By Jon Krawczynski | The Athletic, 2026-01-12 12:16:23
明尼阿波利斯——维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的官方注册身高是7英尺4英寸。但所有人都知道这是个谎言。
你只需要看看身高6尺9、体重255磅的魁梧大汉朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 不得不费力地仰着头才能打量这位圣安东尼奥马刺队的超级巨星，就会开始怀疑我们所处现实的真实性。一个如此高大的人怎么能那样移动？面对一个拥有8英尺臂展、并且能一跃而起踢到篮筐里挂着的一堆篮球的球员，你该怎么办？
“他有7尺5，”兰德尔自信地说。“所以你能做的只有祈祷。努力给个好的投篮干扰，然后祈祷。我可没法坐在这里说要去封盖他的投篮。我努力做的就是打出坚实的防守，保持身体对抗，并尽量不犯规。”
周日晚在标靶中心，明尼苏达森林狼队以104-103战胜马刺队的比赛中，并没有什么神迹出现。有的只是肌肉、汗水和力量的博弈，有的只是坚韧、决心和求胜的欲望。
在前三节比赛中，文班亚马和马刺队对森林狼予取予求，开局打出16-0，并在进入第四节时以85-71领先。然后，“外星人”遭遇了强硬的身体对抗。
鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 在对文班亚马一次鲁莽的三分扑防中，领到了一次技术犯规和他本赛季的第五次恶意犯规——这将导致他在周二对阵密尔沃基雄鹿队的比赛中被禁赛一场。文班亚马连续四次罚球命中，帮助马刺队在比赛还剩7分24秒时领先10分。
就在这时，因主教练克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 生病而临场指挥的森林狼助理教练米卡·诺里 (Micah Nori)，启用了一位出人意料的防守大闸。他换下了戈贝尔，派上兰德尔去对位文班亚马。根据Cleaning The Glass的数据，本赛季当戈贝尔下场，兰德尔与纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid) 搭档前场时，森林狼的防守效率为122.4。这一直是球队整年来最大的问题之一。
但森林狼队曾见过兰德尔在面临巨大挑战时挺身而出，而没有比“文班山”更大的挑战了。在他上场后的第一个回合，兰德尔就彰显了自己的存在感。他的压迫性防守将文班亚马撞得摔向了森林狼的替补席，造成一次失误，引发现场座无虚席的观众山呼海啸般的喝彩。
锁死他，朱（兰德尔的昵称）！
为朱投票 » https://t.co/kbFUqGCeu2 pic.twitter.com/U3gy5fUGA0
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@ Timberwolves) January 12, 2026
好戏还在后头。比赛还剩两分钟，森林狼领先两分，兰德尔对文班亚马的一记跳投给出了极佳的干扰。在比赛的最后一回合，他又故技重施，用身体将文班挤出自己的投篮点，让他费了九牛二虎之力才获得一次出手机会。
“太不可思议了。真的太不可思议了，”戈贝尔重复了一遍以示强调。“我认为他的竞争精神和身体对抗强度是令人难以置信的。他接受了那个挑战。当时我们落后15分，落后10分，他接受了挑战，并感染了全队。”
自从上赛季前通过交易卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 得到兰德尔以来，这正是森林狼队一直试图从他身上稳定激发出的表现。有戈贝尔坐镇禁区，杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 像翼龙一样在半场飞驰，明尼苏达多年来一直是一支防守至上的球队。让兰德尔达到这一标准并非总是易事。他打出过一些精彩的表现，但当事情不顺时他会变得情绪化，并且在帮助球队完成防守方面表现挣扎。
但他知道，如果在周日那个时刻不拿出最佳表现，文班亚马会让他颜面尽失。森林狼队克服了上半场糟糕的投篮手感，顽强地追回了比分，而在戈贝尔坐在场下时，兰德尔必须在防守端挺身而出。在比赛的最后七分钟里，兰德尔还为森林狼贡献了7分、3个篮板——包括两个价值连城的前场篮板补篮——以及+11的正负值。
势不可挡。
pic.twitter.com/Bf4d2zlciW
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@ Timberwolves) January 12, 2026
森林狼队一直相信，兰德尔的身体里蕴藏着这种攻防俱佳的能量。他们一直指望他在防守端付出更多，就像周日晚上兰德尔用肩膀顶住文班亚马时那样用力。
“就是督促他。在小事上督促他，”戈贝尔说。“这完全是心态问题。关乎竞争。关乎在你疲惫时，在进攻端不顺时，仍然去做那些能帮助球队赢球的小事。我以最高标准要求自己，所以我也要求我的队友们负起同样的责任，因为这是我的工作。”
随着比赛的进行，明尼苏达的局势逐渐逆转。文班亚马在上半场的12分钟里得到16分、6个篮板，正负值为+21，而就在前一晚，他才刚刚在比赛末段接管比赛，在波士顿击败了凯尔特人队。到了下半场，这些数据下降到13分、1个篮板和-4的正负值（出场15分钟）。在森林狼以33-18赢下的第四节中，文班亚马4投0中，没有篮板，还有1次失误和1次犯规，在他出场的8分钟里，马刺队净负7分。
圣安东尼奥马刺队第四节投篮命中率仅为25%，三分球8投7失。
“他们提升了身体对抗强度，把我们挤出了自己的位置，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说。“有几次我们在传球人和接球人之间没有达成默契，在要位和时机上出了问题。这要归功于他们。”
随着森林狼队的防守日益坚固，他们的投篮也终于开始命中。在文班亚马本场比赛第一次登场的时间段里，他们7投0中，上半场三分球更是16投仅3中。但到了下半场，丹特·迪文琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 三分球7投5中，纳兹·里德命中3记三分，而安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 则用两记不可思议的投篮，延续了他本赛季在关键时刻的出色表现。
首先，他背身单打马刺队的优秀防守者斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)，在底线命中一记转身跳投，帮助森林狼在比赛还剩两分钟时以102-100领先，这也是他们当晚的首次领先。
随后，万众期待的时刻到来了。在比赛的最后几秒，森林狼落后一分，爱德华兹通过换防对上了文班亚马。他们在三分线外对峙，这位美国篮球的希望之星，正面对抗着那位被公认为将在不久的将来统治联盟的法国人。
为了显示文班亚马已经赢得了多大的敬畏，这位联盟中最自信、最大胆的球员之一表示，当他遇到这个对位时，心里咯噔了一下。这是这位顶级得分手罕见地不知道该怎么办的时刻。
“我当时心想，‘我去！我是该投篮，还是该突破他？’”爱德华兹说。“我当时很困惑。我从没这么困惑过，说实话。我当时想，‘靠，我还是把球传给朱（兰德尔）吧。我现在真不知道该干嘛了。’”
经过片刻的思索，爱德华兹交叉步运球向右侧猛冲，巧妙地利用了兰德尔对卡斯尔的掩护，然后用一个极具欺骗性的停顿晃过文班亚马，杀向篮筐。他在篮下遇到了卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet)，但他还是用一记挑篮将球打板送入篮筐，帮助球队反超比分。
无人可“蚁”（爱德华兹昵称“蚁人”）。
蚁人得到23分。 pic.twitter.com/o8zfsVlbwu
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@ Timberwolves) January 12, 2026
“我觉得他肯定以为我要投跳投了，”爱德华兹说。“他很可能会把那球盖掉，所以我必须突破他。”
而文班亚马则表示，他认为在那种情况下自己无法对爱德华兹的投篮进行干扰。
“我们有防守轮转，我认为我不应该去干扰那个投篮，”文班亚马说。“我认为我应该相信协防会到位，然后自己去抢篮板。”
爱德华兹最终得到23分，兰德尔得到15分和8个篮板，迪文琴佐贡献19分、9个篮板和7次助攻，里德则有17分、11个篮板和全队最高的+23正负值。森林狼队（26胜14负）在周六于克利夫兰惨败后强势反弹，赢得了过去八场比赛中的第六场。麦克丹尼尔斯为明尼苏达贡献了12分、5个篮板和3次封盖，戈贝尔抢下了14个篮板。
文班亚马得到29分、7个篮板和3次抢断，但德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 全场19投仅6中，包括在最后几秒错失了一个绝佳的制胜三分机会。
森林狼队在胜利后通常会有些得意，但这一次赛后的更衣室里没有人吹嘘。他们本周将于周六在圣安东尼奥迎来两队本赛季的第三次交锋，此前两场他们都取得了胜利，他们知道文班正在等着他们。
“他会为我们做好准备的，所以我们必须做出一些改变，”爱德华兹说。
当被问及防守文班的秘诀时，兰德尔只是笑着回避了，表示由于下一场比赛就在眼前，他不想透露任何信息。
“他令人难以置信，”兰德尔说。“我对他充满敬意，无论是他对待比赛的方式，还是他打球的方式。他是一个不可思议的天才，未来很长一段时间都会是联盟的焦点。他无疑是一个艰巨的挑战。”
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：How Julius Randle became a Victor Wembanyama stopper late in Timberwolves' win
How Julius Randle became a Victor Wembanyama stopper late in Timberwolves’ win
MINNEAPOLIS — Victor Wembanyama is listed at 7 feet 4 inches tall. Everyone knows that is a lie.
One need only look at how the hulking, 6-9, 255-pound Julius Randle has to crane his neck to size up the San Antonio Spurs superstar to question the reality in which we are living. How can someone that tall move like that? What do you do with a player who has an 8-foot wingspan and can jump up and kick a bushel of basketballs hanging in a basketball hoop?
“He’s 7-5,” Randle said, confidently. “So all you can do is pray. Try to get a good contest and pray. So I’m not about to sit here and block your shots. I was trying to play solid defense, be physical and try to play without fouling.”
There wasn’t any divine intervention in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 104-103 victory over the Spurs at Target Center on Sunday night. Just muscle and sweat and leverage. Just grit and determination and want-to.
Wembanyama and the Spurs had their way with the Wolves through the first three quarters, leading 16-0 to start the game and 85-71 going into the fourth. Then the Alien got bullied.
Rudy Gobert picked up a technical foul and his fifth flagrant foul of the season — which will result in a one-game suspension against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday — for a reckless closeout on a 3 by Wembanyama. Four consecutive free throws by Wembanyama put the Spurs up 10 with 7:24 to go.
That’s when Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori, who was filling in for an ill Chris Finch, turned to an unlikely defensive stopper. He sat Gobert and put Randle on Wembanyama. This season, when Gobert sits and Randle shares the frontcourt with Naz Reid, the Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 122.4, per Cleaning The Glass. It’s been one of the team’s biggest issues all year long.
But the Wolves have seen Randle respond when he is facing a big mountain to climb, and there are none bigger than Mt. Wemby. On the first possession after he entered the game, Randle made his presence felt. His pressure sent Wembanyama tumbling into the Wolves bench for a turnover, drawing a roar from the sellout crowd.
LOCK UP JU.
VOTE JU » https://t.co/kbFUqGCeu2 pic.twitter.com/U3gy5fUGA0
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@ Timberwolves) January 12, 2026
There was more where that came from. With two minutes to play and the Wolves up two, Randle got a great contest on a jumper from Wembanyama, and he did it again on the final possession of the game, using his body to push Wemby off his spot and make him work hard for a look at the basket.
“It was incredible. It was incredible,” Gobert said, repeating himself for emphasis. “I thought his competitiveness, his physicality was incredible. He took that challenge. We were down 15, down 10, he took that challenge and that affected the whole team.”
This is what the Wolves have been trying to pull from Randle consistently since acquiring him right before last season for Karl-Anthony Towns. With Gobert manning the middle and Jaden McDaniels swooping around the halfcourt like a pterodactyl, Minnesota has been a defense-first team for years. Getting Randle up to that standard has not always been easy. He has put together some great efforts, but he can be moody when things aren’t going well and struggle to help get stops.
But he knew that if he didn’t bring his best in that moment on Sunday, Wembanyama would embarrass him. The Timberwolves had overcome dreadful shooting in the first half to claw back into the game, and with Gobert on the sideline it was up to Randle to deliver on defense. Over the final seven minutes of the game, Randle also gave the Wolves seven points, three rebounds — including two on the offensive end for huge putbacks — and was a plus-11.
TOO STRONG.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@ Timberwolves) January 12, 2026
The Wolves have believed all along that Randle has this kind of two-way play inside of him. They have been leaning on him to give more on the defensive end, just as hard as Randle was putting his shoulder into Wembanyama on Sunday night.
“Just push him. Push him on the little things,” Gobert said. “It’s all mental. It’s all about competing. It’s all about when you’re tired, some things aren’t going your way offensively, still doing the little things that can help your team win. And I hold myself to the highest standard, and that’s why I hold my teammates accountable for that, because this is my job.”
The longer the game went, the more the tables turned for Minnesota. Wembanyama had 16 points, six rebounds and was a plus-21 in 12 minutes in the first half, one night after taking over down the stretch to beat the Celtics in Boston. Those numbers dipped to 13 points, one rebound and a minus-4 in 15 minutes of the second half. In the fourth quarter, which the Timberwolves won 33-18, Wembanyama was 0 of 4 with no rebounds, a turnover and a foul, and the Spurs were outscored by seven points in his eight minutes.
San Antonio shot 25 percent in the fourth and missed seven of eight 3-pointers.
“They picked up the physicality, pushed us off our spots,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “A couple times we were not on the same page in terms of passer and catcher and creating the lead and timing. They get credit for that.”
As the Timberwolves’ defense stiffened, their shots finally started falling. They were 0 of 7 in Wembanyama’s first shift of the game and just 3 of 16 from 3 in the first half. Then Donte DiVincenzo went 5 of 7 from 3 in the second half, Naz Reid hit three 3s and Anthony Edwards resumed his outlandish performance in clutch time this season with a pair of incredible shots.
First, he backed down superb Spurs defender Stephon Castle and hit a turnaround jumper over him on the baseline to put the Wolves up 102-100 with two minutes to play, Minnesota’s first lead of the night.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for. With the Wolves down one in the closing seconds, Edwards got Wembanyama on a switch. They stared at each other just above the 3-point arc, the best hope for American basketball facing down the Frenchman whom everyone believes will own the league one day soon.
To show how much reverence Wembanyama has already earned, one of the cockiest, boldest players in the league said he winced when he drew the matchup. It was the rare occasion when the scorer supreme didn’t know where to go.
“I was like, ‘Damn! Do I got the shot? Do I drive on him?’” Edwards said. “I was confused. I ain’t never been confused. I ain’t going to lie. I’m like, ‘S—, I’m (going to throw it) to Ju. I don’t know what to do right now.”
After a moment of contemplation, Edwards crossed over and surged to his right, used a deft screen from Randle on Castle, then put on a wicked stutter-step to get past Wembanyama and to the basket. He was met there by Luke Kornet, but he lofted a scoop shot off the glass for the lead.
c’ANT STOP HIM.
23 PTS FOR ANT. pic.twitter.com/o8zfsVlbwu
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@ Timberwolves) January 12, 2026
“I feel like he thought I was going to take a jump shot, for sure,” Edwards said. “He probably would’ve blocked that s—, so I had to drive him.”
For his part, Wembanyama said that he didn’t think he had a play on Edwards’ shot in that scenario.
“We had a rotation, and I don’t think I’m supposed to get to that shot to contest it,” Wembanyama said. “I think I’m supposed to trust the help’s going to be there and go rebound.”
Edwards finished with 23 points, Randle had 15 points and eight rebounds, DiVincenzo put up 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Reid had 17 points, 11 rebounds and was a team-best plus-23 for the Wolves (26-14), who bounced back from a drubbing in Cleveland on Saturday to win for the sixth time in the last eight games. McDaniels had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks and Gobert grabbed 14 rebounds for Minnesota.
Wembanyama had 29 points, seven rebounds and three steals, but De’Aaron Fox was just 6 of 19 from the field, including missing a great look at a 3 to win it in the closing seconds.
The Wolves tend to peacock a little bit after victories, but there was no bragging in the locker room after this one. They finish this week in San Antonio on Saturday for the teams’ third meeting after winning the first two, and they know Wemby will be waiting for them.
“He’ll be ready for us, so we’ll have to change something up,” Edwards said.
When he was asked for his secret for guarding Wemby, Randle just smiled and demurred, saying he didn’t want to give anything away with another game just around the corner.
“He’s unbelievable,” Randle said. “All the respect in the world for him, just how he approaches the game, how he plays the game. Unbelievable talent that’s going to be around for a really long time. He’s a tough challenge for sure.”
By Jon Krawczynski, via The Athletic