By Jeje Gomez | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-11-30 20:30:21
马刺在丹佛击败掘金，成功赢下小组头名，晋级阿联酋航空NBA杯的淘汰赛阶段。对于一支缺少两名首发球员的年轻球队来说，这是一项了不起的成就，尤其是考虑到他们在全部四场比赛中都遭遇了实力强劲的对手。
很快，他们将面临新的挑战，在四分之一决赛中，他们将与湖人展开一场定胜负的对决。那么，接下来会发生什么呢？让我们一探究竟。
四分之一决赛何时进行？对阵情况如何？
四分之一决赛将于12月9日至10日期间举行。高顺位种子队将拥有主场优势，因此，C组头名马刺队将于12月10日客场挑战B组头名湖人队。
在此之前，圣安东尼奥马刺队将先后对阵森林狼、灰熊、魔术、骑士和鹈鹕，并且届时可能会迎来斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 其中一人或双双回归。湖人则将面对鹈鹕、太阳、猛龙、凯尔特人和76人，并且他们将以多一天的休息时间进入四分之一决赛。两队此前曾交手过一次，湖人取得了胜利。
另一场西部四分之一决赛将由C组头名、同时也是小组赛战绩最佳的雷霆队，对阵凭借西部所有小组第二名中最佳战绩获得晋级的外卡球队太阳队。两队曾在C组小组赛中交手，雷霆队毫无悬念地取得了胜利。俄克拉荷马雷霆（OKC）是晋级半决赛的有力竞争者，届时他们将面对湖人与马刺之间的胜者。
东部方面，魔术队在小组赛中表现强势，将以头号种子身份主场迎战外卡球队热火。猛龙队将主场迎战尼克斯，上演一场小组头名之争。东部四分之一决赛将于12月9日进行。
如果马刺晋级，将会如何？
在洛杉矶击败湖人绝非易事。他们目前拥有西部第二好的战绩，并拥有星光熠熠的三巨头，包括卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic)、勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 以及冉冉升起的新星奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves)。尽管如此，他们的净胜分并不突出，这让人们对他们的战绩是否真实反映了其实力产生了一些怀疑。不过，从现在到四分之一决赛，湖人和马刺都还有五场比赛要打，因此到12月10日，我们将对两队的实力对比有更清晰的了解。
四分之一决赛的胜者将获得前往拉斯维加斯的门票，参加将于12月13日（周六）举行的半决赛。从那一刻起，这项杯赛才开始变得与众不同，尽管对于马刺而言，首次从小组赛出线本身已经像是一项成就。湖人队是这项杯赛的元老，他们曾赢得首届冠军，但上赛季却错过了淘汰赛阶段。
如果马刺晋级，他们将在半决赛中对阵雷霆与太阳比赛的胜者，争夺一个于12月16日举行的冠军赛席位。如果他们失利，则将对阵另一场四分之一决赛的败者。除冠军赛外，所有比赛的赛果都将计入常规赛战绩。
如果马刺最终夺冠，他们将获得什么？
对于球队而言，目标是赢得这座奖杯。此前只有湖人和雄鹿两支球队夺冠。尽管目前这项赛事还不是最受尊重的比赛，但它似乎将继续成为NBA赛季的一个固定组成部分。悬挂一面杯赛冠军旗帜的声望永远无法与总冠军旗帜相提并论，但这将是马刺重返强队行列道路上正确的一步。
至于球员，他们将因进入淘汰赛而获得奖金。如果在四分之一决赛失利，每人将获得约5万美元。如果在半决赛失利，每人将获得约10万美元。如果在决赛失利，他们将得到约20万美元，而如果赢得冠军赛，每人将获得约50万美元。签订双向合同的球员获得的奖金会更少。如果您想了解全部细节，可以点击此处查看。
参与这些关键比赛的经历对一些球员来说既是挑战也是回报。对于那些经历过重建期的球员，如德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 和凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)，他们肯定会珍惜这个争夺冠军的机会。对于一些老将来说，这可能是一次在关键时刻重新证明自己重要性的机会。而年轻球员则将品尝到成功的滋味，同时学习如何在季后赛中派上用场的宝贵赢球经验。
圣安东尼奥马刺队今年的主要目标是重返季后赛，但在杯赛中走得更远，可以成为一个帮助他们为本赛季余下赛程做准备的短期目标。
马刺将于美国中部时间12月10日晚9点客场挑战湖人。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Emirates NBA Cup: The Spurs will face the Lakers in the quarterfinals
Emirates NBA Cup: The Spurs will face the Lakers in the quarterfinals
The Spurs beat the Nuggets in Denver to advance to win their group and advance to the knockout stage of the Emirates NBA Cup. It’s an impressive achievement for a young team missing two starters, especially since they faced quality opponents in all four of their games.
Soon, they will face a new challenge, as they enter the quarterfinals in a win-or-go-home game against the Lakers. So let’s take a look at what happens next.
When are the quarterfinals being played and who will play whom?
The quarterfinals will take place between Dec. 9 and 10. The higher seed hosts the quarterfinals, so the Spurs, winners of group C, will visit the Lakers, winners of group B, on Dec. 10.
San Antonio will play the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Magic, Cavaliers, and Pelicans before then, and could get one or both of Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama back. The Lakers will face the Pelicans, Suns, Raptors, Celtics and 76ers and will head into the quarterfinals with an extra day of rest. The two teams faced each other once and the Lakers prevailed.
The other Western Conference quarterfinals game will pit the Thunder, winners of group C and owners of the best record in group play, against the Suns, the wildcard team that got in by having the best record out of all the West teams that finished second in group play. The two teams faced each other in group C play, and to no one’s surprise, the Thunder prevailed. OKC is a strong candidate to be there in the semis to face whoever advances between the Lakers and Spurs.
In the East, the Magic dominated and will enter as the top team, hosting the wildcard Heat. The Raptors will host the Knicks in a battle of group winners. The Eastern Conference quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 9.
What happens if the Spurs advance?
Beating the Lakers in Los Angeles won’t be easy. They currently have the second-best record in the West and boast a star-studded trio, featuring Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the rising Austin Reaves. That said, they have an underwhelming point differential, which raises some skepticism about whether their record accurately reflects how good they really are. Still, both the Lakers and the Spurs will play five games between now and the quarterfinals, so we’ll have a better idea of how evenly matched they are by Dec. 10.
Whoever wins the quarterfinal game will earn a trip to Las Vegas for the semifinals, to be held on Saturday, Dec. 13. That’s when the Cup starts to feel special, although for the Spurs getting out of the group stage for the first time already feels like an accomplishment. The Lakers are Cup veterans, having won the first edition, but they missed the knockout stage last season.
If the Spurs advance, they will face the winner of the Thunder-Suns game in the semifinals, looking for a place in the championship game, which will be played on Dec. 16. If they lose, they will face the loser of the other quarterfinal game. Every game except for the championship game counts towards the regular season standings.
What do the Spurs get if they win it all?
For the franchise, the goal is to win the Cup. Only two other teams, the Lakers and Bucks, have won it, and while it isn’t the most respected competition right now, it seems like it will continue to be a staple of the NBA season. Having a cup banner will never be as prestigious as a title one, but it would be a step in the right direction in the Spurs’ return to relevance.
As for the players, they will get monetary compensation for being in the knockout round. If they lose in the quarterfinals, they’ll get around $50,000 each. If they lose in the semifinals, they’ll get around $100,000 each. If they lose in the finals, they’ll get around $200,000, and if they win the championship game, they’ll receive around $500,000 each. Players on two-way contracts get less. If you want to know the full details, you can find them here.
The experience of playing high-stakes games could also be a challenge, but also a reward for some of the players. The ones who’ve been around for the rebuild, like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, would surely relish the opportunity to compete for a title. For some of the older guys, it could be an opportunity to reassert their importance in high-leverage moments. And the younger guys would be getting a taste of success while learning important lessons on how to win that could come in handy in the playoffs.
The main goal for San Antonio this year is to return to the postseason, but getting far in the cup could be a short-term objective that prepares them for the rest of the season.
The Spurs will visit the Lakers on Dec. 10 at 9 p.m. CST.
By Jeje Gomez, via Pounding The Rock