By Marilyn Dubinski | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-01-18 13:50:00
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。
连续两场比赛，孟菲斯都在第三节击溃马刺，将比分差距拉开。
两天前，圣安东尼奥马刺在主场被孟菲斯灰熊下半场痛击，今晚他们希望能复仇。不幸的是，即使孟菲斯缺少了因脚踝扭伤缺阵的贾·莫兰特(Ja Morant)，马刺不仅没有复仇成功，而且剧情基本雷同，甚至更糟：上半场紧咬比分，但在糟糕的第三节之后在下半场崩盘。
首节比赛双方都展现了强大的进攻火力，防守形同虚设。孟菲斯再次成功地将文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)吸引出油漆区（尽管当他们试图攻击他时，他们会见识到他单场六次盖帽的威力），而马刺则在转换进攻中找到了突破口。斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)延续了他令人印象深刻的表现，单节砍下10分，其中8分来自转换进攻中的扣篮；凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)手感火热，命中两记三分，得到8分，弥补了文班亚马的得分荒；马刺以29-27领先进入第二节。
第二节马刺的进攻继续高歌猛进，而孟菲斯则短暂地哑火，迫使泰勒·詹金斯(Taylor Jenkins)请求暂停。马刺一度将领先优势扩大到两位数，46-36，但灰熊随后打出一波13-2的攻击波，大部分时间文班亚马都在板凳席上，灰熊借此重新夺回领先优势。马刺最终再次跟上节奏，双方开始对飙三分，查尔斯·巴斯(Charles Bassey)在篮筐附近的几次精彩表现帮助马刺以64-62领先进入中场休息。不幸的是，这美好的氛围到此为止了。
灰熊在第三节开局状态火热，用整晚都表现出色的圣地亚哥·阿尔达玛(Santi Aldama)换下了因流鼻血下场的扎克·埃迪(Zach Edey)，阿尔达玛全场得到29分，这次换人也为灰熊进一步打开了局面。上半场只出手三次的德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)努力参与进攻，并在第三节得到15分，帮助马刺一度紧咬比分。不幸的是，在马刺一度将比分追至86平后，灰熊开始爆发，连续命中三分，并一次又一次地突破精疲力竭的马刺防线直杀篮下。他们在本节最后时刻打出一波16-0的攻击波，原本胶着的比赛眼看就要变成一场溃败。
第四节比赛很快失去了悬念。在整晚追逐灰熊的尾巴之后，马刺的油箱里已经没有任何燃料了，最终在比赛还剩不到四分钟时换下全部主力。他们最终以112-140输掉了比赛，连续两场比赛下半场丢掉78分，并且在一月份的比赛中七战五负，状态低迷。
比赛笔记
- 今天有几个人换了新发型。朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)修剪了他的爆炸头，而因背部酸痛缺阵的杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（他的缺阵对马刺的影响很大，尤其是在防守和篮板上），继“格林奇绿”之后又换了一种新发色，看起来像是深蓝色渐变。
- 最近马刺的“垃圾第三节”问题又出现了。连续两场比赛，马刺在第三节让灰熊得到40分或更多，其中15分来自转换进攻。灰熊已经是联盟中节奏最快的球队，而马刺糟糕的转换防守沟通，经常跟着球员跑到外线，留下篮下空门大开，让灰熊轻松得分。
- 说到“垃圾第三节”，上赛季马刺在第三节挥霍两位数领先优势是一个大问题，本赛季他们在很大程度上有所改善（他们一度还是联盟中第三节表现最好的球队）。尽管如此，他们也远非完美，最近保护两位数领先优势再次成为一个问题。虽然本场比赛勉强符合这个标准——马刺在第二节仅仅领先了10分一个回合——但这仍然算数，马刺本赛季已经输掉了8场领先10分或更多的比赛。想象一下，如果他们的战绩是27胜13负或者接近这个数字，而不是19胜21负，情况会有多么不同……（提示：他们将与西部第二名并列。）
- 马刺在本场比赛的另一个大问题是失误。他们有17次失误，白白送给灰熊24分。虽然这实际上并不是一个非常糟糕的数字，但令人沮丧的是，很多失误都是非受迫性失误，要么是因为黄油手，要么是传球失误，要么是运球不小心。
本场最佳
回到比赛还有悬念的时候，德文·瓦塞尔在第三节扛起了马刺……
我的天哪 pic.twitter.com/ORjiUIo0Wz
— 圣安东尼奥马刺 (@ spurs) 2025年1月18日
下一场比赛：周日客场挑战迈阿密热火
马刺将在迈阿密停留，然后前往巴黎进行两场比赛。吉米·巴特勒(Jimmy Butler)解禁复出，但这对目前的热火有帮助吗？希望不会，这样马刺就能在跨越大西洋之前重返胜利的轨道。
点击查看原文：Spurs get gashed in second straight blowout loss to the Grizzlies
Spurs get gashed in second straight blowout loss to the Grizzlies
For the second game in a row Memphis killed the Spurs in the third quarter to bust a close game wide open.
Two nights after they got humiliated off their own court in a second half blowout against the Memphis Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs were hoping to exact some revenge tonight. Unfortunately, even though Memphis was missing Ja Morant to a sprained foot, not only would revenge not be exacted, but it was basically the same story but even worse: keep up in the first half but fizzle out in the second behind a horrid third quarter.
It was a defense-optional first quarter with both teams getting what they wanted on offense. Memphis once again found success by drawing Victor Wembanyama away from the paint (although when they tried to attack him, they found out via his six blocks on the night), while the Spurs attacked in transition. Stephon Castle continued his impressive run with 10 points in the quarter, 8 of which came on transition dunks, Keldon Johnson came in hot to hit two threes as part of his 8 points to help offset a scoreless quarter from Wemby, and the Spurs were up 29-27 heading into the second quarter.
The offense kept humming for the Spurs in the second quarter while Memphis briefly went a little dry, forcing Taylor Jenkins to call a quick timeout. The Spurs got the lead to double figures at 46-36 before the Grizzlies fought back with a 13-2 run to retake the lead, mostly with Wemby on the bench. The Spurs eventually started matching pace again and trading threes, and a couple of big plays around the rim from Charles Bassey gave them a 64-62 point lead at halftime. Unfortunately, that would be the end of any good vibes.
The Grizzlies were the hot team to start the third quarter, swapping in Santi Aldama, who was hot all night with 29 points, in place of Zach Edey, who was suffering from a bloody nose, and that opened up the floor up even more for them. After only three shot attempts in the first half, Devin Vassell worked hard to get involved in the offense and was able to help the Spurs keep up for a while with 15 points in the quarter. Unfortunately, after the Spurs had briefly tied it up at 86 apiece, the Grizzlies went nuclear, hitting threes and driving right by the gassed Spurs to the hoop over and over again. They scored the final 16 points of the quarter, and what had been a tight game throughout was on the brink of becoming a blowout.
It didn’t take long for that to become the case in the fourth. The Spurs had nothing left in tank after chasing the Grizzlies tails all evening and finally emptied their bench with under four minutes left. They ended up losing 140-112, giving up 78 second-half points for the second game in a row while continuing a rough January stretch where they have lost five of seven games.
Game Notes
- There were a couple of new hairstyles being sported today. Julian Champagnie gave his fro a trim, while Jeremy Sochan, who was still out with back soreness (and badly missed, especially on defense and the boards), had a new color after the Grinch green, appearing to go with a dark blue ombre.
- The turd quarter has been alive and well for the Spurs lately. For the second game in a row, the Spurs surrendered 40 or more points to the Grizzlies in the third quarter, with 15 of them coming in transition. They’re already the fastest team in the league in terms of pace, and the Spurs made it all too easy by not communicating in transition, often following players to the perimeter and leaving the rim wide open.
- Speaking of turd quarters, after blowing double-digit leads with awful third quarters was a big problem for the Spurs last season, they had mostly been better about it this season (they were even the best third quarter team in the league at one point). Still, they’ve been far from perfect, and lately protecting double-digit leads has recently become a problem again. While this game only barely meets that criteria as the Spurs led by 10 for a whopping one possession in the second quarter, it still counts, and the Spurs have now lost 8 games this season when up by 10 or more points. Imagine how different things would be if they were 27-13 or close to it instead of 19-21…(Hint: they’d be tied for second in the West.)
- Another big problem for the Spurs in this game was turnovers. They had 17 of them, ceding 24 extra points that the Grizzlies didn’t need in the process. While that’s actually not the most terrible number, what made them frustrating was so many were unforced, either due to butterfingers, errant passes, or careless dribbling.
Play of the game
Back when there was still hope and Devin Vassell was carrying the Spurs on his back during the third quarter…
GOODNESS GRACIOUS pic.twitter.com/ORjiUIo0Wz
— San Antonio Spurs (@ spurs) January 18, 2025
Up next: Sunday at Miami Heat
The Spurs will have a layover in Miami before heading overseas to Paris for two games. Jimmy Butler is back from suspension, but is that helpful to the Heat at this point? Hopefully not so the Spurs get back to winning before crossing the ocean.
By Marilyn Dubinski, via Pounding The Rock