By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-01-18 13:19:25
2026年1月17日，星期六，圣安东尼奥，在一场NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克托·文班亚马（1号）在下半场对阵明尼苏达森林狼队得分后作出反应。(美联社图片/埃里克·盖伊)
周六的比赛仅剩1.3秒，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 踱步至罚球线，当时他本赛季的第二场40+得分近在咫尺。
马刺队以两分优势领先明尼苏达。两罚全中本可锁定胜局。
但似乎有人忘了告诉文班亚马这项任务。
这位全明星中锋第一罚空心入网，将马刺的领先优势扩大到三分。然而，出于霜冻银行中心内所有人都无法理解的原因——包括文班亚马自己——他故意罚丢了第二球。
在那一刻，文班亚马究竟在想些什么？
“没想太多，”文班亚马事后自嘲道。“我敢保证。”
这次故意罚丢最终并未造成严重后果。明尼苏达队在终场蜂鸣器响起时一记54英尺的超远距离投篮偏出，马刺最终以126-123守住了胜利。
与此同时，马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 离开球馆时却心怀沮丧，因为比赛的最后1.3秒本不该如此费尽心神。
在约翰逊看来，一场马刺队在半场时以69-44领先的比赛，本不应该在下半场演变成一场惊心动魄的险胜。
结果，马刺队不得不在安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) ——他砍下了生涯新高的55分——的末节狂攻下艰难求生，才在最后几分钟挽救了胜利。
“第三节的开局实在是太漫不经心了，”约翰逊说。“而且这支球队（森林狼）已经对我们干过足够多次同样的事了，每个人都记忆犹新，也能预料到。”
确实，六天前在明尼苏达，马刺队几乎全场领先——并在进入第四节时手握15分的优势——但爱德华兹在比赛最后时刻的一记跑动中打板命中，帮助森林狼以104-103逆转取胜。
在这个本还算成功的29胜13负的赛季中，赛程刚刚过半，马刺队仍在学习如何将油门踩到底，打满全部四节。
约翰逊称马刺队下半场松懈的态度“极其令人失望”，并且是“我们今年最大的症结所在。”
“当比赛进入真正艰难的时刻，我们没有足够的经验、历史、智慧、过往的成就来作为依靠，”约翰逊说。“我们必须加倍尊重过程、注重细节，并以正确的方式打球。”
马刺队希望在周一将这一教训付诸实践，届时他们将回到霜冻银行中心，在马丁·路德·金纪念日的日场比赛中对阵犹他。
爵士队本赛季已经给马刺上了一两课，他们在12月27日上一次做客圣安东尼奥时，以127-114取胜。
犹他爵士（14胜28负）是自圣诞节以来击败过马刺的三支胜率不足五成的球队之一，这份不算光彩的名单上还有孟菲斯和波特兰。
如果马刺队没有在下半场挥霍掉对阵森林狼时整整25分的领先优势，他们本可以带着高昂的情绪进入周一的比赛。
即便赢了球，约翰逊和他的球员们也明确表示，他们早已过了“赢了就好”的发展阶段。
“这很令人警醒，我们必须解决这个问题，”前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 说。“我们拼尽全力取得了领先，然后就好像变得漫不经心了。我们开始自满，让他们找到了追回比分的机会。”
文班亚马是马刺队周六取得统治级开局的重要功臣，他在上半场就砍下了自己39分中的23分。
其中20分来自第二节，这也是他尚且年轻的NBA生涯中单节得分最高的一节。与此同时，马刺队在第二节得到的48分，也创下了自1987年以来的单节最高得分。
“这绝对是一种会传染的感觉，”文班亚马在谈到马刺第二节的得分爆发时说。“我认为这是双向的。不幸的是，当你犯错时，那种感觉同样会传染。”
马刺队在下半场感受到了后者，森林狼以79-57的得分优势强势追回比分。当爱德华兹在比赛还剩3分28秒时命中一记11英尺的后仰跳投，森林狼自第二节开场一分钟后首次取得领先。
从那一刻起，比赛进入了鏖战——这让马刺队懊恼不已。
“当我们经历这些时，我们不能放松警惕，”米奇·约翰逊说。“而一旦我们放松，我们有时就会发现自己陷入了类似的困境。”
对于周六的比赛，马刺唯一能感到庆幸的是，他们最终走出了困境。
凯尔登·约翰逊命中了马刺队第四节最关键的一球，在比赛还剩17.3秒时命中一记三分球，将球队的领先优势扩大到四分。
从那时起，马刺本应能通过罚球锁定胜局，若不是文班亚马在罚球线上的最后一刻大脑短路。
最终，约翰逊带着矛盾的心情离开了霜冻银行中心。
他为自己的球队能在逆境中奋力拼搏、赢下一场苦战而感到骄傲，却又对球队让比赛拖入关键时刻而感到沮丧。
“这让你有充分的理由相信球队的潜力，以及他们未来能达到的高度，”约翰逊说。“但同时，这也给你敲响了警钟。”
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and San forward Keldon Johnson (3) celebrate a score against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts to a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joan Beringer (19) is blocked by San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) as he drives to the basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) passes around San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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：Why the Spurs heard alarm bells after beating Minnesota
Why the Spurs heard alarm bells after beating Minnesota
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
There was 1.3 seconds remaining Saturday when Victor Wembanyama ambled to the free-throw line with the second 40-point game of his season in his sights.
The Spurs led Minnesota by two points. Two successful free throws would have sealed the game.
Someone forgot inform Wembanyama of the mission.
The All-Star center swished the first attempt to push the Spurs’ cushion to three. For reasons that escaped everyone in the Frost Bank Center – including Wembanyama himself – he missed the second on purpose.
What went into Wembanyama’s decision-making in that moment?
“Not much thought,” a self-deprecating Wembanyama said later. “I can guarantee.”
The intentional misfire proved inconsequential. Minnesota missed a 54-foot heave at the buzzer and the Spurs held on for a 126-123 victory.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, meanwhile, left the building frustrated by the fact the final 1.3 seconds of the game required much thinking at all.
In Johnson’s view, a contest the Spurs led 69-44 at halftime should have never become a nail-biter in the second half.
Instead, the Spurs had to survive a late flurry of punches from Anthony Edwards — who posted a career-high 55 points — to salvage the win in the final minutes.
“The start of the third quarter was just way too nonchalant,” Johnson said. “And this team has done this to us enough times that everyone remembers and can expect it.”
Indeed, six days earlier in Minnesota, the Spurs led nearly the entire game — and by 15 points headed to the fourth — before Edwards’ running bank shot in the waning moments gave the Timberwolves a 104-103 triumph.
Just past the midway points of an otherwise successful 29-13 season, the Spurs are still learning the art of keeping the pedal to the metal for a full four quarters.
Johnson called the Spurs’ laissez faire approach to the second half “extremely disappointing” and “the biggest thorn in our side this year.”
“We don’t have some of the depth of experience, history, wisdom, runs on the board, accomplishments to refer to when times get really tough,” Johnson said. “We have to overly respect the process, the details, and play in the right way.”
The Spurs hope to put that lesson into practice Monday, when they return to the Frost Bank Center for a Martin Luther King Day matinee against Utah.
The Jazz have already taught the Spurs a thing or two this season, having earned a 127-114 victory in their previous trip to San Antonio on Dec. 27.
Utah (14-28) is one of three teams with a sub-.500 record to have defeated the Spurs since Christmas Day, a not-so-illustrious list that also includes Memphis and Portland.
The Spurs could have cruised into Monday on a high had they not frittered away every bit of a 25-point lead in the second half against Minnesota.
Even in victory, Johnson and his players made clear they are well past the “a win’s a win” portion of their development process.
“It’s alarming and we’ve got to fix it,” forward Keldon Johnson said. “We bust our butts and we get up and then it’s kind of like we get nonchalant. We get content and they get to work their way back into the game.”
Wembanyama was a huge part of the Spurs’ dominant start Saturday, scoring 23 of his 39 points in the first half.
He notched 20 of those in the second quarter, posting the highest-scoring frame of his still-young NBA career. The 48 points the Spurs posted in the second quarter, meanwhile, marked their highest-scoring frame since 1987.
“It was a contagious feeling for sure,” Wembanyama said of the Spurs’ second-quarter scoring outburst. “I think it goes both ways. Also, unfortunately, when you do the things wrong, it’s contagious as well.”
The Spurs felt the latter in the second half, as Minnesota outscored them 79-57 to punch their way back into the game. When Edwards buried an 11-foot fadeaway with 3:28 remaining in the game, it gave Minnesota its first lead since the opening minute of the second quarter.
The dogfight was on from there — much to the Spurs’ chagrin.
“When we go through this, we cannot let our guard down,” Mitch Johnson said. “And when we do, we find ourselves at times in similar situations.”
The best the Spurs can say about Saturday is they found their way out of the woods.
Keldon Johnson hit the biggest shot of the fourth for the Spurs, sinking a 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds to play that pushed his team’s edge to four points.
From there, the Spurs should have been able to salt away the game with free throws but for Wembanyama’s last-second brain lapse at the foul line.
In the end, Johnson left the Frost Bank Center with conflicting emotions.
He was proud of his team for fighting through adversity to win a fourth-quarter game, and frustrated with his team for allowing the contest to get to crunch time in the first place.
“It gives you a lot of reason to believe in potential of what you can continue to grow into,” Johnson said. “And it gives you a lot of alarming pause."
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News