By Jacob Douglas | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-05-04 07:00:00
在季后赛首轮以 4-1 干净利落地击败波特兰开拓者队后，圣安东尼奥马刺队将迎来一个熟悉的对手——明尼苏达森林狼队。森林狼队目前势头正盛，尽管缺少了几名关键的轮换球员，他们依然以 3-2 的大比分战胜了丹佛掘金队。这轮系列赛注定将是一场防守至上、充满身体对抗的恶战，既会考验年轻的马刺队，也给了森林狼队连续第三年闯入西部决赛的机会。
森林狼队在进入这轮系列赛时并不被看好，因为他们的伤病名单上有多名球员。安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 的状态是整个系列赛最受关注的焦点。爱德华兹在对阵丹佛的比赛中遭遇左膝过度伸展和骨挫伤，目前他已被允许进行场上训练。他在第一场比赛的出战状态被列为“出战成疑 (questionable)”。丹特·迪文琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 在首轮遭遇跟腱断裂，将缺席整个系列赛。在首轮对阵掘金时表现出色的阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 因小腿酸痛被列为出战成疑。
马刺队则以全员健康的姿态迎接系列赛，但他们在常规赛对阵明尼苏达时表现挣扎。森林狼队在常规赛交锋中以 2-1 领先。三场比赛中有两场的分差在 3 分以内，且双方从未以全主力阵容交过手。除了两队都是联盟前十的防守强队，且都拥有维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和爱德华兹这样的超级球星得分手之外，很难从常规赛中得出更多结论。
森林狼队在今年季后赛的主场保持不败，这使得主场优势对马刺队至关重要。赢下两个主场将使马刺处于系列赛的有利位置。一切都始于打好第一场比赛的基调，他们有机会自 2017 年以来首次重返西决。
圣安东尼奥马刺 (0-0) vs. 明尼苏达森林狼 (0-0)
2026年5月4日 | 中部时间晚上8:30
观赛：Peacock/NBCSN | 收听：WOAI (1200 AM)
马刺伤病名单：卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) – 出战成疑（足部）
森林狼伤病名单：丹特·迪文琴佐 – 缺阵（跟腱），阿约·多孙穆 – 出战成疑（小腿），安东尼·爱德华兹 – 出战成疑（膝盖）
比赛看点：
明尼苏达的进攻
如果爱德华兹和多孙穆缺阵，明尼苏达的关键问题就变成了：他们的进攻火力从何而来？在对阵丹佛时，火力源自杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels)，他在今年季后赛中正逐渐成长为一颗新星。麦克丹尼尔斯在季后赛中场均得到 17.8 分，投篮命中率为 49.4%。他在冲击篮筐方面极具威胁，但三分球命中率仅为 11.1%。在爱德华兹缺阵的情况下，森林狼也从纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid) 和特伦斯·香农二世 (Terrance Shannon Jr.) 那里得到了稳定的产出。
丹佛和圣安东尼奥是两支截然不同的防守球队。马刺队非常擅长将持球突破者引导至文班亚马面前，而文班亚马在今年季后赛的篮筐保护方面统治力十足。斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 将面临重大挑战，他需要防守森林狼外线最强的球员，无论是爱德华兹还是其他人。如果圣安东尼奥的防守能限制住森林狼猛烈的进攻势头，他们将在第一场比赛中占据主动。
防守对位
波特兰在季后赛中向全联盟展示了防守马刺队的蓝图：用一名大个子防守斯蒂芬·卡斯尔，用一名侧翼防守文班亚马，并用他们最好的外线防守者去对位达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)。最终，开拓者队并没有足够的人员配置来与圣安东尼奥抗衡，但森林狼队拥有足够的才华让比赛悬念丛生。
森林狼主教练克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 可能会选择让前最佳防守球员鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 防守斯蒂芬·卡斯尔，从而让他作为顶级护筐者在禁区游走。然后他可以让朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 防守文班亚马。这种对位在常规赛曾给文班亚马带来一些麻烦，因为兰德尔可以卡住他的下盘并进行高强度的身体对抗。接着，最好的外线防守者麦克丹尼尔斯可以负责防守福克斯。
或者，芬奇也可以顺势而为，直接让戈贝尔对位文班亚马。这位森林狼中锋在首轮对阵尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 时防守表现出色。这可能会给明尼苏达信心，让戈贝尔去处理文班亚马，即便这位马刺球星大个子在历史交锋中一直占据优势。
马刺的三卫阵容
圣安东尼奥主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在本赛季和季后赛中一直犹豫是否要让最好的三名后卫同时上场。福克斯、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 在首轮仅共同出场 10 分钟，净效率值为 0。在常规赛中，这三人共同出场 25 分钟，净效率值为 -26.9。如果这听起来不太妙，那是因为事实确实如此。然而，这套阵容在对阵明尼苏达时可能会派上用场。
森林狼自身并没有太多强力的控球手，可能会受到马刺外线强硬后卫的干扰。而在另一端，森林狼则需要应对多名能够自主创造投篮机会并为队友拉开空间的球员。如果斯蒂芬·卡斯尔和哈珀能继续投中三分，这套阵容可能会成为左右系列赛的关键。
由生成式 AI 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：Game One Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Game One Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
After a convincing 4-1 defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers in round one, the San Antonio Spurs will face a familiar foe in the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves are red hot, coming off a 3-2 victory over the Denver Nuggets, despite missing several key rotation players. The series is set to be a defensive, physical battle that will test the young Spurs and give the Wolves a chance to reach their third straight Western Conference Finals.
The Timbewolves enter the series as underdogs, with multiple players on the injury report. Anthony Edwards’ status is the most interesting of the series as a whole. Edwards has been cleared for on-court opportunities after suffering a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise against Denver. He is listed as questionable for Game 1. Donte DiVincenzo will miss the series after tearing his Achilles tendon in round one. Ayo Dosunmu, who dominated the Nuggets in the first round, is listed as questionable with calf soreness.
The Spurs come into the series with a full bill of health, but they struggled against Minnesota in the regular season. The Wolves took the regular season series between these two teams 2-1. Two of the three games were settled by 3 points or fewer, and the teams never played each other at full strength. It’s hard to take much from the regular season, other than the fact that these are two top-ten defenses, with superstar shotmakers in Victor Wembanyama and Edwards.
The Timberwolves are undefeated at home in the playoffs, which makes home-court advantage crucial for the Spurs. Winning two games at home will put them in a good position to take the series. It all starts with setting the tone in game one, with the chance to make the WCF for the first time since 2017.
San Antonio Spurs (0-0) vs.Minnesota Timberwolves (0-0)
May 4th, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Watch: Peacock/NBCSN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Carter Bryant – Questionable (foot)
Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles), Ayo Dosunmu – Questionable (calf), Anthony Edwards – Questionable (knee)
What to watch for:
Minnesota’s Offense
If Edwards and Dosunmu sit, the key question for Minnesota becomes, where do they get offense from? Against Denver, it came from Jaden McDaniels, who is emerging as a star in these playoffs. McDaniels is averaging 17.8 points per game on 49.4% shooting from the field in the playoffs. He’s been a force getting to the rim, but is shooting just 11.1% from deep. The Wolves have also gotten solid production from Naz Reid and Terrance Shannon Jr. without Edwards.
Denver and San Antonio are two very different defensive teams. The Spurs have been excellent at funneling drivers toward Wembanyama, who has dominated around the rim this postseason. Stephon Castle will have a major challenge in front of him in guarding the Wolves’ best perimeter player, whether it’s Edwards or someone else. If San Antonio’s defense can slow down a surging Minnesota offense attack, they should be in a good position for Game One.
Defensive matchups
Portland showed the league what the blueprint for guarding the Spurs could be in the postseason. They put a big man on Castle, a wing on Wembanyama, and their best perimeter defender on De’Aaron Fox. Ultimately, the Blazers didn’t have the personnel to match up with San Antonio, but the Timberwolves have enough talent to make it interesting.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch could elect to put former Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on Castle, allowing him to roam the paint as an elite rim protector. Then he could put Julius Randle on Wembanyama. That matchup gave Wembanyama some issues in the regular season, as Randle could get under him and play physical defense. Then, McDaniels, the best perimeter defender, could take the Fox assignment.
Or, Finch could ride the hot hand and just put Gobert on Wembanyama. The Wolves’ center played great defense on Nikola Jokic in round one. That could give Minnesota the confidence to let Gobert handle Wembanyama, even if San Antonio’s star big man has historically dominated that matchup.
Spurs three-guard lineup
San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson has been hesitant to play his three best guards together this season and in the playoffs. Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper only logged 10 minutes together in Round One, with a neutral net-rating. In the regular season, the trio played 25 minutes together with a -26.9 net rating. If that doesn’t sound good, it’s because it isn’t. However, this lineup could come in handy against Minnesota.
The Wolves don’t have a lot of strong ball-handlers themselves, and could be bothered by the Spurs’ tough guards on the perimeter. Then, on the other end, the Wolves would need to contest with multiple players who can create their own shots and open up looks for others. If Castle and Harper continue to knock down threes, this is a lineup that could swing the series.
By Jacob Douglas, via Pounding The Rock