By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-01-29 14:16:43
休斯顿火箭队前锋凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)（7号）与圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)（5号）在2026年1月28日周三于休斯顿举行的一场NBA篮球比赛下半场中，对一次犯规判罚做出反应。(美联社照片/Ashley Landis)
休斯顿电 — 近一个月来，马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 的左手拇指一直被包裹着，就像埃及法老的木乃伊遗骸一样。
他在12月29日输给克利夫兰的比赛末段扭伤了拇指，当时他的手被卷入了一名骑士队球员的球衣里。此后的每一场比赛，48分钟的对抗都充满了伤情复发的风险。
“我的拇指差不多已经恢复正常了，”卡斯尔说。“然后它又被撞了一下，让我的恢复进度有点倒退。”
对卡斯尔来说，幸运的是，他无需十指健全也能施展自己的看家本领。不信可以问问休斯顿火箭队，即便卡斯尔周三两手空空地来到丰田中心，他们恐怕依然会被他坚韧而全面的防守所击溃。
这位21岁的卫冕NBA年度最佳新秀，在第四节上演了一场教科书级别的防守大师课，帮助马刺队彻底锁死了休斯顿的进攻，最终以111-99逆转取胜。
火箭队在下半场曾一度领先多达16分，但在第四节仅得到13分，投篮23次仅命中4球。
毫无疑问，卡斯尔正是马刺队这次铁血防守的核心。
“我正努力在防守端安身立命，”卡斯尔说。“所以教练在防守端交给我的任何挑战，我都欣然接受。”
在周三决定胜负的第四节，卡斯尔面临的挑战名叫阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun) 和凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)。
眼看着火箭队后卫阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson) 在前三节随心所欲地杀入禁区并砍下23分，马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在进入末节时调整了防守策略。
身高7英尺4英寸的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 开始对位汤普森。尽管后者身体天赋惊人，但跳投依然不够稳定。
马刺队放任汤普森在18英尺外任意跳投，这使得文班亚马可以坐镇禁区附近，张开双臂，如同巴西的基督救世主雕像，尽可能地吞噬空间。
这个想法在理论上足够直接。
“很明显，维克托在篮筐附近是巨大的威慑，”约翰逊说。“而那正是汤普森造成大量杀伤的区域。”
然而，要让这一策略奏效，马刺队需要有人去对付申京。这个人就是身高6英尺6英寸的卡斯尔，他比火箭队的全明星中锋申京矮了将近半英尺。
当卡斯尔需要从这个对位中稍作喘息时，他又得去追防杜兰特——这位NBA历史得分榜第六位的球员，同样比卡斯尔高出近半英尺。
约翰逊清楚自己交给卡斯尔的任务有多么艰巨。
“我不知道斯蒂芬·卡斯尔或其他任何人在成长和打球的过程中，有多少机会去防守那样的球员，”约翰逊说。
卡斯尔的身体壮得像个NFL安全卫，又有着神风特攻队般的无畏精神，这对他帮助很大。
他和文班亚马联手，在第四节让火箭队的进攻陷入瘫痪，将一场马刺队在进入末节时还落后两分的比赛，变成了一场酣畅淋漓的大胜。
马刺队的混合防守策略全面奏效。汤普森在第四节7投1中，申京5投0中，杜兰特则是4投1中。赛后，卡斯尔成为了获胜方更衣室里的焦点人物。
“他展示了自己有多特别，以及他未来将会有多特别，”前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 兴奋地说道。
马刺队第四节铁血防守的最经典画面出现在比赛还剩7分钟时，卡斯尔从右翼一路贴身对抗、挤压和跟防杜兰特，直至左侧肘区。
当杜兰特最终拔起他那标志性的“卢浮宫藏品级”中距离跳投时，文班亚马从禁区另一侧飞身协防，在24秒进攻时钟即将到时之际，将球扇向了技术台。
在卡斯尔下半场登场的17分半钟里，他所对位的球员无一运动战进球。
“这就是他的价值所在，”文班亚马说。“他能像（周三）那样锁死对手。我真高兴我们在选秀中得到了他。”
卡斯尔的教练对这位二年级职业球员的赞誉则更进一步。
“当他把精力和专注度投入到正确的领域时，他就是一位能入选NBA最佳防守阵容的球员，”约翰逊说。“我认为（周三）他就是其中一员。”
通过这样的表现，卡斯尔在周三证明了为何他已成为马刺队终结阵容中宝贵的一员，即便是在他进攻效率下滑的时期。
自去年12月拇指受伤以来，卡斯尔在持球端的表现不如以往，这已不是秘密。在1月20日输给火箭队的比赛中，当休斯顿后卫约什·奥科吉 (Josh Okogie) 在跑动中无意撞到他的手时，他又一次伤到了拇指。
卡斯尔在一月份场均得到14.3分，但投篮命中率仅为37.7%，这两项数据都是他本赛季至今最差的单月表现。
与此同时，他的防守却夜夜在线。
“我觉得这是没有商量余地的，”卡斯尔说。“无论投篮是否命中，我觉得我都不能改变我在那一端的侵略性或活力。”
卡斯尔那缠着绷带的拇指终将痊愈。周三在休斯顿，他几乎用不着它。
第四节的哨声响起，卡斯尔化身为一座铜墙铁壁。
“看到这样的表现很棒，因为这必须成为他的看家本领，”米奇·约翰逊说。“看到他在面对这样一支球队和这样的对位时能做到这一点，效果显著，而且我们需要他每时每刻都这样做。”
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) defends against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) guards Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the third quarter at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. The Spurs defeated the Bucks, 119-109.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) looks to make a pass during the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) collides with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second quarter at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) guards Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) during the first quarter at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
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：Can Stephon Castle become an All-NBA defender? His coach thinks so
Can Stephon Castle become an All-NBA defender? His coach thinks so
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) react after a foul call during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
HOUSTON — For the better part of a month, Spurs guard Stephon Castle has played with his left thumb wrapped like the mummified remains of an Egyptian pharaoh.
He sprained it late in a Dec. 29 loss to Cleveland, when his hand got caught up in the jersey of a Cavaliers player. Every game since has provided 48 minutes worth of opportunities for a relapse.
“It was damn near back to normal,” Castle said. “Then it got hit again and kind of set me back a little bit.”
Good thing for Castle, he doesn’t need all 10 digits to do what he does best. Just ask the Houston Rockets, who might still have been done in by Castle’s defensive tenacity and versatility Wednesday had he arrived at the Toyota Center fingerless.
The 21-year-old reigning NBA Rookie of the Year was the head professor of a defensive master class during a fourth quarter in which the Spurs locked up Houston’s offense en route to a 111-99 come-from-behind victory.
Having led by as many as 16 points in the second half, the Rockets managed 13 points in the fourth quarter. They made only 4 of 23 field-goal attempts.
Not surprisingly, Castle was at the forefront of the Spurs’ defensive lockdown drill.
“I’m trying to hang my hat on that end,” Castle said. “So any challenges the coaches give me on that end, I kind of accepted.”
In the decisive fourth quarter Wednesday, Castle’s challenges were named Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant.
Having watched Houston guard Amen Thompson sashay into the paint at will through three quarters on his way to 23 points, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson made a switch in coverages heading into the final frame.
The 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama moved onto Thompson, who despite his prodigious physical tools still lacks a consistent jump shot.
The Spurs ceded Thompson any jumper he wanted from 18-feet out, allowing Wembanyama to park near the paint, spread his arms wide like Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue and swallow as much territory as he could.
The idea was straightforward enough in theory.
“Obviously, Victor is a deterrent at the rim,” Johnson said. “That’s where Thompson does a lot of his damage.”
For the strategy to work, however, the Spurs needed someone to take on Sengun. That someone was the 6-foot-6 Castle, who gives up nearly half a foot to Sengun, the Rockets’ All-Star center.
When Castle needed a breather from that matchup, he got to chase Durant, who is only the sixth-leading scorer in NBA history and is also nearly half a foot taller than Castle.
Johnson was aware of the ridiculousness of what he was asking Castle to accomplish.
“I don’t know how much Steph Castle or anybody has guarded guys like that as they’ve grown up and come through the ranks,” Johnson said.
It helps that Castle is built like an NFL safety with the fearlessness of a kamikaze pilot.
He and Wembanyama teamed up to short-circuit the Rockets’ offense in the fourth quarter, transforming a game the Spurs trailed by two heading into the final frame into a runaway victory.
The Spurs’ defensive mash-up worked across the board. Thompson went 1 of 7 in the fourth quarter. Sengun went 0 for 5. Durant was 1 for 4. Afterward, Castle was the man of the hour in the winning locker room.
“He just showed how special he is and how special he’s going to be,” forward Keldon Johnson crowed.
The enduring image of the Spurs’ fourth-quarter clamp down came with seven minutes to go, when Castle bumped and jostled and rode Durant from the right wing to the left elbow.
When Durant at last rose for his trademarked “hang it in the Louvre” mid-range jumper, Wembanyama swooped over from across the paint to swat the shot into the scorer’s table as the 24-second clock expired.
In the 17½ minutes Castle was on the floor in the second half, his man recorded zero field goals.
“That’s his worth,” Wembanyama said. “He can shut down guys like he did (Wednesday). I’m so glad we got him in the draft.”
Castle’s coach went even further in his praise of the second-year pro.
“He’s an All-NBA defender when he puts his energy and focus into the right areas,” Johnson said. “And I thought (Wednesday) he was one.”
In doing so, Castle showed Wednesday why he has become a valuable part of the Spurs’ closing lineups, even during stretches when his offensive efficiency wanes.
It is no secret Castle has not been as sharp with the ball in his hands since injuring his thumb in December. He tweaked it again in a Jan. 20 loss to the Rockets, when Houston guard Josh Okogie accidentally bumped Castle’s hand on a jog up the court.
Castle is averaging 14.3 points in January while shooting 37.7% from the floor, by far his worst month of the season in either category.
His defense, meanwhile, has been there every night.
“I feel like that’s a non-negotiable,” Castle said. “Whether shots are going in or not, I feel like I can’t change my aggressiveness or my energy on that end.”
Castle’s mummified thumb will heal in time. Wednesday in Houston, he almost didn’t need it.
The fourth quarter dawned, and Castle became a fortress.
“It was good to see because that’s got to be his calling card,” Mitch Johnson said. “To see him do that against the team like this and the matchups that he had was well received, and we need it all the time.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News