By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-02-24 12:58:34
在当地时间2026年2月23日周一于底特律进行的NBA常规赛下半场中，底特律活塞后卫凯德·康宁汉姆（2号）顶着圣安东尼奥马刺前锋维克托·文班亚马（1号）的防守突破。
底特律 —— 凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 在数据上的表现虽然平平，但在周一晚上马刺以114-103力克东部领头羊、球风硬朗的底特律活塞、展现其实力的胜利中，他依然发挥了巨大作用。
在这场激烈的对抗赛第二节末段，活塞球星凯德·康宁汉姆 (Cade Cunningham) 在撞倒斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 后被吹罚进攻犯规。约翰逊随即推搡康宁汉姆与其对峙，引来了活塞队的杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren)——后者此前刚因打架受到联盟禁赛处罚——指着约翰逊的脸进行挑衅。
对于一支决心在面对球风硬朗的活塞时证明自己强韧度的球队来说，这是一个决定性的时刻。
“这极大地激发了我们球队的能量，因为我们绝不会退缩，”卡斯尔说道。
此前外界一直对这支球队应对身体对抗的能力存疑，但马刺现在看起来已经准备好在即将到来的、充满对抗的季后赛中大显身手了。
“今晚我们绝对肯定了自己的进步，也肯定了球队的潜力，”维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 表示，“这是一次很好的考验。”
马刺（41胜16负）通过了考验，将连胜场次扩大到9场。这是目前NBA现存的最长连胜，也是俱乐部自2018-19赛季末取得9连胜以来的最长纪录。如果马刺能在周三晚上客场战胜多伦多猛龙，那将是他们自2015-16赛季（当时那支马刺队曾取得13连胜，并最终创下队史纪录的67胜）以来的最长连胜。
“（从）赛季初犯下的错误中汲取教训可以帮助我们（保持赢球状态），”文班亚马说道。
约翰逊与康宁汉姆的对峙只是马刺多次回击活塞强硬打法的缩影之一。他们用表现做出了回应，但像约翰逊那样面对面地挺身对抗活塞也同样重要。
“这不是为了充当硬汉，而是为了挺身而出保护你的兄弟，”他说道。
不管这被称为什么，对于一支本赛季曾因打球风格偶尔偏软而饱受批评的球队来说，这都是一个积极的信号。在马刺如此对抗活塞的表现之后，没有人能再说他们软了。活塞目前的战绩下滑至42胜14负，其五连胜也就此终结。
“有好几次出现了身体对抗、接触、拉扯的系列动作或瞬间，我认为我们的回应非常得体，”马刺主帅米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道，“我们必须展现出强韧度。这可能是他们（活塞）在全联盟做得最好的地方。他们会在每一个回合、以每一种可能的方式来考验你的韧性。”
文班亚马也尽到了自己的职责。在活塞不断的身体冲撞下，这位两届全明星球员手感欠佳，16投6中得到21分。但他通过其他方面的表现弥补了进攻端的低迷，抢下17个篮板（创下职业生涯新高的8个进攻篮板）并送出6次盖帽。
“这就是击败这类球队所需要的表现，”米奇·约翰逊说道，“我们不能仅仅寄希望于投篮手感、进攻创造力或得分。他（文班亚马）做得非常棒，没有让对手干扰到他，并将能量投入到正确的位置和比赛的其他所有环节中。”
康宁汉姆暗示文班亚马的防守是他仅得16分（低于其场均得分9分）的主要原因，他全场26投仅5中，表现惨淡。活塞全队投篮命中率仅为37.7%（106投40中），三分球命中率更是低至19.4%（36投7中）。
“他改变了太多的投篮干扰，我们没能尽早找到对付他的办法，”这位两届全明星后卫说道。
文班亚马很高兴能提前领略一下这种被他称为“推土机打法”的季后赛强度。
“这可能是最擅长这种打法的球队了，”他说道。
但马刺证明了他们能够以自己的方式给予有效的反击。
“我们明白这是无法回避的，我们要尝试以我们自己的身体对抗方式来强加我们的意志，”米奇·约翰逊说道，“这可能不是人们习惯的那种蛮力或传统形式，尽管你也必须以适当的方式迎接对抗并利用身体接触。但我们的防守覆盖面、节奏、团队衔接和预判都可以成为在身体层面施加意志的方式。就像一名拳击手，他想在拳台内灵活移动，利用刺拳和动作，而不是只想靠在围绳上与对手一拳换一拳。”
这些“刺拳”来自多个点。德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 命中7记三分球，砍下全场最高的28分；朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 贡献17分；卡斯尔交出16分11次助攻；德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 则收获10分7篮板7助攻。
马刺在防守端也给予了对手重击，尤其是卡斯尔，他是防守康宁汉姆的主要力量。
“他在执行比赛计划和竞争意识方面表现出色，同时保持了身体强度，努力移动脚步并展示双手，”米奇·约翰逊在谈到卡斯尔时说道。
但活塞主帅JB·比克斯塔夫 (JB Bickerstaff) 表示，卡斯尔得到了很多帮助。
“不仅仅是（卡斯尔）。他们有五个人都在紧盯着（康宁汉姆），试图限制凯德的发挥和影响力，”比克斯塔夫说道，“但我们会回去观看录像。我们下周还会和（马刺）交手。我们会做好准备。”
虽然赢得了一场衡量实力的关键比赛，但马刺更衣室内的气氛却出奇地平静。
“我认为我们还没取得什么成就，”瓦塞尔说道，“这只是一场比赛。他们是一支优秀的球队，我们确实想赢下这场球，但我们还有更多的东西需要展示，我们的目标不仅仅是赢下一场比赛。所以我们对这场胜利感到兴奋，但接下来的对手是多伦多。我们还要在纽约（对阵篮网和尼克斯）以及费城面临一段艰难的赛程，对手都非常出色，主场氛围也很不友好。所以我很期待看到我们在那些比赛中的表现。”
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：San Antonio Spurs got physical in beating 'bully ball' Detroit Pistons
San Antonio Spurs got physical in beating ‘bully ball’ Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Detroit.
DETROIT — Keldon Johnson had an off night statistically, but he still made a big impact in the Spurs’ statement-making 114-103 victory over rugged, East-leading Detroit on Monday night.
Late in the second quarter of the hotly contested game, Pistons star Cade Cunningham was called for an offensive foul after knocking down Stephon Castle. Johnson confronted Cunningham with a shove of his own, prompting Detroit’s Jalen Duren, who recently served a league-imposed suspension for fighting, to point a finger in his face.
It was a defining moment for a team determined to prove its toughness against the hard-nosed Pistons.
“That sparked a lot of energy on our team because we’re not going to back down,” Castle said.
For a team that entered the game with question marks surrounding its ability to respond to physical play, the Spurs suddenly look like they’ll be ready to mix it up when the rough-and-tumble postseason finally gets here.
“It’s definitely a night where we confirmed progression and confirmed potential as well,” Victor Wembanyama said. “That was a good test.”
The Spurs (41-16) passed it to extend their winning streak to nine games, the NBA’s current longest streak and the club’s longest since it won nine in a row late in the 2018-19 season. If the Spurs win at Toronto on Wednesday night it will be their longest winning streak since the 2015-16 team won 13 in a row on its way to a club record 67 wins.
“(Learning from) the mistakes we had in the beginning of the season can help us (keep winning),” Wembanyama said.
Johnson squaring off with Cunningham was one of the many times the Spurs responded to Detroit’s physical play. They did it with their play, but it was also important to stand up to the Pistons face to face like Johnson did.
“It’s not about being a tough guy, it’s about being there for your brothers,” he said.
Whatever it was, it was a good sign for a team criticized this season for playing soft at times. Nobody could say that after the way the Spurs played against Detroit, which fell to 42-14 and had its five-game winning streak snapped.
“There were a few times that there was a physicality, a contact, a touching sequence or moment, and I thought we responded very appropriately,” said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “We had to have toughness. That’s what they probably do as well as any team in the league. They’re going to test your toughness on every possession in every way they can.”
Wembanyama did his part too. With the Pistons banging him repeatedly, the two-time All-Star struggled with his shot, going 6 for 16 en route to 21 points. But he more than made up for it in other areas, grabbing 17 rebounds (a career-high eight on the offensive end) and blocking six shots.
“That’s what it’s going to take to beat teams like this,” Mitch Johnson said. “We can’t hang our hat on shot-making or offensive creation or trying to score, and he did a great job of not allowing them to deter him, putting his energy into the right spots and all other facets of the game.”
Cunningham suggested Wembanyama’s defense was a big reason why he finished with just 16 points — nine below his average — on woeful 5-of-26 shooting and the Pistons shot just 37.7% from the field (40 of 106) and 19.4% from beyond the arc (7 of 36).
“He just changed too many shots and we didn’t figure him out early enough,” the two-time All-Star guard said.
Wembanyama was glad to have a taste of what the playoffs are going to be like against a team he said plays “bully ball.”
“This is probably the team most capable of playing that ball,” he said.
But the Spurs proved they can counter punch pretty effectively in their own way.
“We understand that that’s not something we’re going to avoid and we’re going to try to impose our will with our own type of physicality,” Mitch Johnson said. “That might not be some of the brute strength or traditional forms that people are used to, even though you have to step up and use contact in appropriate manners. But our activity, our pace, our connectivity and our anticipation can be ways to impose a will physically. Just like a boxer that wants to move around the ring and use his jab and use activity where he doesn’t want to just sit there on the ropes and go blow for blow.”
The “jabs” came from plenty of sources. Devin Vassell hit seven 3s for a game-high 28 points, Julian Champagnie contributed 17 points, Castle had 16 points and 11 assists, and De’Aaron Fox finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Spurs also landed punches defensively, especially Castle, who was the primary defender against Cunningham.
“His game-plan execution and competitiveness while being physical and trying to move his feet and show his hands was excellent,” Mitch Johnson said of Castle.
But Detroit coach JB Bickerstaff said Castle had a lot of help.
“It wasn’t just (Castle). They had five guys dialed into (Cunningham), trying to limit what Cade could do and his impact," Bickerstaff said. "But we’ll go back and watch the film. We’ve got (the Spurs) next week. We’ll be prepared.”
For a team that won a major measuring stick game, the Spurs had a surprisingly subdued locker room.
“I don’t think we’ve done anything yet,” Vassell said. “This is just another game. They’re a great team and we wanted to get this win, but we still have a lot more to show and we have bigger goals than just winning one game. So we’re excited about this one, but we got Toronto next. We got a big stretch of New York (the Brooklyn and the Knicks) and Philly coming up with some really good teams and some hostile environments. So I’m interested to see how we play in those games too.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News