By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-11 13:47:43
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama) (1)在2025年2月10日（星期一）于华盛顿举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场中，突破华盛顿奇才队前锋特里斯坦·武克切维奇(Tristan Vukcevic) (00)和后卫比拉尔·库利巴利(Bilal Coulibaly) (0)的上篮。 (美联社照片/尼克·瓦斯)
波士顿——华盛顿首都一号体育馆的视频板和LED屏幕上频繁闪烁着法国国旗的颜色。
中场休息的娱乐节目是一个来自法国的杂技团。埃菲尔铁塔的模型被推到球场上，供赛后合影留念。
如果维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)周一没有意识到发生了什么，他可能还以为自己回到了巴黎。
事实上，奇才队安排的“法国文化遗产之夜”恰好与马刺队本赛季唯一一次到访美国首都的比赛重合，这让文班亚马觉得绝非巧合。
“我敢肯定不是巧合，对吧？”这位出生于法国的马刺队中锋反问道。
如果文班亚马需要进一步证明他已经不在巴黎，他所要做的就是看看在比赛关键时刻与他并肩作战的新搭档。
上个月马刺队在文班亚马的主场巴黎进行了两场比赛时，德阿隆·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)并不在队中。
但他现在来了。
文班亚马得到31分，福克斯得到30分，两人在又一场胶着的比赛中轮流掌控局面，马刺队不仅以131-121战胜奇才队。
他们也让人看到了，随着球队这对新星组合的共生关系日益牢固，未来可能会发生什么。
“这绝对是在进化，”福克斯在被萨克拉门托交易到马刺队后的第四场比赛后说道。“我们正在努力建立那种化学反应，发展任何形式的二人配合。这是一个学习的过程。”
圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德阿隆·福克斯在2025年2月10日（星期一）于华盛顿举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场中，对阵华盛顿奇才队时扣篮。 (美联社照片/尼克·瓦斯)
这个过程将在周三继续，马刺队将在波士顿对阵38胜16负的凯尔特人队，完成全明星赛前的“牛仔客场之旅”。
与联盟战绩最差的奇才队相比，波士顿队应该能更有效地检验马刺队这对新搭档的实力。尽管如此，马刺队认为周一的比赛中仍然有值得汲取的经验教训，文班亚马和福克斯在那场比赛中联手拿下他们合作以来的最高分。
“我们正在了解这些球员的比赛环境——他们两人一起，以及其他球员如何围绕他们进行配合，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说。“这需要一些时间。”
对阵奇才队的比赛中，这个项目的进展似乎超出了预期。
文班亚马在第一节带领马刺队取得18分的领先优势，他在这一节中拿下了14分。
在华盛顿队奋起直追，将比赛悬念拉回之后，文班亚马与福克斯联手，将胜利带到了终点线。
两人在第四节合计得到22分，其中包括马刺队在7分13秒的时间里得到的所有18分，从而锁定了胜局。这标志着马刺队本赛季的第23场胜利，这是自2002年2月16日以来，俱乐部首次达到这个胜场数。
马刺队只能希望在福克斯和文班亚马共同掌控球队的情况下，能够取得更多的胜利。
“说实话，他们是我们球队里排名前两位的球员，”前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)说道，他补充说自己拿下了14分。“他们掌握着进攻的钥匙。当他们状态正佳时，就属于他们的时刻。”
尽管这种合作关系还处于早期阶段，但很明显，文班亚马从来没有像速度奇快的福克斯这样的搭档，后者在2022-23赛季入选了全明星和NBA最佳阵容。
这位27岁的后卫在加盟马刺队的前四场比赛中，有三场得分超过20分，在马刺队的历史上，只有大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)、特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings)和德玛尔·德罗赞(DeMar DeRozan)做到过这一点。
“他就是一个持续的威胁，”文班亚马说道。“他可以在一秒钟之内突破你。”
福克斯的速度不仅有利于突破到篮下，也有利于制造犯规。
周一他获得了18次罚球机会，这是自2022年10月21日雅各布·珀尔特尔(Jakob Poeltl)在印第安纳尝试21次罚球以来，马刺队球员获得的最多罚球次数。
福克斯命中了15次罚球，占了他得分的一半。
“继续冲击篮下，这是你试图做到的，”福克斯说。“我认为他们所有的犯规都是伸手犯规，所以我认为这更多是他们所做的，而不是我所做的。如果他们要这样做，你就继续尝试触及油漆区，好事就会发生。”
周一，在比赛的关键时刻，文班亚马和福克斯之间有着非同寻常的联系。有两个回合说明了这一点。
其中一个回合发生在比赛还剩5分09秒时，福克斯突破了奇才队的防守，然后轻松地将球传给文班亚马，后者轻松上篮，使马刺队领先9分。
在华盛顿队将分差缩小到120-115之后，文班亚马找到了后门空切的福克斯，后者上篮得分，再次扩大了马刺队的领先优势。
需要注意的关键一点是，福克斯的空切并不是战术的首选。
“这不是计划好的，”文班亚马说。“这是B计划。”
在周一早些时候的比赛中，文班亚马无意中听到一名华盛顿球员与队友谈论不得不防守福克斯时，忍不住笑了出来。
奇才队教练布莱恩·基夫(Brian Keefe)要求该球员在全场盯防福克斯。结果是福克斯获得了犯规和额外的罚球机会，这位陷入困境的奇才队防守球员觉得这是不可避免的结果。
“他走到他的队友身边说，‘教练要求我全场紧逼他，’ ”文班亚马回忆道。“ ‘他不知道他是谁吗？’”
简而言之，马刺队正在逐渐了解福克斯。随着文班亚马和福克斯彼此了解得越来越深入？
“这将会令人兴奋，”索汉说道。
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, dunks past Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, grabs the ball against Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes, center, and guard Jordan Poole (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) passes the ball next to Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) goes to the basket against Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes (22) and guard Jordan Poole (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) goes to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game past Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24), Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) fouls San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
点击查看原文：Chemistry building for Spurs' Fox and Wembanyama
Chemistry building for Spurs’ Fox and Wembanyama
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) goes to the basket past Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) and guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
BOSTON – The video boards and LED screens at Washington’s Capitol One Arena frequently flashed the colors of the French flag.
The halftime entertainment featured an acrobatic troupe from France. A mock replica of the Eiffel Tower was wheeled out on the court for postgame photo opportunities.
If Victor Wembanyama hadn’t known better Monday, he might have thought he was back in Paris.
As it was, the fact the Wizards scheduled French Heritage Night to coincide with the Spurs’ lone trip to the nation’s capital this season did not strike Wembanyama as a coincidence.
“I’m sure it wasn’t, right?” the French-born Spurs center asked rhetorically.
If Wembanyama needed further proof he wasn’t in Paris anymore, all he had to do was look at his new tag-team partner with the game on the line.
De’Aaron Fox was not on the team when the Spurs played a pair of games on Wembanyama’s home turf in Paris last month.
He is here now.
With Wembanyama scoring 31 points and Fox tallying 30, and each masterfully taking turns down the stretch of another tight game, the Spurs not only got away with a 131-121 victory over the Wizards.
They also provided a glimpse of what might become possible as the symbiosis between the team’s new star tandem solidifies.
“It’s definitely evolving,” Fox said after his fourth game with the Spurs after being traded from Sacramento. “We’re trying to develop that kind of chemistry, develop whatever kind of two-man game. It’s a learning process.”
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
That process continues Wednesday as the Spurs complete the pre All-Star portion of their rodeo trip with a game in Boston against the 38-16 Celtics.
Boston should prove a stiffer test for the Spurs’ new dynamic duo than the NBA-worst Wizards could offer. Still, the Spurs believe there are lessons to be drawn from Monday, when Wembanyama and Fox combined for their most points together in the early throes of their partnership.
“We’re learning the environment for those guys to play in – both them together and how everyone fits around that,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “It will take some time.”
Against the Wizards, the project appeared ahead of schedule.
Wembanyama shot the Spurs to an 18-point lead in the first quarter, scoring 14 of his points in the frame.
After Washington rallied to make a game of it, Wembanyama teamed with Fox down the stretch to bring the victory to the finish line.
The pair combined for 22 points in the fourth quarter, including all 18 of the Spurs’ points during a 7:13 stretch that salted the game away. It marked the Spurs’ 23rd victory of the season, a total the club has not reached since Feb. 16, 2002.
The Spurs can only hope there is more where that came from with Fox and Wembanyama sharing the driver’s seat.
“Let’s be real, that’s our top two players,” said forward Jeremy Sochan, who added 14 points. “They have the keys to the offense. When they have it going, it’s their time.”
Though the alliance is still in its early stages, it is clear Wembanyama has never had a running mate quite like the speedy Fox, who was an All-Star and All-NBA selection in 2022-23.
The 27-year-old guard has topped 20 points in three of his first four games with the Spurs, a feat accomplished by only three others in franchise history: David Robinson, Terry Cummings and DeMar DeRozan.
“He’s just a constant threat,” Wembanyama said. “He can go by you in a second.”
Fox’s speed is not only good for getting to the rim, but also for drawing fouls.
He got to the free-throw line 18 times Monday, the most attempts for a Spurs player since Jakob Poeltl tried 21 foul shots at Indiana on Oct. 21, 2022.
Fox made 15 of his attempts, accounting for half his points.
“Just continue to play downhill, that’s what you try to do,” Fox said. “I think all of their fouls were reach-in fouls, so I think it was more what they were doing than what I was doing. If they’re going to do that, you just continue to try and touch the paint and good things happen.”
With the game in the balance Monday, Wembanyama and Fox were uncommonly connected. Two plays told the tale.
One came with 5:09 to play, when Fox broke down the Wizards’ defense then found Wembanyama on an easy-does-it lob to put the Spurs ahead by nine.
After Washington slashed the deficit to 120-115, Wembanyama found Fox on a backdoor cut for a layup that re-inflated the Spurs’ lead.
A key thing to note is the cut Fox made was not the first option on the play.
“It was not the plan,” Wembanyama said. “It was the Plan B.”
Earlier in Monday’s game, Wembanyama got a chuckle when he overheard a Washington player talking to a teammate about having to defend Fox.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe had asked the player to guard Fox the length of the court. The result was a foul and bonus free throws for Fox, an outcome the beleaguered Wizards defender found inevitable.
“He went to his teammate and said, ‘Coach asked me to pick him up full court,’ ” Wembanyama recounted. “ ‘Does he not know him?’ ”
In short order, the Spurs are getting to know Fox. And as Wembanyama and Fox get to know one another?
“It’s going to be exciting,” Sochan said.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News