By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-12-11 12:37:06
2025年12月10日，星期三，于洛杉矶举行的一场NBA杯篮球赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5号）在洛杉矶湖人队前锋八村垒 (Rui Hachimura)（28号）的防守下出手投篮。(美联社照片/杰·C·洪)
洛杉矶电——早在11月初，湖人队主教练JJ·雷迪克 (JJ Redick) 就曾公开表示，他非常欣赏马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)。
“他每晚都展现出一种坚韧、顽强和好胜心，” 雷迪克在两队本赛季首次交锋前说道。“你会看到这个孩子每天晚上都带着正确的心态和竞争精神出现在赛场上。”
“他将在这个联盟中长久地成为一名杰出的球员。”
周三晚上，在一场关乎晋级拉斯维加斯NBA杯半决赛资格以及随之而来的丰厚奖金的比赛中，卡斯尔的表现完全印证了雷迪克的评价，甚至犹有过之。
这位2025年NBA年度最佳新秀在下半场砍下其赛季新高30分中的21分，德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 也贡献了20分，帮助马刺队在周三晚上于Crypto.com球馆的18684名球迷面前，以132-119击败了更被看好的湖人队。
这仅仅是卡斯尔因臀部伤势缺席10场比赛后复出的第二场比赛，他还追平了个人赛季最高的10个篮板，并送出了6次助攻。
“这很有趣，” 卡斯尔在谈到这是他自2024年帮助康涅狄格大学赢得NCAA冠军以来首次参加如此关键的比赛时说道。
“你总是渴望这样重大的比赛，它为比赛增添了更多的竞争性。我们想赢下每一场比赛，但当比赛被赋予一些额外的意义时，感觉无疑会更好。”
湖人队在比赛末段发起反扑，在第四节初一度落后24分的情况下，于终场前不到四分钟时将分差缩小到8分。但马刺队凭借福克斯接到卡斯尔的助攻命中一记三分球，稳住了局势。随后在比赛还剩1分41秒时，卡斯尔命中另一记三分远投，帮助球队以130-116领先，让全队松了一口气。
这记远投是他本场命中的第三记三分球，也让湖人队的球迷们开始纷纷提前退场。
顶住湖人队的疯狂反扑并非马刺队此役保持沉着的唯一时刻。同样的情况也发生在第二节末段，当时勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 在身高7英尺1英寸的卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 头上完成一记雷霆万钧的突破暴扣，点燃了全场气氛。但紧接着，福克斯就用一记10英尺的抛投予以回应，随后哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 接福克斯助攻空切扣篮得手，帮助马刺队带着12分的领先优势进入半场休息。
“我认为我们的竞争性回应做得很好，”马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说。“像湖人这样的球队总会打出进攻高潮，他们有很多影响比赛的方式。他们经历过太多次这样的大场面了，所以当你阵脚稍乱或出现波动时，你需要做的就是更加坚定地执行比赛计划、团结协作、更多地做好小事，尽管感觉上你好像需要打出一些惊天动地的表现。我们在这一点上做得非常出色。”
晋级拉斯维加斯后，马刺队球员和约翰逊教练每人将获得106,187美元的奖金。他们将在周六晚上8点的半决赛中对阵卫冕NBA总冠军俄克拉荷马城雷霆队（24胜1负）。助理教练将获得较少份额的奖金，而双向合同球员将获得该金额的50%。
此前晋级四分之一决赛时，他们的个人奖金为53,093美元。
除了队史首次闯入NBA杯半决赛，马刺队（17胜7负）也终于终结了此前对这位斯洛文尼亚球星所率领的球队的14连败。本场比赛前，卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 职业生涯对阵马刺队的战绩为19胜5负。
而他们是在缺少全明星中锋维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的情况下做到这一点的，后者因左小腿拉伤已连续缺席了12场比赛。
在缺少这位建队基石的情况下，马刺队将战绩提升至9胜3负。
在没有文班亚马的情况下取得的这场最新胜利，处处都留下了卡斯尔的印记。他在第四节表现尤为出色，投篮6投5中，其中三分球3投2中，单节贡献12分。
“他不知疲倦，” 约翰逊教练说。“我认为他今晚在驾驭那种永不停止的冲击能量和侵略性方面做得非常出色，并且打得非常合理——当他看到防守收缩时就及时出球，让比赛来决定当下需要什么。他在这一点上做得非常出色。”
马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 也对卡斯尔赞不绝口，他在上半场得到个人全场17分中的13分，为球队取得了一个强势开局。
“大场面球员为大场面而生，斯蒂芬（Steph）今晚打出了一场不可思议的比赛，” 凯尔登·约翰逊说。“这是我们团队协作的成果，但他的表现引领了我们。我为斯蒂芬以及他作为一名年轻球员所取得的进步感到无比自豪。”
马刺队在半场以70-58领先，并在第三节开始时打出了一波10-2的攻势，其中7分来自卡斯尔。他用一记三分球拉开了下半场的序幕，随后德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 也命中一记远投。在过去两场比赛的第三节分别丢掉44分和45分之后，马刺队此役以34-29赢下了第三节，并以大师级的方式掌控了比赛节奏。
“我们从比赛一开始节奏就很好，这为我们拉开了场上空间，” 卡斯尔说。“他们打出了一些能点燃全场的精彩回合，但我感觉我们在最需要的时候团结一致，并加强了防守。”
由卡斯尔主防的东契奇为湖人队贡献了35分。马库斯·斯马特 (Marcus Smart) 替补出场拿下赛季新高的26分，詹姆斯得到19分。
但在这场汇集了NBA一些顶级资深球星的比赛中，年仅21岁的卡斯尔却最为耀眼。
“他是一个赢家，”得到13分的马刺队新秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 说。“从高中到大学，他都赢得了全国冠军。这或许是篮球运动中最难做到的事情。而现在，他正用关键的投篮、关键的发挥以及他沉着冷静的整体表现为我们终结比赛。”
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) and guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) puts up a shot under pressure by Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) and center Deandre Ayton (5) during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives past Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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：How Spurs' Stephon Castle rose to occasion in NBA Cup vs. Lakers
How Spurs’ Stephon Castle rose to occasion in NBA Cup vs. Lakers
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) puts up a shot under defense by Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach JJ Redick made it known back in early November he was a big fan of Spurs guard Stephon Castle.
“There’s a toughness and a grit and a competitiveness he brings every night,” Redick said before the season’s first meeting between the teams. "You just keep seeing this kid show up with the right frame of mind and the right competitive spirit every single night.
“He’s going to be a fantastic player in this league for a long time.”
On Wednesday night, with a trip to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals on the line and the big cash payout that comes with it, Castle was everything Redick described and then some.
The 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year scored 21 of his season-high 30 points in the second half, and De’Aaron Fox added 20 points as the Spurs beat the favored Lakers 132-119 on Wednesday night before 18,684 fans at Crypto.com Arena.
In just his second game back from a 10-game absence due to an injured hip, Castle also matched his season high for rebounds with 10 and dished out six assists.
“It’s fun,” Castle said of playing in his first high-stakes game since he helped Connecticut win the NCAA championship in 2024.
“You always want those big-stakes games, so it adds a little bit more competitiveness to the game. We want to win every game but having a little something added onto it definitely feels good.”
The Lakers mounted a late rally, cutting a 24-point early fourth quarter deficit to eight with just under four minutes left. But the Spurs maintained control thanks to a 3-pointer by Fox on an assist by Castle and then breathed a sigh of relief after Castle sank another shot from beyond the arc with 1:41 left to give them a 130-116 advantage.
That deep ball, his third of the night, had Lakers fans streaming for the exits.
Withstanding the Lakers’ furious comeback bid wasn’t the only time the Spurs kept their composure. It also happened late in the second quarter after LeBron James ignited the crowd with a thundering, driving dunk over 7-foot-1 Luke Kornet only to have Fox answer with a 10-foot floater before Harrison Barnes’ cutting dunk on an assist from Fox gave the Spurs’ a 12-point halftime cushion.
“I thought our competitive response was good,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “A team like that is going to make runs, and they have a lot of ways to impact the game. They’ve been in those (big) games so many times, and when you get a little wobbly or bend a little bit, you need to just kind of double down on game plan execution, playing together, doing more of the little things as much as it feels like you need some big play to be made. We did a really good job of that.”
The Spurs players and Johnson will receive $106,187 each for reaching Las Vegas, where their prize is a matchup with the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (24-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals. The assistants get a smaller portion and two-way players will get 50% of that amount.
Their individual payout for reaching the quarterfinals was $53,093.
In addition to reaching the NBA Cup semis for the first time, the Spurs (17-7) finally gained the upper hand against a Luka Doncic-led team after losing their last 14 matchups in a row with the star from Slovenia. Doncic entered the game with a 19-5 career record against the Spurs.
And they did it without All-Star center Victor Wembanyama, who was out for his 12th game in a row with a left calf strain.
The Spurs improved to 9-3 without their franchise cornerstone.
Their latest win without Wembanyama had Castle’s fingerprints all over it. He was at his best in the fourth quarter, when he hit 5 of 6 from the field, including 2 of 3 from downtown, to finish the frame with 12 points.
“He’s relentless,” Johnson said. “I thought he did a phenomenal job tonight of harnessing that relentless, attacking energy and aggressiveness and playing the right way, getting off the ball when he saw a crowd and letting the game call upon what was needed at the time. He did a phenomenal job of that.”
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, who got the Spurs off to a strong start by scoring 13 of his 17 points in the first half, also praised Castle.
“Big-time players show up in big-time moments, and Steph had an amazing game," Keldon Johnson said. "We all did it as a team, but his performance led the way and I feel like I couldn’t be more proud of Steph and the growth he’s making as a young player.”
Leading 70-58 at halftime, the Spurs opened the third quarter on a 10-2 run fueled by seven points from Castle, who opened the half by sinking a 3-pointer, which Devin Vassell followed with a deep ball of his own. After giving up 44 and 45 points in their last two third quarters, the Spurs won this one 34-29 as they dictated the pace of the game in masterful style.
“Our pace was great from the start of the game, kind of opened up the court for us,” Castle said. “They had a couple loud plays, but I feel like we came together and clamped down when we needed to most.”
Doncic, who Castle defended, led the Lakers with 35 points. Marcus Smart had a season-high 26 points off the bench and James finished with 19.
But in a game of some of the NBA’s biggest veteran stars, it was the 21-year-old Castle who stood out most.
“He’s a winner,” said Spurs rookie Dylan Harper, who finished with 13 points. “High school level, college level with the national championship. That’s probably the hardest thing to do in basketball. And now he’s closing out games for us with big-time shots, big-time plays, and just his overall composure.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News
