By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-04-24 15:05:49
2026年4月21日，周二，在圣安东尼奥弗罗斯特银行中心举行的NBA季后赛首轮第二场比赛下半场，波特兰开拓者队临时主教练蒂亚戈·斯普利特在领到技术犯规后做出反应。马刺队以103-106惜败，系列赛总比分被扳成1-1平。
俄勒冈州波特兰讯——在作为主教练开启职业生涯首场NBA季后赛的前几天，波特兰开拓者队的蒂亚戈·斯普利特 (Tiago Splitter) 邀请了几位老友共进晚餐。
马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili) 和鲍里斯·迪奥 (Boris Diaw) 是斯普利特在马刺队最近一次夺冠时的队友。从那时起，他们三人便成了形影不离的好友。
随着开拓者队与圣安东尼奥马刺队在季后赛首轮陷入僵持，斯普利特深知吉诺比利的立场坚定不移。但他觉得迪奥是可以“收买”的。
“马努肯定支持马刺，”斯普利特说道，“至于鲍里斯，我们走着瞧。我得请他喝几杯红酒。”
无论这轮胜负难料的系列赛最终鹿死谁手（周五第三场移师波特兰举行），斯普利特和他的老友们都值得为这份出色的工作举杯。
这位41岁的巴西人去年夏天来到波特兰时，原本以为自己只是昌西·比卢普斯 (Chauncey Billups) 教练组的一名助理教练。
最终，他成为了开拓者队的代理主教练，并在带领球队发起这场出人意料的季后赛冲击时，为自己的转正争取机会。
斯普利特表示，他很感慨自己的NBA季后赛执教首秀竟然是面对那支开启他NBA生涯的球队。
在圣安东尼奥进行的前两场比赛中，他在赛前介绍环节赢得了主场球迷的热烈掌声。
“这确实意义非凡，”斯普利特说道，“我对这支球队依然充满敬意和热爱……但归根结底，我是在履行职责。我们想要击败他们。”
在开拓者队赛季仅进行一场后，比卢普斯因卷入联邦赌博指控被解雇，斯普利特随即被提拔为主教练。
去年10月接过开拓者教鞭后，他的首要任务与战术布置几乎无关。
“（当时）只是想让一切回归正常，让大家只关注篮球本身，”斯普利特说道，“我认为那是初期的关键。我们只是球员和教练。”
在斯普利特的指导下，开拓者队随着赛季的进行表现愈发稳健。12月中旬时，波特兰的战绩还仅为9胜16负，低于五成胜率7个胜场。
开拓者队最终以42胜40负的战绩结束常规赛，锁定西部第八，并在菲尼克斯赢下了附加赛客场胜利，从而开启了与斯普利特老东家的首轮对决。
“他被推到了一个困难的境地，”波特兰球星丹尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija) 说道，“但他做得非常出色。他激发了我们每个人的潜力，我们都喜欢为他效力。”
在理想情况下，斯普利特理应是波特兰主教练职位的头号转正人选。
然而，就在他带领球队征战季后赛时，有报道称新老板汤姆·邓登 (Tom Dundon) 已经在接触外部候选人。根据《俄勒冈人报》最近的一篇报道，邓登计划为下一任主教练提供100万美元的起薪，这在NBA标准下相当低。
斯普利特的反应则是埋头苦干，专注于赢下这轮系列赛。
“我只想保持职业，”斯普利特说道，“专注于更衣室和我的教练组，只思考篮球。就像我刚接手这份工作并面对那些烂摊子时一样。”
随着这个既令人兴奋又充满挑战的赛季不断推进，斯普利特发现自己受益于在圣安东尼奥效力时学到的经验。作为马刺队2007年的首轮秀，斯普利特在海外效力三年后，于2010-11赛季正式登陆圣安东尼奥。
这位身高6英尺11英寸、球风硬朗的中锋在马刺效力了五个赛季，并作为首发球员参加了2013年和2014年的NBA总决赛。
斯普利特的NBA执教生涯始于2018年的布鲁克林篮网队，当时同样出身马刺的篮网总经理肖恩·马克斯 (Sean Marks) 聘请他担任球探和球员发展助理。
2023年，他在休斯敦火箭队担任艾米·乌度卡 (Ime Udoka) 的助手，而乌度卡也是另一位“马刺系”成员。
斯普利特上赛季在欧洲担任巴黎篮球俱乐部的主教练，赢得了法国联赛冠军和法国杯。
凭借球员时代的履历和去年在法国的执教经验，斯普利特对高强度、高压力的比赛深有体会。
“每一场比赛的重要性都极其巨大，”斯普利特说道，“比赛的各个方面压力都大得多。每一次进攻都至关重要。每个人都试图打得慢一点，生怕犯错。”
周五，斯普利特率领开拓者队走进摩达中心进行第三场比赛，他们有机会在这轮系列赛中取得领先。而在去年10月球队主教练被戴上手铐带走时，很少有人能预料到他们能打进季后赛。
对于波特兰后卫布雷克·韦斯利 (Blake Wesley) 来说，赛季中途更换主教练的情况并不陌生。
上赛季他在马刺队效力时，米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 就在11月接替了因病休养的名人堂教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich)。
“事情的发展总是出人意料，”韦斯利说道。
正如约翰逊在接替波波维奇后誓言保持“常规日程”一样，斯普利特也孜孜不倦地引导着开拓者队朝着正确的方向前进。
在这个波特兰本可能迅速崩盘的赛季里，斯普利特赢得了球员们的信任和全力以赴。
“蒂亚戈非常棒，”韦斯利说道，“当他成为临时主帅时，我为他感到高兴。当他拿到首胜时，我也很激动。这对他的意义非常重大。”
斯普利特也赢得了首轮系列赛对手主帅的赞赏。
或许没有人比马刺主帅约翰逊更能理解斯普利特本赛季所面临的困难程度。
“我认为蒂亚戈做得非常出色，”约翰逊说道，“那种沉稳和气度——显然他们经历了许多不同的阵容和伤病。能像他们那样保持竞争力和组织性，这足以说明他的能力。”
如果开拓者队最终能赢下这轮系列赛，斯普利特在圣安东尼奥的老战友中至少会有一个人感到难过。
至于迪奥？为了得到那个答案，斯普利特可能还得再开一瓶好酒。
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：Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter aims to ruin postseason for Spurs
Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter aims to ruin postseason for Spurs
Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter reacts after receiving a technical foul 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. The Spurs fell 106-103, evening the series at 1-1.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A few days before the start of his first NBA playoff game as a head coach, Portland’s Tiago Splitter took a couple old friends out to dinner.
Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw were Splitter’s teammates on the last Spurs team to win a championship. They have been three amigos ever since.
With the Trail Blazers locked in a tied first-round series with San Antonio and Splitter has no doubt where Ginobili’s loyalties lie. But he believes Diaw can be bought.
“Manu is Spurs for sure,” Splitter said. “Boris, we’ll see. I’ve got to invite him for a couple glasses of wine.”
No matter who ultimately wins the suddenly up-for-grabs series, which resumed with Game 3 on Friday in Portland, Splitter and his pals should be able to lift a glass to a job well done.
The 41-year-old Brazilian arrived in Portland last summer expecting to be an assistant on Chauncey Billups’ staff.
He ended up becoming the Blazers’ acting head coach, and is now auditioning for more while leading Portland’s unlikely playoff charge.
Splitter said he appreciates the coincidence of coaching his first NBA playoff series against the franchise that welcomed him to the NBA.
Before Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, he received a loud ovation from the home fans during pregame introductions.
“It’s definitely something,” Splitter said. “I have big respect and love for this organization still. … But at the end of the day, I’m doing my job. We want to beat them.”
Splitter was promoted to the head chair one game into Portland’s season, after Billups’ stunning dismissal amid federal gambling charges.
His first order of business upon taking the Blazers’ reins in October had little to do with Xs and Os.
“(It was) just trying to normalize everything, just make it about basketball and nothing else,” Splitter said. “I think that was the key at the beginning. We were just basketball players and coaches.”
Under Splitter’s guidance, the Blazers got better as the season went along. In mid-December, Portland was seven games under .500 (9-16).
The Trail Blazers ended the regular season at 42-40, secured the No. 8 spot in the standings, and then won a road play-in game at Phoenix to set up the first-round matchup with Splitter’s former team.
“He got thrown in a difficult situation,” Portland star Deni Avdija said. “But he’s done a phenomenal job. He’s getting the best out of all of us and we love playing for him.”
In a fair world, Splitter would be a prime candidate to earn Portland’s head coaching job on a full-time basis.
Instead, he is coaching his team in the playoffs amid reports new owner Tom Dundon has been talking to outside candidates. Per a recent report in The Oregonian, Dundon is looking to pay his next coach a starting salary of $1 million, considerably low by NBA standards.
Splitter’s response has been to put his head down and focus on winning a playoff series.
“Just trying to be a pro,” Splitter said. “Try to focus on my locker room with my staff and try to stay and think about basketball. Same way when I got the job and all the stuff that was going on.”
As a season both thrilling and beleaguering has progressed, Splitter found himself leaning on lessons learned as a player in San Antonio. The Spurs’ first-round pick in 2007, Splitter remained overseas for three years before landing in San Antonio in 2010-11.
The hard-nosed 6-foot-11 center spent five seasons with the club, and was a starter on NBA Finals teams in 2013 and 2014.
Splitter’s NBA coaching career began in 2018 with Brooklyn, when Nets general manager Sean Marks – another former Spur – hired him as a scout and player development assistant.
In 2023, he was hired as assistant in Houston under Ime Udoka, yet another Spurs ex patriate.
Splitter spent last season in Europe as head coach for Paris Basketball, winning the French league championship and the French Cup.
Between his days as a player and coaching last year in France, Splitter knows a thing or two about high-stakes basketball.
“The importance of every game is huge,” Splitter said. “There’s way more pressure on all the aspects of the game. Every possession matters way more. Everybody tries to play a little slower, with a little bit of fear of not making a mistake.”
Splitter’s Blazers entered Game 3 at the Moda Center on Friday with a chance to take the lead in a playoff series few thought they’d see back in October, when the club’s head coach was led away in handcuffs.
For Portland guard Blake Wesley, the idea of an in-season coaching switch was hardly foreign.
He was with the Spurs last season when Mitch Johnson took over for ailing Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich in November.
“It’s crazy how stuff happens,” Wesley said.
In much the same way Johnson vowed to keep with what he called “regularly scheduled programming” upon replacing Popovich, Splitter worked tirelessly to keep the Blazers pointed in the right direction.
In a season in which things might have quickly gone south in the Pacific northwest, Splitter has earned his players’ trust and effort.
“Tiago’s great,” Wesley said. “When he got the interim (tag) I was excited for him. When he got the first win, I was excited too. It means so much to him.”
Splitter has garnered admiration from the man on the opposite sideline of their first-round series.
Perhaps nobody understands the degree of difficulty Splitter has had to navigate this season better than Johnson, his Spurs counterpart.
“I think Tiago’s crushed it,” Johnson said. “Just the steadiness, the demeanor—obviously they’ve had a lot of different lineups, different bodies. To be able to maintain a level of competitiveness and organization the way they have, it says a lot about him.”
If the Blazers find a way to pull out the series, at least one of Splitter’s old running buddies from San Antonio will be upset.
As for Diaw? For that answer, Splitter might have to crack open another bottle of wine.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News