By Jon Krawczynski | The Athletic, 2026-05-09 12:49:41
《The Athletic》正在实时报道尼克斯对阵 76 人第四场，此役属于2026年 NBA 东部半决赛。
明尼阿波利斯——第三场比赛结束后，明尼苏达森林狼队的更衣室里一片寂静，但也透着一股坚毅。
森林狼刚刚在主场与圣安东尼奥马刺队进行了一场重量级较量，在系列赛战成 1-1 平局的情况下，双方都深知这场比赛的重要性。最终，圣安东尼奥凭借维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的神勇发挥，以 115-108 胜出。这位身高 7 英尺 4 英寸的篮下巨兽在周五晚上的表现显得更加高大。
无论森林狼对文班亚马采取什么样的防守，都无法阻挡他。他在第四节砍下了 39 分中的 16 分，并在对方放他外线投篮时命中了记两记三分球，同时还贡献了几次盖帽，带领马刺在这一七局四胜制的 NBA 季后赛次轮系列赛中取得了 2-1 的领先。
从某些方面来看，森林狼似乎陷入了巨大的困境。文班亚马在过去两场比赛中在攻防两端都极具威胁，而这支年轻的马刺队展现出的那种从容应对大场面的姿态，也超出了明尼苏达原本的预期。
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)、德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 和德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 一直是称职的副手，而森林狼却无法在安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 身边找到类似的平衡。
但在另一方面，森林狼也感到从容。他们似乎总是在背水一战时表现最为出色，而现在，文班已经把森林狼逼到了墙角。这意味着他们只剩下一件事要做。
“反击，”纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid) 说道，“你如何回应决定了你是什么样的球队，什么样的人。……谁都能挥拳，关键在于你如何回应。我们在这一方面做得很好，我觉得这已经成为了我们的特质。”
在周日回到标靶中心 (Target Center) 进行第四场比赛时，这必须成为他们的特质。他们需要投得更准，打出更好的转换防守，并寄希望于文班在进攻端表现失准，就像他在森林狼第一场获胜时那样。
爱德华兹在双膝都有伤的情况下拿下了 32 分、14 个篮板和 6 次助攻。里德贡献了 18 分、9 个篮板和 5 次助攻。在周五晚上的四节比赛中，森林狼有三节都与这支拿到 62 胜的马刺队打得平分秋色。然而，马刺在第三节 35-28 的优势成为了胜负手。现在，明尼苏达发现自己处于落后局面。
森林狼在第三场的命中率仅为 38%，其中开局阶段表现糟糕，16 投仅 2 中，导致他们在前 7 分钟只得到了 1 分。直到首节还剩 5 分 12 秒时，他们才投进了第一个运动战进球，这要归功于文班的强势开局，他在前 8 分钟就拿下了 9 分、5 个篮板和 2 次盖帽。
明尼苏达在第一节一度落后多达 15 分，但爱德华兹在首节末段投中了两个关键三分，防守端也开始连续成功截击，让森林狼重新回到了竞争中，在第二节开始时仅落后 1 分。在比赛还剩 3 分 27 秒时，他们依然只落后 3 分，但文班命中了一记三分，福克斯两次罚球命中，迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 也在罚球线上终结了悬念。
“我认为我们在突破分球和寻找空位投篮方面做得很好，”爱德华兹说，“我只是觉得我们在把握机会方面做得不够好。我们得到了很多出手机会，必须要把那些球投进。”
现在，森林狼需要在周日晚上对马刺倾其所有。如果以 1-3 落后回到圣安东尼奥进行第五场，系列赛可能就此结束。但如果他们能团结一致扳平比分，任何事情都有可能发生。
三场比赛过后，一些趋势开始显现。其中一些对森林狼来说是有利的，另一些则不然。
伤病情况正在好转
在赛前的几个小时里，爱德华兹与主教练坐下来讨论了管理他膝盖伤势的计划。
为了减轻双膝的压力，尤其是左膝的过度伸展和骨挫伤，爱德华兹在前两场比赛中一直受到出场时间限制。森林狼在第二场遭遇惨败，爱德华兹很清楚系列赛首个主场需要他付出什么。
“我告诉教练，今晚你需要我打多少分钟，我就打多少分钟，”爱德华兹说。
在前两场作为替补总共只打了 49 分钟后，爱德华兹在第三场重回首发阵容，并出战了近 41 分钟。他 26 投 12 中，获得了 6 次罚球，并贡献了一次盖帽。他仍然缺乏一些爆发力和加速度——这本是他成为联盟最难防守球员之一的杀手锏——但他正在寻找方法来保持高效。
“我感觉很好，”他微笑着说。
不过，随着比赛的进行，他似乎确实有些体力不支。他在比赛最后 8 分钟只得到了 5 分，最后 3 分还是在胜负已定时拿到的。然而，只要他的膝伤不再复发，随着时间的推移，他应该会变得更强。
“他表现得很棒，”主教练克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 说道，“他非常出色。这很好。他需要这样的表现，我们也需要，他正在努力找回这种比赛状态。这发生得正是时候，遗憾的是，我们没能拿到想要的结果。”
阿约·多孙穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 在因小腿伤势错过第一场、因右脚跟伤势在第二场次节离场后，本场也出战了 32 分钟。虽然他不再是那个在首轮第四场砍下 43 分击败丹佛的球员，但随着比赛的进行，他似乎对自己的身体恢复了信心。
他出现了 4 次失误，但也贡献了 11 分、3 个三分球、7 个篮板和 5 次助攻。
“我打完了比赛，感觉身体很健康。感谢上帝，我能找回一些比赛节奏，”多孙穆说，“能上场我就很兴奋了。”
里德的肩伤似乎也在好转。他在周五晚上的 32 分钟里投中了 4 个三分球并贡献了 2 次盖帽，几乎看不出伤病的影响。
“痛苦只是弱点离开身体的表现，”里德开玩笑说。
森林狼非常想念唐特·迪温琴佐，但如果爱德华兹、里德和多孙穆能保持健康，森林狼依然大有可为。
香农正在迫使芬奇做出选择
三场比赛过后，芬奇已经有了足够的样本量来明确他的轮换阵容。
迈克·康利 (Mike Conley) 在周五晚上再次首发，但他只打了 4 分钟。这位 38 岁的老将在首轮对阵丹佛的比赛中表现出色，但面对马刺这支年轻、高大且极具侵略性的后场，他显得有些力不从心。芬奇在早早换下他后没有再让他上场，而是选择了多孙穆和泰伦斯·香农 (Terrence Shannon Jr.)。
香农表现出色。他虽然只得到 5 分，但在他上场的 29 分钟里，森林狼净胜马刺 19 分，这在森林狼最终输掉 7 分的比赛中是一个惊人的数字。这意味着在他下场休息的 13 分钟里，球队输了 26 分。
“他在我们发起反击时起到了巨大的作用，”芬奇说，“他打得很棒。我或许应该在最后时刻继续用他，在安东尼身边多放一个持球点。”
香农在本次季后赛中只出现了两次失误，考虑到他大量的持球时间，这是一个令人惊喜的表现。
此前三场季后赛均未得分且在系列赛中显得身体对抗吃亏的博恩斯·海兰德没有获得上场机会，杰伦·克拉克也没有上场。
在关键时刻，芬奇通常会缩减轮换。在如此重要的比赛中看到他使用七人轮换并不奇怪，但香农在周日必须获得更多时间，才能给森林狼带来最大的胜算。
呼叫朱利叶斯·兰德尔
兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 在第一场比赛中展现了推土机般的打法，砍下 21 分和 10 个篮板，帮助明尼苏达取得胜利。然而，在接连的两场失利中，他打得很挣扎，投篮命中率仅为 40%，周五晚上更是只有 12 投 3 中。
在前两场比赛中，兰德尔出现了 10 次失误，第三场虽然降到了 2 次，但他三分球 3 投 0 中，仅抢下 6 个篮板。兰德尔经常在面对身体强壮、下手积极的防守者时感到吃力，而马刺正好有很多这样的球员。
杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 同样手感全无，全场 22 投仅 5 中。但他防守非常出色，还抢下了 4 个进攻篮板，弥补了一些进攻端的不足。
在第一场令人印象深刻的表现后，兰德尔一直难以找到节奏。他在第二场得到 12 分和 5 次助攻，而在第三场助攻为零，这确实令人失望。他似乎和队内其他人一样，受到了文班身高和长臂的困扰。兰德尔的整体低迷和麦克丹尼尔斯的低效，让爱德华兹在进攻端承受了太大的压力。
即便爱德华兹随着系列赛的深入显得愈发强硬，也必须有其他人站出来分担压力。
文班是个怪兽
森林狼确实可以通过改进某些方面来扳平比分。但毫无疑问，马刺在这三场比赛的大部分时间里都是表现更好的那支球队。他们在第二场大胜明尼苏达，随后在第三场开局前 8 分钟就取得了 18-3 的领先。
森林狼在赢得第一场后曾充满信心地表示，尽管文班贡献了 12 次盖帽，他们仍会继续挑战他的篮下防守。文班在接下来的两场比赛中各贡献了两次盖帽，但他的影响力依然无处不在。
森林狼整晚在三秒区内外的投篮都显得很仓促，因为文班总是虎视眈眈。
“他们场上有一个 7 英尺 6 英寸（注：此处为爱德华兹夸张说法）的家伙，他占据了很大的空间，”爱德华兹调侃道，“所以我们得想办法在他身边找到空位的队友，因为在禁区里，他简直无处不在。我们必须找到谁是空位的。”
文班还得到了卡斯尔、哈珀和瓦塞尔出色的防守支持，帮助马刺奠定了强硬且极具竞争力的基调。兰德尔和队友们在第一场对阵文班时取得了成功，迫使他 17 投仅 5 中，其中三分球 8 投 0 中。但当这位大个子像周五晚上那样投进三分球时，对手难免会产生一种无力感。
“关键在于你如何回应，”里德说，“但我们从来不是一支会轻易认输的球队。这一点我很确定。”
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：Anthony Edwards' heroics aren't enough as Timberwolves need to regroup ... again
Anthony Edwards’ heroics aren’t enough as Timberwolves need to regroup … again
The Athletic has live coverage of Knicks vs. 76ers Game 4 in the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.
MINNEAPOLIS — There was quiet in the Minnesota Timberwolves locker room after Game 3, and there was also resolve.
The Wolves had just gone through a heavyweight fight with the San Antonio Spurs on their home floor, both teams understanding the importance of the game with the series tied 1-1. In the end, San Antonio prevailed in a 115-108 victory thanks to the brilliance of Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 monster in the middle who stood even taller on Friday night.
No matter what the Timberwolves threw at Wembanyama, they could not stop him. He scored 16 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, hit two 3-pointers when they dared him to shoot from outside and blocked a couple of shots as well to carry the Spurs to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA second-round playoff series.
In some ways, it feels like the Timberwolves are in deep trouble. Wembanyama has been a menace on both ends of the court in the last two games, but these young Spurs also look ready for the moment in a way that Minnesota was hoping they weren’t quite yet.
Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell have been capable wingmen, and the Wolves have not been able to find a similar balance around Anthony Edwards.
In other ways, the Timberwolves are comfortable. They always seem to do their best work when their backs are against the wall, and right now, Wembanyama has the Wolves’ shoulders scraping the bricks right behind them. That means they have only one thing left to do.
“Punch back,” Naz Reid said. “It’s how you respond that determines what type of team you are, what type of person you are. … Everybody can throw blows, it’s how you respond. We do well in that aspect, and I think that’s kind of just who we are.”
That is going to have to be who they are going into Game 4 Sunday at Target Center. They are going to have to shoot better, play better transition defense and hope that Wembanyama has an off-kilter offensive night similar to the one he had in Minnesota’s Game 1 victory.
Edwards had 32 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while playing on two bad knees. Reid had 18 points, nine boards and five assists, and the Wolves played the 62-win Spurs dead even for three of the four quarters on Friday night. However, the Spurs’ 35-28 third-quarter advantage proved to be the difference. Now, Minnesota finds itself in a hole.
The Wolves shot 38 percent in Game 3, including a wretched 2 of 16 start that saw them score one point in the first seven minutes. They did not get their first field goal until there was 5:12 left in the opening quarter, thanks to a dominant start by Wembanyama, who had nine points, five rebounds and two blocks in the first eight minutes.
Minnesota trailed by as many as 15 points in the first, but Edwards hit two huge 3s at the end of the period, and the defense started to string together stops midway through to allow the Wolves to rejoin the fight, trailing by one to start the second. They were still down only three with 3:27 to play in the game, but Wembanyama hit a 3, De’Aaron Fox hit a couple of free throws and Dylan Harper closed it out at the line.
“I think we did a great job of penetrating and kicking and getting great looks from the floor,” Edwards said. “I just didn’t think we did a great job of making our shots. We got a lot of shots and we just gotta be able to knock them down.”
Now the Timberwolves need to throw everything they have at the Spurs on Sunday night. Go down 3-1, head back to San Antonio for Game 5 and the series might be over. But if they can pull together and even the series, anything can happen.
Three games in, some themes are starting to emerge. Some of them are promising for the Timberwolves. Others, not so much.
Their health is improving
In the hours leading up to the game, Edwards sat down with his head coach to discuss the plan for managing his ailing knees.
Edwards had been on a minutes restriction in the first two games in an effort to reduce the stress on both knees, but particularly the hyperextension and bone bruise in his left one. The Wolves were coming off a drubbing in Game 2, and Edwards knew what would be required in their first home game of the series.
“I told coach, however many minutes you need me to play tonight, I’ll do it,” Edwards said.
After playing 49 total minutes in a bench role during the first two games, Edwards returned to the starting lineup and played nearly 41 minutes in Game 3. He went 12 of 26 from the field, got to the line for six free throws and blocked a shot. He is still missing some of the burst and acceleration that make him one of the most difficult players to guard in the league, but he is finding a way to be effective.
“I feel good,” he said with a smile.
He did appear to run out of gas as the game went on, though. He scored just five points in the game’s final eight minutes, the last three coming when the game was all but decided. However, as long as he doesn’t tweak his knee injuries again, he should get stronger as the week progresses.
“He was awesome,” coach Chris Finch said. “He was great. It was good. He needed that, we needed that and he’s battling back to find a game like this. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result that went along with it.”
Ayo Dosunmu was also able to play 32 minutes after missing Game 1 with a calf injury and leaving Game 2 in the second quarter with a right heel injury. He was not the same player who scored 43 points to beat Denver in Game 4 of the first round, but as the game went on, he appeared to gain more trust in his body.
He turned the ball over four times, but also scored 11 points, hit three 3s, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists.
“I came out of the game, felt healthy. By the grace of God, I was able to knock some rust off,” Dosunmu said. “I was just excited to be out there.”
Reid’s shoulder appears to be improving as well. He hit four 3s and blocked two shots in 32 minutes on Friday night, showing few ill effects from his injury.
“Pain is just weakness leaving the body,” Reid cracked.
The Wolves miss Donte DiVincenzo a great deal, but if Edwards, Reid and Dosunmu can get healthy, the Wolves will be in business.
Shannon is forcing Finch’s hand
After three games, Finch is starting to get a large enough sample size to provide some clarity on what his rotation should look like.
Mike Conley started again on Friday night, but he played just four minutes. The 38-year-old played very well in the first-round win over Denver, but this matchup against a young, big and aggressive Spurs backcourt doesn’t suit him as well. Finch did not put him back in the game after pulling him early, going with Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr. in that spot.
Shannon played great. He only scored five points, but the Wolves outscored the Spurs by 19 in his 29 minutes on the floor, a gargantuan number in a game Minnesota lost by seven. That means they lost the 13 minutes he sat on the bench by 26 points.
“He was huge coming in when we made that run fighting back in,” Finch said. “He played great. I probably should’ve gone with him down the stretch to give us another handler alongside Ant.”
Shannon has only turned the ball over twice in these playoffs, a pleasant surprise given how much time he has spent with the ball in his hands.
Bones Hyland, who went scoreless in his previous three playoff games and has looked at times to be physically overmatched in this series, did not play, nor did Jaylen Clark.
When things get tight, Finch usually shrinks the rotation. Seeing him play seven in such an important game was not surprising, but Shannon does have to play even more on Sunday to give the Wolves their best chance to win.
Paging Julius Randle
Randle was at his bully ball best in Game 1, bulldozing his way to 21 points and 10 rebounds to help Minnesota power through to a victory. However, he’s struggled in the two straight losses, shooting 40 percent from the field, including 3 of 12 on Friday night.
Randle turned the ball over 10 times in the first two games and got that down to two in Game 3, but he was 0 of 3 from 3-point range and grabbed six rebounds. Randle has often struggled with physical, handsy defenders and the Spurs have plenty of those.
Jaden McDaniels couldn’t buy a bucket either, going 5 of 22 from the field. But he played really good defense and grabbed four offensive rebounds as well, mitigating some of his defensive shortcomings.
After the impressive showing in Game 1, Randle has had a hard time finding his groove. He had 12 points and five assists in Game 2 and zero assists in Game 3, a damning impression. He has seemed to be as bothered by Wembanyama’s size and long arms as anyone on the team. Randle’s overall struggles and McDaniels’ inefficiency left too much on Edwards’ plate on offense.
Even with Edwards appearing to get stronger as the series extends, someone else has to show up to the party.
Wemby is a monster
There are definitely things the Timberwolves can do better to even this series. But make no mistake, the Spurs have been the better team for the vast majority of the minutes played in these three games. They dominated Minnesota in a Game 2 laugher, then came out and led 18-3 in the first eight minutes of Game 3.
The Wolves spoke with confidence and bravado after winning Game 1, proclaiming they would continue to challenge Wembanyama at the rim, even though he had 12 blocks. Wemby has blocked two shots in each of the following two games, but he has been just as impactful.
The Wolves rushed shots in and around the paint all night because Wembanyama was always lurking.
“They got somebody who is 7-6 on the floor, and he takes up a lot of space,” Edwards quipped. “So just trying to find ways to find an open man around him because in the paint, he’s just everywhere. So just gotta find ways to find who’s open.”
Wembanyama is also getting stellar defensive efforts from Castle, Harper and Vassell, helping the Spurs set a physical, competitive tone. Randle and Co. had success against Wembanyama in Game 1, forcing him into 5-of-17 shooting, including 0 of 8 from 3. When the big man is hitting 3s as he did on Friday night, a helpless feeling can set in.
“It’s how you respond,” Reid said. “We’ve never been a team to just roll over, though. I know that for a fact.”
By Jon Krawczynski, via The Athletic