By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-05-27 12:50:43
2026年5月26日星期二，在俄克拉荷马城佩科姆中心进行的西区决赛第五场第三节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) (5) 在比赛中传球。
马刺已经把俄克拉荷马雷霆队带进了他们最想要的局面。
至少斯蒂芬·卡斯尔是这么说的。这位马刺的二年级后卫甚至可能真的深信不疑。
“我觉得这一整年里，当我们被逼到绝境时，我们的表现都非常棒，”卡斯尔说道，“我很期待看到我们会如何回应。”
对于2025-26赛季的马刺来说，处境从未像现在这样艰难和迫切。
他们在西部决赛中以大比分2比3落后于卫冕冠军雷霆，再输一场，他们就将在总决赛的大门口，结束这个队史上堪称奇迹的赛季。
随着第六场大战将于周四在霜冻银行中心球馆（Frost Bank Center）打响，对于维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和他的队友们来说，面临的考验前所未有。
这是生死之战。要么赢，要么回家。要么拼出第七场，要么直接去度假。
“不成功便成仁，”前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 说道，“你已经背水一战了。你必须赢。不惜一切代价，无论如何我们都要拿下胜利。”
在过去的一个月里，这支马刺队共同经历了无数个“第一次”——第一次打进季后赛、第一个季后赛客场、第一次在落后时完成逆转、第一场季后赛晋级之战。
直到分区决赛的第六场，马刺才迎来了他们本赛季的首场面临淘汰的生死战。这种感觉令人不适，也理应如此。
“我们不想让我们的赛季在本周结束，”后卫达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 表示。
在俄克拉荷马城进行的第五场比赛中，雷霆以127比114击败了这支新崛起的马刺，将他们推向了出局的边缘。
两届常规赛MVP谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 打出了符合身价的表现，砍下32分和9次助攻。
这一次，他身边的得力助手们也纷纷挺身而出：亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso) 从第四场一分未得的低迷中反弹，重新化身“斯蒂芬·库里 (Steph Curry)”砍下22分；而贾里德·麦凯恩 (Jared McCain) 在他职业生涯的首次季后赛首发中也贡献了20分。
以赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因 (Isaiah Hartenstein) 砍下12分和15个篮板的两双数据。切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 也终于在这轮系列赛中找回状态，贡献16分和11个篮板。
总而言之，这是雷霆对第四场失利做出的冠军级别的回应。在第四场圣安东尼奥的对决中，他们进攻乏力，以82比103惨败。
周二圣安东尼奥马刺队不敌俄克拉荷马城的画面，这让马刺陷入了生死境地，不得不全力应对周四的主场生死战。
“如果你看任何一轮打到第六场的季后赛系列赛，总会遇到一些艰难的比赛，”雷霆主帅马克·戴格诺特 (Mark Daignault) 说道，“我们前几天就经历了一场硬仗。但这支球队做得很好的一点是，第二天大家能以非常平和的心态重新集结，吸取教训，付诸行动，并迎接下一个机会。”
在赛季命悬一线的关头，这正是马刺现在必须遵循的反弹秘诀。
而这一切要从文班亚马开始，他在至关重要的第五场比赛中表现得反常地沉寂。
2026年5月26日星期二，在俄克拉荷马城佩科姆中心进行的西区决赛第五场第三节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马 (1) 在比赛中做出反应。
这位马刺的明星中锋全场15投仅4中（投丢了11球），最终得到20分——这还是靠罚球线上12罚12中的表现挽救的数据——他在进攻端显得异常犹豫和被动。
文班亚马在赛后拒绝接受媒体采访，留给他的主教练和队友们去剖析他这个反常的夜晚。
“即使有那么多罚球，他也必须出手超过15次，”马刺主帅米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 表示，“他肯定需要得20分以上。”
当被问及文班亚马的低迷是源于他自身缺乏侵略性，还是战术安排上的缺失时，约翰逊表示这是“两者的结合”。
“雷霆做得很好，”约翰逊说道，“我们必须做得更好。”
系列赛打到这个阶段，有一点是毋庸置疑的：文班亚马的表现决定着马刺的命运。
在第一场双加时险胜的比赛中，这位全明星中锋狂砍41分和24个篮板。而在马刺大胜的第四场比赛中，他也拿下了33分。
如果这位身高7英尺4英寸的核心球员无法打出统治级的超凡表现，马刺在面对雷霆时就会举步维艰。
2026年5月26日星期二，在俄克拉荷马城佩科姆中心进行的西区决赛第五场第三节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊对一次判罚做出反应。
“他是我们最好的球员，”卡斯尔说道，“我们需要他打得更有侵略性。”
在佩科姆中心度过的这个夜晚，马刺队——或许是他们在本届季后赛中第一次——暴露了他们的年轻与稚嫩。
他们在防守端缺乏纪律性，漏人严重，屡屡漏掉外线三分射手。他们还送出了太多无谓的犯规，将雷霆38次送上罚球线。其中吉尔杰斯-亚历山大罚球17投16中。
尽管马刺的15次失误还在可控范围内，但其中许多都是低级的非受迫性失误。
“老实说，我觉得我们打得一点都不好，”后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 说道，“我知道我们可以打得好得多。我们已经别无选择。”
如果说在回到圣安东尼奥进行第六场比赛前还有什么乐观的理由，那就是文班亚马很少连续两场比赛拉胯。
马刺整支球队也是如此。
在这轮系列赛的第二场和第三场之前，马刺自1月中旬以来还从未遭遇过两连败。
米奇·约翰逊经常赞扬他的球队在面对逆境时展现出的竞争斗志。然而，这支年轻的马刺还从未面对过像周四这样严峻的考验。
“这是赢球或者回家的生死战，”前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 说道，“所以我百分之百肯定，每个人都会做好战斗的准备。”
也许马刺确实把雷霆带进了他们最想要的局面。也许他们自己也深信这一点。
答案很快将在周四晚上揭晓。
“我们必须打得比对手更像是一支被逼入绝境的球队，”福克斯说道。
对于马刺来说，现在的目标很简单。他们不希望自己的下一趟航班是飞往坎昆、洛斯卡沃斯或其他什么热门度假胜地。
他们心中有一个不那么时髦的目的地。
俄克拉荷马城，我们又要来了。至少马刺上下是这么期盼的。
“我们必须想办法回到这里，打第七场生死战，”卡斯尔说道。
2026年5月26日星期二，在俄克拉荷马城佩科姆中心进行的西区决赛第五场第一节中，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) (2) 起跳投篮。
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：Spurs head into their first playoff elimination game vs. Thunder
Spurs head into their first playoff elimination game vs. Thunder
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) passes the ball during the third quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
The Spurs have the Oklahoma City Thunder right where they want them.
At least that’s what Stephon Castle says. The second-year Spurs guard might even believe it.
“I feel like we’ve been great when we’re desperate all year,” Castle said. “I’m excited to see how we’ll respond.”
For the 2025-26 Spurs, the times have never been more desperate than this.
They are down 3-2 in the Western Conference finals against the defending NBA champions, one loss away from ending one of the more magical seasons in club history on the doorstep of the Finals.
With Game 6 on tap Thursday at the Frost Bank Center, the stakes have never been higher for Victor Wembanyama and Co.
It is do or die. Win or stay home. Force a Game 7 or go on vacation.
“Sink or swim,” forward Keldon Johnson said. “Your back’s against the wall. You’ve got to win. By any means, whatever we’ve got to do to get the win.”
Over the past month, this Spurs group has experienced a litany of firsts together — first playoff berth, first road playoff game, first playoff deficit to overcome, first playoff closeout game.
It took until Game 6 of the conference finals for the Spurs to experience their first elimination game. The feeling is uncomfortable, and should be.
“We don’t want our season to end this week,” guard De’Aaron Fox said.
The Thunder pushed the upstart Spurs to the edge of oblivion with a 127-114 victory in Game 5 in Oklahoma City.
Two-time league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played like it, with 32 points and nine assists.
His merry band of sidekicks chipped in this time, with Alex Caruso bouncing back from a scoreless Game 4 to resume his Steph Curry impression (22 points) and Jared McCain throwing in 20 in his first career postseason start.
Isaiah Hartenstein logged a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Chet Holmgren announced his belated arrival to the series with 16 points and 11 boards.
All in all, it was a championship-level response to the Thunder’s Game 4 pratfall, when they dropped an offensively anemic 103-82 decision in San Antonio.
Scenes from San Antonio Spurs’ loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, which is setting up a do or die situation for the Spurs and Thursday’s game at home.
“If you look at any playoff series that goes to six games, there’s going to be some tough games,” OKC coach Mark Daignault said. “We had a tough game the other night. This team does a great job of just coming back in the next day in a very neutral way, taking whatever the lessons are, applying them forward and getting into the next opportunity.”
It is a recipe for a bounce-back the Spurs must follow now with their season on the brink.
That starts with Wembanyama, who was uncommonly quiet in an all-important Game 5.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts to a play during the third quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
The Spurs’ All-Star center missed 11 of 15 shots on his way to 20 points — salvaged by a 12-for-12 showing from the foul line — and was strangely indecisive and passive on the offensive end.
Wembanyama declined to speak to reporters after the game, leaving his coach and teammates to parse his strange night.
“He’s got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s going to have to score more than 20 points for sure.”
Asked if Wembanyama’s off night stemmed from his own lack of aggression or something lacking in the game plan, Johnson said it was “a combination of both.”
"OKC did a good job,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to do a better job.”
This deep into the series, this much is certain: As Wembanyama goes, so go the Spurs.
The All-Star center had 41 points and 24 rebounds in the team’s double-overtime triumph in Game 1. He registered 33 points in the Spurs’ resounding Game 4 victory.
Anything less than an out-of-this-world performance from their 7-foot-4 centerpiece, and the Spurs find the sledding tough against the Thunder.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reacts to a call during the third quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
“He’s our best player,” Castle said. “We need him to be aggressive.”
It was all part of a night at the Paycom Center in which the Spurs — perhaps for the first time this postseason — showed their tender age.
They were undisciplined on defense, blowing assignments and leaving 3-point shooters. They committed too many unnecessary fouls, sending OKC to the foul line 38 times. Gilgeous-Alexander was 16 of 17.
Though the Spurs’ 15 turnovers were a manageable number, many of them were silly and unforced.
“I don’t think we had a good game at all, honestly,” guard Devin Vassell said. “I know we can be a lot better. We don’t have no choice.”
If there is reason for optimism heading into Game 6 in San Antonio, it is that Wembanyama does not often deliver two stinkers in a row.
Neither do the Spurs as a team.
Before Games 2 and 3 of this series, the Spurs had not lost two consecutive games since the middle of January.
Mitch Johnson has often praised his team for its competitive response in the face of adversity. This group of Spurs has never faced adversity quite like it will Thursday.
“It’s a win-or-go-home situation,” forward Julian Champagnie said. “So I’m 100% sure everybody will come ready to play.”
Maybe the Spurs have the Thunder right where they want them. Maybe they even believe that.
The answer will come soon enough Thursday night.
“We’ve got to play like the more desperate team,” Fox said.
For the Spurs, the goal now is simple. They don’t want their next plane flight to be headed to Cancun or Los Cabos or some other trendy vacation spot.
They have a less trendy destination in mind.
Oklahoma City, here they come again. Or so the Spurs hope.
“We’ve got to find a way back here for Game 7,” Castle said.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) goes up for a shot during the first quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News