By Jon Krawczynski, Jason Quick and Jared Weiss | The Athletic, 2026-05-01 04:30:14
随着明尼苏达森林狼在周四晚上用六场比赛解决掉丹佛掘金， 鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 领衔的森林狼与维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 率领的圣安东尼奥马刺之间的对决已正式敲定。
没错：西部半决赛将上演一场法国内线大个子的巅峰对决。森林狼在首轮失去了安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和丹特·迪文琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 后，正带着伤病进入系列赛；而马刺在经历文班脑震荡惊魂后，相对轻松地用五场比赛击败了波特兰开拓者。
我们邀请了报道这两场首轮系列赛的记者，请他们谈谈在下周一晚于圣安东尼奥开打的第一场比赛之前，他们最关注的看点。
为什么森林狼和马刺能赢得首轮系列赛？
Jon Krawczynski 谈森林狼：斗志。森林狼在常规赛中表现得有些漫不经心，看起来像是一支凌驾于 82 场平庸常规赛之上的球队。他们承诺一旦季后赛来临，会展现出更多的侵略性、专注度和求胜欲。
他们确实做到了。他们在第四场失去了爱德华兹和迪文琴佐。纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid) 带着肩伤和脚踝伤势作战。阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 因右小腿受伤缺席了第六场比赛。伯恩斯·海兰德 (Bones Hyland) 也带伤在身。但这都不重要。这支本赛季偶尔显得脱节的球队，凭借着对宿敌丹佛掘金的共同敌意团结在了一起，并送出了一场令人震惊的爆冷——即便在系列赛开始时他们相对健康，也没几个人看好他们。这证明了森林狼在过去两年中积累的季后赛底蕴，也向世人宣告他们会战斗到底。
Jason Quick 谈森林狼：防守。这支森林狼极具侵略性。如果你是马刺球迷，请做好准备，你会觉得你的球员一直在被犯规、被欺凌或被拉拽。这就是他们的风格。在戈贝尔防守尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 和杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 防守贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 的带领下，森林狼让掘金的每一次进攻都感到不适。当然还有其他因素——明尼苏达抢到了关键的进攻篮板，而多孙穆在受伤前打出了一个极其出彩的系列赛——但这支球队是靠防守取胜的。
Jared Weiss 谈马刺：多样性。马刺以文班亚马而闻名。但如果你是马刺的新拥趸，你会惊讶地发现，实际上是他们创造力的深度让这支球队变得如此危险。达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 都在首轮为球队赢下了比赛，他们可以指望这些球员中的任何一个在每晚打出精彩表现。
马刺有太多不同的赢球方式，而且他们几乎能与任何对手对位。事实上，当文班亚马手中无球时，他们反而最危险，因为他拥有史上最强大的无球引力之一。开拓者对圣安东尼奥进行了顽强的抵抗，但马刺用速度和韧性击垮对手的能力，展示了为什么圣安东尼奥是今年联盟中最出色的球队之一。
关于森林狼和马刺，有哪些学到的经验可以带入下一轮？他们在第二轮的对位情况如何？
Krawczynski：如果说明尼苏达在这轮系列赛中有什么优势，那仅仅是因为他们曾经到过这个舞台。这是他们连续第三次闯入季后赛第二轮。连续两次杀入西部决赛的经历，给了他们这群年轻马刺球员尚未具备的视野。他们知道如何应对系列赛的起伏，理解为了针对同一个对手打七场比赛需要做哪些准备。面对这支拿到 62 胜的马刺，他们将再次成为明显的下风球，这也是理所应当的。但这并不会阻止他们向文班亚马和他的队友们倾其所有。
Quick：戈贝尔依然是联盟最顶尖的防守者之一，他的臂展和经验将成为限制文班亚马施展动作的关键因素。他们曾是法国国家队的队友，所以彼此非常了解。你不得不认为，戈贝尔的经验将成为至少延缓这位联盟最难防守球员进攻脚步的资产。
Weiss：森林狼确实很有斗志，而这正是圣安东尼奥本赛季一直面临的问题。他们在前场拥有足够的长度和力量，能让文班亚马打得很艰难，而且戈贝尔比任何人都了解他的球路。但马刺的后卫表现太出色了，而森林狼的后卫已经捉襟见肘。如果两队都完全健康，这本会是一场极具竞争力的系列赛。但在失去首发后场——甚至可能失去多孙穆的情况下，明尼苏达要如何逾越一支健康的马刺队？
随着系列赛的推进，你对森林狼和马刺最关注的看点是什么？
Krawczynski：多孙穆的提升。在爱德华兹和迪文琴佐缺阵的情况下，多孙穆从轮换阵容的第七人变成了首发主控，随后因右小腿伤势缺席了第六场。他在第四场爆发砍下 43 分，并且随着系列赛的进行，他在核心角色中显得游刃有余。如果他能康复，他将面对马刺强悍的防守，对方给他的压力将远超丹佛。他如何处理增加的责任以及防守端更多的关注，将极大地影响森林狼在这轮系列赛中的竞争力——前提是他能回归。
Quick：显而易见，爱德华兹的健康进度将是本轮系列赛的重要看点。他在对阵掘金的第四场比赛中伤到了左膝，但外界对他能在第二轮回归持乐观态度。所有人都知道爱德华兹在进攻端能做什么，但在对阵丹佛的前三场比赛中，令我印象深刻的是他在护筐时的那种顽强。他多次在高强度对抗中封盖对手的上篮和扣篮——事实上，他就是在干扰一次快攻上篮时受伤的——这种防守正是对抗一支喜欢推反击的马刺队所需要的。
Weiss：在这段漫长的季后赛征程中，文班亚马的健康管理显而易见是重中之重，但马刺已经证明了即使没有他，他们也能赢球。真正的考验在于，面对更强大的对手时，他们的投篮和球权流转能否保持。很多时候，圣安东尼奥看起来会陷入进攻停滞。对阵波特兰时发生过这种情况，但开拓者没有足够的投篮能力或顶级组织者，在马刺断电时给予反击。让我们寄希望于爱德华兹能够回归，让这轮系列赛保持竞争力，或者至少更有趣一点。
在这轮系列赛之后，你如何看待森林狼或马刺的长期季后赛前景？为什么他们应该或不应该出现在争冠讨论中？
Krawczynski：不容乐观。首轮对阵宿敌的表现令人振奋，但是，迪文琴佐和爱德华兹的伤病太致命了。爱德华兹有机会在系列赛的某个时间点回归，但预计他无法赶上开局，而且即便他上场，状态又能恢复几成？掘金是一个有缺陷的对手，他们整个系列赛都缺少了佩顿·沃特森 (Peyton Watson)，而阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 也因小腿伤势严重受限。年轻的马刺则饥渴且健康。即便森林狼能爆冷跨过圣安东尼奥，分区决赛大概率还要面对俄克拉荷马城雷霆。用“严峻”来形容都太轻描淡写了。
Quick：俗话说：防守赢得总冠军。明尼苏达对阵丹佛时的防守给我留下了深刻印象。森林狼的防守极具压迫感，如影随形，而且他们带有一种自信。但随着迪文琴佐赛季报销，爱德华兹也带伤在身，我不确定他们是否有足够的火力一路走到底。
Weiss：马刺是头号争冠热门。到目前为止，他们通过了每一项测试。文班亚马看起来状态极佳，他的心态也令人印象深刻。马刺的年轻球员在压力下表现稳健，而福克斯连续打出了几场统治级的表现，提醒了所有人他为何是全明星。如果一切运转顺畅——就像他们过去几个月表现的那样——马刺就是你所能见到的最均衡的球队。
对森林狼-马刺系列赛的预测及理由？
Krawczynski：马刺 4-3 晋级。如果森林狼全员健康，我会选他们赢。记住，他们在常规赛对阵圣安东尼奥时取得了 2 胜 1 负。我相信他们肯定会奋力一搏。但在这么多球员受伤或缺阵的情况下，很难想象他们能击败一支 62 胜的球队。
Quick：马刺 4-2 晋级。我不确定马刺是否有弱点。文班亚马是一个不可阻挡的力量，福克斯在对阵开拓者时表现得像手术刀般精准，而斯蒂芬·卡斯尔拥有那种在系列赛中不断消耗对手的、永不停歇的坚韧斗志。
Weiss：马刺 4-1 晋级。如果爱德华兹健康，我会选马刺 4-3。但现在的森林狼被伤病摧残得太厉害了，而马刺实力太强且过于专注，不会给对手留下机会。
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：Spurs vs. Timberwolves series preview and predictions: Victor Wembanyama faces his mentor
Spurs vs. Timberwolves series preview and predictions: Victor Wembanyama faces his mentor
With the Minnesota Timberwolves dispatching the Denver Nuggets in six games on Thursday night, the matchup between Rudy Gobert’s Timberwolves and Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs is set.
That’s right: the Western Conference semifinals will feature a battle of French bigs. The Timberwolves enter the series banged up after losing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo in Round 1, while the Spurs — after a Wemby concussion scare — beat the Portland Trail Blazers relatively easily in five games.
We asked our writers who covered both first-round series to tell us what they’ll be watching heading into Game 1, which will take place on Monday night in San Antonio.
Why did the Wolves and Spurs win their first-round series?
Jon Krawczynski on the Wolves: Heart. The Timberwolves lollygagged through the regular season, looking like a team that was above the mundanity of 82 games. They promised to show more edge, focus and want-to once the playoffs hit.
Did they ever. They lost Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo in Game 4. Naz Reid was playing with a bad shoulder and a bum ankle. Ayo Dosunmu missed Game 6 with a right calf injury. Bones Hyland was banged up. None of that mattered. A team that was disconnected at times this season banded together with a shared hatred of their rivals in Denver and delivered a stunning upset that few picked even when they were relatively healthy to start the series. It was a testament to the playoff bonafides the Wolves have racked up over the last two years — and a statement that they will fight to the end.
Jason Quick on the Wolves: Defense. These Timberwolves get after it. If you are a Spurs fan, get ready to think your players are getting fouled, or bullied, or held. It’s what these guys do. Led by Gobert on Nikola Jokić and Jaden McDaniels on Jamal Murray, the Timberwolves made everything uncomfortable for the Nuggets. There were other factors — Minnesota got key offensive rebounds and a superb breakout series from Dosunmu before his calf injury — but this team wins on defense.
Jared Weiss on the Spurs: Variety. The Spurs are known for Victor Wembanyama. But if you are new to the Spurs, you will be surprised to learn that it’s actually their depth of creation that makes them such a dangerous team. De’Aaron Fox, Steph Castle and Dylan Harper all won games for them in the first round, and they can count on one of those guys to have a great game every single night.
The Spurs have so many different ways to win and they match up well against pretty much every team that comes their way. They are actually at their most dangerous when Wembanyama doesn’t have the ball because he has some of the most effective off-ball gravity to ever exist. The Blazers put up a good fight against San Antonio, but the Spurs ability to overwhelm teams with speed and persistence showed why San Antonio was one of the best teams in the league this year.
What did we learn about the Wolves and Spurs that should carry forward to the next series? How do they match up in the second-round?
Krawczynski: If Minnesota has an edge in this series, it’s simply that they have been here before. This is their third straight trip to the second round of the playoffs. Two straight runs to the Western Conference finals have given them a perspective that most of these young Spurs just do not have yet. They know how to navigate the ups and downs of a series. They understand what it takes to prepare for seven games against one opponent. They will be decided underdogs again against these 62-win Spurs, and rightfully so. But that won’t stop them from throwing everything they have at Wembanyama and Co.
Quick: Gobert is STILL one of the league’s best defenders, and his length and savvy will be factors in how Wembanyama is able to maneuver. They were teammates on the French national team, so they know each other well. You have to think Gobert’s experience will be an asset in at least slowing down the game’s most difficult cover.
Weiss: The Wolves do have the fight in them, which has been a problem for San Antonio this season. They have the length and power in the frontcourt to make life difficult on Wembanyama, and Gobert knows his game as well as anyone. But the Spurs’ guard play has been so good and the Wolves are running out of guards. If these teams were fully healthy, it would be a truly competitive series. But how does Minnesota get past a healthy Spurs team without its starting backcourt — and potentially Dosunmu?
What are you watching the most closely about the Wolves and Spurs as they move forward?
Krawczynski: Dosunmu’s elevation. With Edwards and DiVincenzo out, Dosunmu moved from the seventh man in the rotation to the starting lead guard before missing Game 6 with a right calf injury. He erupted for 43 points in Game 4 and looked very comfortable in a more featured role as the series wore on. If he recovers, he will be facing a tenacious Spurs defense that will pressure him to a far greater degree than Denver did. How he handles the increased responsibility, and the increased attention from the defense, will loom large in the Wolves’ ability to be competitive in this series — assuming he returns.
Quick: Obviously, the health progress of Edwards will be a big storyline in this series. He hurt his left knee in Game 4 of the Nuggets series but there was optimism he could return in the second round. Everyone knows what Edwards can do offensively, but what stood out to me in the first three games of the Denver series was just how tenaciously Edwards protects the rim. He had multiple high-level blocks on layups and dunk attempts — in fact, he was hurt contesting a fast-break layup — and that type of defense will be needed against a Spurs team that likes to get out and run.
Weiss: There is the obvious management of Wembanyama’s health over this long playoff run, but the Spurs have already shown they can win games without him. The real test is whether their shooting and ball flow will hold up against much stiffer competition. There will be a lot of times where San Antonio looks incapable of running offense. That happened against Portland, but the Blazers didn’t have the shooting or elite playmaker to counter when the Spurs went bananas on them. Let’s hope Anthony Edwards can come back and make this series competitive, or fun at the very least.
How do you feel about the Wolves’ or Spurs’ long-term playoff chances after this series? Why should or shouldn’t they be in the title conversation?
Krawczynski: Not great. The first round was an inspiring performance against their chief rivals. But man, the injuries to DiVincenzo and Edwards are gutting. There is a chance that Edwards returns at some point in this series, but he is not expected to be back for the start of it, and how good will he be if he does play? The Nuggets were a flawed opponent who missed Peyton Watson for the entire series and had Aaron Gordon significantly limited by a calf injury. The young Spurs are hungry and healthy. Even if the Wolves were to get by San Antonio, a likely date with Oklahoma City in the conference finals would await. Daunting is an understatement.
Quick: What’s the old saying: Defense wins championships? I was thoroughly impressed with Minnesota’s defense against Denver. The Wolves swarm. Get into you. And they have a swagger. But with the season-ending injury to DiVincenzo, and Edwards knicked up, I’m not sure they have enough firepower to make it all the way.
Weiss: The Spurs are right up there as championship favorites. They have passed every test so far. Wembanyama looks very good and his mindset has been impressive so far. The Spurs’ young players have held up well under the pressure and De’Aaron Fox has strung together a few dominant performances to remind everyone why he’s an All-Star. The Spurs are as balanced a team as you’ll get if things are clicking, just as they have for months now.
Prediction for Wolves-Spurs and why?
Krawczynski: Spurs in 7. If the Wolves were healthy, I would pick them to win this series. Remember, they went 2-1 against San Antonio in the regular season. I think they will put up a fight, for sure. But with so many guys banged up or out, it’s hard to see how they get past a 62-win team.
Quick: Spurs in 6. I’m not sure the Spurs have a weakness. Wemby is a force, Fox was surgical against the Blazers, and Castle has that non-stop, relentless grit that wears on you during a series.
Weiss: Spurs in 5. If Edwards was healthy, I would pick Spurs in 7. But the Wolves are just decimated by injuries now and the Spurs are too good and too locked in to mess around.
By Jon Krawczynski, Jason Quick and Jared Weiss, via The Athletic