By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-04-23 15:06:21
2026年4月21日，周二，圣安东尼奥，在对阵波特兰开拓者的NBA季后赛首轮第二场比赛上半场，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 在一次重摔后坐在地板上。由于文班亚马在遭遇脑震荡后出战成疑，随着系列赛带着1-1的比分移师波特兰，马刺需要文班亚马的多位队友挺身而出。
俄勒冈州波特兰——周四下午，一架飞往波特兰的达美航空包机从圣安东尼奥国际机场起飞。
当天最大的新闻是：一位身高7英尺4英寸的法国人就在飞机上。
尽管正承受着全NBA最受关注的头痛困扰，维克托·文班亚马 已获准随马刺队前往客场，参加对阵开拓者的西部季后赛系列赛第三、四场比赛。
这是迄今为止最乐观的信号，预示着这位遭遇脑震荡的全明星中锋可能——强调一下，是可能——能够尽早回归他职业生涯的首个季后赛系列赛。
“我们会继续按照流程走，希望他能持续好转，”主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道。“这非常直接。显然，我们希望他能在某个时刻回归。”
文班亚马是在周二马刺103-106负于波特兰的第二场比赛次节受伤的，那场失利让这组首轮系列赛的总比分变成了1-1平。
为了重返赛场，文班亚马必须通过NBA脑震荡保护协议的各项基准测试，该测试由球队医疗团队在与联盟指定的医生协商后执行。
这一切自然让文班亚马能否出战周五在摩达中心举行的关键第三战打上了问号。
“据我所知，我们甚至还没讨论过那个，”当被问及文班亚马是否已被排除在周五的出场名单之外时，约翰逊表示，“协议就是协议。”
文班亚马遭遇脑震荡的两天前，他刚刚在马刺的第一场胜利中砍下35分，创下了队史季后赛首秀得分纪录，以此宣告自己驾临NBA季后赛舞台。
而在第二场比赛开始前的场中仪式上，他刚刚接过职业生涯首座NBA年度最佳防守球员奖杯，不到一小时后，意外就发生了。
上半场还剩8分57秒时，良好的氛围戛然而止，文班亚马在波特兰后卫朱·霍勒迪 (Jrue Holiday) 一次并不算激烈的犯规后，面部撞向了地板。
在接下来的24小时及更长时间里，这段惨烈的摔倒画面在全国体育新闻节目中反复播放。
“直到赛后看到回放我才注意到，”全明星后卫达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 说道，“无论他是否上场打球，我们只希望他健康。”
不过，文班亚马出现在周四飞往波特兰的航班座位上，充分证明了这位22岁的超级巨星在弗罗斯特银行中心球馆的地板上摔伤下巴两天后，感觉至少有所好转。
这也是必要的首要步骤。
毕竟，如果文班亚马不在波特兰，他周五绝无上场可能。
在文班亚马出战成疑的情况下，马刺别无选择，只能假设这位在攻防两端都处于核心地位的最重要球员将会缺阵。
“有他在场时我们是一支更好的球队，”福克斯说道，他在常规赛文班亚马缺阵期间带领球队取得了12胜6负的战绩，其中包括对阵波特兰的2胜1负，“但我们已经做好了在没有他的情况下打球的准备，因为我们不知道（周五）的情况会如何。”
任务很明确：马刺必须在接下来的波特兰两连客中至少赢下一场，以避免在这组首轮系列赛中陷入被淘汰的边缘。
如果文班亚马无法出战，填补他的空缺将需要全队的努力。
去年夏天签约作为文班亚马替补的7英尺2英寸中锋卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 将进入首发阵容。
科内特在常规赛中曾顶替文班亚马首发25场。周五将是他职业生涯第二次季后赛首发，上一次是在上赛季东部半决赛波士顿对阵纽约的第六场。
30岁的科内特意识到，填补文班亚马的首发位置和填补他那巨大尺码的球鞋（指代其场上作用）是两个不同的挑战。
“我认为我们只需要保持一直以来的打法，打得更有侵略性、更具身体对抗并保持节奏，”科内特说道，“显然会有一些细节需要调整，但我感觉我们对那种打法已经很有经验了。”
为了度过文班亚马可能缺阵的难关，马刺需要福克斯贡献更多，他在休赛期签署了一份2.29亿美元的续约合同，正是为了在这样的时刻引领球队。
福克斯在马刺第一场胜利中表现出色，但在第二场末段表现疲软，第四节6投仅1中。
在常规赛与开拓者的三次交锋中（文班亚马均未上场），福克斯场均得到全队最高的27分。
“他们拥有长臂防守者，而且身体对抗很强，”福克斯说道，“我们知道要面对什么，也知道他们是哪种类型的球队。所以他们在自己的节奏里击败了我们。”
2026年4月21日，周二，圣安东尼奥弗罗斯特银行中心，在NBA季后赛首轮第二场比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) (4) 在波特兰开拓者队后卫斯库特·亨德森 (Scoot Henderson) (00) 的防守下抢回地板球。由于文班亚马在第二场失利中遭遇脑震荡后出战成疑，随着系列赛带着1-1的比分移师波特兰，马刺需要福克斯和其他人挺身而出。
在第三场比赛中，马刺需要后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 打出高效表现，他在前两场比赛中总计33投11中。
他们需要凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 拿出“年度最佳第六人”级别的表现，他目前为止总共只得到10分。
他们还希望两名轮换阵容中的新秀——迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 和卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) ——能从建立信心的第二场比赛中发现一些突破口。
马刺必须找到限制波特兰后卫斯库特·亨德森 (Scoot Henderson) 的办法，他在第二场砍下了31分；同时也不能漏掉开拓者全明星德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija) ，他在第一场得到了30分。
如果觉得马刺目前面临的问题比对策还多，那是有原因的。
“这就是季后赛，”凯尔登·约翰逊说道，“我们必须想办法解决。”
马刺承认，如果核心球员在阵中，这道难题看起来会清晰得多。
无论文班亚马是否上场，系列赛都将继续。
周四，文班亚马低头钻进达美航空包机机舱的那一刻，至少给了马刺前往波特兰时最需要的东西。
那是穿透太平洋西北地区云层的希望之光。
“他想上场，但他知道自己必须通过的流程，”福克斯说道，“得知他随队出征并且有机会上场，这绝对给我们带来了一丝曙光。”
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：Victor Wembanyama uncertain, Spurs all-hands-on-deck vs. Trail Blazers
Victor Wembanyama uncertain, Spurs all-hands-on-deck vs. Trail Blazers
Victor Wembanyama sits on the court after taking a hard fall during the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in San Antonio. With Victor Wembanyama’s status uncertain after he suffered a concussion, the Spurs need several of Wembanyama’s teammates to step up as the series moves to Portland tied at a game apiece.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Delta charter flight bound for Portland took off from San Antonio International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
In the biggest breaking news of the day, a 7-foot-4 Frenchman was on it.
Despite bearing the most scrutinized headache in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has been cleared to travel with the Spurs for Games 3 and 4 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Trail Blazers.
It was the most optimistic sign yet the concussed All-Star center might — stress, might — be able to rejoin his first career postseason series sooner rather than later.
“We’ll just kind of keep going through the protocol and hopefully he continues to progress,” coach Mitch Johnson said.”It’s pretty straightforward. Obviously we hope he’ll be back at some point.”
Wembanyama was injured in the second quarter of the Spurs’ 106-103 Game 2 defeat against Portland on Tuesday, which tied the first-round series at a game apiece.
In order to return to play, Wembanyama must pass benchmarks in the NBA’s concussion protocol, administered by the team medical staff in consultation with a league-appointed doctor.
All of this naturally casts Wembanyama’s availability in doubt for Friday’s crucial Game 3 at the Moda Center.
“To my knowledge, we haven’t even had that discussion,” Johnson said when asked if Wembanyama had been ruled out Friday. “The protocol is the protocol.”
Wembanyama’s concussion came two nights after he heralded his arrival on the NBA playoff stage by scoring 35 points in the Spurs’ Game 1 victory, a club record for most in a postseason debut.
It came less than an hour after he was presented with his first career NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy in midcourt ceremony before Game 2.
The good vibes came crashing down in a hurry with 8:57 remaining in the first half, when Wembanyama’s face bounced off the court following a relatively tame foul from Portland guard Jrue Holiday.
For the next 24 hours and counting, the gruesome fall played and replayed on national sports highlight shows.
“I didn’t see it until I saw the replay after the game,” All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox said. “Regardless of if he’s playing basketball or not, we just want him healthy.”
Wembanyama’s filled seat on Thursday’s flight to Portland, however, was proof positive the 22-year-old superstar is at least feeling better two days after tumbling chin-first to the Frost Bank Center hardwood.
It was also a necessary first step.
After all, Wembanyama stood zero chance of playing Friday if he wasn’t in Portland.
With Wembanyama’s participation uncertain, the Spurs have no choice but to plan as if their most important player, the centerpiece of everything they do on both ends of the floor, will be missing.
“We’re a much better team with him out there,” said Fox, whose team went 12-6 without Wembanyama during the regular season, including 2-1 against Portland. “But we are prepared to play without him because we don’t know how (Friday) is going to look.”
The task is clear. The Spurs must win at least one of the next two games in Portland to avoid putting themselves on the brink of elimination in the first-round series.
If Wembanyama is not able to play, it will take a village to replace him.
Luke Kornet, the 7-foot-2 center signed last summer to be Wembanyama’s backup, will slide into the starting lineup.
Kornet started 25 games in the regular season in place of Wembanyama. Friday would mark his second career playoff start, following the Game 6 he started for Boston against New York in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
The 30-year-old Kornet is aware that filling Wembanyama’s starting spot and filling his size sneakers are two different challenges.
“I think we just have to play how we have the whole way, just playing with a lot of force and physicality and pace,” Kornet said. “Obviously there will be little things to adjust, but I feel we’ve had a lot of experience playing that way.”
To weather Wembanyama’s potential absence, the Spurs will need more from Fox, who signed a $229-million extension in the postseason to guide the club through moments such as this.
Fox played well in the Spurs’ Game 1 victory, but faded down the stretch of Game 2, going 1 for 6 in the fourth quarter.
In three regular season matchups with the Blazers, all with Wembanyama out, Fox averaged a team-best 27 points.
“They have long defenders and they’re physical,” Fox said. “We knew we were coming into. We knew the type of team that they were. So they beat us at their game.”
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) recovers a loose ball as Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) defends during the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. With Victor Wembanyama’s status uncertain after he suffered a concussion in the Game 2 loss, the Spurs need Fox and others to step up as the series moves to Portland tied at a game apiece.
In Game 3, the Spurs could use an efficient outing from guard Stephon Castle, who is 11 of 33 from the field through the first two games.
They will need a Sixth Man of the Year-type effort from Keldon Johnson, who has been held to a total of 10 points so far.
They will hope their pair of rookie rotation players — Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant — uncovered something in a confidence-building Game 2.
The Spurs must find an answer for Portland guard Scoot Henderson, who had 31 points in Game 2, while not losing track of Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija, who had 30 in Game 1.
If it feels like there are more questions than answers for the Spurs at this point, there is a reason for that.
“It’s the playoffs,” Keldon Johnson said. “We’ve got to figure it out.”
The Spurs admit the puzzle looks a whole lot clearer with their centerpiece in the middle of it.
With or without Wembanyama, the series will go on.
By ducking his aching head into the cabin of a Delta charter flight Thursday, Wembanyama at least gave the Spurs what they needed most heading to Portland.
Hope, peeking through the Pacific northwest clouds.
“He wants to be out there, but he knows the protocol that he has to go though,” Fox said. “It definitely brings us a little light knowing that he’s traveling and that there’s a chance.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News
