By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-01-03 08:00:00
新年伊始，圣安东尼奥马刺队正迎来一段奇特的赛程。在印第安纳波利斯以 123-113 击败印第安纳步行者后，他们将返回圣安东尼奥，迎来一场背靠背的第二场比赛，对手是波特兰开拓者队。这是马刺队本月连续三组背靠背比赛的第一组，这一系列赛程将以 1 月 11 日在明尼苏达对阵森林狼队的比赛收官。
马刺队带着一些伤病进入了这段赛程。维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 能否出战对阵波特兰的比赛尚不确定。他因膝伤缺席了周五晚与步行者队的较量，目前状态为每日观察。德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 仍在处理他的内收肌拉伤。他们周六的对手开拓者队，同样也面临着不小的伤病困扰。朱·霍勒迪 (Jrue Holiday)、杰拉米·格兰特 (Jerami Grant) 以及前马刺球员布雷克·韦斯利 (Blake Wesley) 都缺席了球队周五晚战胜新奥尔良鹈鹕队的比赛。
在 11 月 26 日的上次交锋中，圣安东尼奥以 115-102 战胜了开拓者队。那场比赛，文班同样没有出战，马刺队由砍下 37 分的德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 率领。波特兰队的德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija) 则用统治级的得分表现，同样砍下 37 分与之对飚。本赛季，阿夫迪亚的表现已让他进入了全明星的讨论范围。在开拓者队周五晚的胜利中，他刚刚得到 34 分。
开拓者队近五场比赛赢下三场，在西部联盟的排名正在攀升。当开拓者队来访时，短暂休息后的马刺队将面临严峻的挑战。
圣安东尼奥马刺 (25-9) vs. 波特兰开拓者 (15-20)
2025年1月3日 | 晚7点 (中部时间)
观看：Fan Duel | 收听：WOAI (1200 AM)
马刺队伤病 ：哈里森·英格拉姆 (Harrison Ingram) – 缺阵 (G联盟)，维克托·文班亚马 – 缺阵 (膝盖)，德文·瓦塞尔 – 缺阵 (内收肌)
开拓者队伤病 ：杰拉米·格兰特 – 缺阵 (跟腱)，斯库特·亨德森 (Scoot Henderson) – 缺阵 (腿筋)，朱·霍勒迪 – 缺阵 (小腿)，达米安·利拉德 (Damian Lillard) – 缺阵 (跟腱)，马蒂斯·赛布尔 (Matisse Thybulle) – 缺阵 (膝盖)，布雷克·韦斯利 – 缺阵 (足部)，罗伯特·威廉姆斯三世 (Robert Williams III) – 缺阵 (膝盖)
值得关注的看点：
后卫线的对决
由于伤病困扰，波特兰队不一定会有纯正的控球后卫在场。相反，蒂亚戈·斯普利特 (Thiago Splitter) 会采用更高大的阵容，依赖阿夫迪亚和谢登·夏普 (Shaedon Sharpe) 的持球突破。这使得球队很容易出现失误。开拓者队是联盟中失误最多的球队，场均失误高达 17.5 次。在文班亚马缺阵期间，圣安东尼奥的后卫群一直是球队最强的武器。在这方面，他们对阵波特兰时应该拥有明显的优势。他们需要给开拓者队的持球人施加压力，并自己珍惜球权，这样才能为马刺队建立优势。
尺寸对决
开拓者是一支身材高大、对抗强硬的球队，他们拼抢篮板非常积极。他们的进攻篮板数位列联盟第二，场均能抢下 14.2 个。多诺万·克林根 (Donovan Clingan) 是篮下的篮板怪兽，也是油漆区内真正的护筐手。如果文班亚马出战，马刺队应该不会有什么问题。如果他休战，那么卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 和凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk) 在内线对抗开拓者队的大个子们时将会非常吃力。然而，问题不仅出在内线大个子身上。波特兰队派上场的是一众高大且运动能力出色的侧翼球员，比如图马尼·卡马拉 (Toumani Camara)、西迪·西索科 (Sidy Cissoko)、克里斯·默里 (Kris Murray) 和拉扬·鲁珀特 (Rayan Rupert)。马刺队可能需要派出更大尺寸的阵容来匹配波特兰队的身材。
三分球投射
多进三分，赢得比赛。篮球真的就这么简单吗？至少现在看来确实如此。当圣安东尼奥三分球投开时，他们总能取得成功；而当三分失准时，球队就会陷入挣扎。开拓者队并非一支擅长投射三分的球队。他们的团队三分命中率只有 33.7%。如果圣安东尼奥能够在外线开火，他们就有机会击垮波特兰。马刺队目前正处于整体的投篮低迷期。周六晚的比赛或许就是他们摆脱困境的良机。
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. Portland Trail Blazers
Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The San Antonio Spurs are entering a strange stretch of their season to start the new year. After defeating the Indiana Pacers, 123-113 in Indianapolis, they’ll travel back to San Antonio for a matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on the second game of a back-to-back. It’s the first of three series of back-to-back games the Spurs will play in a row this month, ending with a game in Minnesota against the Timberwolves on January 11th.
The Spurs head into that stretch with some bumps and bruises. Victor Wembanyama’s status for the game against Portland is unknown. He missed Friday night’s contest against the Pacers, but is day-to-day after a knee injury. Devin Vassell is still nursing an adductor strain. Their opponent on Saturday, the Blazers, is also dealing with their fair share of injuries. Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, and former Spur Blake Wesley all missed their Friday night win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
San Antonio pulled out a 115-102 victory against the Blazers the last time they faced each other on November 26th. That was also a Wemby-less game for the Spurs, who were led by De’Aaron Fox’s 37 points. Deni Advija matched that point total for Portland in a dominant scoring performance. Advija has elevated himself into the All-Star conversation this season for the Blazers. He just scored 34 points in Portland’s Friday night victory.
Portland is surging in the Western Conference standings, as they’ve won three of their last five games. The Spurs will have their hands full on short rest when the Blazers come to town.
San Antonio Spurs (25-9) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (15-20)
January 3, 2025 | 7 PM CT
Watch: Fan Duel | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Victor Wembanyama – Out (knee), Devin Vassell – Out (adductor)
Trail Blazers Injuries: Jerami Grant – Out (achilles), Scoot Henderson – Out (hamstring), Jrue Holiday – Out (calf), Damian Lillard – Out (achilles), Matisse Thybulle – Out (knee), Blake Wesley – Out (foot), Robert Williams III – Out (knee)
What to watch for:
Guard play
Portland doesn’t necessarily play a true point guard thanks to their injury woes. Instead, Thiago Splitter goes with bigger lineups that rely on dribble penetration from Advija and Shaedon Sharpe. That leaves the team open to turnovers. The Blazers turn the ball over more than any other team in the league, 17.5 times a game. San Antonio’s guards have been their strongest asset with Wembanyama out. They should have a true advantage against Portland in this regard. They’ll need to bother the Blazers ball handlers and value possessions themselves to give the Spurs an edge.
Sizing up
The Blazers are a big, physical team that crashes the glass hard. They are second in the NBA in offensive rebounds, grabbing 14.2 a game. Donovan Clingan is a monster on the glass and a true rim protector in the paint. If Wembanyama plays, the Spurs shouldn’t have an issue. If he sits, Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk will have their hands full inside against the Blazers’ bigs. It’s not just the big men who are the issue, though. Portland throws out a litany of long, athletic wings like Toumani Camara, Sidy Cissoko, Kris Murray, and Rayan Rupert. The Spurs may need to play bigger lineups to match up with Portland’s size.
Hitting threes
Make more threes, win the game. Is basketball really that simple? It sure seems like it right now. San Antonio has seen a lot of success when their threes are falling, and has sputtered a bit when they don’t. The Blazers are not a good three-point shooting team. They shoot 33.7% from deep as a team. San Antonio can bury Portland if they’re hitting from deep. The Spurs are in an overall shooting slump right now. Saturday night could be the night to break out of it.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock