By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-12-14 12:19:26
2025年12月13日，周六，于拉斯维加斯举行的一场NBA杯半决赛中，俄克拉荷马城雷霆队后卫谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大（中）在上半场与圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（3号）和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5号）在篮下缠斗。 (美联社图片/Ronda Churchill)
拉斯维加斯电 – 在周六晚以111-109击败联盟领头羊俄克拉荷马城雷霆队的比赛中，马刺队引以为豪的一点是，他们在面对NBA进攻火力第二强的球队时所展现出的防守表现。
此役之前，雷霆队场均得到123.6分，他们在过去三场比赛中得分均不低于131分，在过去九场比赛中有八场得分超过122分。但马刺队成功限制了这支联盟顶级强队，他们在第二节仅让对手得到18分，并将其三分命中率压制在24.3%——而雷霆此前的三分命中率高达38.1%，排名联盟第五。此外，全队都积极贯彻了教练组每天强调的防守原则。
“我认为我们的防守侵略性是必须贯彻到底的，”马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 说道。“无论场上是哪五名球员，我们都必须在48分钟内保持这种强度。”
全明星后卫谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 为雷霆队贡献了29分，但在斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的严防死守下，他三分线外7投仅1中，而他此前的三分命中率高达45.4%。
“显然，他们是一支防守非常出色的球队，并且他们拥有一位防守大闸（维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)），他能彻底封锁禁区和篮筐，”吉尔杰斯-亚历山大说道。
但斯蒂芬·卡斯尔和其他外线防守者常常成功阻止吉尔杰斯-亚历山大——这位场均得到32.4分、位列联盟得分榜第二的球员——突入禁区。
“他在防守端表现出色，”俄克拉荷马城雷霆队主教练马克·戴格诺特 (Mark Daigneault) 如此评价卡斯尔。“他勇于接受挑战，承担主要对位防守任务。他会通过全场紧逼和强硬的身体对抗来主动向对手施压。所以，他是一名令人印象深刻的球员和竞争者。”
马刺队同样让杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 苦不堪言。这位全明星前锋虽然得到了与他赛季场均得分持平的17分，但他全场16投仅5中。
“他们拥有以防守为荣的出色后卫，”他谈到马刺队时说。“而且他们训练有素。”
漫长客场之旅增进球队化学反应
对马刺队而言，拉斯维加斯站标志着一段漫长客场之旅的结束。这段超过5000英里的漫漫征程，也成为了培养球队化学反应的宝贵经历。
“这让球员们能凝聚在一起，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说。“在客场旅途中，他们有时间互动和交流。远离家人和挚爱总是很艰难，但这也给了你一个与团队成员拉近距离的机会。”
截至周六，马刺队在过去的22天里有20天都在客场征战。自11月20日以来，他们只打了一场主场比赛，而内华达州是他们在这段赛程中所到访的第10个州。
马刺队直到周三才会返回主场，他们的下一场主场比赛定于周四对阵华盛顿队。
索汉跌出轮换阵容
马刺队前锋杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 在12月5日客场对阵新奥尔良的比赛中仅出场4分钟后，已经连续两场比赛没有获得上场机会。
索汉上一次获得可观的上场时间是在12月3日，当时他在客场输给克利夫兰的比赛中出战了25分钟。
约翰逊表示，索汉缺少上场时间纯粹是教练组的决定。
“杰里米一直很棒，”约翰逊在周六比赛前说道。“我们的想法是一致的，也进行了大量沟通。我们希望他能随时做好准备，并期待他能带来我们所熟悉的——他的防守存在感和积极性。”
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) jumps to the basket near San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes up for a layup near San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) during the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) jumps up for a shot near San Antonio Spurs’ Harrison Barnes (40) and Luke Kornet (7) in the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives the ball past San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
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：Defensive effort big part of Spurs downing high-scoring Thunder
Defensive effort big part of Spurs downing high-scoring Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center, tangles with San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson (3) and Stephon Castle (5) under the net in the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
LAS VEGAS – A point of pride for the Spurs in toppling league-leading Oklahoma City 111-109 on Saturday night was their defensive work against the second-highest scoring team in the NBA.
The Thunder came into the game averaging 123.6 points per game after scoring 131 or more in their last three contests and 122 or better in eight of their last nine outings. But the Spurs slowed down the league’s top team by holding it to 18 points in the second period, 24.3% shooting from 3-point range – after it came in ranked fifth in the league with a 38.1 success rate, and enthusiastically adhering to the principles preached daily by the coaching staff.
“I feel like our defensive aggressiveness is non-negotiable,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “We have got to do that for 48 minutes no matter what five is in.”
All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points, but Castle hounded him into 1-of-7 shooting from 3-point range after he came into the game shooting 45.4% from beyond the arc.
“Obviously, they are a really good defense and they have a defensive juggernaut (in Victor Wembanyama) that takes away the paint and the rim,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
But Castle and other perimeter defenders often prevented Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s second-leading scorer with a 32.4 average, from getting into the paint.
“He’s good on the defensive end,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said of Castle. “He’ll take on the challenge. He guards primary matchups. He tries to take the fight to them by picking up full and being really physical defensively. So he’s an impressive player and competitor.”
The Spurs also tormented Jalen Williams. The All-Star forward hit his season average of 17 points, but he shot just 5 of 16 from the field.
“They have good guards that take pride in playing defense,” he said of the Spurs. “And they are well-coached.”
Chemistry benefits from road trip
Las Vegas marks the end of a long stretch on the road for the Spurs, an odyssey that has covered more than 5,000 miles and has served as a chemistry-building experience.
“It allows the guys to get together,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “You have time on the road and they get to interact, exchange. Time away from their families or loved ones is always hard, but it also gives you the opportunity to get close with your crew.”
As of Saturday, the Spurs had been on the road for 20 of the last 22 days. Since Nov. 20, they have played just one home game and Nevada marks the 10th state in that that stretch they’ve played in.
The Spurs won’t return home until Wednesday and their first home game is set for Thursday against Washington.
Sochan out of rotation
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan hasn’t played in the last two games after logging just four minutes in a win at New Orleans on Dec. 5.
Sochan’s last substantial minutes came on Dec. 3, when he had 25 in a loss at Cleveland.
Johnson said Sochan’s lack of playing time is simply a coaching decision.
“Jeremy’s been great,” Johnson said before Saturday’s game. “We have been on the same page, a lot of communication, and hoping he’s ready to go and looking forward to him bringing what we’re used to with him, with his defensive presence and activity.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News