By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-21 13:10:38
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。
德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥 - 12月19日：在与亚特兰大老鹰队的比赛结束时，圣安东尼奥马刺队的1号球员维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在2024年12月19日于圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心抽出时间与球迷们互动。
在NBA撤销了周四以133-126的加时赛战胜亚特兰大老鹰队的比赛中对这位马刺球星判罚的技术犯规后，文班亚马至少没有损失2000美元。
从技术犯规吹响的那一刻起，文班的队友们就预料到这一举动。
“我根本不知道他为什么会被吹技术犯规，”前锋朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)说道。
或者就像另一位前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)用他特有的方式说的那样：
“他什么都没做（脏话），”索汉说道。
这个有争议的判罚出现在常规时间还剩11秒的时候。
老鹰队前锋德安德烈·亨特(De’Andre Hunter)完成了一记精彩的扳平比分的扣篮，将身高7英尺3英寸的文班亚马重重地摔在了弗罗斯特银行中心的球场上。
亨特站在俯卧的文班亚马身上，对着他咆哮，以此来庆祝。这一举动引来了以米切尔·欧文(Mitchell Ervin)为首的裁判组的技术犯规。
文班亚马随后也吃到了一个技术犯规，原因是……好吧，经过审查，NBA也不确定。
“他什么也没说，”尚帕尼说。“他只是站了起来。”
NBA并没有推翻亨特的技术犯规，这意味着联盟的“沙皇们”认为这个判罚是合理的。阴谋论者可能会指出，如果当时只对亨特吹罚技术犯规，马刺队将在第四节最后几秒获得一次领先的罚球机会。
“我们本应该在那时就赢得比赛，”索汉说。
相反，由于文班亚马的过人表现，马刺队不得不在加时赛中赢得比赛。文班亚马在加时赛中砍下了42分中的8分，包括两个三分球，带领马刺队取得了胜利。
赛后，文班亚马并不否认亨特的瞪视是他加时赛中的一个激励因素。
“这肯定有帮助，帮助我们进入了那种状态，”文班亚马说。“我们不会忘记。”
通过撤销文班亚马的技术犯规，联盟为他省下了2000美元的罚款。
亨特当晚损失了2000美元——马刺队希望，这也是他在面对文班亚马时吸取的一个教训。
“别招惹他，”尚帕尼说。“那可不是你想招惹的对象。”
瓦塞尔首发出场表现出色
德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)本赛季的第一次首发对阵亚特兰大的比赛表现出色，这位五年级后卫得到23分，7次三分出手命中5球。
马刺队的教练们乐观地认为，瓦塞尔将继续在回归首发阵容后保持良好的状态，他将在周六对阵波特兰的比赛中继续首发。
“我认为他很稳健，”代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说。“这只是一个需要不断重复练习的过程。”
周四是马刺队本赛季第一次全员出战。
由于瓦塞尔在休赛期接受了足部手术，错过了训练营，即使在那时，马刺队的完整轮换阵容也不健康。
“这太不可思议了，”约翰逊说。“这是这些家伙第一次以首发阵容开始一场正式比赛。我认为他们做得很好。”
瓦塞尔在夏季手术前被预计为首发球员，在本赛季前11场比赛替补出场后，他终于承担起了这个角色。
周四是瓦塞尔自上赛季3月29日以来的第一次首发，在那之后，他因足部伤势缺席了剩余的比赛。
瓦塞尔表示，他预计回到首发阵容的过渡会很顺利。
“这只是一群很棒的家伙，”瓦塞尔说。“无论场上是哪五个人，我们都能相处融洽。只要我们专注于比赛计划，关注细节，我们就会没事的。”
新角色意味着尚帕尼的新面貌
瓦塞尔进入首发阵容意味着尚帕尼将移至替补席，他作为替补首发球员度过了一个突破性的赛季。
尚帕尼在周四的比赛前场均得分达到职业生涯最高的12.8分，他在本赛季第一个替补出场的夜晚8投3中得到8分。
这位23岁的前锋对被调到替补席并不在意，他说，一旦球队阵容完整，这就是他认为自己会扮演的角色。
“我在赛季初就说过，如果我首发，万岁，如果我不首发，也万岁，”尚帕尼说，他上赛季首发了59场，本赛季前26场都是首发。“这对我来说真的不重要。”
尚帕尼承认，与第二阵容一起比赛需要一些时间来适应，尤其是在如何找到投篮机会方面。
作为首发球员，在周四的比赛之前，尚帕尼以68个三分球领跑全队。
如果他与文班亚马一起在场上的时间减少，那么空位投篮的机会可能会更难获得。
“当你和像维克这样的人一起在场上的时候，你会得到更多的投篮机会，”尚帕尼说。“他吸引了太多的（注意力）。和第二阵容一起，更多的是突破分球。但我们会想办法解决的。”
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) tries to drive past Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) and forward De’Andre Hunter (12) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Atlanta 133-126 in overtime.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks a ball over Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. Wembanyama scored 42 points to lead San Antonio past Atlanta 133-126 in overtime.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots a 3-pointer over Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Atlanta 133-126 in overtime.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots and makes a three-point basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during overtime of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Spurs defeated the Hawks, 133-126. (AP Photo/Kin Man Hui)
点击查看原文：San Antonio Spurs to Wembanyama's foes: 'Don't poke him'
San Antonio Spurs to Wembanyama’s foes: ‘Don’t poke him’
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 19: At the end of the game against the Atlanta Hawks Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs takes time to greet fans at Frost Bank Center on December 19, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
The Spurs star did at least wake up $2,000 not poorer after the NBA rescinded a technical foul assessed during Thursday’s 133-126 overtime victory over Atlanta.
It was a move Wembanyama’s teammates saw coming from the moment the tech was whistled.
“I don’t know why he got it in the first place,” forward Julian Champagnie said.
Or as fellow forward Jeremy Sochan put it, in a way only he would:
“He didn’t do (expletive),” Sochan said.
The call in question came with 11 seconds remaining in regulation.
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter completed a spectacular, game-tying slam dunk that sent the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama sprawling to the Frost Bank Center court.
Hunter celebrated by standing over a prone Wembanyama and barking at him. That action drew a technical foul from the referee group led by crew chief Mitchell Ervin.
Wembanyama received an ensuing technical for … well, upon review the NBA wasn’t even sure.
“He didn’t say anything,” Champagnie said. “He just got up.”
The NBA did not overturn Hunter’s technical foul, meaning league czars found it legitimate. Conspiracy theorists might note that only hitting Hunter with a tech in the moment would have resulted in one go-ahead free throw attempt for the Spurs in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter.
“We should have won the game right there,” Sochan said.
Instead, the Spurs were tasked to win the game in overtime, thanks to an overabundance of Wembanyama heroics. Wembanyama scored eight of his 42 points in the overtime period, including a pair of 3-pointers, to guide the Spurs to victory.
Afterward, Wembanyama did not deny Hunter’s stare-down was a motivating factor for him in OT.
“It helped for sure, helped us get into that mood,” Wembanyama said. “We don’t forget.”
By rescinding Wembanyama’s technical, the league saved him $2,000 in fine money.
Hunter came out of the night with a $2,000 bill – and, the Spurs hope, a lesson learned when it comes to facing Wembanyama.
“Don’t poke him,” Champagnie said. “That’s not a tree you should want to bark up.”
Vassell makes mark as starter
Devin Vassell’s first start of the season went well against Atlanta, with the fifth-year guard going for 23 points and knocking down five of his seven 3-point attempts.
Spurs coaches are optimistic Vassell will continue to thrive in his return to the starting five, which was set to continue Saturday against Portland.
“I thought he was solid,” acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s just going to be something where you need reps.”
Thursday marked the first time this season the Spurs had their entire roster available for a game.
With Vassell missing training camp after undergoing offseason foot surgery, the Spurs didn’t have their full rotation healthy even then.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Johnson said. “That’s the first time those guys have started a competitive game. I thought they did a good job.”
A projected starter before his summertime surgery, Vassell at last assumed that role after making his first 11 appearances of the season off the bench.
Thursday was Vassell’s first start since March 29 of last season, after which he was shut down for the remainder of the campaign with foot trouble.
Vassell said he expects the transition back to the starting lineup to go smoothly.
“It’s just a good group of guys,” Vassell said. “No matter what five is out there, we’re able to get along. As long as we’re focused on the game plan and locked in on the little details we’ll be good.”
New role means new looks for Champagnie
Vassell’s move into the starting lineup meant a move to the bench for Champagnie, who has enjoyed a breakout season as a fill-in first-teamer.
Champagnie, who entered Thursday averaging a career-best 12.8 points, finished his first night off the bench this season with eight points on 3 of 8 shooting.
The 23-year-old forward shrugged off his bump to the bench, saying it’s the role he assumed he would play once the team was at full strength.
“I said at the beginning of the year if I started, hooray, and if I didn’t hooray,” said Champagnie, who started 59 games last season and the first 26 of this one. “It doesn’t really matter to me.”
Champagnie acknowledged playing with the second unit will take some getting used to, particularly when it comes to how he finds his shots.
As a starter, Champagnie led the team with 68 made 3-pointers coming into Thursday’s contest.
The open looks might be a little harder to come by if he spends less time on the floor with Wembanyama.
“When you’re on the floor with a guy like Vic, you get a lot more shots,” Champagnie said. “He attracts so much (attention). With the second unit, it’s more drive and kick. But we’re going to figure it out.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News