By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-01-09 12:20:40
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。
2025年1月8日，威斯康星州密尔沃基：在菲斯沃论坛球馆的第一节比赛中，密尔沃基雄鹿队的34号扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)防守圣安东尼奥马刺队的1号维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)。
密尔沃基雄鹿队主教练道格·里弗斯(Doc Rivers)周三来到菲斯沃论坛球馆，期待看到一场特别的比赛。
当维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)和扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)对决时，这场比赛就像一场奇幻世界里的动物园展览。
“这场比赛里真的有两个独角兽，”里弗斯说道。
在雄鹿队121-105大胜马刺队的比赛中，其中一只独角兽的表现不出所料地出色。而另一只独角兽的表现却出乎意料地平庸。
30岁的两届NBA MVP，雄鹿队的字母哥以TKO的方式赢得了这场对决，他砍下25分、16个篮板和8次助攻，让马刺队遭遇三连败，接下来他们将前往洛杉矶，从周六开始与湖人队进行两场比赛。
与此同时，文班只出手10次，得到10分，这是他本赛季第二低的得分，也是自10月30日对阵俄克拉荷马城以来最低的得分。他还贡献了10个篮板和3次盖帽。
“总而言之，他们比我们更好，”文班说道。“今晚他们是更好的篮球运动员。我们必须提升自己。”
那些希望看到NBA两位最非凡的大个子再次上演精彩对决的球迷们，最终大失所望。
几乎一年前的同一天，文班和字母哥在弗罗斯特银行中心进行了一场史诗般的正面交锋。在周三之前，这是他们在NBA的唯一一次交手。
字母哥在那天也赢了，他得到44分和14个篮板，雄鹿队以125-121险胜。
文班也展现了自己的实力，得到27分和5次盖帽。其中一次盖帽令人振奋，他直接封盖了字母哥志在必得的扣篮尝试。
尽管字母哥表现出色，雄鹿队也赢得了比赛，但这第一次的巨人碰撞，无疑预示着文班在这个最终全票当选年度最佳新秀的赛季中的发展方向。
“在比赛的某些时刻，你会看到两位领袖对位并互相较量，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说道。“我认为这可能会为球迷带来非常好的娱乐效果，以及非常精彩的篮球比赛。”
这场二番战却失败了，这令人惊讶。在NBA的第一个赛季以及接下来的比赛中，文班已经树立了在关键时刻挺身而出的声誉。
这也正是周三在密尔沃基的低迷表现更令人费解的原因。
文班的开局还不错，在第一节得到了7分。他命中了一记单腿三分球，并在底线完成了一次绕过字母哥的精彩上篮。
当字母哥尝试第一次投篮时，文班把它扇飞了。
文班的精彩表现也就到此为止了。在接下来的比赛中，他只得了3分，雄鹿队轻松赢得了比赛。
“对于像他这样的球员，他会找到自己的位置，”字母哥说道。“他有权投任何他想投的球。他可以远距离投篮。你只需要尽可能地让他感到困难，并对他每一次投篮进行干扰。”
雄鹿队值得称赞。他们完成了比赛计划的这一部分。
马刺队在第二节以19-34的比分落后，半场结束时落后21分。
在第二节4分14秒的时间里，马刺队一分未得。密尔沃基打出了一波15-0的攻击波，完全控制了比赛。
“我认为他们的身体对抗甚至在比赛初期就影响了我们，”约翰逊说道。“我认为我们投进了一些球，只是为了在第一节保持比分接近，但我们的进攻很慢。我们在我们想要接球的位置接到了球。我们的节奏不对，而他们的身体对抗决定了这一切。”
第三节的一个回合象征着去年一月和现在之间的区别。
就像他在上赛季末在圣安东尼奥的比赛快结束时所做的那样，字母哥径直冲向文班，试图强行得分。
文班这次没能盖帽成功。
字母哥 lowered his shoulder to knock 文班 off balance, then through in a short hook shot that found all net.字母哥用肩膀撞得文班失去平衡，然后投进了一个小勾手。
“我认为他们现在是一支更有成就的球队，”文班说道。“我的意思是，他们看起来更好。自赛季初以来，他们一直表现出色，我们也进步了。我认为他们肯定认真对待我们，全力以赴。”
那些一直关注文班职业生涯的人并没有预料到周三这场全国直播的比赛会如此糟糕。
这位21岁的法国球员正处于一个全明星级别的赛季，场均得到25.1分、10.8个篮板和联盟领先的4次盖帽。他已经养成了在聚光灯下闪耀的习惯。
“像任何精英球员一样，我认为他会在某些对位中欣然接受并茁壮成长，”约翰逊说道。“与像字母哥这样的球员比赛，他已经成为联盟中最好的球员之一有一段时间了，我相信这其中肯定伴随着某种兴奋。”
文班在周三没有完全兑现他的承诺，这种情况时有发生。他不是第一个被字母哥打破神话的独角兽。
目前，文班将期待在与勒布朗·詹姆斯和湖人队的两场比赛中反弹，如果说有什么值得关注的对决，那就是这场了。
只要文班能重新找回他的独角兽魔力，这就有可能成为另一个特别的夜晚。资深的独角兽观察者相信他会做到的。
“你必须尊重这个孩子，”里弗斯说道。“他已经做了很多伟大的事情。看他打球真是太棒了。”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks the ball against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 08, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 08, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 08, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs blocks a shot by Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 08, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 08, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
点击查看原文：Wemby-Giannis rematch was a surprising dud
Wemby-Giannis rematch was a surprising dud
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 08, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers arrived at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday expecting to see something special.
When Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo square off, it can seem like a zoo exhibit in fantasy land.
“You really have two unicorns playing in this game,” Rivers said.
One of the unicorns was expectedly extraordinary in Milwaukee’s 121-105 thumping of the Spurs. The other was unexpectedly average.
Antetokounmpo, the Bucks’ 30-year-old two-time NBA MVP, won this round by TKO, going for 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, sending the Spurs to a third-straight defeat as they head to Los Angeles for a pair of games against the Lakers beginning Saturday.
Wembanyama, meanwhile, took only 10 shots on his way to 10 points, his second-lowest scoring output of the season and worst since Oct. 30 against Oklahoma City. He added 10 rebounds and three blocks.
“All around, they were better than us,” Wembanyama said. “They were better basketball players tonight. We have to step up.”
Those hoping to see a scintillating repeat of the first time the NBA’s two most uncommon big men faced each other left sorely disappointed.
Almost a year earlier to the day, Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo waged an epic, toe-to-toe battle at the Frost Bank Center. Before Wednesday, it was their only NBA meeting.
Antetokounmpo won that day, too, scoring 44 points with 14 rebounds as the Bucks survived a nail-biter, 125-121.
Wembanyama made his point as well, with 27 points and five blocks. One of those rejections came in stirring fashion, when he stonewalled a determined Antetokounmpo on a dunk attempt.
Though Antetokounmpo played well and Milwaukee won the game, that first clash of titans served as an unmistakable signpost about where Wembanyama was headed during what became a unanimous Rookie of the Year season.
“There are certain moments of games when you watch and see the two alphas match up and go at each other,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “I think it probably produces pretty good entertainment for the fans and pretty good basketball.”
The sequel flopped, and that was surprising. Over his first season-plus in the NBA, Wembanyama has burnished a reputation for rising to such moments.
That is what made Wednesday’s dud in Milwaukee all the more perplexing.
Wembanyama started well enough, with seven points in the first quarter. He made a one-legged 3-point attempt and completed an acrobatic baseline drive around Antetokounmpo.
When Antetokounmpo attempted his first shot of the game, Wembanyama swatted it away.
And that about did it for the Wembanyama highlights. He scored three points the rest of the way, as the Bucks ran away with the game.
“For a player like that, he’s going to get to his spots,” Antetokounmpo said. “He has the green light to shoot any shot he wants. He can shoot the ball from range. You just have to make it as tough as possible for him and contest every shot.”
Give the Bucks credit. They accomplished that part of the game plan.
The Spurs were sunk by a second quarter in which they were outscored 34-19 to carry a 21-point deficit into intermission.
Over a stretch of 4:14 of the frame, the Spurs went scoreless. Milwaukee rattled off a 15-0 run to seize complete control.
“I thought their physicality got to us even early,” Johnson said. “I think we made a few shots just to kind of hang around in that first quarter, but our offense was slow. We were getting catches in the spots we want to get catches. Our timing was off and their physicality dictated a lot of that.”
One play in the third quarter was emblematic of the difference between last January and now.
As he did near the end of last season’s game in San Antonio, Antetokounmpo went right at Wembanyama, looking to power his way for a bucket.
Wembanyama could not block this one.
Antetokounmpo lowered his shoulder to knock Wembanyama off balance, then through in a short hook shot that found all net.
“I think they’re a more accomplished team now,” Wembanyama said. “I mean, they look better. They’ve been looking fantastic since after the beginning of season and we got better too. And I think they took us seriously for sure and went all out.”
Those who have followed Wembanyama’s career to date did not exactly see Wednesday’s nationally televised pratfall coming.
The 21-year-old Frenchman is in the midst of an All-Star caliber season, averaging 25.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and a league-leading four blocks per game. He has made a habit of shining when the lights are brightest.
“Like any elite player, there are certain matchups I think he would embrace and thrive in,” Johnson said. “Playing against a player like Giannis, someone who has been one of the best players in this league now for a while, I’m sure there’s a certain excitement that goes with that.”
Wembanyama didn’t quite live up to his end of the bargain Wednesday, which happens. He isn’t the first unicorn Antetokounmpo has managed to demythologize.
For now, Wembanyama will look to bounce back with a double-dip against LeBron James and the Lakers, a marquee matchup if there ever was one.
It has the makings of another pair of special nights, so long as Wembanyama rediscovers his unicorn magic. Veteran unicorn watchers believe he will.
“You’ve got to give the kid respect,” Rivers said. “He’s done a lot of great things. He’s wonderful to watch play.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News