By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-01-17 08:00:00
有时候，只需要一场宣言式的胜利就能让一切重回正轨。圣安东尼奥马刺队在周四晚间大胜密尔沃基雄鹿队，一举摆脱了圣诞节后连续10场比赛的低迷状态。一夜之间，这支球队似乎又有了征服西部的气势。但仅凭一场比赛就过度反应是愚蠢的。周六晚的这场较量，将是他们证明自己已重回正轨的机会，而对手正是在战绩榜上紧追不舍的球队。
上周日，马刺队在明尼阿波利斯经历一场惜败，本场比赛他们将坐镇主场迎战明尼苏达森林狼队。马刺将拥有体能优势，因为森林狼在周五深夜刚刚以105-110输给了休斯顿火箭队。由于脚伤，明尼苏达队的超级巨星安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 已连续缺席两场比赛，但他周六能否出战仍是未知数。
森林狼队的身高、力量、运动能力和投射能力，对马刺来说是一个棘手的对手。本赛季两次负于明尼苏达的比赛中，圣安东尼奥都在比赛末段崩盘。如果他们能像对阵密尔沃基时那样，在攻防两端都打出强势表现，将有助于他们取得本赛季对森林狼的首场胜利，并在战绩榜上拉开一些差距。
圣安东尼奥马刺 (28-13) vs. 明尼苏达森林狼 (27-15)
2025年1月17日 | 中央时间晚7点
观看：Fan Duel | 收听：WOAI (1200 AM)
马刺伤情 ：斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) – 出战成疑（生病），哈里森·英格拉姆 (Harrison Ingram) – 缺阵（G联赛），斯坦利·乌穆德 (Stanley Umude) – 缺阵（G联赛），大卫·琼斯-加西亚 (David Jones-Garcia) – 缺阵（G联赛），德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) – 缺阵（内收肌）
森林狼伤情： 中央时间下午1点后公布
看点聚焦：
朱利叶斯·兰德尔对位维克托·文班亚马
在圣安东尼奥上一场对阵森林狼的比赛中，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 在面对同胞鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 时打出了成功的进攻表现。但当朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 成为他的主防人时，这种成功便戛然而止。兰德尔能够进行强硬的身体对抗，卡住文班亚马的下盘，将他挤出自己的攻击位置，让他几乎无法向篮筐发起进攻。如果森林狼决定再次将防守文班的任务交给兰德尔——他们很可能也应该这么做——圣安东尼奥就必须找到办法为文班亚马创造出好的出手机会。敬请关注马刺队是否会利用伸缩掩护甚至外线侧向掩护，来为文班亚马在激烈的身体对抗中创造一些空间。
三分防守
在本赛季两次负于明尼苏达的比赛中，马刺队都领教了森林狼能够多快地找到火热手感。森林狼非常擅长利用他们的大个子球员拉开空间，因为兰德尔和纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid) 都具备远投威胁。丹特·迪文琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 是个超级射手，而如果像博恩斯·海兰德 (Bones Hyland) 和杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 这样的角色球员也手感火热，比赛可能会很快失去悬念。圣安东尼奥需要及时扑防射手，迫使对手艰难出手，从而压制住森林狼，让他们无法进入比赛节奏。
后卫线表现
周四对阵雄鹿时，圣安东尼奥的后卫群表现出色。斯蒂芬·卡斯尔打得非常高效，德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 持球时游刃有余，而迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 则为替补席注入了活力。如果这三人组能发挥出正常水准，马刺队将拥有持球优势。明尼苏达队则拥有身材高大、防守强硬的外线球员，有能力给他们制造麻烦。圣安东尼奥若想在周六确保一场胜利，就需要他们的后卫三人组拿出最佳表现。
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. Minnesota Timberwolves
Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Sometimes it just takes one statement victory to get things back on track. The San Antonio Spurs burst out of a rough 10-game stretch after Christmas with a blowout victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. All of a sudden, it feels like the team can once again conquer the Western Conference. But one game overreactions are a fool’s errand. Saturday night’s contest is a chance to prove the team is back on track against a team that is biting at their heels in the standings.
The Spurs will host the Minnesota Timberwolves after losing a heartbreaker to them in Minneapolis last Sunday. San Antonio will have the rest advantage, as the Wolves are coming off a late-night 110-105 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Minnesota has been without its superstar, Anthony Edwards, for two straight games due to a foot injury, but his status for Saturday’s game is unknown.
The Wolves present a tough matchup for the Spurs, with their size, strength, athleticism, and shooting ability. San Antonio has collapsed late in both losses to Minnesota this season. A strong performance on both the offensive and defensive ends, as they had against Milwaukee, would help them earn their first win against the Wolves this season and create some separation in the standings.
San Antonio Spurs (28-13) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-15)
January 17, 2025 | 7 PM CT
Watch: Fan Duel | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle – Questionable (illness), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Stanley Umude – Out (G League), David Jones-Garcia – Out (G League), Devin Vassell – Out (adductor)
Timberwolves Injuries: Not posted until 1 pm CT
What to watch for:
Julius Randle on Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama experienced offensive success against a fellow Frenchman, Rudy Gobert, in San Antonio’s last game against the Wolves. That success stopped when Randle became his primary defender. Randle was able to play physical and get underneath Wembanyama, forcing him off of his spot and making it nearly impossible for him to make a move toward the rim. If the Wolves decide to give Randle the Wemby assignment again, and they probably should, San Antonio will have to find a way to get Wembanyama open for good looks. Watch for the Spurs to use flex screens or even fade screens on the perimeter to open up some space for Wembanyama against a physical defense.
Three-point defense
The Spurs found out the Wolves can get hot in a hurry in both of their losses to Minnesota this year. The Wolves do a great job of spreading the ball out with their bigs, as Randle and Naz Reid are both threats from deep. Donte DiVincenzo is a flamethrower, and if role players like Bones Hyland and Jaden McDaniels get hot, the game can get out of hand quickly. San Antonio will need to close out to shooters and force tough shots to keep the Wolves down and out of the game.
Guard play
San Antonio’s guards looked great against the Bucks on Thursday. Stephon Castle was efficient, De’Aaron Fox looked comfortable with the ball in his hands, and Dylan Harper provided a spark off the bench. The Spurs have a ball-handling advantage if the trio plays up to its usual standards. Minnesota has long, tough perimeter defenders capable of making their lives difficult. San Antonio will need the most from their guard trio to secure a victory on Saturday.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock