By Tom Orsborn | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-04-03 13:28:26
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。
丹佛掘金队后卫拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克（Russell Westbrook，左）在2025年4月2日周三丹佛举行的一场NBA篮球比赛的上半场，突破圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)的防守。(美联社图片/David Zalubowski)
凭借周三在丹佛以 113-106 战胜掘金的比赛，马刺队的战绩提升至 32胜44负，比过去两个赛季的最终战绩增加了10场胜利。
与底特律的逆转（42胜34负，+28）相比，这是一个较为温和的成就。但马刺队在一个赛季中经历了主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在11月2日遭遇轻微中风，全明星中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在2月20日遭遇血栓，以及爆发力十足的控球后卫达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)在3月18日接受手部手术。
“慢动作也比没有动作好，”马刺队前锋朱利安·尚帕尼说起球队的进步时表示。
“每天、每场比赛都在进步。”
马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说：“我们正朝着正确的方向前进。”
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约翰逊功不可没，他经常提醒马刺队自怨自艾是浪费时间。
约翰逊说：“偶尔会有一支球队健康地度过一整年，没有任何意外情况。我们今年遇到了一些事情。我们所面对的许多球队也是如此。没有人关心，没有人同情你。”
瓦塞尔因脚踝问题缺阵
约翰逊表示，他决定让后卫德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)对阵掘金时休息，因为在过去几场比赛中他一直带著左脚踝扭伤上场，“有点太冒险了”。
约翰逊说：“这是考虑到大局，让他保持健康，所以我们做出了这个决定。”
尚帕尼代替瓦塞尔首发，在 32 分钟内得到 14 分、4 个篮板、2 次助攻和 1 次抢断。
瓦塞尔等人的受伤迫使马刺队仅以 9 名可用球员面对掘金队。
约翰逊说，马刺队对前锋杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)（下背部痉挛）在缺席过去两场比赛后对阵克利夫兰的比赛中复出“谨慎乐观”。
马刺队周三的比赛中也没有第六人凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)（下背部紧张）。
米奇·约翰逊说：“（周二晚上对阵奥兰多的比赛中）他开始感到紧张。他试图接受治疗，试图放松一下。他是个斗士，但他的健康状况不足以参加今晚的比赛。”
马刺队周三的比赛中也没有查尔斯·巴锡(Charles Bassey)。这位替补中锋因伤病管理连续缺席了他的第二场比赛，此前他在周日对阵金州勇士队的比赛中复出，此前他因左膝骨挫伤连续缺席了 18 场比赛。
麦克劳林投进了他作为马刺球员最重要的一个球
控球后卫乔丹·麦克劳林(Jordan McLaughlin)自从 2 月 3 日作为一笔三方重磅交易的添头来到马刺队，将福克斯从萨克拉门托带到圣安东尼奥后，上场时间很少。
但这并没有阻止他在第四节投进一个关键的三分球，在丹佛队取得本场比赛的首次领先之后，帮助马刺队重新取得领先。
麦克劳林谈到毫不犹豫地从深处出手时说：“本能会爆发出来。我热爱这项运动。我喜欢比赛中出现的各种情况。落后三分，领先三分，无论是什么情况，都要保持积极。我感觉自己有机会，然后自信地出手并命中了。”
麦克劳林并不是丹佛队中唯一站出来的替补。桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)得到 16 分和 10 个篮板，布雷克·韦斯利(Blake Wesley)凭借三个三分球得到赛季最高的 15 分，马莱基·布兰纳姆(Malaki Branham)得到 13 分。
布兰纳姆说：“绝对很高兴能上场打球。”他上场 20 分钟，仅差两分钟就追平了他的赛季最高纪录。
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔展现了他比赛的各个方面
马刺队新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)周三抢下赛季最佳的 15 个篮板，成为自 2017-18 赛季的本·西蒙斯(Ben Simmons)以来首位单场比赛得到 30 分或更多分，15 个或更多篮板以及 14 个或更多助攻的新秀。
在 33 分钟内，卡斯尔得到 15 分和 9 次助攻，对手是掘金队。
丹佛队主教练迈克尔·马龙(Michael Malone)评价卡斯尔：“他充满活力，他富有运动能力，他极具爆发力。”
San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili pulls in a rebound against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver.
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)
点击查看原文：Why the Spurs appreciate modest improvement over last season
Why the Spurs appreciate modest improvement over last season
Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, left, drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
With Wednesday’s 113-106 win at Denver, the Spurs improved to 32-44, a spike of 10 wins over what they finished with in each of the last two seasons.
When compared to the turnaround of Detroit (42-34, plus-28), it’s a modest achievement. But the Spurs did it in a season in which they lost coach Gregg Popovich to a mild stroke Nov. 2, All-Star center Victor Wembanyama to a blood clot Feb. 20 and explosive point guard De’Aaron Fox to hand surgery March 18.
“Slow motion is better than no motion,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said of the team’s improvement.
“Just getting better day by day, game by game.”
Said acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, “We’re moving in the right direction.”
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Johnson deserves a lot of credit for the improvement after reminding the Spurs frequently that self-pity is a waste of time.
“Every now and then you have a team that has one of those years and kind of stays healthy, no unexpected circumstances,” Johnson said. “We have had stuff this year. So have a lot of teams we’ve played. No one cares. No one feels sorry for you.”
Ankle issue sidelines Vassell
Johnson said he decided to rest guard Devin Vassell against Denver because he was “getting a little bit too much in the danger zone” after playing on a sprained left ankle the past several games.
“It’s being mindful of the big picture, keeping him healthy, and so we made the call,” Johnson said.
Champagnie started in place of Vassell and finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes.
Injuries to Vassell and others forced the Spurs to face the Nuggets with just nine available players.
The Spurs are “cautiously optimistic” forward Jeremy Sochan (lower back spasms) will return against Cleveland after he missed the last two games, Johnson said.
The Spurs also played Wednesday without sixth man Keldon Johnson (tight lower back).
“It tightened up (against Orlando on Tuesday night),” Mitch Johnson said. “He tried to get it treated, tried to get it loosened up. He’s a warrior, but he just wasn’t healthy enough to play tonight.”
The Spurs were also without Charles Bassey on Wednesday. The reserve center missed his second game in a row for injury management after he returned against Golden State on Sunday after missing the previous 18 games in a row with a bone bruise in his left knee.
McLaughlin had his biggest bucket as a Spur
Point guard Jordan McLaughlin has seen little time since coming to the Spurs as a throw-in in the three-team blockbuster trade that brought Fox to San Antonio from Sacramento on Feb. 3.
But that didn’t stop him from taking and hitting a big 3 in the fourth quarter that put the Spurs back in front after Denver had taken its first lead of the game.
“The instincts just kick in,” McLaughlin said of not hesitating to let it fly from deep. “I love this game. I love the different situations and things that come up throughout a game. Down three, up three, whatever it may be, just be aggressive. I felt like I was open and just stepped into it confidently and knocked it down.”
McLaughlin wasn’t the only reserve to step up in Denver. Sandro Mamukelashvili had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Blake Wesley had a season-high 15 points on the strength of three makes from 3-point range and Malaki Branham had 13 points.
“Definitely good to go out there and hoop,” said Branham, who logged 20 minutes, two shy of matching his season high.
Castle shows off all facets of his game
Spurs rookie Stephon Castle grabbed a season-best 15 rebounds Wednesday to become the first rookie since Ben Simmons in 2017-18 to have games with 30 or more points, 15 or more rebounds and 14 or more assists.
In 33 minutes, Castle had 15 points and nine assists against the Nuggets.
“He’s dynamic, he’s athletic, he’s explosive,” Denver coach Michael Malone said of Castle.
By Tom Orsborn, via San Antonio Express-News