By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-01-02 13:21:49
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31日星期二，在圣安东尼奥举行的NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)（右）在下半场与马刺队后卫特雷·琼斯(Tre Jones)（33号）交谈。（美联社照片/达伦·阿贝特）
丹佛——在2024年末完成了赛季迄今为止最长的客场之旅后，马刺队以另一段可能让麦哲伦都得吃晕船药的旅程开启了新的一年。
他们周五在丹佛，然后回到主场迎战掘金队，之后是四场客场比赛，分别对阵芝加哥、密尔沃基和两场对阵洛杉矶湖人队。
再加上1月19日前往迈阿密的征程，以及在巴黎对阵印第安纳的两场比赛，马刺队仅这个月就将飞行近5200英里。
“我们刚刚结束了一段艰难的四连客，所以如果你需要一些视角或洞察来了解接下来的旅程可能会是什么样子和感觉，我们已经经历过了，”代理教练米奇·约翰逊说道。“我们必须完成比赛，在客场必须更加自律、保持稳定和坚韧。”
就胜负记录而言，马刺队12月底前往费城、纽约、布鲁克林和明尼苏达的旅程并不顺利。
球队在这次客场之旅中以1胜3负的战绩结束，客场战绩下降到5胜9负。这是NBA西部联盟排名前十的球队中最差的客场战绩。
乐观主义者会注意到，马刺队输掉的那三场比赛——对阵76人队、尼克斯队和森林狼队——总共只输了10分，距离一次更成功的客场之旅很近。
“你在客场犯错的空间更小，”约翰逊说。“当一支球队在客场打出一波得分高潮时，它看起来与你在主场时截然不同。我认为能够阻止更多这样的得分高潮，或者防止这些得分高潮变得更大或更长，然后完成比赛——这是我们下一步要做的事情。”
为了保持他们17胜16负的总战绩在50%以上，他们必须找到在客场赢球的方法，因为接下来的六场比赛中有五场将在弗罗斯特银行中心之外进行。
对于老将控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)来说，在一月份的客场之旅中展现出更好的表现将是球队日渐成熟的标志。
“我们必须达到这样的境界：所有那些‘年轻球员’的东西都必须抛诸脑后，”保罗说。“我们和其他人一样都是职业球员。在这个联盟中，你必须有一种毅力和意志力才能找到赢得这些比赛的方法。”
文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)全明星投票排名第五
马刺队中锋文班亚马在NBA公布的首轮全明星球迷投票中排名第五。
丹佛的尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokic)以1,422,121票领跑西部前场球员的投票。排在文班亚马之前的其他人包括菲尼克斯的凯文·杜兰特(Kevin Durant)（1,268,799票）和洛杉矶湖人队的勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)（1,167,661票）和安东尼·戴维斯(Anthony Davis)（999,540票）。
文班亚马获得了928,501票。他将在周五对阵丹佛的比赛中出场，场均得到25.6分、10.0个篮板、3.9次助攻和联盟最高的3.9次盖帽。
俄克拉荷马城的谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)以1,053,683票领跑西部后卫的投票。
东部领跑者是密尔沃基的扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)（91,710,630票）和夏洛特的拉梅洛·鲍尔(LaMelo Ball)（947,444票），分别领跑前场和后卫。
球迷可以每天投票，直到1月20日。球迷投票占决定首发球员的50%。另外50%由现役球员和一个媒体小组平分。
周五将是下一个“3换1日”，届时每张球迷投票将计三票。联盟将于1月9日公布下一轮球迷投票结果。
今年的全明星赛将采用一种新的迷你锦标赛形式，但投票过程与往年相同。首发球员名单将于1月下旬公布，锦标赛的选秀将于2月初进行。
全明星锦标赛将于2月16日在旧金山的追逐中心举行。
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)在经历低谷后的表现受到称赞
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔在马刺队最近的客场之旅中连续三场得分未上双，这引发了人们对他是否撞上了所谓的“新秀墙”的讨论。
在马刺队新年除夕122-86大胜洛杉矶快船队的比赛中，卡斯尔似乎突破了这堵墙。
卡斯尔替补出场得到15分，外加4个篮板、4次助攻、1次盖帽和1次抢断。
“你必须拥有短期记忆，无论是好比赛还是坏比赛，”去年六月选秀大会的四号秀卡斯尔说道。“有时候不是你的夜晚。有时候你会上场，有时候你不会。时刻准备着是一种技能。”
卡斯尔对阵快船队的爆发性表现紧随其后的是他在明尼苏达的比赛，那可能是他职业生涯中最糟糕的一场比赛。
在112-110输给森林狼队的比赛中，他8分钟内一分未得，还有4次失误，表现如此糟糕以至于约翰逊无法让他在第四节出场。
卡斯尔在除夕夜强势反弹，并在杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)因背伤退赛后在下半场首发。如果索汉没有恢复，卡斯尔可能会在周五对阵丹佛的比赛中重回首发阵容。
“我认为这是对明尼苏达发生的事情的非常成熟的回应，”约翰逊说。“我对他对在明尼苏达（只打了）七分钟的低谷的回应感到非常高兴。并不感到意外，但非常满意。”
Los Angeles Clippers’ Kris Dunn, left, drives against San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
点击查看原文：Ready or not, Spurs hit the road
Ready or not, Spurs hit the road
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson, right, speaks with Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
DENVER – Having completed the longest road trip of their season to date so far near the end of 2024, the Spurs open the New Year with another itinerary that might make Magellan reach for his Dramamine.
They are in Denver on Friday, then back home to face the Nuggets on Saturday, then a four-game trip to Chicago, Milwaukee and two against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Throw in a Jan. 19 trek to Miami followed by two games in Paris against Indiana, and the Spurs are down to log nearly 5,200 air miles this month alone.
“We just returned from a tough four-game stretch, so if you needed some perspective or insight on what it’s going to probably look and feel like, we had one,” acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “We have got to finish games, got to be that much more disciplined, consistent, tough on the road.”
In terms of won-lost record, the Spurs’ late December journey to Philadelphia, New York, Brooklyn and Minnesota did not go well.
The team finished 1-3 on the trip, dropping their road record to 5-9. It is the worst away mark in the NBA’s Western Conference among teams in the top 10 of the standings.
Optimists will note the Spurs lost those three games – against the 76ers, Knicks and Timberwolves – by a combined 10 points and were close to having a more successful trip.
“You just have less room for error (on the road),” Johnson said. “When a team goes on a run on the road, it looks a whole lot different than when you’re at home. And I think to be able to prevent more of those runs or prevent those runs from being bigger or longer, and then having to finish the job – that’s the next step for us.”
To keep their 17-16 overall record above .500, they will have to find a way to win on the road with five of the next six contests coming away from the Frost Bank Center.
For veteran point guard Chris Paul, a better showing on the road in January would show as a sign of growing maturity.
“We are just going to have to get to that point where all that ‘young guy’ stuff has got to go out the window,” Paul said. “We are pros just like everybody else. There’s a grit and a will that you’ve got to have in this league in order to figure out ways to win these games.”
Wemby fifth in All-Star voting
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama ranks fifth in the first fan returns released by the NBA for All-Star voting.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic is the top vote-getter for the West frontcourt with 1,422,121. Others ahead of Wembanyama include Phoenix’s Kevin Durant (1,268,799) and the Los Angeles Lakers tandem of LeBron James (1,167,661) and Anthony Davis (999,540).
Wembanyama has 928,501 votes. He will enter Friday’s game at Denver averaging 25.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.9 blocks.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the West guards with 1,053,683 votes.
The East leaders are Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo 91,710,630) for the frontcourt and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball (947,444) among the guards.
Fans can vote daily through Jan. 20. The fan vote accounts for 50% of the vote to determine starters. The other 50% is split between current players and a media panel.
Friday will mark the next “3-for-1 Day” when each fan vote will count three times. The next fan voting update will be shared by the league Jan. 9.
The All-Star Game will feature a new mini-tournament format this year, but the voting process remains the same as in previous years. Starters will be revealed in late January and the draft for the tournament games is set for early February.
The All-Star Tournament is set for Feb. 16 at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
Castle praised for response to rough patch
Stephon Castle finished the Spurs’ most recent road trip with three straight single-digit scoring games, prompting talk that he might be running into the vaunted “rookie wall.”
In the Spurs’ 122-86 New Year’s Eve romp over the L.A. Clippers, Castle seemed to bust through it.
Castle had 15 points off the bench, while adding four rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal.
“You have to have a short-term memory, whether it’s a good game or a bad game,” said Castle, the No. 4 pick in last June’s draft. “Sometimes it’s not going to be your night. Sometimes you’re going to play, sometimes you’re not. Just staying ready isa skill.”
Castle’s breakout game against the Clippers came on the heels on perhaps his worst game as a pro in Minnesota.
He went scoreless with four turnovers in eight minutes of a 112-110 loss, flopping so badly Johnson could not play him in the fourth quarter.
Castle bounced back on New Year’s Eve, and started the second half after Jeremy Sochan went out with a back injury. If Sochan is not recovered, Castle could be back in the starting five Friday in Denver.
“I thought it was a very mature response to what happened in Minnesota,” Johnson said. “I was very happy with his response to (playing just) seven minutes in a rough patch in Minnesota. Not surprised, but very pleased.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News