By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-11 00:19:49
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（左）与队友迪伦·哈珀（右）在2025年10月10日于圣安东尼奥举行的一场对阵犹他爵士的NBA季前赛上半场进行交流。 (美联社图片/Darren Abate)
迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 清楚，来到NBA，他将面临陡峭的学习曲线。
在一座新城市，从事一份新工作，身边都是成年人——这对任何领域的任何一个19岁的年轻人来说都绝非易事。
但当你的一位新同事是个不折不扣的“外星人”时，你该怎么办？
“你必须彻底转变你的思维，”哈珀说。
在周五马刺以134-130加时战胜爵士的比赛中，哈珀在第一节首次尝试在全场观众面前为身高7英尺4英寸的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 送出空中接力传球。结果还算不错。
哈珀承认，这记传球有点太低了。但文班亚马还是接到了球，完成一记空中接力扣篮，并造成了犹他队凯文·乐福 (Kevin Love) 的犯规。
赛后，文班亚马称这次进攻“很危险”，他认为乐福垫脚了。
而哈珀则保证，下一次会传出更好的球。
“我本应该把球传得更高一些的，”哈珀说道。
文班亚马在上半场得到22分和7个篮板，下半场则作壁上观。德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 贡献了18分。
马刺主力在下半场大部分时间里都在休息，双向合同球员大卫·琼斯·加西亚 (David Jones Garcia) 在关键时刻接管了比赛。他的全部20分都是在第三节之后得到的。
比赛结束时，弗罗斯特银行中心的周五夜场观众们高呼着琼斯·加西亚的名字。
“这很有趣，”文班亚马说。“显然这只是季前赛，但我们是竞争者，只要在场上，我们就想赢。如果需要的话，我们愿意打上一整晚。”
以下是马刺队在周五取胜后的三大看点，此役过后，马刺队在季前赛中取得3胜0负的战绩：
1. 迪伦·哈珀无缝融入
对马刺而言，本场比赛的焦点无疑是哈珀的首秀——这位身高6英尺6英寸的后卫是他们在六月份用榜眼签选中的球员。
由于上个月接受了左手（投篮手）拇指韧带撕裂修复手术，哈珀缺席了马刺队的前两场季前赛。
周五，他在第一节还剩6分12秒时首次替补登场。
仅仅九秒后，哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 就送出一记空切传球，助攻哈珀上篮得手。
圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀（左）在2025年10月10日于圣安东尼奥举行的对阵犹他爵士的NBA季前赛前，与马刺球员发展教练蒂姆·马丁 (Tim Martin)（右）坐在一起。 (美联社图片/Darren Abate)
“我想这源于对自己训练和能力的信任，”哈珀说。“队友们给了我巨大的支持。他们在我身后给予的信心非常有帮助。”
哈珀在18分钟的上场时间里得到9分，送出3次助攻，并展现了全场防守的决心。他承诺，一旦体能储备跟上，他的防守将变得更加坚韧。当球在他手中时，他能引领马刺的进攻直冲篮筐。
当然，最精彩的助攻无疑是给文班亚马的那记空接传球。
“能和他一起在场上打球感觉很好，”文班亚马谈到这位前罗格斯大学的杰出球员时说。“他看起来已经准备好了，传出那样的球时显得非常自如。”
尽管在单场比赛的样本中，正负值可能具有欺骗性，但哈珀本场对阵爵士时+20的正负值，真实地反映了他的影响力。
2. 文班深知：罚球从不是“白给”的
在文班亚马的新秀赛季，一位马刺工作人员曾做出过一个预测，我们在此转述一下大意：一旦文班学会如何利用他那独角兽般的特质来制造犯规，他将变得势不可挡，而比赛也将因此变得索然无味。
周五的比赛就印证了这一点。
在16分钟的上场时间里，文班亚马10次站上罚球线，并命中其中9球。仅在第二节，他就获得了7次罚球机会。
在2025年10月10日于圣安东尼奥举行的对阵犹他爵士的NBA季前赛加时赛中，马刺后卫大卫·琼斯·加西亚（左）得分后，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马（中）进行庆祝。 (美联社图片/Darren Abate)
在他前两个NBA赛季中，文班亚马场均罚球次数不足5次。他希望在即将到来的新赛季中，能有更多像周五这样频频站上罚球线的比赛。
他明白，这至少有一部分取决于他自己。
“罚球是能够更好地利用自己身体的自然结果，”文班亚马说。“只有当你每次进攻都不选择躲避对抗时，才能获得罚球。你必须冲击篮筐，而冲击篮筐也意味着要对抗防守的压力，对抗自己的惯性。这需要力量和控制力。”
3. 大卫·琼斯·加西亚：梦回拉斯维加斯
在代表马刺夏季联赛队于旧金山和拉斯维加斯打出明星级表现后，俱乐部与大卫·琼斯·加西亚签下了一份双向合同。
这份合同意味着这位多米尼加后卫在即将到来的赛季中将主要效力于G联赛，但他也可以随时被NBA球队征召，承担临时任务。
从这个角度看，他正是帮助马刺在周五这场季前赛中拿下胜利的完美人选。
在马刺主力早已打卡下班的情况下，琼斯·加西亚在第四节和加时赛中接管了比赛，一次又一次地打出关键表现。
“赢球的感觉太棒了，”琼斯·加西亚说。“我当时只是想努力赢下这场比赛。”
琼斯·加西亚在加时赛中独得8分。
在这个充满关键表现的夜晚，最重要的一球出现在加时赛还剩一分多钟的时候。
当时爵士落后四分，犹他爵士队前锋布莱斯·森萨博 (Brice Sensabaugh) 抢断了马刺新秀卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 的传球，并试图将球传给前场的队友。琼斯·加西亚跃起拦截了森萨博的传球路线，完成抢断后一条龙上篮得手，帮助马刺以130-124领先。
“我想我读懂了他的眼神，”琼斯·加西亚说。“我能看出来他准备把球传给快下的队友。那个位置完全是空位。在他传球的瞬间，我恰好抓住了完美的时机。”
本赛季，琼斯·加西亚可能不会在NBA获得太多上场时间，但这位23岁的球员在周五的比赛中无疑彰显了自己的存在感。
“他很有好胜心，”教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说。“很明显，他持球时充满活力，并且有能力将球送入篮筐。如果他能将比赛中其他方面的表现提升到与之匹配的水平，那么他将有真正的机会。”
Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Riley Minix (27) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) goes to the basket against San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) heads into the crowd as he leaps for the ball during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks, front left, is fouled as he goes to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz players sit on the bench during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz forward Kyle Anderson (2) drives against San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, center, grabs the rebound ahead of Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, left, during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates after a basket with teammate Dylan Harper, center left, during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson watches play during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy signals to his players during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
点击查看原文：Jones Garcia carried Spurs late vs. Jazz, but Harper's debut the show
Jones Garcia carried Spurs late vs. Jazz, but Harper’s debut the show
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, speaks with teammate Dylan Harper, right, during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Dylan Harper knew the learning curve would be steep coming to the NBA.
A new job in a new city surrounded by grown men would be tough for any 19-year-old in any field.
But what do you do when one of your new co-workers is a certified alien?
“You have to flip your brain,” Harper said.
Harper’s first attempt at throwing a lob pass to the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama in front of a live audience came in the first quarter of the Spurs’ 134-130 overtime victory over Utah on Friday. It worked out OK.
The pass was a little too low, Harper admitted. Wembanyama gathered the ball anyway, finishing an alley-oop dunk and drawing a foul on Utah’s Kevin Love.
Afterward, Wembanyama called the play “dangerous,” thinking Love undercut him.
Harper, meanwhile, promised to throw a better ball next time.
“I should have threw it a lot higher,” Harper said.
Wembanyama scored 22 points with seven rebounds in the first half, then sat out the second. Devin Vassell added 18 points.
With the Spurs’ regulars resting for most of the second half, two-way player David Jones Garcia took over down the stretch. He scored all 20 of his points after the third quarter.
By game’s end, the Friday night crowd at the Frost Bank Center were chanting Jones Garcia’s name.
“It was fun,” Wembanyama said. “Obviously it’s preseason, but we’re competitors and when we’re on the court we want to win. We would’ve kept going all night if we needed to.”
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s victory, which improved the Spurs to 3-0 during the preseason:
1. Dylan Harper wastes little time finding fit
For the Spurs, the storyline of the game was the debut of Harper, the 6-foot-6 guard they drafted second overall in June.
Harper missed the Spurs’ first two preseason games recovering from surgery last month to repair a torn ligament in his left (shooting) thumb.
He checked into the game for the first time Friday with 6:12 remaining in the first quarter.
Nine seconds later, Harrison Barnes hit Harper with a backdoor pass for a layup.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, left, sits with Spurs player development coach Tim Martin, right, before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
“I think just trusting my work and my ability,” Harper said. “My teammates do a great job of empowering me. Having that confidence behind me is very helpful.”
Harper finished with nine points in 18 minutes, logged three assists and played full-court defense that he promises will become even more dogged once his conditioning catches up. He had the Spurs’ offense running downhill when the ball was in his hands.
The highlight assist, of course, was the lob to Wembanyama.
“It is good to be on the court with him,” Wembanyama said of the former Rutgers standout. “He looks ready, very comfortable already throwing these kind of passes.”
Though a plus-minus score can be deceiving in a single-game sample size, Harper’s plus-20 against the Jazz felt accurate.
2. Wemby understands free throws are never free
At one point during Wembanyama’s rookie season, a Spurs staffer made a prediction that we will paraphrase here: Once Wemby learns how to use his unicorn-ness to draw fouls, he will become unstoppable and the games will become boring.
Friday night provided an example of that.
Wembanyama found his way to the foul line 10 times during his 16 minutes of floor time, making nine of those attempts. He went to the charity stripe seven times in the second quarter alone.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, center, celebrates after a basket by Spurs guard David Jones Garcia, left, in overtime during a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Having averaged a little less than five free-throw attempts per game during his first two NBA seasons, Wembanyama hopes to have more freebie-filled games like Friday’s in the season to come.
He understands at least some of that is up to him.
“The free throws are a by product of being able to use your body better,” Wembanyama said. “You get free throws only if you don’t fade every time. You go toward the basket, but going toward the basket also means fighting the pressure of the defense and fighting against your own momentum. That takes strength and control.”
3. A Vegas flashback for David Jones Garcia
After David Jones Garcia turned in a star turn with the Spurs’ Summer League team in San Francisco and Las Vegas, the club signed him to a two-way contract.
That contract will mostly keep the Dominican guard in the G League for the season to come, though he will be available for spot duty with the NBA club.
In that, he was the perfect player to help the Spurs put Friday’s preseason game over the hump.
With the Spurs’ regulars having long since called it a night, Jones Garcia took over in the fourth quarter and overtime, making play after play after play.
“It feels great to win,” Jones Garcia said. “I was just trying to win the game.”
Jones Garcia scored eight of his points in overtime.
The most important play in night filled with them came with a little more than a minute to play in the extra frame.
With Utah behind by four, Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh stole a pass from Spurs rookie Carter Bryant and tried to throw the ball ahead to a teammate. Jones Garcia leapt into Sensabaugh’s path, intercepted the pass and finished a driving layup to push the Spurs ahead 130-124.
“I guess I read his eyes,” Jones Garcia said. “I could tell he was going to throw it to the outlet. He was wide open. I just got the timing perfect when he passed the ball.”
Jones Garcia might not be ticketed for big minutes in the NBA this season, but the 23-year-old certainly made his presence felt Friday.
“He’s competitive,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “He is obviously dynamic with the basketball and has the ability to put the ball in the hole. If he can raise that other part of his game to match that, then he’s got a real chance.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News