By Devon Birdsong | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-12-31 08:30:00
好吧，圣安东尼奥马刺队没等太久，就迎来了与他们在NBA杯决赛中的老对手再次交锋的机会。
马刺此番重回主场，阵中还有一位更加健康的文班，并且（但愿如此）他们怀揣着强烈的复仇渴望。好吧，“强烈”这个词可能有点夸张了。这么说吧，只要不是“不温不火”的复仇渴望，我就能接受。老实说，哪怕只是渴望复仇，不加任何形容词，我也觉得行。
无论如何，这是一场真正计入战绩的比赛。而马刺队在连续痛击联盟第一的俄克拉荷马城雷霆队、享受高光时刻之后，近期的状态有些挣扎。
他们需要一场新的胜利来作为战利品挂在墙上，而势头正盛的尼克斯队正是那个值得一搏的猎物。
两队目前战绩相同，并且都排在各自赛区的第二位。
然而，尼克斯队正处于一波三连胜之中，自12月2日以来仅输掉两场比赛，对手分别是明尼苏达森林狼队（同样是主场作战）和费城76人队。（他们也曾在主场惜败于波士顿凯尔特人队）。
对马刺而言，尼克斯是一个尤为棘手的对手。他们在篮板球（尼克斯联盟第5，马刺第4）、转换得分（尼克斯的失误率最低，排在联盟前五开外）和二次进攻得分（尼克斯第3，马刺第6）方面都能有效限制马刺的优势，并且他们的进攻效率（第3 vs 第6）和净效率（第5 vs 第7）也都更胜一筹。
最令人担忧的是（从整个赛季的趋势来看），尼克斯的三分命中率高居联盟第4，三分命中数则排在联盟第3，而这一点恰恰是圣安东尼奥马刺队本已固若金汤的防线上的阿喀琉斯之踵。
值得庆幸的是，尼克斯队有两名神射手将缺席本场比赛，同时缺阵的还有他们的内线防守大闸米切尔·罗宾逊 (Mitchell Robinson)。这样一来，马刺的进攻应该能找到一些突破空间，防守端需要重点盯防的三分威胁也减少了。
尽管如此，不可否认的是马刺队近来确实状态低迷。在过去5场比赛中，他们的场均得分、进攻效率和真实命中率分别排在联盟第18、第15和第20位，而他们整个赛季的平均水平则是第7、第6和第6位。
简而言之，银黑军团最近就是投不进球，而防守端的努力所能弥补的也有限。他们需要在进攻端找回状态，向赛季平均水平看齐，否则这波连败很可能会继续下去。
好消息是，尼克斯并非一支防守强队。他们本赛季的防守效率排在联盟第16位，在过去五场比赛中更是跌至第22位。此外，他们的对手有效命中率排在第17位，这意味着马刺应该能找到大量从容出手的好机会。
尼克斯本月的两场失利都发生在客场，这对马刺来说也是个有利因素。
只要马刺能将尼克斯的射手们赶出三分线，抓住对方内线的弱点进行攻击，并控制好自身失误，他们就很有可能在这场比赛中成功复仇。
希望他们对此充满了渴望。
纽约尼克斯 (23-9) vs 圣安东尼奥马刺 (23-9)
2025年12月31日 | 中部时间下午6:00
观看：FanDuel Southwest | 收听：WOAI (1200 AM)
马刺伤病名单 ：德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) – 缺阵 (腿部拉伤)，斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) – 每日观察 (拇指扭伤)
尼克斯伤病名单： 米切尔·罗宾逊 – 缺阵 (脚踝)，约什·哈特 (Josh Hart) – 缺阵 (脚踝)，兰德里·沙梅特 (Landry Shamet) – 缺阵 (肩部)，泰勒·科莱克 (Tyler Kolek) – 大概率出战 (脚踝)，阿里尔·胡克波尔蒂 (Ariel Hukporti) – 出战成疑 (嘴唇撕裂伤)
本场看点：
终结得分荒
本赛季早些时候，我曾提出圣安东尼奥这个赛季的成败在很大程度上将取决于哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 和朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 的外线投射，这一点基本得到了印证。但球队近期的颓势并不能只怪他们两人。没错，在过去10场比赛中，他们二人的三分命中率（分别为32.7%和29.6%）都低于赛季平均水准（39.4%和35%），但马刺全队也是如此。马刺队今年的远投表现只能算中规中矩（实际上这已经是一种进步了），但在过去5场比赛中，他们的三分命中数排在联盟第22位，三分命中率更是跌至第28位（！），这对他们来说也是断崖式的下滑。一场倾盆大雨亟待降临，而尼克斯队正是那片理想的“风暴云”。都跳起你们最拿手的求雨舞吧，因为马刺队急需帮助！
轮换球员的机会
无论斯蒂芬·卡斯尔出战与否，球队的后卫轮换看起来都人员充足，但德文·瓦塞尔的缺阵则为前锋线带来了机会，毕竟这个位置上的球员本赛季至今得到的表现机会相当有限。在上一场比赛中，我们看到林迪·沃特斯 (Lindy Waters)、卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 和杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 都获得了一些上场时间，我预计他们中至少有一人会在本场比赛获得更多的出场时间。理想情况下，这会是索汉摆脱状态起伏、证明自己仍有一席之地的机会。但如果你看到布莱恩特，甚至是凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk) 得到更多时间，也别感到惊讶，因为米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 教练似乎决心不将所有赌注押在某一个选项上。无论如何，这是前锋位置一段时间以来首次出现阵容空缺，这将会很有趣，并且（我想）会引发热议。
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：Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks
Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks
Well, the San Antonio Spurs didn’t have to wait too long for a rematch with their NBA Cup Finals foes.
The Spurs are back at home, with a healthier Wemby in tow, and hopefully, an overwhelming thirst for vengeance. Okay, overwhelming might be a bit much. I’d settle for something along the lines of a more than lukewarm thirst for vengeance. Honestly, I’d be okay with just a thirst for vengeance, no adjectives needed.
In any case, this is a game that actually counts, and the Spurs have been scuffling a bit after the high of repeatedly embarrassing the league’s best team in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They’re in need of a new pelt to hang on the wall, and the surging Knicks have hide to spare.
Both teams enter the contest with identical records. Both are 2nd in their respective conferences.
The Knickerbockers, however, are riding a three-game win streak and have only lost two games since December 2nd (a close loss to the Boston Celtics at home), against the Minnesota Timberwolves (also playing at home) and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Knicks are a particularly nasty problem for the Spurs, negating their advantages in rebounding (5th to SA’s 4th), transition scoring (NY is just outside the top 5 for lowest turnover percentage), and 2nd chance scoring (3rd to SA’s 6th), and sport a better offensive and net rating (3rd and 5th vs. 6th and 7th) to boot.
Most concerningly (based on season-long trends), the Knicks are 4th in 3-point percentage and 3rd in three-pointers-made, which has been an Achilles heel for San Antonio’s otherwise miserly defense.
Thankfully, two of their sharpshooters will be out in the one, as well as a key post defender in Mitchell Robinson, so the offense should find some room to drive, and the defense will have fewer three-point threats to focus on.
Still, there’s no denying the Spurs have been in a bit of a funk, as they’re 18th in scoring, 15th in offensive rating, and 20th in True Shooting Percentage over the last 5 games, as opposed to their season-long averages of 7th, 6th, and 6th.
Simply put, the ball has just not been going in the hoop for the Silver and Black lately, and the defense can only compensate for so much. They’ll need to break back out offensively in the direction of their season averages, or the losing streak is likely to drag on.
The good news is that the Knicks are not a good defensive team. They’re 16th in defensive rating on the season, and 22nd over the same last five games. They’re also 17th in Opponent Effective Field Goal Percentage, which means the Spurs should find plenty of room to let it fly.
It also doesn’t hurt that two of the Knicks losses this month have come away from the Garden.
As long as the Spurs can run the Knicks off the arc, exploit a vulnerable interior, and limit their own turnovers, they should be able to get a measure of revenge in this one.
Here’s hoping they’re thirsty for it.
New York Knicks (23-9) vs San Antonio Spurs (23-9)
December 31st, 2025 | 6:00 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Southwest| Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Devin Vassell – Out (Leg Strain), Stephon Castle – Day-to-Day (Thumb Sprain)
Knicks Injuries: Mitchell Robinson – Out (Ankle), Josh Hart – Out (Ankle), Landry Shamet – Out (Shoulder), Tyler Kolek – Probable (Ankle), Ariel Hukporti – Questionable (Lip Laceration)
What to watch for:
An End To The Dry Spell
Earlier this season, I argued that much of San Antonio’s season would depend on the outside shooting of Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie, and that’s largely been true, but they’re not the only ones to blame for this recent skid. Yes, they’re both shooting below their averages over the last 10 games (32.7% and 29.6% vs. 39.4% and 35%), but so are the Spurs as a whole. The Spurs have been middling from long-distance this year (which is an improvement, actually), but they’re 22nd in three-pointers-made and 28th(!) in three-point percentage over the last 5 games, which is a nosedive even for them. A hard rain needs to fall, and the Knicks are an ideal location for some storm clouds. Break out your best rain dance, because the Spurs are in need of assistance!
Opportunities For The Sidelined
While the guard rotation looks to be in good hands with or without Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell’s absence opens up an opportunity for a forward rotation that’s been pretty light on chances thus far. We saw Lindy Waters, Carter Bryant, and Jeremy Sochan all get some run in the last contest, and I’d expect at least one of them to see some increased minutes here. Ideally, that would be Sochan getting a chance to shake off whatever rust there may be and prove there’s still a place for him, but don’t be surprised if you see more of Bryant, or even Kelly Olynyk, as Mitch Johnson has seemed determined not to invest too heavily in any one of these options. Either way, it’s the first time lineup space has opened up in this area for a while, so it should be interesting, and (I imagine) hotly debated.
By Devon Birdsong, via Pounding The Rock