By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-05-23 15:54:39
2026年5月22日，星期五，在圣安东尼奥霜银中心举行的西部决赛第三场第四节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔（24号）、前锋维克托·文班亚马（1号）和后卫德阿隆·福克斯（4号）在场边观战。在这轮系列赛中以1比2落后的马刺队，在文班亚马下场休息时面对雷霆显得极其挣扎。在全部三场比赛中，文班亚马不在场的短短30分钟里，马刺净输42分。
宛如保罗·班扬（Paul Bunyan）荒诞传说中的神话一般，马刺球星维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 用了三个NBA赛季，让那些令人难以置信的奇迹听起来真实可信。
听联盟其他人的说法，这位身高7英尺4英寸的法国人能把阿拉莫当成自己的脚踏凳。他甚至不用伸长脖子，就能给美洲之塔更换灯泡。
至于北极星商场外那双标志性的35英尺高的牛仔靴？文班亚马能穿着它们跳着两步舞去参加牛仔竞技表演。
然而对马刺来说，有一个班扬式的壮举是主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 绝不会允许他的全明星中锋去尝试的。
“我们不能让他打满48分钟，”约翰逊说。
在这一场随时可能失控的西部决赛系列赛中，这成了马刺的一大心病。
周五，马刺以108-123、15分的分差在第三场比赛中不敌俄克拉荷马雷霆。
在文班亚马出场的39分钟里，马刺其实还净胜雷霆4分。
他们输就输在文班亚马需要喘口气的区区9分钟里。在这期间，雷霆净胜了19分。
周日，双方将在霜银中心迎来第四场对决，这将决定马刺能否保留在这轮系列赛中的生机。而解决问题的办法看似很简单。
“你不能在那些（文班亚马不在场的）时间里输掉20分，”约翰逊说，“即使他们是一支如此优秀的球队，在防守端给你施加了巨大的阻力并让你陷入困境，你依然需要自己想办法解决问题。”
雷霆凭借其无与伦比的阵容深度，硬生生地在这轮系列赛中取得了2比1的领先。在每晚48分钟的比赛中，雷霆就像传送带一样源源不断地派上有影响力的球员，来分担两届NBA MVP谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 的重担。
2026年5月20日，星期三，在俄克拉荷马城佩科姆中心（Paycom Center）举行的西部决赛第二场第三节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀（2号）与俄克拉荷马雷霆队中锋切特·霍姆格伦（7号）纠缠在一起。在周五的第三场比赛中，哈珀带伤（右侧内收肌酸痛）上阵，但显然失去了往日的爆发力。
在第三场比赛中，替补后卫贾里德·麦凯恩 (Jared McCain) 狂砍24分，创下个人季后赛生涯新高。
亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso) 在周五贡献了15分，使他在这轮系列赛中的总得分达到63分。对于这位32岁的流浪后卫来说，这是他职业生涯中得分最猛的三场比赛。
这支卫冕冠军的阵容深度如此恐怖，以至于他们在周五用另一个“杰林·威廉姆斯”顶替了受伤的杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)——而这位杰林·威廉姆斯 (Jaylin Williams) 凭借三分球6投5中的高效表现，砍下了季后赛生涯新高的18分。
威廉姆斯是雷霆替补席的一员，他们在第三场比赛中以76比23的悬殊比分击败了马刺的替补阵容，创下了自1984年引入16队季后赛赛制以来，分区决赛球队替补得分的最高纪录。
“我们都是真正的篮球手，大家都知道在场上该做什么，尤其是这支球队，”麦凯恩说道。他在赛季中期通过交易从费城加盟，而雷霆付出的筹码在NBA中几乎等同于“一袋魔豆”（微不足道）。“这是一支非常成熟的球队。来到这里，我只想尽可能做好准备，无论需要我做什么。”
周五的第一节比赛，将马刺在这轮系列赛中面临的最大问题暴露无遗。
迎来九年来首个主场分区决赛，马刺开局打出一波15比0的高潮，让整个霜银中心彻底沸腾。
当比赛进行到首节还剩7分01秒、文班亚马下场休息时，马刺还以19比4领先。果不其然，雷霆立刻回敬了一波15比5的攻势，重新咬住了比分。
“这归根结底取决于努力程度和对抗强度，”哈珀说道，“说到底，我认为他们的替补比我们的替补打得更有侵略性。这在今年并不常见。”
在这轮系列赛至今的154分钟里，文班亚马出场了125分钟。在此期间，马刺净胜雷霆25分。
而一旦文班亚马下场，马刺的气势便瞬间泄了大半。在文班亚马不在场的这30分钟里，马刺净输了42分。
至于文班亚马本人，他对此毫无怨言。令人难以置信的是，这位“保罗·班扬”式的人物反而认为自己应该做得更多。
“我觉得自己现在很难让队友变得更好，”文班亚马说。
曾几何时，傲人的阵容深度是那支斩获62胜的马刺队的招牌。
但在这轮系列赛中，这种深度已经被雷霆源源不断的“篮球手”大军彻底淹没。
2026年5月22日，星期五，在圣安东尼奥霜银中心举行的西部决赛第三场上半场，俄克拉荷马雷霆队后卫阿杰·米切尔（25号）遭到圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（3号）的面部重击。约翰逊在常规赛中因替补出色的表现荣膺年度最佳第六人，但在季后赛中他大部分时间都打得很挣扎。
马刺前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 在常规赛期间的替补输出至关重要，甚至为他赢得了NBA年度最佳第六人奖项，但他在面对雷霆时却难以找到节奏。在第三场比赛中，他仅得到5分。
迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 这位在新秀赛季便引起轰动的年轻球员，在第一场胜利中砍下了24分、11个篮板和7次抢断，但他目前正受到腹股沟伤势的困扰，显然失去了往日的爆发力。
至于马刺在去年休赛期签下的身高7英尺1英寸的中锋卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet)——其加盟本就是为了防止文班亚马下场时马刺出现如今这种崩盘——却也无法在面对雷霆时堵住这一漏洞。
“我们必须做得更好，”约翰逊说，“拿出能量来，做得更好。没有任何借口，就是必须做得更好。”
尽管这个想法极具诱惑力，但约翰逊发誓绝不会考虑其中一个答案。
他不会让文班亚马打满整整48分钟。
“保持他的体能，哪怕是相对充沛的体能，依然是最好的选择，对我们全队来说也是如此，”约翰逊说，“我们不想牺牲我们的打法，以及我们自十月以来一直在建立的球队特质。”
然而……
在第一场比赛中，马刺在一场惊心动魄的双加时大战中艰难取胜，文班亚马在总共58分钟的比赛时间里打了49分钟。他砍下41分并抢下24个篮板。那是马刺在这轮系列赛中迄今为止取得的唯一一场胜利。
或许，马刺扳平分区决赛的最大希望，就寄托在文班亚马那场比赛后说的一句话上。
“我们可以在七月份再休息，”文班亚马当时说道。
如果马刺不能尽快解决在文班亚马不在场时被雷霆暴揍的难题，他们下周末就可以提前去放假休息了。
“我觉得我们每个人都必须做得更好，”文班亚马说，“作为一个团队，作为一个组织，我们面临着许多全新的体验。我们必须找到解决办法。”
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：Without Wembanyama, Spurs getting dominated by Thunder
Without Wembanyama, Spurs getting dominated by Thunder
San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24), forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard De’Aaron Fox (4) watch the game action during the 4th quarter of Game 3 in the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Friday, May 22, 2026. The Spurs, who trail in the series 2-1, have struggled mightily against the Thunder when Wembanyama is on the bench, getting outscored 42 points in only 30 total minutes through the three games.
Like something out of a Paul Bunyan tall tale, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama spent three NBA seasons making the unbelievable sound believable.
To hear the rest of the league tell it, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman can use the Alamo as his footstool. He can change the light bulbs on the Tower of Americas without craning his neck.
Those iconic 35-foot cowboy boots outside of North Star Mall? Wembanyama could wear them two-stepping to the rodeo.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, there is one Bunyan-esque feat coach Mitch Johnson will not allow his All-Star center to attempt.
“We can’t play him 48 minutes,” Johnson said.
And in a Western Conference finals series threatening to slip away, that has been a problem for the Spurs.
The Spurs dropped Game 3 against Oklahoma City on Friday by a 15-point margin, 123-108.
In the 39 minutes Wembanyama spent on the floor, the Spurs outscored the Thunder by four.
They lost the game in the nine measly minutes Wembanyama needed a breather. The Thunder won those minutes by 19.
Heading into a Game 4 on Sunday at the Frost Bank Center that will make or break the Spurs’ chances of staying in the series, the fix is simple.
“You can’t lose by 20 in those (non-Wembanyama) minutes,” Johnson said. “Even as great as a team as they are, and they’re giving you that much resistance and putting you in tough spots on the defensive end, you’ve still got to help yourselves.”
Oklahoma City has bludgeoned its way to a 2-1 series lead on the back of its unmatched depth. For 48 minutes a night, the Thunder keep rolling out a conveyor belt of impactful players to help two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carry the load.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) gets tangled with Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the third quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Harper played while hampered with a sore right adductor in Game 3 on Friday but lacked his usual burst.
In Game 3, reserve guard Jared McCain poured in 24 points, a career playoff best.
Alex Caruso chipped in 15 points on Friday, giving him 63 points in the series. For the 32-year-old journeyman guard, it is the most prolific three-game scoring span of his career.
So deep are the defending champions, they replaced an injured Jalen Williams with a different Jaylin Williams on Friday — and got a playoff career-high 18 points on 5-of-6 from the 3-point line from him.
Williams was part of a reserve unit that outscored the Spurs’ bench 76-23 in Game 3, producing the most bench points by a conference finals team since the advent of the 16-team playoff format in 1984.
“We all are hoopers and we all know what to do out there, especially this team,” said McCain, who arrived in a midseason trade from Philadelphia for the NBA equivalent of a sack of magic beans. “It’s a very mature team. Coming in, I just want to be as ready I can, no matter what it is.”
The first quarter Friday shined a spotlight on the biggest problem facing the Spurs in the series.
Playing in their first home conference finals game in nine years, the Spurs opened with a 15-0 run that had the Frost Bank Center rocking.
They were ahead 19-4 when Wembanyama went to the bench at the 7:01 mark. On cue, the Thunder smacked the Spurs with a 15-5 run to punch back in the game.
“It just comes down to effort and intensity,” Harper said. “At the end of the day, I think their bench brought more intensity than our bench. That hasn’t happened a lot this year.”
Wembanyama has been on the floor for 125 of the 154 minutes in the series. The Spurs have been 25 points better than the Thunder in that span.
The air comes out of the balloon when Wembanyama heads to the bench. The Spurs have been outscored by 42 points in those 30 minutes.
Wembanyama, for his part, is complaining about none of this. Absurdly, Paul Bunyan believes he is the one who needs to do more.
“I feel like I’m having trouble making my teammates better right now,” Wembanyama said.
Once upon a time, uncommon depth was the calling card of the 62-win Spurs.
That depth has been overwhelmed in this series by the Thunder’s unending conga line of “hoopers.”
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) takes a shot to the face from San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Friday, May 22, 2026. Johnson has mostly struggled in the playoffs after winning the Sixth Man of the Year award for his excellence off the bench in the regular season.
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, whose bench production during the regular season was vital enough to earn him the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, has struggled for traction against the Thunder. He had five points in Game 3.
Dylan Harper, the rookie sensation who opened the series with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven steals in a Game 1 win, is dealing with a groin issue and clearly lacks his usual burst.
Luke Kornet, the 7-foot-1 center the Spurs signed last offseason to prevent precisely the kind of drop-offs the Spurs have been experiencing when Wembanyama sits, has been unable to plug the breach against the Thunder.
"We just got to be better,” Keldon Johnson said. “Bring the energy, be better. It’s no excuses. Just be better.”
There is one answer Johnson swears he will not consider, as tempting as it might be.
He won’t play Wembanyama all 48 minutes.
“Him fresh or somewhat fresh is still the best, and it’s the same for our whole team,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to sacrifice our style of play and the identity we’ve been building since October.”
However …
In Game 1, the Spurs won a double-OT thriller with Wembanyama playing 49 of the available 58 minutes. He scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds. The Spurs clocked their lone victory of the series to this point.
Maybe the Spurs’ best hope of evening the conference finals lies in something Wembanyama said after that game.
“We can rest in July,” Wembanyama said then.
If the Spurs can’t soon find an answer for the beating they have been taking in the non-Wembanyama minutes against the Thunder, they will be resting by the end of next week.
“I feel like each and every one of us got to be better,” Wembanyama said. “As a team, as an organization, there’s a lot of new experiences. We’re just going to have to find the answers.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News