗？”
幸运的是，对于这支年轻的球队来说，他们有一位经验丰富的老将，他对这个棘手的问题有一些想法。
“这始于投篮质量，”32岁的哈里森·巴恩斯说道。“投篮质量和（避免）失误。以及防守端的沟通。在比赛开始阶段，我们总是会出现几次沟通不畅导致换防失误或挡拆配合失误的情况，从而让对手轻松扣篮或投篮得分。随着比赛的进行，你必须处理好这个问题。”
周日以121-116战胜新奥尔良鹈鹕队标志着马刺队（12胜12负）连续10场比赛未能赢得首节比赛的胜利。在这段时间里，他们在总共120分钟的比赛中，每100回合净负34.1分。
马刺队在第一节比赛的失分方面也接近联盟垫底，场均失分29.7分。
尽管马刺队在过去的10场比赛中取得了6胜4负的战绩，但他们相信自己可以做得更好。他们认为，更快的进入比赛状态将有助于他们实现这一目标。
他们赢得首节比赛的下一个机会将是周五晚上在摩达中心对阵开拓者队（8胜16负）的比赛。
巴恩斯表示，良好的开局通常取决于在开场进攻回合中的出色执行。他说，不幸的是，马刺队在开场阶段的进攻端“有点粗心”。
“比赛的第一回合，你很可能在投篮训练中演练过，”巴恩斯说道。“你在更衣室里也演练过。你在上场前再次在球队会议中演练过。所以，这就是对细节的关注。我们不应该搞砸这个回合。我们不应该失误。”
马刺队最近一次接近赢得首节比赛是在上周五以113-140输给萨克拉门托国王队的比赛中。他们在第一节还剩2分27秒时领先13分，但该节结束时比分是33-33平，马刺队在第二节中段落后12分。
虽然马刺队在对阵国王队的比赛中开局不错，但最终却后劲不足，他们也曾在比赛初期表现得昏昏沉沉。
“‘昏昏欲睡’也许是合适的词，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说道。“我不知道是否存在共同点，但肯定感觉有点缺乏活力。然后我们会逐渐进入状态，并回到正轨，但在这个联盟里，从落后的局面中打出来是很困难的。”
约翰逊相信马刺队已经准备好在比赛初期打得更好，主要是因为他们“致力于并愿意”这样做。
“不存在缺乏关注或责任感，”他说道。
对马刺队有利的是：他们面对的是一支状态下滑的开拓者队。
在本赛季令人惊讶的6胜8负开局后，波特兰在过去的10场比赛中只取得了2胜8负的战绩，目前正处于四连败之中，其中包括以99-141惨败给犹他爵士队——另一支西部垫底球队。
对马刺队的另一个利好消息是：维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在因腰部酸痛缺席了两场比赛后，将连续第二场出战。这位无所不能的7尺3寸中锋在对阵鹈鹕队的比赛中得到25分、10个篮板和3次盖帽。
随着文班亚马的回归，巴恩斯在连续四场得分未上双后得到了16分。
“和文班一起打球很开心，”巴恩斯说道。“这使得比赛变得轻松很多。总的来说，任何时候我都能打得更好，就意味着我们有更大的机会赢球。我的很多投篮都取决于球的运转。当球不运转时，我的数据就会下降。当球运转流畅时，我的数据就会从中受益。”
如果球运转起来，马刺队的投篮质量也会提高。正如巴恩斯指出的那样，这可以帮助他们更快地进入比赛状态。
“对我们来说，就是在（比赛初期）的那些时间里更加敏锐，”这位征战NBA 12年的老将说道。
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: Julian Champagne #30 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs makes an outlet pass against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans drive against Julian Champagne #30 of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: Julian Champagne #30 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
点击查看原文：San Antonio Spurs seek to get off to good start vs. Portland Blazers
San Antonio Spurs seek to get off to good start vs. Portland Blazers
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) tries to drive past Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 in San Antonio. Chicago beat the Spurs 139-124.
PORTLAND, Oregon – Some of the Spurs are at a loss to explain why the team has struggled in so many first periods this season.
“That’s a good question,” Devin Vassell told reporters after a recent practice. "We’re definitely trying to figure it out. We’ve addressed it. We obviously know it’s a problem … You all have any ideas?”
Fortunately for the young team, they have an old hand who has a few thoughts on the troubling subject.
“It starts with shot quality," Harrison Barnes, 32, said. “Shot quality and (avoiding) turnovers. And defensively communicating. We always have those couple of plays at the beginning of a game where we don’t communicate and switch or we don’t communicate a pick-and-roll, and it’s an easy dunk or easy shot. You have to play with that as the game goes on.”
Sunday’s 121-116 win over New Orleans marked the 10th game in a row the Spurs (12-12) failed to win the first quarter. In that stretch, they have been outscored by 34.1 points per 100 possessions over those 120 total minutes.
The Spurs are also near the bottom of the league in points surrendered in the first period, yielding 29.7 per game.
Although the Spurs are 6-4 in their last 10 games, they believe they can be even better. Getting off to faster starts, they figure, will help them accomplish that goal.
Their next chance to win the first period will come when they face the Trail Blazers (8-16) Friday night at the Moda Center.
Barnes said a good start often comes down to executing well on the opening possession. The Spurs unfortunately have been a “little careless” on the offensive end coming out of the chute, he said.
“The first play of the game, you go over it at shootaround more than likely,” Barnes said. “You go over it in the locker room. You go over it once again in the huddle right before you go out there. So. it’s that attention to detail. We shouldn’t mess the play up. We shouldn’t turn the ball over.”
The closest the Spurs came of late to winning the first quarter was last Friday in their 140-113 loss to Sacramento. They were up by 13 with 2:27 left in the first period, but the the score was tied 33-33 at the end of the frame, and the Spurs trailed by 12 midway through the second period.
While the Spurs started with a spark against the Kings before fizzling out, they have been known to sleepwalk in the early going.
“Lethargic maybe would be the word,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I don’t know if there’s a common thread but definitely feel a little bit of a lack energy. Then we would get going a little bit and get back into it, but it is tough to play out of a hole in this league.”
Johnson is confident the Spurs are poised to get play better in the early going, mainly because they are “committed and willing” to doing so.
“There’s no lack of concern or accountability,” he said.
Working in the Spurs favor: They face a skidding team in the Trail Blazers.
After a surprising 6-8 start to the season, Portland has gone just 2-8 in its last 10 games and are currently on a four-game losing streak, which included an embarrassing 141-99 loss to the Utah Jazz, another Western Conference bottom feeder.
Another positive for the Spurs: Victor Wembanyama is set to play his second game in a row after missing two straight with a sore lower back. The do-everything 7-foot-3 center had 25 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks against the Pelicans.
With Wembanyama back, Barnes scored 16 points after four consecutive single-digit scoring games.
“It’s a joy playing with Victor," Barnes said. "It makes the game a lot easier. In general, any time I can play better, it means a better chance of us winning. A lot of my shots are based off how the ball is moving. When the ball isn’t moving, my stats are going to be lower. When the ball is moving and flowing, my stats are going to be the beneficiary of that.”
And if the ball is moving, the quality of the Spurs’ shots improve. And, as Barnes pointed out, that could help them get off to faster starts.
"For us, it’s just being sharper in those (early) minutes,” the 12-year veteran said.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News