By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-05-21 13:21:32
2026年5月20日，星期三，在俄克拉荷马城佩科姆中心进行的西部决赛第二场第四节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)（5号）奋力争抢球权。圣安东尼奥马刺队最终以113-122不敌俄克拉荷马雷霆队。
周三深夜，斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 走出佩科姆中心时，心中暗自庆幸。
首先，至少在周三深夜，他还能自己走着离开佩科姆中心。
随着马刺引以为傲的后场“三头怪”的另外三分之二沦为医疗报告、冰袋和“出战成疑”标签的牺牲品，在西部决赛第二场以113-122不敌俄克拉荷马城之后，卡斯尔落寞离场，肩上扛着球队仅存的外线希望：
一个篮球，两条还能运转的腿，以及一副仿佛永远无法再坐下休息的疲惫神情。
“这很难，”卡斯尔说，“场上随时能有另一个持球点，这绝对是一种奢侈。”
在这场迅速演变为消耗战的系列赛中，当第二场失利的终场哨声响起时，马刺已经不再享有这种奢侈。
全明星后卫德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 在与明尼苏达的西部半决赛中遭遇高位踝关节扭伤，至今尚未在本系列赛中登场。新秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 顶替福克斯进入首发阵容，并且表现极其出色——直到周三的第三节，他因疑似右大腿后侧肌群（腘绳肌）拉伤而离场。
如果再倒下一名后卫，卡斯尔最后可能得自己给自己发球了。
随着战平的系列赛移师圣安东尼奥，迎接周五至关重要的第三场对决，马刺首要祈祷的就是球员们能保持健康。
如果事与愿违，他们则需要一个表现更好的卡斯尔。
在系列赛的前两场比赛中，由于球权比平时更多地集中在卡斯尔手中，他总共出现了20次失误。这是NBA季后赛历史上单名球员在连续两场比赛中创下的最高失误纪录。
“我认为这更多是我个人的问题，节奏有些被打乱了，没有让我们的掩护人扎实地挂住人，”卡斯尔说，“这让我陷入了一种不得不仓促处理球的境地，否则我的掩护队友可能会被吹进攻犯规。比赛一开始，我的这些失误就让我们陷入了被动。”
在职业生涯的第二个赛季以及首次NBA季后赛之旅中，抛开失误不谈，卡斯尔一直是马刺一路杀入西部决赛的关键驱动力。
即使在第二场的失利中，卡斯尔依然砍下全队最高的25分和8次助攻，领跑马刺。
然而，他个人的失误问题加剧了马刺整体的失误危机。两场比赛下来，马刺共出现了44次失误，送给雷霆55分。
如果马刺的目标是击败卫冕冠军赢下这轮系列赛，那么这种情况是绝对无法维持下去的。
马刺后卫卡斯尔谈到自己的失误问题：“最重要的事情就是双脚着地打球，不要被带乱节奏。显然，我在这方面做得不够好，但没错，我只是想让队友们都参与进来，尽量不在进攻端做太多勉强的事。” pic.twitter.com/T3c2qxpvhq
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) 2026年5月21日
“斯蒂芬是个硬汉，”前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 说道，“他会解决这个问题的。我一点也不担心。斯蒂芬会没事的。”
在某种程度上，卡斯尔处于一个极其艰难的境地。他是马刺阵中唯一健康的持球点，而他面对的是一支以逼迫对手失误为生的雷霆防线。
他就如同最后一只幸存的海豚，正试图击退一群发起围攻的鲨鱼。
当被问及在面对雷霆凶悍的防守时，失去两名持球手给这位21岁的卡斯尔带来了多大压力时，马刺主帅米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 直言不讳。
“巨大，”约翰逊说道。
在马刺第三场比赛的调整清单中，首要任务就是想办法阻止雷霆对卡斯尔进行合围。在前两场比赛中，卡斯尔的失误数（20次）甚至超过了他的助攻数（19次）。
“显然，这支球队在逼迫对手失误方面不亚于任何人，所以当你缺少了一些主要的进攻创造者和发起者时，这会带来额外的压力，”米奇·约翰逊表示，“我们必须在那个环节做得更犀利，因为即便在阵容齐整的情况下，对付他们也足够艰难了。”
照这轮肉搏战般的季后赛重磅对决的走势来看，最终的赢家可能只是在系列赛结束时，还能凑出五个能走路上场的球员的那支球队。
俄克拉荷马城在第二场比赛的上半场也失去了全明星前锋杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)，当时他大腿后侧肌群（腘绳肌）拉伤复发，此前这一伤势曾导致他缺席了雷霆与洛杉矶湖人队的第二轮系列赛。
雷霆之所以能够挺过来，得益于两届MVP得主谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 砍下的30分，以及有四名球员得分上双的替补阵容。
在第一场历经双加时以115-122惜败给维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 领衔的马刺之后，雷霆将周三的这场胜利视为了必须拿下的硬仗。
“我觉得我们大家都打得更好了，”雷霆主帅马克·戴格诺特 (Mark Daigneault) 说道，“我对此有一种默默的信心。我不知道我们会赢还是会输，但在看完第一场比赛并了解我们的球队之后，我非常确定我们今晚会上场并打出更好的表现。”
马刺寄望于在周五的第三场比赛中做出类似的回应。但这可能是说起来容易做起来难。
如果福克斯和哈珀都无法在第三场比赛中复出，约翰逊将不得不寻找其他方法来为卡斯尔争取喘息的时间。
在周三，这意味着四号后卫乔丹·麦克劳林 (Jordan McLaughlin) 获得了更多的出场时间。这位30岁的流浪老将在第二场比赛之前，在马刺的整个季后赛征程中总共只打了24分钟。
麦克劳林已经做好了准备，随时以任何可能的方式做出贡献。
“只要我的名字被叫到，我就会上场，努力在比赛中发挥影响力，帮助球队赢球，”他说道。
事实依然是，如果马刺的后场在周五开球前无法恢复健康，那么在第三场比赛中，球权将再次主要掌控在卡斯尔手中，由他来掌控、支配，并希望不要丢掉。
在经历了一场艰难的第二场失利后，卡斯尔离开佩科姆中心时，值得庆幸的事情之一是：
在对抗雷霆的道路上他并非孤军奋战，即便有时感觉确实如此。
“仅凭一个人无法弥补福克斯或迪伦为我们带来的东西，”卡斯尔说，“我们必须努力作为一个团队去完成它。”
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：Castle, Spurs aim to limit turnovers as series shifts to San Antonio
Castle, Spurs aim to limit turnovers as series shifts to San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) reaches for the ball during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The San Antonio Spurs fell 122-113 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stephon Castle walked out of the Paycom Center late Wednesday night counting his blessings.
For one, at least he could walk out of the Paycom Center late Wednesday night.
With the other two-thirds of the Spurs’ vaunted three-headed backcourt monster reduced to a rubble of medical charts, ice packs and “questionable” tags, Castle left the floor after a 122-113 loss against Oklahoma City in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals carrying what was left of his team’s perimeter hopes:
One basketball, two functioning legs and the exhausted expression of a man who might never sit down again.
“It’s tough,” Castle said. “Having another ball handler on the court at all times is definitely a luxury.”
By the end of a Game 2 defeat in a series that has quickly devolved into a battle of attrition, that was a luxury the Spurs no longer enjoyed.
All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox has yet to play in the series, having come out of the conference semifinal matchup with Minnesota with a high ankle sprain. Rookie Dylan Harper replaced Fox in the starting lineup and has been brilliant — right up until the third quarter Wednesday, when he left with what appeared to be a right hamstring injury.
If one more guard goes out, Castle might wind up having to inbound to himself.
As a tied series shifts to San Antonio for an all-important Game 3 on Friday, the Spurs will pray foremost for better health.
Failing that, they could use a better Castle.
With the ball in his hands more often than usual in the first two games, Castle has totaled 20 turnovers. It is the most by one player over two games in NBA playoff history.
“I think it’s more personal on my end, just really speeding myself up, not allowing our screeners to get hits,” Castle said. “So it’s putting me in a position where I have to play fast or my screener might get offensive foul. I put us at a disadvantage to start the game with those.”
In his second professional season and first NBA playoff, Castle has otherwise been a key driver to the Spurs’ run to the conference finals.
Even in the Game 2 loss, Castle led the Spurs with 25 points and eight assists.
His turnover issues, however, have fueled the Spurs’ turnover issues. Through two games, the Spurs have totaled 44 miscues, leading to 55 points for OKC.
It is a situation that is untenable if the Spurs aim to win the series against the defending champions.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle, on his turnover issues: “The biggest thing is just playing off two feet, not getting sped up. Obviously, I didn’t do a great job of that, but yeah, just trying to keep my teammates involved. Trying not to do too much on the offensive end.” pic.twitter.com/T3c2qxpvhq
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) May 21, 2026
“Steph, he’s a dog,” forward Keldon Johnson said. “He’ll figure it out. I have no worries. Steph will be perfectly fine.”
In a way, Castle is in an impossible position. He is lone ball-handler standing against an OKC defense that makes its living turning teams over.
He is the last remaining dolphin, trying to fight off a team of attacking sharks.
Asked how much pressure the loss of two ball-handlers puts on the 21-year-old Castle against the Thunder’s ferocious defense, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson did not mince words.
“A ton,” Johnson said.
Atop the Spurs’ list of adjustments for Game 3 is finding a way to keep the Thunder from ganging up on Castle, who has posted more turnovers than assists (19) through the first two contests.
“Obviously this team is as good as anybody at turning you over, so when you’re down some of your primary creators and initiators, it causes a little bit of extra strain,” Mitch Johnson said. “We’ll just have to be sharper in that area, because it’s tough enough fully loaded against these guys.”
With the way things are going in this rough-and-tumble heavyweight bout of a playoff series, the winner might be the team that still has five ambulatory players by the end of it.
Oklahoma City lost All-Star forward Jalen Williams in the first half of Game 2, when he aggravated a hamstring strain that kept him out of the Thunder’s second-round series against the L.A. Lakers.
The Thunder endured thanks to 30 points from two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a bench that included four players in double figures.
After dropping a 122-115 double-overtime thriller to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in Game 1, the Thunder viewed a victory Wednesday as mandatory.
“I thought we all played better,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. “I had a quiet confidence about that. I didn’t know if we’d win or lose the game, but I was pretty sure after watching Game 1 and knowing our team that we were going to come out and play better tonight.”
The Spurs will bank on a similar response in Game 3 on Friday. It might be easier said than done.
If neither Fox nor Harper can return for Game 3, Johnson will look for other ways to finagle Castle a breather.
On Wednesday, that meant more minutes for fourth-string guard Jordan McLaughlin, a 30-year-old journeyman who before Game 2 had totaled 24 minutes during the Spurs’ playoff run.
McLaughlin stands ready to contribute in any way he can.
“Whenever my number’s called, I’ll go out there and try to make an impact in the game and help us win,” he said.
The fact remains, if the Spurs cannot get healthier in the backcourt come tipoff Friday, the ball will be mostly Castle’s again in Game 3, to have and to hold and to hopefully not lose.
Among the blessings with which Castle left the Paycom Center after a tough Game 2 defeat was this:
He is not alone in taking on the Thunder, even if it sometimes feels that way.
“One person can’t make up for what Fox or Dylan bring for us,” Castle said. “We have to try to do it as a team.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News