By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-04-03 13:35:09
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。
在周三晚的比赛中，朱利安·尚帕涅(Julian Champagnie)精准地总结了第四节所发生的一切，马刺得以在筋疲力尽、阵容不整的两队对决中，以113-106的比分从丹佛带走一场胜利。
“两个老家伙挺身而出，‘老叔’和‘老叔’，”尚帕涅这样形容39岁的克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)和32岁的哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)，马刺的两位老将，正如他们年轻的队友喜欢称呼的那样。
“他们在关键时刻发挥了巨大作用，实际上是整场比赛都是如此。”
巴恩斯拿下20分和8个篮板，保罗贡献17分和8次助攻，马刺（32胜44负）终结了本赛季最长的五连败，为他们在周五晚在霜冻银行中心与东部联盟领头羊克利夫兰（61胜15负）的重赛注入了情感动力。
3月27日在克利夫兰，在全明星中锋贾莱特·阿伦(Jarrett Allen)创赛季新高的29分带领下，骑士队以124-116的比分挫败了马刺的爆冷尝试。
周三，掘金在第二节一度落后20分的情况下奋起直追，在比赛还剩10分31秒时，贾伦·皮克特(Jalen Pickett)的上篮帮助掘金以90-88反超。两分钟后，比分战成95-95平，随后保罗在30秒内连续命中两个三分球，帮助马刺以101-95取得领先，并奠定了胜局。
在保罗命中关键三分球的三分钟后，轮到巴恩斯挺身而出贡献关键进球。在马刺以105-101领先时，他利用一次背后运球的加速，完成一次上篮得分。
“我自己都有些惊讶，”巴恩斯说道。
保罗并不感到惊讶。
“我知道HB的能力，”保罗说。“他也知道。像这样的比赛，你能够更多地展示你所能做的事情。”
新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)险些拿到职业生涯首次三双，他得到15分，职业生涯最高的15个篮板和9次助攻，马刺只有9名球员可以出战。桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)得到16分和10个篮板，这是他本赛季的第二次两双。
总共有7名马刺球员得分上双。布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)得到赛季最高的15分，尚帕涅得到14分，马尔基·布兰纳姆(Malaki Branham)贡献了13分。
“这是一场非常好的团队胜利，”马刺代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说。“有些球员一直在努力训练并等待机会，他们站了出来，今晚所有九名球员都有贡献，打出了非常关键的回合。”
由于维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)（血栓）和达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)（手指手术）缺席，马刺队正在完成本赛季的比赛，在周二晚上主场以116-105输给奥兰多魔术队后，这是他们五天内的第四场比赛。更糟糕的是，他们还缺少德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)（左脚踝扭伤）、杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（下背部痉挛）、凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)（下背部紧张）和查尔斯·巴锡(Charles Bassey)（左膝骨挫伤）。
“在比赛之前，我们说，‘让我们出去，找到赢得比赛的方法’，”保罗说道。
拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克(Russell Westbrook)带领掘金（47胜30负）得到30分，外加11个篮板，6次助攻和3次抢断。皮克特在他职业生涯的第二次首发中，拿到了他的第一个三双，得到17分，11个篮板和10次助攻。
尽管丹佛正在为西部联盟的季后赛席位而战，但掘金主教练迈克尔·马龙(Michael Malone)让他的全部五名首发球员都休战，包括MVP候选人尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokic)，约基奇在周二以140-139双加时输给明尼苏达的比赛中，在53分钟内得到职业生涯最高的61分。
克里斯蒂安·布劳恩(Christian Braun)一直受到脚痛的困扰，并且也在对阵森林狼队的比赛中打了53分钟，此外阿隆·戈登(Aaron Gordon)（小腿）、贾马尔·穆雷(Jamal Murray)（腿筋）和迈克尔·波特(Michael Porter Jr.)（正在处理家庭事务，并且错过了周二晚上的比赛）都和约基奇一样穿着便服。
虽然36岁的威斯布鲁克得到30分，但他第四节一分未得。保罗则不然，他在最后一节得到8分，外加3个篮板，3次助攻和1次盖帽。
第四节末，这位未来的名人堂控球后卫忘记了他只有6英尺高，在争抢篮板时撞上了6英尺11英寸、265磅的德安德烈·乔丹(DeAndre Jordan)。
这次碰撞让保罗倒地，巴恩斯则为他的老队友鼓掌。
“这表明了CP是谁，他和40岁的人一样，仍然试图冲进去，跳起来抢篮板，”巴恩斯说。“我不知道他在想什么，但他想赢，所以他把自己的身体放在了第一位。”
除了迫切希望结束马刺的连败之外，保罗传奇的竞争精神也得到了充分发挥，因为他正在面对他在比赛中最亲密的一些朋友。
“和他们比赛总是很有趣，”保罗说道。“DJ和Russ真的就像我的兄弟一样。我们在这个联盟里已经很久了。你遇到很多球员，他们只是你的队友或对手等等，但这两个家伙，我和他们非常亲密。还有迈克尔·马龙也是。我们关系真的很亲密。”
多年前，保罗和马龙在新奥尔良建立了深厚的友谊，当时保罗是一位年轻的球星，而马龙是一位冉冉升起的助理教练。
当马龙看到马刺有几名球员缺席时，他知道在保罗的带领下，他们仍然会保持高水平的竞争力。
“克里斯是一位名人堂球员，永远不要低估一位名人堂球员，以及像克里斯这样具有竞争力的球员，”马龙说。“克里斯是我见过的最有竞争力和领导力的人之一。”
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes gestures after hitting a 3-point shot against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, center, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forwards Zeke Nnaji, left, and Spencer Jones defend in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan, left, blocks a shot by San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley, second from left, drives to the basket as, from left, Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan, forward Hunter Tyson and guard Jalen Pickett defend in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, left, throws a pass over Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
点击查看原文：Spurs face Cavs on a high after Barnes, Paul lead them past Denver
Spurs face Cavs on a high after Barnes, Paul lead them past Denver
Julian Champagnie summed up nicely what happened in the fourth quarter Wednesday night to allow the Spurs to escape Denver with a 113-106 win over the Nuggets in a clash of weary, depleted teams.
"Two old guys coming through, ‘Unc’ and ‘Unc,’ " Champagnie said of Chris Paul, 39, and Harrison Barnes, 32, the Spurs two aging uncles, as their younger teammates like to call them.
“They came up big down the stretch, really the whole game.”
Barnes had 20 points and eight rebounds, Paul added 17 points and eight assists, and the Spurs (32-44) snapped their season-worst five-game losing streak to give them an emotional lift heading into Friday night’s rematch with Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland (61-15) at the Frost Bank Center.
Led by All-Star center Jarrett Allen’s season-high 29 points, the Cavaliers thwarted the Spurs’ upset bid, 124-116, March 27 in Cleveland.
On Wednesday, Denver came from 20 points down in the second quarter to take a 90-88 lead on Jalen Pickett’s driving layup with 10:31 left. Two minutes later, the score was knotted at 95-95 before Paul put the Spurs ahead for good by sinking consecutive 3-pointers in a 30-second span for a 101-95 advantage.
Three minutes after Paul’s big buckets from deep, it was Barnes’ turn to deliver a clutch basket. With the Spurs leading 105-101, he scored on a driving layup that began with him picking up a head of steam with a behind-the-back dribble.
“I surprised myself with that one,” Barnes said.
It didn’t surprise Paul.
“I know that about HB,” Paul said. “He knows it, too. Games like this, you get to showcase a little bit more of the things you’re capable of.”
Rookie Stephon Castle nearly notched his first career triple-double, finishing with 15 points, a career-best 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Spurs, who had only nine players suit up. Sandro Mamukelashvili finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
In all, seven players scored in double figures for the Spurs. Blake Wesley had a season-high 15 points, Champagnie finished with 14 and Malaki Branham chipped in 13.
“It was a really good team win,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We had guys that stepped up that had been working and waiting for their opportunity, and all nine guys had moments tonight with really big plays.”
The Spurs, who are finishing the season without stars Victor Wembanyama (blood clot) and De’Aaron Fox (finger surgery), played their fourth game in five nights after Tuesday night’s 116-105 home loss to Orlando. Making matters worse, they were without Devin Vassell (left ankle sprain). Jeremy Sochan (lower back spasms), Keldon Johnson (tight lower back) and Charles Bassey (left knee bone bruise).
"Before we played, we said, ‘Let’s go out here and find a way to win,’ " Paul said.
Russell Westbrook led the Nuggets (47-30) with 30 points to go along with 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. In his second career start, Pickett recorded his first triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Even though Denver is fighting for playoff seeding in the Western Conference, Nuggets coach Michael Malone sat all five of his starters, including MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, who scored a career-best 61 points in 53 minutes in the 140-139 double-overtime loss to Minnesota on Tuesday.
Christian Braun, who’s been dealing with a sore foot and also logged 53 minutes against the Timberwolves, Aaron Gordon (calf), Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Michael Porter Jr., who is taking care of a family situation and also missed Tuesday night’s game, joined Jokic in street clothes.
Although Westbrook, 36, scored 30, he didn’t have a single point in the fourth quarter. That wasn’t true of Paul, who had eight points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and one block in the final frame.
Late in the fourth quarter, the future Hall of Fame point guard forgot he stands just 6-foot and slammed into 6-11, 265-pound DeAndre Jordan in pursuit of a rebound.
The collision sent Paul sprawling and had Barnes applauding his fellow graybeard.
“That is indicative of who CP is, him and 40 years old still trying to run in there and jump in and get that rebound,” Barnes said. “I don’t know what he was thinking, but he wanted to win so he puts his body on the line.”
In addition to desperately wanting to end the Spurs’ losing streak, Paul’s legendary competitive juices were flowing big time because he was facing some of his closest friends in the game.
“It’s always fun to play against them guys,” Paul said. “DJ and Russ are seriously like my brothers. We’ve been in this league so long. There are a lot of guys that you just come across as teammates or opponents or whatnot, but them two guys, I’m extremely close with. And Michael Malone too. We are really close.”
Paul and Malone bonded years ago in New Orleans, when Paul was a young star and Malone an up-and-coming assistant coach.
When Malone saw the Spurs had several players out, he knew they would still compete at a high level with Paul leading them.
“Chris is a Hall of Famer, and never underestimate a Hall of Famer and a guy that competes like Chris does,” Malone said. “Chris is one of the best competitors and leaders I’ve ever been around.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News