By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-30 12:29:59
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29日星期天，在明尼阿波利斯举行的NBA篮球比赛之后，明尼苏达森林狼队后卫丹特·迪文岑佐(Donte DiVincenzo)（0号）庆祝球队获胜，而圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（10号）则对球队的失利做出反应。(美联社照片/马特·克罗恩)
杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)投出的三分球砸在篮板上，终场哨声响起，标靶中心爆发出一阵欢呼，这欢呼声似乎是从街那头的明尼苏达维京人队的比赛中遗留下来的。
以112-110输给森林狼队让马刺队在四场客场之旅中以1胜3负的战绩收官，如果几个回合的处理方式有所不同，这次客场之旅本可以取得圆满成功。
随着2024年的结束，马刺队正在快速吸取经验教训。作为一名尽职尽责的导师，老将控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)并不确定是否要指出最新的教训。
“我们正在学习如何赢球，尤其是在客场，”保罗说。“在客场，一切都很重要。”
马刺队的表现还不够完美，无法在迄今为止他们本赛季最长的客场之旅中取得超过一场胜利。
那场胜利是在周五对阵布鲁克林篮网队时取得的，以96-87的比分获胜，但这其中也并非没有瑕疵。
马刺队在这次客场之旅中的三场失利总共只输了10分，这让他们在周二新年前夜与洛杉矶快船队在弗罗斯特银行中心的比赛中感到一丝乐观。
在这次客场之旅之前，马刺队的客场经验并不丰富，在上周前往费城之前，他们只打了10场客场比赛，是联盟中最少的。
“我认为我们感受到了与强队交手的NBA客场篮球是什么样的，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说。“有一些收获让我们感觉很好，也有一些收获让我们回家后有很多事情要做。”
马刺队从客场之旅归来后的主要收获：在充满敌意的环境中，每一个细节都很重要。
在客场之旅首战以111-106输给76人队的比赛中，最后一分钟的几次失误毁掉了马刺队反败为胜的机会。
在圣诞节以117-114输给纽约尼克斯队的比赛中，未能抢到最后一个防守篮板让马刺队错失了潜在的扳平比分的机会。
在明尼苏达的比赛中，在比赛还剩几秒钟时落后两分，马刺队至少完成了一次投篮。他们所能找到的最佳投篮机会是让三分球命中率只有26.5%的索汉投三分。
结果在数学上是可以预测的：索汉的投篮偏出，森林狼队赢得了比赛。
“任何人都可以关注最后一个回合，但真正重要的是我们之前没有做好的所有其他回合，”前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)说。“我们的第二节本可以打得更好。这让我们在最后一个回合陷入了（我们所处的）那种局面。”
事实上，在上一场对阵布鲁克林篮网队的第一节比赛中得到赛季最低的11分之后，马刺队在对阵森林狼队的第二节比赛中只得到了12分。
这也要归功于明尼苏达队。森林狼队，一个赛季前还打进了西部决赛，当他们全神贯注时，可以成为NBA最凶猛的防守球队之一。
他们在周日的比赛中大部分时间都做到了这一点。
“他们是精英级别的，”约翰逊说。“我在第二节最能感受到他们的存在，我们只得了12分。他们身材高大，运动能力强，个人防守出色，而且作为一个团队紧密联系。”
也要称赞一下马刺队。他们反弹了回来，将比赛拖入关键时刻，自从老将保罗和巴恩斯到来之后，他们在关键时刻的表现一直是联盟中最好的之一。
在周日的比赛之前，马刺队在关键时刻的战绩是8胜5负。当然，需要注意的是，他们第四节的大部分成功都是在主场取得的。
“在客场，情况就不同了，”保罗说。“观众是你的对手，气势、你出手的时机。这一切都很重要。”
马刺队在周日的比赛中第四节初段曾领先8分，但没能保持住优势。
比赛还剩3分39秒时，马刺队的篮板球问题再次出现，明尼苏达队取得了最终的领先。鲁迪·戈贝尔(Rudy Gobert)在朱利叶斯·兰德尔(Julius Randle)投篮不进后补篮得分，使森林狼队以105-103领先，他们的防守令人窒息，足以压制马刺队。
明尼苏达队的丹特·迪文岑佐——他以26分领跑全队——在比赛还剩12.8秒时两罚一中，给了马刺队获胜或扳平比分的机会。
森林狼队破坏了马刺队随后的界外球，时间到时球落在了23英尺外的索汉手中。
这并不是约翰逊在暂停时布置的战术。
“我认为我们在比赛后期的执行力是我们需要改进的地方，”巴恩斯说。“我们努力了44、46分钟，让自己有机会赢得比赛。如何结束比赛是我们可以做得更好的地方。”
最终，马刺队浪费了维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)的34分、保罗赛季最高的14次助攻、巴恩斯的24分和德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)的22分，以16胜16负的总战绩回到了胜率50%。他们的客场战绩是5胜9负。
马刺队不用等太久就能检验他们在12月的最后一次客场之旅中学到的教训。
在周二对阵快船队的比赛之后，马刺队将在2025年的前六场比赛中打五场客场比赛，以此开启新的一年。
有一点是肯定的： 승리와 패배의 차이는 세부 사항에서 드러납니다。
“我们谈论的一些小事——失误、进攻篮板、快速找到我们的位置，并在一次进攻中给自己留出时间，”巴恩斯说。“我们可以关注的一些小事会产生很大的影响。”
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell, left, works around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, middle, fouls San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell celebrates his 3-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) works around San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) works around San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) works around San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, celebrates his 3-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, works around Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell, left, works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) jump for a tip ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
点击查看原文：For San Antonio Spurs' road woes, the devil is in details
For San Antonio Spurs’ road woes, the devil is in details
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) celebrates his teams win as San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) reacts to his teams loss after an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Jeremy Sochan’s cockeyed 3-point shot hit nothing but backboard, the final horn sounded and the Target Center erupted Sunday with a roar that seemed left over from the Minnesota Vikings game down the street.
A 112-110 loss to the Timberwolves sent the Spurs to 1-3 on a four-game road swing that was a handful of plays in the other direction from being an unmitigated success.
The lessons are coming fast and furious for the Spurs as they close the calendar year. Ever the dutiful teacher, veteran point guard Chris Paul was not sure about pointing out the latest one.
“We’re learning how hard it is to win, especially on the road,” Paul said. “Everything matters on the road.”
The Spurs were not close enough to perfect to finish with more than one victory on what was to date their longest road trip of the season.
That came Friday in Brooklyn, by a 96-87 decision that was not without its own share of warts.
The Spurs’ three losses on the trip were by a combined 10 points, narrow enough for them to feel some sense of optimism heading into Tuesday’s New Year’s Eve contest against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Frost Bank Center.
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The Spurs had not been road tested much heading into the trip, having played a league-low 10 away games before leaving for Philadelphia last week.
“I think we felt what road NBA basketball looks like against good teams,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “There are some takeaways we feel really good about, and some takeaways that will give us much to do when we get home.”
The main takeaway for the Spurs as they comeback from the road: In a hostile environment, every detail is important.
In a 111-106 defeat against the 76ers that began the trip, a handful of turnovers in the final minute ruined the Spurs’ bid at a comeback.
In a 117-114 loss at New York on Christmas Day, an inability to secure a final defensive rebound squandered the Spurs’ chance at a potential game-tying possession.
Down two points in the waning seconds at Minnesota, the Spurs at least got a shot off. The best look they could muster was a 3-point try from a 26.5% 3-point shooter in Sochan.
The result was mathematically predictable: Sochan’s shot was wide, and the Timberwolves held on to win.
“Anyone can look at the last play, but it’s all the other plays we didn’t do well that really matter,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “Our second quarter could have been better. That put us in (the situation we were in) that last possession.”
Indeed, a game after scoring a season-low 11 points in the first quarter at Brooklyn, the Spurs managed 12 in the second quarter against the Timberwolves.
Give Minnesota a bit of credit for that. The Wolves, a season removed from a Western Conference finals appearance, can be one of the NBA’s more ferocious defensive teams when properly engaged.
They were for swaths of Sunday’s game.
“They’re elite,” Johnson said. “I felt them in the second quarter the most with the 12 points. They’re big, they’re athletic, they’re good individual defenders and they are connected as a team.”
Give the Spurs credit here, too. They bounced back to get the game to crunch time, where since the arrival of long-in-tooth veterans Paul and Barnes, they have been one of the best in the league at closing games.
The Spurs entered Sunday 8-5 in crunch time games. The caveat there, of course, is that most of their fourth-quarter success stories had been authored at home.
“On the road, it’s different,” Paul said. “The crowd is against you, the momentum, the shots you take. It’s all important.”
The Spurs led by eight early in the fourth quarter Sunday, but could not hold on.
Minnesota took its final lead as the Spurs’ rebounding woes cropped up again with 3:39 to play. Rudy Gobert followed a Julius Randle miss with a dunk to put the Wolves ahead 105-103, and they played suffocating enough defense to keep the Spurs at bay.
Minnesota’s Donte DiVincenzo – who led his team with 26 points – offered the Spurs a chance to win or tie when he missed the first of two foul shots with 12.8 to play.
The Timberwolves snuffed out the Spurs’ ensuing inbounds play, leaving the ball in the hands of Sochan from 23 feet as time expired.
It was not exactly the look Johnson drew up in the huddle.
“I think our late-game execution is an area of improvement for us,” Barnes said. “We put ourselves in position, battled for 44, 46 minutes to give ourselves a chance to win. Finishing out games is something we can get better at.”
In the end, the Spurs wasted 34 points from Victor Wembanyama, a season-high 14 assists from Paul, 24 points from Barnes and 22 points from Devin Vassell to tumble back to .500 at 16-16 overall. They are 5-9 on the road.
The Spurs won’t have to wait long to test the lessons they learned on the final road trip of December.
Following Tuesday’s contest against the Clippers, the Spurs open January by playing five of their first six games of 2025.
This much is certain: The difference between winning and losing will be discovered in the details.
“Some of the little things we talk about – turnovers, offensive rebounds, getting to our spots quickly and giving ourselves time in a possession,” Barnes said. “Little things we can key on can make a big difference.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News