By Jeff McDonald | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-16 10:28:52
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。
比赛结果无需粉饰。
周日晚上在弗罗斯特银行中心，马刺的表现并不理想。他们在进攻端乏善可陈，最终以92-106不敌明尼苏达森林狼队。
然而，在一个充满进步的赛季中，也没有必要夸大问题。
“今晚发生的一切都不像是世界末日，”马刺代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说道。
安东尼·爱德华兹(Anthony Edwards)砍下26分，杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯(Jaden McDaniels)则贡献了职业生涯首次两双——12分11篮板，外加4次抢断——帮助明尼苏达取得了七场比赛中的第六场胜利。
与此同时，马刺队整晚都在弗罗斯特银行中心的篮筐上刮油漆，始终无法找到进攻节奏。
维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)表现出色，拿下20分12篮板和惊人的7次盖帽，其中5次来自上半场。
由于早早陷入投篮低迷，马刺队上半场仅得到37分，创下赛季新低。
朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)是马刺队最大的罪人，他14投仅4中，三分球12投3中。
马刺队在第三节一度将17分的落后差距缩小，但在第四节开局阶段却彻底崩溃。
带着76-70的比分进入最后一节，马刺队在该节前3分50秒的时间里一分未得。森林狼队利用这段时间一举拉开比分，轻松取胜。
以下是周日在弗罗斯特银行中心这场打铁大战的三点总结，这场比赛过后马刺队的战绩为13胜13负：
- 进攻顽疾的多重诊断
问题不仅仅是马刺队的投篮命中率低，尽管他们的投篮命中率只有40.7%。
问题也不仅仅是他们的三分球冰冷，命中率只有24.4%。
问题也不仅仅是他们不断失误，全场19次失误送给了森林狼队30分。
与这两大灾难相关的是，森林狼队用上赛季将他们带入西部决赛的那种韧性和身体对抗冲击着马刺队。
马刺队对此的回应并不好。完全不好。
“他们是一支非常出色的防守型球队，”约翰逊说。“在某些情况下，我们没有帮到自己。强传球，强接球，作为一支球队强势地创造领先优势。如果你让他们在身体对抗上胜过你，他们拥有非常优秀的个人防守者，并且他们作为一个团队联系非常紧密。”
马刺队的防守端表现实际上足够赢得比赛。他们的投篮命中率实际上略高于明尼苏达，后者只有40%的命中率。
直到第四节比赛失去悬念，森林狼才单节得分达到30分。
对于马刺来说，他们只是无法克服本赛季最糟糕的进攻表现。
- 文班一度单骑救主
周日中场休息时，文班亚马几乎快要拿到四双了。他得到14分、6个篮板、4次助攻和5次盖帽。
与此同时，马刺队落后15分。
通常情况下，当马刺队像对阵明尼苏达的前几节比赛那样表现得衣衫褴褛时，这与文班亚马逐渐找到比赛节奏有关。但周日早些时候的情况并非如此。
文班亚马早早就表现出色。他只是需要一些帮助。
他在下半场得到了一些帮助，哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)（17分）和杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（17分，15个篮板，2次抢断）开始活跃起来。
这帮助马刺队将上半场一度达到17分的落后差距在第三节缩小到4分。
第四节比赛失去控制，森林狼队轻松取胜。马刺队无法组织起足够的火力来追赶。
- 保罗又一个难得一见的夜晚
两天前在波特兰，克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)在他20年的职业生涯中仅第七次被驱逐出场。周日，保罗又经历了一个罕见但耻辱的时刻——他全场一分未得。
这是保罗在NBA生涯中第三次没有得分就离开球场。他5投0中，其中三分球3投0中。
以保罗的典型风格，他能够在不进球的情况下影响比赛。保罗最终送出9次助攻和2次抢断，并且在马刺队输掉14分的比赛中正负值为+2。
此外，保罗在第四节末段领到了三场比赛中的第三次技术犯规，这证明这位39岁的老将控球后卫在这个赛季的这个阶段可能变得有点暴躁。
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (1) and Harrison Barnes (40) battle for the ball with Minnesota Timberwolves Mike Conley (10) and Julius Randle (30) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, center, drives against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, and guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, guards against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker, center, lays up the ball as San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and forward Jeremy Sochan, right, defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid (11) and center Rudy Gobert (27) watch during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) drives around a pick set by teammate guard Stephon Castle, right, as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, left, attempts to defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker drives to the basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, right, goes up to score over San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey (28) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 15: Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs tries to drive on Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Frost Bank Center on December 15, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 15: Mike Conley #10 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs battle for a loose ball in the second half at Frost Bank Center on December 15, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 15: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives past Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 15, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives past Julian Champagnie (30) of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 15: Harrison Barnes #40 of the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs attempt to stop a pass from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 15, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
点击查看原文：3 Takeways as the Spurs' offense falters
3 Takeways as the Spurs’ offense falters
There was no sugarcoating it.
Sunday was not the Spurs’ best night at the Frost Bank Center. They couldn’t muster much of anything on offense, falling 106-92 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the midst of a season high on progress, however, there was no use overstating things either.
“There’s nothing that happened tonight that feels like the bottom is falling out,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said.
Anthony Edwards tossed in 26 points and Jaden McDaniels supplied his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds – not to mention four steals – as Minnesota rolled to its sixth victory in seven games.
The Spurs, meanwhile, spent most of the night chipping the paint off the Frost Bank Center’s rims, unable to get into any kind of offensive groove.
Victor Wembanyama held up his end of the bargain with 20 points, 12 rebounds and a whopping seven blocks – five of which came in the first half.
Struggling through the early stages of an off shooting night, the Spurs could manage only 37 points in the first half, a season low.
Julian Champagnie was the Spurs’ biggest offender, going 4 of 14 from the field and 3 of 12 from 3-point range.
The Spurs rallied from an early 17-point game of things in the third quarter before coming completely unglued to open the fourth.
Trailing 76-70 entering the final frame, the Spurs went the first 3:50 of the period without a point. The Timberwolves used that opening to pull away for an easy-does-it victory.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s clang-fest at the Frost Bank Center, which dropped the Spurs’ record to 13-13:
1. Multiple diagnoses for offensive ills
It wasn’t only that the Spurs shot the ball poorly, though they did that at a 40.7% clip.
It wasn’t only that they were ice cold from beyond the arc, hitting 24.4%.
It wasn’t only that they continually gave the ball up, handing out 19 turnovers good for 30 Minnesota points.
Related to both of those dual disasters, Minnesota hit the Spurs with the kind of grit and physicality that last season carried the Wolves to the Western Conference finals.
The Spurs did not respond well to that. At all.
“They’re a heck of a defensive team,” Johnson said. “We didn’t help ourselves in certain situations. Strong passes, strong catches, strong creating leads as a team. If you let them out-physical you, they have very good individual defenders and they’re very connected as a team.”
The Spurs certainly played well enough on the defensive end to win. By a hair, they actually out-shot Minnesota, which made an even 40% of its attempts.
The Wolves didn’t post a 30-point quarter until the fourth, when they blew the game out.
For the Spurs, there was just no overcoming their worst offensive performance of the season.
2. Wemby was a one-man show at times
At halftime Sunday, Wembanyama was nearly on pace for a quadruple double. He had 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and five blocks.
The Spurs, meanwhile, were down by 15 points.
Often when the Spurs look as ragged as they did in the opening quarters against Minnesota, it relates to Wembanyama working his way into rhythm. That was not the case in the early going Sunday.
Wembanyama was great early. He just needed some help.
He got in the second half a bit, with Harrison Barnes (17 points) and Jeremy Sochan (17 points, 15 rebounds, two steals) coming to life.
That helped the Spurs narrow what had been a 17-point deficit in the first half to four in the third quarter.
Things got out of hand in the fourth as the Wolves ran away with things. The Spurs couldn’t muster the firepower to keep up.
3. Another seldom seen night from CP3
Two nights earlier in Portland, Chris Paul was ejected for only the seventh time in his 20-season career. Sunday, Paul had another rare-but-ignominious moment when he finished the game scoreless.
It was only the third time in his NBA life that Paul left an arena without scoring a single point. He was 0-of-5 from the field, including an 0-of-3 showing from the 3-point line.
In true Paul fashion, he was able to put his stamp on the game without putting the ball in the hole. Paul ended with nine assists and a pair of steals and was a plus-2 in a game the Spurs lost by 14.
For good measure, Paul picked up his third technical in three games late in the fourth quarter, proof that the 39-year-old point guard might be getting a little bit ornery at this time of the season.
By Jeff McDonald, via San Antonio Express-News