By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-29 14:02:34
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。
凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)和马刺队在纽约的假日之旅中取得了一胜一负的战绩，他们在周五击败了布鲁克林篮网队，此前在麦迪逊广场花园输给了尼克斯队。
明尼阿波利斯——自从赛程公布的那一刻起，马刺队就把在纽约的圣诞周圈在了他们的个人日历上。
现在，在纽约的五晚已经过去了，马刺队很高兴这一切都结束了。
“时间过得真快，一下子就到了，然后一下子就过去了，”控球后卫特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)在周日马刺队继续他们在明尼苏达的客场之旅前说道。“能够在圣诞节那天比赛，在麦迪逊广场花园打球，还能和家人在纽约一起度过，这真是太酷的经历了。很高兴这一切都过去了，我们可以回到比赛中了。”
马刺队在纽约的延长逗留期间取得了一胜一负的战绩，他们在圣诞节当天以117-114输给了尼克斯队，两晚后在布鲁克林以96-87艰难地取得了胜利。
与人员不足的篮网队的比赛对马刺队来说开局并不顺利，他们在第一节只得了赛季最低的11分——而且还需要凯尔登·约翰逊的半场压哨球才能勉强达到两位数。
尽管代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)试图提醒球员们要把纽约之旅当成一次商务旅行，但几位球员承认，漫长的圣诞周的喧嚣可能在布鲁克林的比赛中导致了他们慢热的表现。
“我们大多数人的家人都来了，圣诞节有很多事情要考虑，”维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)说道。“也许这是一种成熟的表现，能够在任何一个晚上都专注于比赛，并按照比赛计划行事。”
米奇·约翰逊对此表示赞同。
“在比赛开始的方式上，需要有一定的成熟度，”约翰逊说。“我不知道（慢热的原因）是什么。但很明显，我们没有正确的态度、能量、纪律、心态、力量和信念。你们都能看到，都能感觉到。在座的每个人都能。”
随着圣诞节和纽约的行程结束，干扰因素也降到了最低，马刺队在周日的晨间训练后，对未来比赛中更加专注的开局充满信心。
“这是我们工作的一部分，”琼斯说道。“我们必须重新专注于重要的事情，重新投入工作。”
土生土长的琼斯感受维京人精神
琼斯回到他的家乡明尼阿波利斯，还有一个额外的惊喜，那就是明尼苏达维京人队的比赛就在这条街的另一头。
维京人队将在马刺队与森林狼队比赛前大约四个小时开始与他们的宿敌绿湾包装工队进行比赛。
琼斯从小就是维京人队的忠实球迷，他很高兴看到明尼阿波利斯市中心一整天都挤满了这两支球队的球迷。
“回家真好，尤其是在一年中的这个时候，我们还有一支优秀的橄榄球队，”琼斯说。“很高兴看到今年的成功。希望我们能继续保持这种势头，进入季后赛。”
文班的国际象棋之旅让队友们感到高兴
文班亚马出人意料地来到纽约华盛顿广场公园下棋，这对他的队友们来说并不意外。
文班周六上午与各路棋手对弈的视频在社交媒体上疯传，即使他原本并没有这样的打算。
“他真的很喜欢下棋，”琼斯说。“他在更衣室、训练场等等地方都带着棋盘。这不是什么作秀，也不是为了媒体。这是他真正喜欢做的事情。这是他与人真诚交流的方式。”
琼斯说，他的侄子们参加了一个国际象棋训练营后，他也开始学习下棋，但他不确定自己是否准备好挑战文班——无论是在公园里还是在其他地方。
“他们教了我一些东西，”琼斯说。“我下的不好，但我坚持的时间可能会比人们预期的要长。”
点击查看原文：Spurs no longer in New York state of mind
Spurs no longer in New York state of mind
Keldon Johnson and the Spurs split a pair of games over a holiday trip to New York, beating the Brooklyn Nets on Friday after dropping a game at Madison Square Garden to the Knicks.
MINNEAPOLIS — Since the moment the schedule came out, the Spurs had Christmas week in New York circled on their personal calendars.
Now that the five-night stretch in the Big Apple has come and gone, the Spurs are glad it is over.
“It’s crazy how quick it came up and then how quick it went by,” point guard Tre Jones said before the Spurs resumed their road trip at Minnesota on Sunday. “It was something super cool to be able to experience, playing on Christmas Day, Madison Square Garden and being with family in New York. It’s good to get past that and get back to the games.”
The Spurs split a pair of games during their extended stay in New York, dropping a 117-114 decision to the Knicks on Christmas Day before gritting out a 96-87 win at Brooklyn two nights later.
The game against the undermanned Nets did not start well for the Spurs, who scored a season-low 11 points in the first quarter — and needed a half-court buzzer-beater from Keldon Johnson to even reach double digits.
As much as acting coach Mitch Johnson tried to remind players to treat the journey to New York as a business trip, several players acknowledged the hoopla of a long Christmas week might have played a role in the sluggish start in Brooklyn.
“Most of us had our families here, had a lot on our minds with Christmas,” Victor Wembanyama said. “Maybe it’s a maturity thing to be able to focus on the game and to answer the game plan on any night.”
Mitch Johnson agreed.
“There needs to be a maturity level just for your approach in the way that you start games,” Johnson said. “What I attribute (the slow start to), I don’t know. But obviously we did not have the proper approach, energy, discipline, attitude, force, conviction. You can see it, you can feel it. Everybody in this room could.”
With Christmas and New York in the rearview and distractions at a minimum, the Spurs came out of Sunday’s morning walk-through confident in a more focused start moving forward.
“It’s part of the job we have here,” Jones said. “We have to lock back in on the things that matter and get back to work.”
Homegrown Jones in Vikings spirit
Jones’ return to his hometown of Minneapolis came with the bonus of a Minnesota Vikings game down the street.
The Vikings were set to kick off against the rival Green Bay Packers about four hours before the Spurs tipped off against the Timberwolves.
Jones, who grew up a devout Vikings aficionado, was delighted to see downtown Minneapolis abuzz with fans of both teams throughout the day.
“It’s cool being home, especially this time of year when you’ve got a good football team,” Jones said. “It’s really good to see the success this year. Hopefully we can continue that into the playoffs.”
Wemby’s chess stop delights teammates
Wembanyama’s surprise stop into New York’s Washington Square Park to play chess did not come as a surprise to his teammates.
Wemby’s Saturday morning stop to take on all comers went viral on social media, even if he didn’t necessarily intend for it to.
“He really loves his chess,” Jones said. “He’s had it around the locker room and at the practice facility and stuff. It wasn’t anything fake or for the media. It’s something he really loves to do. It’s how he connects with people in an authentic way.”
Jones said he picked up the game himself after his nephews attended a chess camp, but isn’t sure he is ready to challenge Wembanyama — in the park or otherwise.
“They taught me some things,” Jones said. “I’m not good, but I might be able to hang longer than people expect.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News
