By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-11-08 00:19:29
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (3号) 在2025年11月7日，星期五，于圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA杯赛上半场中，对位休斯顿火箭队前锋小贾巴里·史密斯 (10号) 持球突破。(美联社照片/埃里克·盖伊)
马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 在周五晚的篮板拼抢中大显身手，也就是说，他在与内线的长人对抗中不仅站稳了脚跟，甚至更胜一筹。
休斯顿火箭队此番做客霜冻银行中心，他们阵中拥有一位身高6英尺7英寸的后卫阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson)，以及另外三名身高6英尺10英寸或更高的首发球员：阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun)、小贾巴里·史密斯 (Jabari Smith Jr.) 和凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)。此外，他们替补席上还有身高同为6英尺10英寸或更高的史蒂文·亚当斯 (Steven Adams) 和克林特·卡佩拉 (Clint Capela)。
但正是身高6英尺6英寸的凯尔登·约翰逊上演了一场拼抢进攻篮板的教学课，为球队赢得了至关重要的额外进攻机会。
在替补出场的27分钟里，这位现役马刺队中效力时间最长的球员抢下了6个篮板，其中包括5个进攻篮板，追平了他的赛季新高。他还贡献了8分、创赛季新高的4次助攻和1次抢断，帮助马刺队以121-110战胜火箭队（5胜3负），将战绩提升至6胜2负，并在这场两队的NBA杯赛揭幕战中取得开门红。
“这能彻底改变比赛的走向，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 谈到这位七年级球员对进攻篮板的不懈追逐时说道。
那么，一位身材强壮但身高不足的侧翼球员，究竟是如何在面对体型远大于自己的对手时，如此高效地找到球的落点呢？
“我觉得这纯粹是本能，就是去预判球的落点，判断投篮来自哪个方向，”凯尔登·约翰逊在更衣室里穿上靴子、戴上牛仔帽后说道。
他认为，这是他作为马刺队自封的“能量小子”所扮演角色中的重要一环。
圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (3号) 在2025年11月7日，星期五，于圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA杯赛上半场中，于休斯顿火箭队中锋阿尔佩伦·申京（左）和中锋史蒂文·亚当斯（12号）之间持球突破。(美联社照片/埃里克·盖伊)
本赛季至今，他场均贡献2.5个进攻篮板，进攻篮板率高达12.5%，排名联盟第10位，这使他成为该榜单前十名中唯一身高不足6英尺10英寸的球员。该数据衡量的是一名球员在场时，其抢下的进攻篮板占全队总进攻篮板的百分比。
“我每晚都必须带来这种能量，想办法在任何可能的地方影响比赛，”他说道。
在这位充满活力的弗吉尼亚州本地球员的带动下，身材更矮小的马刺队在总篮板数上仅以40-41落后。
“他们是更强硬的球队，”休斯顿主教练艾米·乌度卡 (Ime Udoka) 说。“他们在场上完全压制了我们，在拼抢积极性上胜过了我们。”
米奇·约翰逊表示，凯尔登·约翰逊对进攻篮板的不懈拼抢是具有感染力的。
“额外的传球、进攻篮板——这些都是你努力想打造成球队特质的东西，”这位教练说。“如果你能有一两个催化剂来真正带动整个团队，那么有时候你就能让其他人也加入进来，这总是件好事。”
前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 表示，凯尔登·约翰逊成功的秘诀在于，没有人比他更拼。
“他拥有最充沛的能量，我认为在这方面他是全NBA最棒的，毋庸置疑，”尚帕尼说。“他每场比赛都这样做，无论我们在哪里，对手是谁，他自己打得怎么样，或者他打了多久。”
点击查看原文：How Spurs' Keldon Johnson beat bigger Rockets on boards
How Spurs’ Keldon Johnson beat bigger Rockets on boards
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) drives to the basket against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson did his thing on the boards Friday night, which is to say he held his own and then some against the redwoods in the paint.
Houston arrived at the Frost Bank Center with a 6-foot-7 guard in Amen Thompson and three other starters 6-10 or taller in Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Kevin Durant. They also had Steven Adams and Clint Capela, both 6-10 or taller, coming off the bench.
But it was the 6-6 Johnson who put on a clinic on how to rip down offensive rebounds to give his team vital extra possessions.
In 27 minutes off the bench, the longest tenured current Spur corralled six boards, including five on the offensive end to match his season high. He also had eight points, a season-best four assists and a steal to help the Spurs improve to 6-2 with a 121-110 win over the Rockets (5-3) in the NBA Cup opener for both teams.
“It is a game changer,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the seventh-year player’s relentless pursuit of offensive caroms.
So just how does a muscular yet undersized wing find the ball so effectively against much bigger foes?
“I feel like it’s just instinct, just feeling out where the ball is going to be, where the shot is coming from,” Keldon Johnson said in the locker room after pulling on his boots and donning his cowboy hat.
He believes it’s an important part of his role as the Spurs’ self-proclaimed “energy guy.”
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) drives to the basket between Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, left, and center Steven Adams (12) during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in San Antonio, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
For the season, he’s averaging 2.5 offensive rebounds and ranks 10th in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage at 12.5, making him the only player under 6-10 on that list, which measures the percentage of a team’s offensive rebounds a player has while on the court.
“I got to bring that every night and find a way to impact the game wherever that may be,” he said.
With the energetic Virginia native setting the tone, the smaller Spurs were outrebounded by just a 41-40 count.
“They were the tougher team,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “They kind of punked us out there and outhustled us.”
Mitch Johnson said Keldon Johnson’s relentless pursuit of offensive rebounds is contagious.
“Extra passes, offensive rebounds — those are things you try to build as an identity,” the coach said. “And if you can have a catalyst or two to really carry the group, then sometimes you get some other people joined in on it, which is always good.”
Forward Julian Champagnie said the secret to Keldon Johnson’s success is nobody outhustles him.
“He has the most energy, and I think he’s the best at that in the NBA, period,” Champagnie said. “He does that every game, no matter where we are, who we’re playing, how he’s playing, how much he’s playing.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News
