By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-01-05 15:35:01
圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) (4号) 在2025年12月2日星期二于圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA比赛上半场中，突破孟菲斯灰熊队侧翼球员杰伦·威尔斯 (Jaylen Wells) (0号)。福克斯得到29分，帮助圣安东尼奥以126-119击败孟菲斯。
面对顽强的波特兰开拓者，马刺队开局便落后13分之多。
这意味着马刺将迎来一个漫长的夜晚。
“无论你面对的是哪支球队，战绩如何，他们都是NBA球员，”福克斯在马刺以100-115不敌对手后说道。“他们能达到这个水平是有原因的。所以，在这个级别的比赛中，无论对手是谁，给自己挖下这样的大坑总是很难爬出来的。”
慢热的开局最近成了马刺每晚挥之不去的顽疾，他们已经连续三场比赛在进入第二节时处于落后。
马刺上一次在首节结束后保持领先，还要追溯到12月29日对阵克利夫兰骑士的比赛，当时他们以26-25取得了微弱的开局优势。但马刺最终以101-113输给了骑士，这也是他们过去五场比赛中三场失利的一部分。
进入周二在联邦快递球馆对阵孟菲斯灰熊的比赛前，马刺队最好别在赛前自助餐里碰那些能让人犯困的食物。
“我认为对我们来说，关键在于用正确的心态开启比赛，将能量投入到正确的地方，”主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道。“首节就挖下两位数的大坑，想追回来就太难了。”
马刺的首发阵容可能很快会得到一位7英尺4英寸的强援，这应该会有所帮助。
因在跨年夜对阵纽约尼克斯的比赛中左膝受伤而缺席了过去两场比赛的全明星中锋维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)，已准备随队前往孟菲斯。
俱乐部将文班亚马列为周二比赛的出战成疑状态，预计将在球队上午的投篮训练后做出最终决定。
马刺将于周三回到主场霜冻银行中心迎战洛杉矶湖人，完成他们新年伊始三个背靠背系列赛中的第二个。
球员们表示，无论谁在对阵灰熊的比赛中担任马刺的首发中锋，奠定比赛基调的责任都在于首发阵容。
“我们该如何打球，得由首发阵容来确立基调，”首发前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 说道。“我认为我们的防守沟通可以做得更好。这是我们已经讨论过的一个方面。这方面最近有所下滑，并且体现在了我们的战绩上。”
在过去五场比赛中，对手在首节面对马刺时，投出了近乎难以置信的54.7%的三分命中率——这是同期全联盟最高的。
总体而言，过去五个对手在首节对阵马刺时的总命中率高达57.1%。在此期间，只有费城76人让对手投出了更高的命中率。
“如果我们继续像最近这样在开局阶段防守，我认为对手会继续投出这样的命中率，”约翰逊说道。“最近的比赛已经有足够大的样本量，我不认为这只是一个偶然现象。”
马刺在对阵开拓者的比赛中首节丢了35分，值得注意的是，这甚至不是一周内对手在开局阶段的最高得分。
这项“殊荣”属于尼克斯，他们在首节过后以45-36领先马刺。
马刺曾在慢热开局的情况下逆转击败了纽约尼克斯和印第安纳步行者。但在对阵犹他爵士、克利夫兰骑士和波特兰开拓者时，他们就没那么幸运了。
“我们没能完成防守，”福克斯在输给开拓者后说道。“我的意思是，对手单节拿了35分。在这种情况下，比赛会很难打，你很难留在竞争行列。”
约翰逊将马刺最近糟糕的防守开局归咎于“能量和对抗性不足”。
糟糕的首节表现对马刺而言，算是一个近期才出现的现象。
尽管有过去五场比赛的糟糕表现，马刺本赛季的首节净效率值依然高居联盟第四，仅次于俄克拉荷马城雷霆、休斯顿火箭和丹佛掘金。
“我们需要努力让对手打得不舒服，”顶替文班亚马进入首发阵容的卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 说道。“最终，就是要更具破坏性，并限制他们的强项。”
谈到巩固防守——无论是在首节还是其他时段——也许没有什么比马刺在周一所做的事情更有帮助了。
在输给开拓者和前往孟菲斯进行下一场比赛之间，马刺多了一天的休息时间，这使得约翰逊能够在球队飞往田纳西之前安排一次训练课。
重申马刺的防守原则，是约翰逊此次训练议程上的重中之重。
“能有一天休息，然后进行一次真正的训练课，而不仅仅是投篮热身，这感觉很棒，”巴恩斯说。“能够更多地专注于我们自身该做什么，而不是那些针对对手的战术布置，这非常重要。”
周一的训练课是否奏效，仍有待观察。
孟菲斯之战的头12分钟，应该能提供一些线索。
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) defends Memphis Grizzlies wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) during the second half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Barnes led all scorers with 31 points to help San Antonio beat Memphis 126-119.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates after the Spurs 126-119 victory over Memphis in an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) blocks a shot by Memphis Grizzlies wing Cedric Coward (23) during the second half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. San Antonio beat Memphis 126-119.
Memphis Grizzlies wing Vince Williams Jr. (5) reacts as he tries to get past San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the second half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. San Antonio beat Memphis 126-119.
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots a fall away jump shot during the first half of an NBA game with the Memphis Grizzlies in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. San Antonio beat Memphis 126-119.
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (below) pull on Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey’s jersey after an altercation between the two during the first half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. San Antonio beat Memphis 126-119.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) drives between Memphis Grizzlies /center Jock Landale (31) and guard Cam Spencer (24) during the first half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) goes to the basket past Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells (0) during the first half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) drives against Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
由生成式 AI 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：Why a run of slow starts has Spurs coach Mitch Johnson concerned
Why a run of slow starts has Spurs coach Mitch Johnson concerned
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) drives past Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells (0) during the first half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Fox scored 29 points to help San Antonio beat Memphis 126-119.
The Spurs were behind by 13 points out of the gate against the plucky Portland Trail Blazers.
Which meant the Spurs were in for a long night.
“Regardless of what team you’re playing against or what their record is, they’re NBA players,” Fox said after the Spurs fumbled a 115-100 decision. “They got to this level for a reason. So, putting yourself in a hole like that against anybody at this level is always going to be tough to dig yourself out of.”
Sluggish starts have become something of a nightly bugaboo lately for the Spurs, who have trailed entering the second quarter in three consecutive games.
The last time the Spurs led after the first quarter came Dec. 29 against Cleveland, when they took an early – albeit narrow – 26-25 edge. The Spurs dropped that game to the Cavaliers 113-101, part of a stretch of three losses in past five games.
Heading into Tuesday’s game against Memphis at the FedEx Forum, the Spurs would do well to leave the tryptophan out of the pregame buffet.
“I think for us, just starting the game with the right approach, in putting our energy into the right places,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “(A double digit) hole in the first quarter, it’s tough to play out of.”
The Spurs could be getting a 7-foot-4 reinforcement to the starting lineup soon that should help.
Having missed the past two games with a left knee injury suffered New Year’s Eve against New York, All-Star center Victor Wembanyama is set to travel with the Spurs to Memphis.
The club lists Wembanyama as questionable for Tuesday’s game, with a determination expected sometime after the team’s morning shootaround.
The Spurs return home Wednesday to face the Los Angeles Lakers at the Frost Bank Center to complete their second of three back-to-back sets to open the new year.
No matter who starts at center for the Spurs against the Grizzlies, players say it will be up to that first unit to set the tone.
“It’s on the starting group to establish how we’re going to play,” starting forward Harrison Barnes said. “I think our defensive communication can be better. I think that’s an area that we’ve talked about. It’s gone down a little bit, and that’s shown up in our results.”
Over the past five games, opponents are shooting a nearly unfathomable 54.7% from 3-point range against the Spurs in the first quarter – the highest in the NBA during that span.
Overall, the past five foes have connected on 57.1% of their total first-quarter field goals against the Spurs. Only Philadelphia is giving up a higher percentage during that stretch.
“If we continue to guard how we’ve guarded at the start of games, I think teams will continue to shoot like that,” Johnson said. “It’s been enough of a sample size in the recent part of games that I don’t think it’s an outlier.”
The Spurs gave up 35 points in the first quarter against Portland, notable because it wasn’t an opponent’s highest-scoring opening period in a week.
That honor goes to the Knicks, who led the Spurs 45-36 after the first frame.
The Spurs were able to survive slow starts to beat New York and Indiana. Not so much against Utah, Cleveland and Portland.
“We weren’t able to get stops,” Fox said after the loss to the Blazers. “I mean, that was a 35-point quarter. It’s going to be hard to sustain that or stay in the game with that.”
Johnson chalks the Spurs’ recent spate of rough defensive starts up to “not enough energy and resistance.”
Poor first quarters have been something of a recent phenomenon for the Spurs.
Despite the past five-game stretch, the Spurs still boast the league’s fourth-best net rating in the first quarter, trailing only Oklahoma City, Houston and Denver.
“We need to just try to make it uncomfortable (for opponents),” said Luke Kornet, Wembanyama’s replacement in the starting lineup. “Ultimately, just kind of being able to be more disruptive and take away strengths.”
When it comes to shoring up their defense – in the first quarters or otherwise – perhaps nothing will help the Spurs more than what they were accomplish Monday.
With an extra day off between the loss to Portland and their next game at Memphis, Johnson was able to schedule a practice session before the team flight departed for Tennessee.
A friendly reminder about the Spurs’ defensive principles was high on Johnson’s agenda.
“To actually have an off day and then have a practice day where it wasn’t like a shootaround but an actual practice was nice,” Barnes said. “Just kind of focusing more on what we do specifically as opposed to opponent-based stuff was big.”
Whether or not Monday’s practice lessons sunk in for the Spurs remains to be seen.
The first 12 minutes in Memphis ought to provide some clues.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News