By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-12-30 13:59:57
2025年12月29日，周一，在圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心举行的一场NBA比赛中，下半场圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) (1号) 持球冲击篮筐，克利夫兰骑士队中锋埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley) (4号) 前来防守。马刺最终以101-113不敌骑士。
当圣安东尼奥的其他人在这个跨年夜戴上派对帽时，马刺队则要戴上安全帽，准备苦干一场。
当整座城市在周三晚上准备举杯香槟庆祝时，马刺队则要备好自己的午餐便当。当从石橡树到南城的狂欢者们拿出印有“2026”字样的眼镜来迎接新年时，马刺队则希望能找回他们丢失已久的三分瞄准镜。
纽约尼克斯队即将做客弗罗斯特银行中心，这意味着马刺队在告别2025年之前还有硬仗要打。
“我们有一份从十月开始、将一直持续到春天的工作，”教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道。“你必须每天都去上班，必须保持正确的态度，并且必须执行好当天工作所需的任何任务。”
对马刺队而言，2025年最后一夜的任务清单，就是想方设法重回胜利轨道。
就在不久前的圣诞节，马刺队还一度站上篮球之巅，他们正处于一波常规赛八连胜之中，其中还包括连续两场激动人心地战胜卫冕冠军俄克拉荷马城雷霆队。
自那以后，球队周围的氛围就像时代广场跨年夜的水晶球一样骤然下落。
在主场相继输给犹他爵士队和克利夫兰骑士队后，马刺队正面临着以一波连败结束这个本还算惊艳的赛季的风险，而这可能成为他们本赛季迄今最长的连败纪录。
尽管如此，联盟周一还是宣布，马刺队周三主场对阵纽约尼克斯队的比赛将由 NBA TV 进行全美直播。
“这是我们赛季的一个转折点，”全明星中锋文班亚马说。“我们刚刚经历了一段相当艰难的赛程，并且我们成功地挺了过来。那些比赛对体能和精神的要求都非常高，对手和赛前报告也极其考验人。在那之后，我们必须能够稳定下来，不能让之前的一切努力付诸东流。”
老将后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 认为，在一连串备受瞩目的胜利之后，马刺队需要一次“精神上的重置”。
在周一以101-113输给骑士队后，更衣室里没有人对此表示异议。
“每当赛季进行到这个阶段，你可能没有你想要的那种能量，”控球后卫德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 说。“你必须想办法激发能量，并且仍然要能够赢下像那样的比赛。”
无论周三对阵尼克斯队的结果如何，马刺队都可以为他们本赛季至今所取得的成就感到自豪。
尽管马刺队带着自11月中旬以来的首次两连败进入这场比赛，但他们与尼克斯队拥有相同的战绩（23胜9负）。和纽约一样，马刺队也排在自己所在分区的第二位。
这场跨年夜的对决，也是12月14日在拉斯维加斯举行的NBA杯决赛的重演，当时尼克斯队以124-113获胜。
“我们欠他们一场，”文班亚马说。“但更重要的是，我们欠自己一场胜利。”
让情况变得更加复杂的是，在因左小腿拉伤缺席了12场比赛后，文班亚马仍在完全重新融入球队的过程中。
在复出后的前七场比赛中——包括对阵纽约的NBA杯决赛——文班亚马一直担任替补，而在过去的两场比赛中，他都回到了首发阵容。
他在这两场失利中表现出色——对阵爵士队得到32分和5次盖帽，对阵骑士队得到26分和14个篮板——但自从伤愈归来后，他的出场时间还从未超过28分钟。
在本赛季一个比较奇怪的情况是，自从11月10日客场战胜芝加哥公牛队以来，当文班亚马出现在首发阵容中时，球队还未尝胜绩。
“我认为（我们）正努力不对好的或不好的情况做出过度反应，”约翰逊说。“这需要时间。维克托不是一个可以轻易加入到首发阵容中的小角色。”
与此同时，周一与克利夫兰的比赛，仅仅是约翰逊第五次能够派出他心仪的首发五虎——福克斯、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)、瓦塞尔、哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 和文班亚马。
磨合的阵痛显而易见，马刺队在第一节就陷入了10分的落后局面，之后才被替补阵容挽回颓势。
“这其中肯定有一些成长的阵痛，但我们的首发阵容里都是有天赋的球员，”福克斯说。“所以我认为这些阵痛不会像想象中那么糟糕。我们仍在努力学习如何在一起打球，同时争取在我们共同在场的时间里赢分。”
这个过程将在周三继续，并很可能延续到新的一年。与此同时，对于如何摆脱自圣诞节以来陷入的这个小困境，马刺队只知道一种方法。
戴上安全帽，拿起铁锹。
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) plays against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots during the second half of an NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) and San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) go up for a jump ball during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) dunks over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts to a referee’s call during the second half of an NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
The San Antonio Spurs Coyote urges fans to stand up and cheer during the second half of an NBA game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) drives away from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) tussle as they fight for the ball during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
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 aiming for one more win before 2025 ends
Spurs aiming for one more win before 2025 ends
Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) guards San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) as he drives towards the net during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
While the rest of San Antonio puts on their party hats this New Year’s Eve, the Spurs will put on their hard hats.
As the city prepares a champagne toast Wednesday night, the Spurs will pack their lunch pails. While revelers from Stone Oak to Southtown break out their “2026” glasses to ring in the new year, the Spurs will hope to have relocated their lost 3-point goggles.
The New York Knicks are coming to the Frost Bank Center, which means the Spurs have work to do before bidding 2025 adieu.
“We have a job that started in October and it’s going until the springtime,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “You have to go to your job every day and you have to have the right approach and you have to execute whatever that workday calls upon.”
For the Spurs, the to-do list for the final night of 2025 involves navigating their way back to the win column.
As recently as Christmas Day, the Spurs were atop of the basketball world, riding an eight-game regular-season winning streak that included two straight stirring victories over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Since then, the vibes around the team have dropped like the ball in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
Following consecutive home losses against Utah and Cleveland, the Spurs stand in danger of ending 2025 on their longest losing streak of an otherwise eye-opening season to date.
Still, on Monday, the league announced the Spurs’ home game against the New York Knicks on Wednesday will be televised by NBA TV.
“It’s a transition in our season,” All-Star center Victor Wembanyama said. “We just came out of a pretty tough stretch, of which we came out pretty successful. It was very demanding games, mentally demanding scouting reports and opponents. We have to be able to settle down after that and not let everything go to waste.”
Veteran guard Devin Vassell suggested the Spurs could use a “mental reset” after a spate of high-profile victories.
Nobody else in the locker room disagreed after Monday’s 113-101 loss to the Cavaliers.
“Whenever you get to this part of the season, you might not have the energy that you want,” point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “You’ve got to be able to find ways to bring the energy and still be able to get wins like that.”
No matter what happens Wednesday against the Knicks, the Spurs can be proud of the season they have pieced together so far.
Despite coming into the game on their first two-game losing skid since mid-November, the Spurs own the same record as the Knicks (23-9). Like New York, the Spurs sit in second place in their conference.
The New Year’s Eve tilt represents a rematch of the Dec. 14 NBA Cup final in Las Vegas, which the Knicks won 124-113.
“We owe them one,” Wembanyama said. “And we owe ourselves one more than anything.”
Complicating matters, the Spurs are still in the midst of reintegrating Wembanyama fully into the mix after a 12-game layoff with a left calf strain.
After coming off the bench for the first seven games of his comeback – including the Cup championship game against New York – Wembanyama has started each of the past two games.
He played well in both defeats – going for 32 points and five blocks against the Jazz and 26 points and 14 rebounds against the Cavs – but has yet to surpass 28 minutes since returning from the injured list.
In one of the stranger circumstances of the Spurs’ season, the team has not won a game with Wembanyama in the starting lineup since a Nov. 10 victory at Chicago.
“I think (we) are trying not to overreact to the good or the not,” Mitch Johnson said. “It’s going to take time. Victor’s not a small piece you’re adding to the starting lineup.”
Monday’s game against Cleveland, meanwhile, marked only the fifth time Johnson has been able to employ his preferred starting five – Fox, Stephon Castle, Vassell, Harrison Barnes and Wembanyama.
Growing pains were evident, as the Spurs fell into a 10-point hole in the first quarter before the bench bailed them out.
“There’s definitely some growing pains in that, but we have talented guys in that lineup,” Fox said. “So I think those growing pains won’t be as bad as they could be. We’re still trying to win our minutes together while we’re learning to play together.”
The process will continue Wednesday, and likely into the new year. In the meantime, the Spurs only know what way of digging out of the small hole they have started for themselves since Christmas Day.
Put on a hard hat, and grab a shovel.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News