By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-12-09 14:43:45
2025年12月2日，星期二，在圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马 (1号) 在球队以126-119战胜孟菲斯灰熊队后庆祝。
洛杉矶——周日，当马刺队看到维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和其他几位受伤的队友准备好参加在新奥尔良的训练时，全队都激动不已。
“当那些家伙走进体育馆时，那股能量让人看着就很兴奋，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在谈到这位全明星中锋以及后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔和乔丹·麦克劳克林 (Jordan McLaughlin) 时说。
“那是一个非常酷的时刻。我期待着文班亚马的回归。他越来越近了。”
周一以135-132战胜鹈鹕队的比赛是文班亚马因左小腿扭伤连续缺席的第11场比赛，但他正如约翰逊在赛前媒体采访中预测的那样，随队来到了洛杉矶。
当被问及这位全明星中锋是否会登上飞往洛杉矶的飞机时，教练说：“他最好在。”
然而，抵达南加州后，文班亚马的状态仍然是每日观察。周三早上的投篮训练后，情况可能会更加明朗。
目前，马刺队庆幸至少迎回了因左髋屈肌拉伤缺席九场比赛的卡斯尔。麦克劳克林则继续缺阵，因左腿筋拉伤连续第10场比赛作壁上观。
在新奥尔良的比赛中，以首发身份出战23分钟的卡斯尔投篮15中5，罚球8中7，贡献了18分、5个篮板和5次助攻。
“我认为他打得非常棒，”约翰逊说。“他极具侵略性。我记得开场的前六个回合，他都参与其中，所以他一回来就迅速进入了状态。显然，我们对他的上场时间等有所控制，但斯蒂芬·卡斯尔是这支球队的重要组成部分。我们希望他能尽快回到自己的角色中。”
马刺队在半场时领先20分，但新奥尔良队在第三节轰下惊人的45分，成功追回了比分。卡斯尔在第三节的最后一分钟命中一记三分并完成一次补扣，尽力为马刺队带着一些势头进入第四节。
“我正在努力重新适应比赛，”卡斯尔说。“休战了差不多三周，我正在努力找回节奏。”
2025年12月8日，星期一，在新奥尔良举行的一场NBA篮球赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀 (2号) 与队友德阿龙·福克斯 (4号) 一同庆祝。(美联社图片/马修·辛顿)
哈珀强势反弹
周一，在比赛还剩14.4秒、马刺队以131-132落后时，新秀后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 在一次暂停后回到场上，心中已有了明确的计划。
“如果我拿到球，我就会搞定一些事情，”他后来在接受一名马刺队工作人员的电视采访时说。
这位身高6英尺5英寸、体重215磅的哈珀言出必行，他强行挤过身高6英尺7英寸、体重215磅的萨迪克·贝 (Saddiq Bey) 杀入禁区，在比赛还剩9.1秒时用非惯用手完成一记打板上篮，反超了比分。
这记关键球为这位榜眼秀的出色表现画上了圆满的句号。他替补出战26分钟，16投10中，高效砍下22分，并送出6次助攻，仅有2次失误。
在周五以117-130不敌克利夫兰骑士队的比赛中，他11投1中仅得3分，表现糟糕。本场比赛无疑是一次令人印象深刻的强势反弹。
“他的比赛充满了技巧和成熟度，”德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 说道，他本场得到14分，并在比赛还剩1.1秒时通过两次罚球锁定了最终比分。“这是一个漫长的赛季。我也和他聊过这个。你不可能在每一场比赛中都打得很好，认为自己能做到是愚蠢的想法。”
哈珀表示，他最后那次突破也突显了自赛季初以来他在信心方面的成长。
“赛季刚开始的时候，我还有些犹豫，”这位19岁的球员说道，他来自新泽西州。“我有点畏首畏脚，还在努力摸索。随着赛季的进行，我的队友和教练们一直鼓励我做自己。”
他的队友们也看到了这种变化。
“他现在打了更多比赛了，”马刺队得分王、本场贡献24分的哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 说。“他现在对时机、比分和场上局势的把握更好了。这是一个成熟的过程。”
卡斯尔则表示：“他无所畏惧，随时能杀入禁区，随心所欲地找到投篮机会。他今晚表现出色，并且在本赛季余下的时间里也会同样出色。”
周一的比赛也标志着本赛季马刺队三位速度快、冲击力强的后卫——哈珀、卡斯尔和福克斯——首次在同一场比赛中并肩作战。
“这只是你们将要看到的一个小小的缩影，”哈珀说。“当卡斯尔真正找回节奏时，我们将会变得非常可怕。”
令人不安的第三节魔咒
虽然承认马刺队第三节的崩盘令人不安，但约翰逊表示，看到鹈鹕队在下半场充满活力地反扑，他并不感到惊讶。
当被问及马刺队如何才能结束这一令人不安的趋势时，约翰逊回答说：“方法有很多。”在此之前，他们在克利夫兰的第三节丢了44分，随后又在新奥尔良的第三节丢了45分——这是他们本赛季单节失分最多的一次。
“简短的回答是，当你领先25分时，你的表现可能并没有像记分牌显示的那样好，”他补充道。“有很多警示信号在提醒我们，记分牌上的分数并不像看起来那么真实。我们对下半场的开局方式感到非常失望，但要称赞他们。JB（鹈鹕队代理主教练、前马刺队助教）詹姆斯·博雷戈 (James Borrego) 让他们打得非常努力，他们没有放弃。”
约翰逊表示，一些精神上的松懈也是导致新奥尔良队反扑的原因。新秀德里克·奎恩 (Derik Queen) 引发了这次令人印象深刻的反击，他在下半场砍下赛季新高33分中的29分，并贡献了10个篮板和10次助攻，拿下了他职业生涯的首次三双。
“你开局强势，你也想强势收尾，你想在整个过程中保持状态，”约翰逊说。“我们想打好每一节的收尾和开局。但很明显，这方面我们还有很大的提升空间，而且问题出在不同的人身上。这并不是同样的人员组合反复犯同一个错误。但是，是的，当事情开始从我们手中溜走时，无论是个人还是集体，都出现了缺乏专注度和集中力的问题。”
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。
点击查看原文：Spurs' Victor Wembanyama 'closer to return' after missing 11 in a row
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama ‘closer to return’ after missing 11 in a row
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates after the Spurs 126-119 victory over Memphis in an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
LOS ANGELES – The Spurs had an emotional reaction Sunday when they saw Victor Wembanayama and a couple of other injured teammates ready to go at practice Sunday in New Orleans.
“When those guys walked into the gym, there was an energy that was fun to see,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the All-Star center and guards Stephon Castle and Jordan McLaughlin.
"It was a pretty cool moment. I’m looking forward to getting (Wembanyama) back. He’s getting closer.”
Monday’s 135-132 win over the Pelicans marked the 11th game in a row Wembanyama has missed with a left calf sprain, but he made the trip to Los Angeles just as Johnson predicted during his pre-game media session.
“He better be,” the coach said when asked if the All-Star center would be on the plane to L.A.
Still, upon arrival in Southern California, Wembanyama’s status remained day to day. The picture could become clearer after shootaround Wednesday morning.
For now, the Spurs are grateful to have gotten at least Castle back after he missed nine games with a left hip flexor strain. McLaughlin remained sidelined, missing his 10th consecutive game with a left hamstring strain.
In 23 minutes as a starter in New Orleans, Castle posted 18 points on 5 of 15 from the field and 7 of 8 from the foul line to go along with five rebounds and five assists.
'I thought he was great," Johnson said. “He was aggressive. I think the first six plays, he was in the middle of all of 'em, so he was right back to it. Obviously, we were mindful of his minutes and whatnot, but Steph Castle is a big part of this team. We wanted to get him Back to his role as quick as possible.”
The Spurs led by 20 points at halftime, but New Orleans got back in it by scoring a whopping 45 points in the third quarter. Castle did his best to give the Spurs some momentum going into the fourth by hitting a 3 and scoring on a put-back dunk in the final minute of the period.
“I’m trying to get adjusted to the game," Castle said. “Having a little three-week break, I’m trying to get back in rhythm.”
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) celebrates with San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Harper bounces back strong
Rookie guard Dylan Harper exited a timeout with 14.4 seconds left Monday and the Spurs trailing 132-131 with a firm plan in mind.
“If I get the ball, I’m going to make something happen,” he said later in a TV interview with a Spurs staffer.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Harper did exactly that, muscling his way past 6-7, 215-pound Saddiq Bey into the lane to sink a go-ahead driving layup off the glass with his off hand with 9.1 seconds left.
The play capped an outstanding performance for the No. 2 pick, who finished with 22 points in 26 minutes off the bench on 10 of 16 from the field to go along with six assists against two turnovers.
It also was an impressive bounce back performance after his three-point, 1-of-11 stinker in the 130-117 loss at Cleveland on Friday.
“He has so much skill and maturity to his game,’ said De’Aaron Fox, who finished with 14 points, capped by two free throws with 1.1 seconds left for the final margin. "It’s a long season. I’ve talked to him about that as well. You’re not going to play well in every single game. It would be asinine to think that.”
Harper said his final drive also underscored how much he’s grown confidence-wise since the start of the season.
“At the beginning of the year, I was a little iffy," the 19-year-old New Jersey native said. “I was a little hesitant and trying to figure it out. As the season kept going, my teammates and coaches just encouraged me to be me.”
His teammates see the difference too.
“He’s had more games now," said Harrison Barnes, who led the Spurs with 24 points. "He’s knowing the time, score and those situations better. It’s a maturation process.”
Said Castle, “He’s just fearless, touching the paint whenever, finding a shot at will. He was great and he’s going to be great the rest of the year.”
Monday also marked the first time this season the Spurs’ three speedy, downhill guard-trio of Harper, Castle and Fox played in the same game.
“This is just a little sample size of what you’re going to see,” Harper said. "When (Castle) really gets back into the groove of things, we’re going to be scary.”
Troubling third quarter woes
While acknowledging the Spurs’ third quarter meltdown was troubling, Johnson said he wasn’t surprise to see the Pelicans come out of halftime energized.
“A lot of things,” Johnson said when asked how the Spurs can end a troubling trend that has seen them give up 44 points in the third quarter in Cleveland before surrendering 45 – the most they’ve yielded in a quarter – in New Orleans.
“The short answer would be you probably weren’t playing as good as the scoreboard said you were when you were up by 25,” he added. “There were a lot of smoke signals that were warning us that scoreboard wasn’t as real as it said it was. Pretty disappointed the way we came out of the half, but give them credit. JB (Pelicans interim coach and former Spurs assistant) James Borrego has them playing hard and they didn’t quit.”
Johnson some mental lapses also contributed to New Orleans’ rally. Rookie Derik Queen sparked the impressive comeback bid, scoring 29 of his season-high 33 points in the second half, and adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first NBA triple-double.
“You start strong, you want to finish strong, you want to maintain throughout,” Johnson said. “We want to finish quarters, you want to start quarters. But that clearly has been something we have a lot of improvement to do and it’s been a variety of people. It’s not been the same combination of the same thing over and over. But yeah, just the lack of focus, lack of concentration when things are starting to slide away from us individually, collectively.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News