By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-05-05 14:15:36
G2 取胜关键
让球星进入状态
NBA 季后赛往往取决于哪支球队的球星表现得最耀眼。明尼苏达森林狼在第一场比赛（G1）中获得了巨大的助力，安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 意外复出。此前，他因膝伤自森林狼对阵丹佛掘金的首轮系列赛第四场（G4）起便一直缺阵。
爱德华兹在 25 分钟的替补出场时间里表现得断断续续但仍不乏惊艳，砍下 18 分。
与此同时，他在第四节拿到的 11 分，已经追平或超过了圣安东尼奥马刺两位全明星球员——维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)（全场 11 分）和达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)（全场 10 分）的全场得分。
周一，马刺常规赛的两大得分核心合计仅得到 21 分，总计 31 投 10 中，其中三分球 12 投 0 中，两人还出现了 9 次失误。
在分区半决赛中，这样的表现是远远不够的。
在第二场比赛（G2）中，马刺必须更好地组织进攻，为文班亚马和福克斯创造更好的出手机会。而文班亚马和福克斯在获得这些机会时，也必须提高终结效率。
让卡斯尔留在场上
马刺控球后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 在周一的第四节中段犯满离场，这已经是他连续第二次在关键时刻被罚下。
对于马刺这位防守最全面的球员来说，这确实是个问题。
马刺在 G1 中用卡斯尔对位爱德华兹，同时也让他去防守体型更强壮的朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle)。
这种高强度的防守任务是卡斯尔领到这么多犯规的部分原因。
这些对位不会消失。在整个系列赛中，卡斯尔将继续防守森林狼的一些顶尖球员。马刺希望卡斯尔在这些对位中保持侵略性。
他肯定会领到犯规。
但关键在于卡斯尔要让这些犯规变得有价值。早期太多的无谓犯规会让他在比赛后期几乎没有容错空间。
除了文班亚马，没有哪位球员比卡斯尔对马刺攻防两端的作用更重要了。如果他能在 G2 的收官阶段留在场上，那将是极好的。
准备迎接更强悍的爱德华兹（还有多孙穆？）
在周一早上之前，由于首轮遗留的左膝骨挫伤，没人预料到爱德华兹会在 G1 出战。
他在 G1 替补登场，上场时间被限制在 25 分钟，但依然让马刺难以招架。
可以预见，随着时间的推移，爱德华兹的身体状况只会越来越好。很有可能，他的上场时间会增加，并且会比 G1 表现得更具攻击性。
同样，森林狼后卫阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 也有机会从小腿伤势中恢复，赶上 G2。
这对明尼苏达来说将是一个不小的补充。
多孙穆在对阵丹佛的 G4 中砍下 43 分，这也是森林狼当初能够晋级第二轮的重要原因之一。
如果这成为现实，森林狼在 G2 将带来更严峻的挑战。马刺必须为此做好准备。
—— 杰夫·麦克唐纳 (Jeff McDonald)
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: Game 2 Keys to Victory
Spurs vs. Timberwolves: Game 2 Keys to Victory
GAME 2 KEYS TO VICTORY
Get the stars going
Often, the NBA playoffs are about which teams’ stars show up the brightest. Minnesota got a huge boost in Game 1 with the unexpected availability of Edwards, who had been out since Game 4 of the Wolves’ first-round series against Denver with a knee injury.
Edwards was intermittently dazzling, scoring 18 points in a 25-minute cameo.
His 11 points in the fourth quarter, meanwhile, were as much as either of the Spurs’ All-Stars — Victor Wembanyama (11) and De’Aaron Fox (10) — managed all game.
The Spurs’ two leading scorers in the regular season combined for 21 points Monday, going 10 of 31 overall and 0 of 12 from 3-point range with nine turnovers between them.
That isn’t going to cut it in the conference semifinals.
In Game 2, the Spurs will have to do a better job of organizing their offense to get Wembanyama and Fox better looks. Wembanyama and Fox will have to do a better job of knocking down those looks when they get them.
Keep Castle on the floor
Spurs point guard Stephon Castle fouled out midway through the fourth quarter Monday, marking the second time in a row he has been disqualified down the stretch.
That is a problem for the Spurs’ most versatile defender.
The Spurs used Castle against Edwards in Game 1. They also used him against the beefier Julius Randle.
That sort of volume is part of the reason Castle picked up so many fouls.
Those matchups aren’t going away. Castle will continue to defend some of the Timberwolves’ best players throughout the series. The Spurs want Castle to remain aggressive in those matchups.
He’s going to pick up fouls.
The key for Castle will be to make them count. Too many cheap fouls early leaves little margin for error late.
Outside of Wembanyama, no player is as important to what the Spurs do on both ends than Castle. It will be nice if he is available to close Game 2.
Brace for more Ant (and Ayo?)
Before Monday morning, nobody expected Edwards to play in Game 1 thanks to the left knee bone bruise leftover from the first round.
He came off the bench in Game 1, was limited to 25 minutes and still was a load for the Spurs to handle.
It is fair to assume Edwards will only get healthier as time goes along. In all likelihood, he will see more minutes and will be able to attack them more forcefully than he did in Game 1.
Likewise, there is a chance the Timberwolves get guard Ayo Dosunmu back from a calf injury in time for Game 2.
That would be no small addition for Minnesota.
Dosunmu’s 43-point outing in Game 4 against Denver is part of the reason the Timberwolves advanced to the second round in the first place.
If that happens, Minnesota will pose an even tougher challenge in Game 2. The Spurs must be prepared for it.
— Jeff McDonald
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News