By J.R. Wilco | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-06-10 13:13:04
NBA总决赛第三战（Game 3）与前两场并没有太大不同：尼克斯遭遇了经典的慢热开局，马刺趁势早早取得领先；随后尼克斯发起反击，比赛在最后关头再次进入白热化阶段，胜负完全取决于谁能在关键时刻多投进一两个球。唯一的不同？比赛场地移师麦迪逊广场花园（Madison Square Garden），而赢家换成了马刺。他们虽然赢得惊险，但表现令人赞叹，成功避免了陷入0-3落后的绝境。我将继续与我们尼克斯兄弟网站 Posting and Toasting 的总编辑拉塞尔·理查德森 (Russell Richardson) 进行“与敌共舞”栏目的对话。我们将探讨马刺做出了哪些改变才重回胜利轨道，以及最近不太习惯输球的尼克斯将如何应对这场失利。
到目前为止，这个系列赛非常有趣——我是指我们的对话，当然篮球比赛本身也是。如果你想回顾前几期的内容，可以点击链接查看第 1、2 或 3 部分。
J.R.
那么，马刺在昨晚展现出了一些东西，我们现在知道他们能够做到：
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击败纽约
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在麦迪逊广场花园赢球
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在总决赛高强度的关键时刻保持沉着冷静。
这三点都很重要，但我认为第三点意义最重大。首先，它是实现前两点的前提。其次，因为早在文班 (Wemby) 加盟球队之前，他们在比赛最后阶段的表现就一直不太稳定。
多年来，外界对圣安东尼奥的诟病在于，尽管他们拥有天赋，而且前三节也能和对手咬住比分，但他们就是无法赢下比赛。（我称之为天赋差距，但也有人称之为不知道怎么赢球——其实都差不多）。随后，人们的抱怨变成了他们能建立领先优势，但守不住。接着是他们能守住领先，但赢不下势均力敌的比赛。再后来是他们能赢下常规赛的险胜，却赢不下季后赛的险胜。能赢下季后赛的险胜，却赢不下总决赛的险胜……
你能看出这其中的规律；这并不是什么罕见的成长轨迹。不寻常的是，他们跨越这些阶段的速度如此之快，以至于现在人们完全有理由怀疑，他们是否能成为历史上第一支在主场0-2落后之后逆转夺得总决赛冠军的球队。我知道在上次对话中我提到了压力，但在第三战之后，压力似乎变得更加关键了，因为系列赛现在肯定要回到圣安东尼奥，而尼克斯众将绝对不想在总比分2-3落后的情况下回到主场打第六战。这意味着他们必须取得3-1的领先。这就把我们带到了心理韧性的话题。
老实说，昨晚有好几次我都觉得尼克斯要收割比赛和整个系列赛了。在裁判对斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 对布伦森 (Brunson) 那次看起来很糟糕的犯规进行恶意犯规审查后，我以为你们稳了。在挑战成功让维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的三分球变成0分之后，我以为你们稳了。在杰伦 (Jaylen) 的上篮将分差缩小到（不管当时是多少分）时，我以为你们要带走胜利了。但文班和他的兄弟们始终保持信念，不断打出好球，于是就有了现在的局面。我的问题是，你是在哪个时刻意识到第三战正在悄然溜走的？
R.R.
有年夏天，我带孩子们去坐一艘四人脚踏船。我们费了好大劲才把大家都塞进去——我的大儿子已经超过一米八（六英尺）高了，我和继子体重都差不多有200磅（约90公斤），我的三儿子则吓得要命。萨姆 (Sam) 的担心不无道理。我们离码头还不到10英尺（约3米），船就开始明显地朝垂直方向移动。向下沉。我们拼命地往回踩脚踏板想靠岸，但那艘“古比号”还是缓慢地、极其缓慢地没入了水面。尽管我们疯狂地试图自救，但只能眼睁睁地看着这场灾难像慢镜头一样上演，最后大家一起落入水中。
看着尼克斯在第三战第四节投出27投7中的惨淡表现，就是这种感觉。
指望尼克斯在季后赛取得15连胜是不切实际的。但他们已经有46天没有输过球了，所以产生一点不切实际的幻想也是可以理解的。
我们总是认为麦迪逊广场花园的璀璨灯光和明星气场会震慑住对手。但有时情况恰恰相反。在第三战中，年轻的马刺从一开始就表现得冷酷无情，而主场作战的尼克斯却在聚光灯下步履蹒跚。任何一个在周一第一次看球的观众，都无法分辨出哪支是在锡伯杜 (Thibs) 教练严苛调教下身经百战的沉稳老将，哪支是跨越了成长阶段的年轻军。
我们通常会认为，充满自信的老将会在跳球那一刻起就掌控比赛节奏。但这群尼克斯球员并非如此。整个赛季，他们开局都非常平淡，第一节结束后总是处于落后追分的状态。这真让人抓狂。在季后赛的前三轮中，这种情况有所改变，但最近他们又重蹈覆辙。正如我在战报中所写：
这是自首轮以来，他们第一次看起来像“以前的尼克斯”。主力队员开局慢热，在唐斯 (Towns) 和布伦森被拆开上场时，替补阵容在第二节提供了火力支持，但半场结束后进攻再次陷入停滞，他们只能寄希望于“关键先生”在第四节展现魔法。就好像在离开麦迪逊广场花园19天后，他们忘记了自己已经变成了一支怎样的超级强队，回到主场反而退回到了坏习惯中。
我经常说：第一节的失误对比赛结果的影响与第四节的失误一样大。纽约在开局就出现了两次无迫使失误，并落后了7分，这让他们在余下的比赛中一直处于被动。在两支球队实力如此接近、都配得上总冠军的情况下，任何一次断电都是在给自己钉上棺材钉。
说到这里，尼克斯到底能不能赢下一次第一节？他们在第一战首节输了19-27，第二战首节输了25-34，第三战首节又输了22-33。虽然在落后的情况下，他们在这三场比赛中都赢下了第二节。这很好。但为什么他们每次都要让自己处于劣势呢？ 每一个第一节，他们都让我气得像刘易斯·布莱克 (Lewis Black) 一样语无伦次、暴跳如雷。
我们必须给予马刺赞赏——他们打出了系列赛至今最好的一场比赛。卡斯尔 (Castle) 表现状态火热（天呐，我太喜欢这孩子了）。他们的球权分配非常出色，防守强硬，并且聪明地在很长一段时间内让文班远离唐斯 (KAT)。这两点可以同时成立：圣安东尼奥在限制唐斯参与进攻方面做得非常出色，而尼克斯在让唐斯融入进攻方面做得非常糟糕。布伦森的出手次数比唐斯整整多了15次。他们至少应该平分一下出手权！
你敢相信唐斯本场的正负值是+8，而布里奇斯 (Bridges) 是+11吗？我不信，但事实确实如此。这很难令人理解，因为布里奇斯根本投不进球，而沙梅特 (Shamet) 的表现更糟。他被打回了原形，全场8投1中，正负值低至-22。沙梅特的精准投射一直是纽约季后赛取得成功的关键部分。但在回到麦迪逊广场花园后，沙梅特 (ShamWow) 手感冰凉。如果他能多投进一两个三分球，纽约现在可能已经在准备横扫了。
如果大桥 (Mikal) 打成那样，迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 应该很清楚——他必须换上沙梅特或克拉克森 (Clarkson)（好吧，这次不能换沙梅特）。当布里奇斯陷入低迷时，他看起来就像不想留在场上一样，这对于一个拥有现役最长连续出场纪录的球员来说很奇怪。他对文班的那次犯规，当时他的四肢缠绕在文班身上，就像在玩扭扭乐（Twister）一样，这就是布里奇斯在信心动摇时会做出的举动。如果一切顺利，大桥会非常出色。他已经连续八场比赛表现优异了。然而，在经历了几次糟糕的攻防转换后，他往往会想太多，这影响了他的发挥。布朗以前在第四节把他按在板凳上过。昨晚他也应该这么做。
唐斯也会陷入自我怀疑。他的焦虑表现得有所不同：他会变得有些亢奋，并做出很多类似于*“天哪，你敢相信吗？”那样的夸张肢体动作。当这种情况发生时，虽然本身*并不会影响他的投篮，但确实会导致一些让人拍脑门的愚蠢犯规。这会打断球队的势头，并让他陷入犯规麻烦……进而被换下场……从而减少纽约的进攻选择……唉。
乔什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 则不同。他会莫名其妙地对自己的投篮失去信心，然后在几场比赛里像传烫手山芋一样把球传出去，直到重新找回状态。但这绝不会影响他的整体表现，他自始至终都是那个拼命三郎。布伦森在大多数时候都是个冷酷的杀手，但如果他被对手频繁侵犯而裁判没有吹哨，他的愤怒要么会导致失误，要么会转化为一记杀死比赛的致命三分。
偶尔，在比赛后期的高压情况下，阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby) 会在罚球线上掉链子。这是我最喜欢的尼克斯球员身上为数不多的缺点之一；否则，他绝对是篮球历史上最冷静的球员之一。虽然他在第四节后半段错失的罚球代价高昂，但他投进的底角三分救赎了自己，并且险些拯救了比赛。当到了执行最后一投的时候，我们更希望由阿奴诺比来投（我当时大喊：“别给布里奇斯，不！！”），但即使投进了，他们仍然需要一个“曼哈顿奇迹”。在还剩5秒时，他们落后4分。（注意，如果阿奴诺比罚进了那个球，一个三分球就能扳平比分……）
尽管如此，尽管有这么多不顺，我依然多次觉得尼克斯马上就要打垮对手了。纽约有很多关于裁判判罚的抱怨（有些确实合理），但归根结底，尼克斯输球是因为他们投丢了太多球。我们不认为他们在第四战中还会投得这么糟糕。从你的角度来看，这场比赛更像是马刺赢下的胜利，还是尼克斯自己的崩盘？你对周三晚上的比赛有什么期待？
J.R.
这当然不像是纽约崩盘了。每支球队都会经历手感冰凉的时期，在连续赢了几十场比赛之后（老实说我都数不清了），你终究可能会遇到一次时机不凑巧的低谷，大概一千年才会输掉一场比赛。我只是说这是很正常的事，不过考虑到尼克斯球迷已经有太久没有尝过输球的屈辱滋味了，你有所遗忘也是可以理解的。
至于开局慢热，天哪，马刺也经历过。当时情况严重到球队在输球后感到非常沮丧，甚至集体剃了光头。（我真希望我没记错时间。如果我记错了，请纠正我。）确切地说，凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 和文班亚马剃了光头。还有其他几个人剪短了头发，另一些人则受到了“威胁”。卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 被告知，如果他在赛季结束前再扣飞三个球，他就必须剃光头。因为害怕凯尔登 (KJ) 不是在开玩笑，在接下来的几周里，他不再尝试那些在比赛中屡屡扣飞的超高难度扣篮，而是改成了轻松的双手把球塞进篮筐。
总之，在剃了光头后的第一场比赛中，文班和球队就像离弦之箭一样冲了出去，从那以后，他们每次都能赢下第一节，或者至少在开局阶段表现得极其出色，就像上了发条一样准时。当一支球队像这样突然开窍时，确实非常迷人。这让你不禁思考他们是如何做到的，毕竟有时候球员需要花上几年的时间才能走出某些低谷。
你说你喜欢卡斯尔，那我得承认我疯狂迷恋阿奴诺比 (OG)。自从圣安东尼奥在与多伦多达成莱昂纳德/德罗赞交易时传出他的名字起，我就一直希望他能加盟马刺。当纽约抢下他时，你无法想象我有多嫉妒。话虽如此，我的真爱依然是乔什·哈特 (Josh Hart)。我不知道像他和亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso) 这样的球员有什么魔力，但我就是无法忽视他们。哈特似乎总是能在正确的时间出现在正确的地点，并以最恰当的方式做出正确的战术选择，从而终结对手的攻势或延续球队的节奏。此外，他打球充满激情和智慧，而且他能如此频繁地准确判断出那些诡异篮板球的落点，这简直让人抓狂。
总之，谢谢你对球员性格的剖析，这有助于我更好地了解对手，因为我这赛季没怎么看他们的比赛，只知道他们对阵圣安东尼奥时的表现。我以前绝不会想到布里奇斯会是这样，他给我的感觉一直都是泰然自若的。
至于我对第四战的期待，我先从我不期待的事情说起：我不期待哈特和克拉克森再次打出无懈可击的投篮表现。我也不期待唐斯 (KAT) 再次像切特一样拉胯 (Chet the bed)。他是个非常优秀的球员，不至于连续两场比赛隐形，对吧？我也不期待福克斯 (Fox) 再次投出14投4中的表现，无论他的脚踝伤势有多严重。我能预见到马刺会继续让文班靠近篮筐。到目前为止，在这三场比赛中，他的平均出手距离已经从17英尺缩短到13英尺，再到10.6英尺。我不知道这个距离还会不会更短，但只要这个数字不重新变大，我就看好马刺的机会。我期待两支球队奉献更多精彩的防守，并期待系列赛带着平局回到德克萨斯。
你对第四战有什么期待？你认为谁会打出最强劲的反弹表现？
R.R.
像切特一样拉胯 (Chet the bed)。这损得太有水平了，我必须把它加入我的词库。
我曾经剃过一次光头，大概是在21岁左右。当时我涂了午夜黑的染发剂，在等待上色的时候，我喝了太多的哥德施拉格肉桂酒 (Goldschläger)（任何分量的哥德施拉格都算太多）。过了一会儿，我一照镜子，发现我的头发变成了蓝精灵那样的蓝色。在醉意、不耐烦和失望的驱使下，我决定把头发全部剃光。第二天，我宿醉未醒、摇摇晃晃地去上班，看起来就像戴了一顶蓝色的皮帽。染发剂把我的头皮都染色了。我的同事们还以为我出了什么意外。怎么没人告诉我剃光头是提升篮球技术的秘诀？如果我早知道，我一定会直接去YMCA球场教训那些家伙……用我那颗蓝色的、光秃秃的、还被钝剃须刀刮得满是伤痕的脑袋……
当球队需要刺激时，尼克斯可不会做任何这么有趣的事。作为队长，布伦森会召集大家开个会。他们把话挑明。之后他们就会打得更好。由于整个尼克斯管理层的保密工作比吉诺维斯犯罪家族 (Genovese crime family) 还要严密，球队会议的细节从未外泄过。如果哪天有尼克斯球员因为“大拇指骨折”出现在伤病名单上，放心，他绝对是个内鬼。
你和我似乎都欣赏球员身上类似的品质。我对阿奴诺比 (Anunoby) 和哈特有着同样深厚的喜爱。在任何一天，我都会称他们中的某一个是我目前最喜欢的尼克斯球员。当乔什在与波特兰关于卡姆·雷迪什 (Cam Reddish) 的交易中来到纽约时，我对他并不熟悉，但西雅图的一个朋友说：“你一定会爱上他的。”事实确实如此。如今，我认为他是现代版的丹尼斯·罗德曼 (Dennis Rodman)，而且进攻技术更好。虽然我在文章中提到过这一点，但还没有人因为这个天才的比喻而称赞我。我猜你当年应该看过“大虫” (Worm) 打球。这个对比贴切吗？
关于文班距离篮筐越来越近的数据非常有趣。我预计迈克·布朗会制定出应对方案。至于谁会打出反弹表现，我能回答“全队”吗？沙梅特会投进三到四个三分球，布里奇斯会增加出手次数，唐斯 (KAT) 则会砍下20+10的两双数据。随着冰凉的手感被打破，我预测尼克斯将带着3-1的领先优势回到德克萨斯。
顺便说一句，恭喜我们都没有提到裁判的判罚。那个话题一旦抛出来，评论区绝对会爆炸。噢，看看时间！我已经打扰太久了。祝你今晚好运（当然，尼克斯终生不改）。
J.R.
恭喜你，拉塞尔 (Russell)，你已经触发了：“与敌共舞”快问快答环节！准备，开始！
我收到了你关于头皮被刮伤和染色的故事，并向你回敬一个文班在比赛当天在公园里画雕塑草图的故事。
如果大拇指骨折意味着内鬼，那手部骨折又意味着什么？
“进攻加强版罗德曼”的比喻相当贴切，但我还是得提一下亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso)。这两个人都通过韦恩·格雷茨基 (Wayne Gretzky) 的视角体现了现代篮球的真谛——格雷茨基曾说过，他总是滑向冰球将要到达的位置。乔什就像在球场上瞬间移动一样，凭空出现在球落下的地方，并把球收入囊中。
不，你不能回答“全队”，但还是谢谢你的参与！我们在回圣安东尼奥的路上见！
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：What the Spurs did differently in Game 3 and how the Knicks will respond
What the Spurs did differently in Game 3 and how the Knicks will respond
Game 3 of the NBA Finals wasn’t much different than Games 1 and 2: the Spurs got ahead early after a classic slow start from the Knicks, they eventually responded, then everything was once again down to the wire in crunch time with the winner being the team that made one or two more clutch shots. The difference? The location was Madison Square Garden, and the winner was the Spurs, who barely but admirably avoided falling into a 3-0 hole. I continue Fraternizing with the Enemy with with Russell Richardson, editor-in-chief of our Knicks sister site Posting and Toasting, as we discuss what the Spurs did differently to get back in the winners column and how the Knicks, who aren’t used to having to bounce back from a loss these days, will respond.
This has been an enjoyable series so far — the Fraternizing, but I guess the basketball too — so click on the links if you would like to revisit parts 1, 2 or 3.
J.R.
So, the Spurs showed a few things last night and we now know that they can:
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Beat NY
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Win in MSG
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Stay composed in an intense clutch game in the Finals.
All of those are important, but I’d say the third is the biggest deal. First, it unlocks the other two. Second, because they’ve been shaky down the stretch in games going back to before Wemby joined the team.
For years, the knock on San Antonio was that despite their talent, and even though they could stay with teams through three quarters, they couldn’t win games. (I call that a talent gap, but some people call it not knowing how to win — potato potahto). Then the gripe became that they could build a lead, but couldn’t hold onto it. Then they could hold onto leads but couldn’t win close games. Then they could win close regular season games but not close playoff games. Close playoff games but not close Finals games…
You can see where this is going; it’s not like it’s a particularly rare development path. What’s unusual about it is how quickly they’ve moved through these stages to the point that now it’s reasonable to wonder whether they could be the first team to come back and win The Finals after trailing 0-2 at home. I know I brought up pressure in our last conversation but it seems even more important after Game 3, because the series is for sure going back to San Antonio now, and none of the Knickerbockers are going to feel comfortable about the possibility of coming back home for Game 6 down 3-2. Which means they have to go up 3-1. Which brings us to mental toughness.
I’ll be honest, there were several times last night that I felt like the Knicks were about to put the game and the series away. After the flagrant review of Castle’s ugly looking foul on Brunson, I thought you guys had it. After the challenge that turned Victor’s three into zero points, I thought you guys had it. After Jaylen’s layup cut it to, (whatever it was) I thought you would take it home. But Wemby and the boys kept believing and kept making plays and now we are where we are. And my question is, at what point did you realize Game Three was slipping away?
R.R.
One summer, I took my kids out in a four-pedal paddle boat. We struggled to fit everyone in—my oldest was already over six feet tall, my stepson and I each weighed about 200 lbs., and my third son was scared for his life. Sam had good reason to be worried. We didn’t get more than 10 feet from the dock when the boat started to noticeably move in a vertical direction. Down. We all foot-pedaled furiously back toward the dock, but slowly, ever so slowly, the SS Guppy approached and broke the waterline. Despite our frantic attempts to save ourselves, we watched the disaster unfold in slow motion as we all sank into the drink.
That was how it felt to watch the Knicks shoot 7-of-27 in the fourth quarter of Game Three.
Expecting the Knicks to win 15 straight playoff games was unrealistic. But they had not lost in 46 days, so a little irrationality was permissible.
We always assume that the bright lights and stars at MSG will rattle the opponent. Sometimes it swings the other way. In Game Three, the young Spurs were cold-blooded from the start, while the home team stumbled in the spotlight. Anyone watching on Monday with virgin eyes could not have identified which team was a squad of steady vets, trained under the cruel tutelage of Master Thibs, and which was a group of youngsters who jumped the development line.
One thing we might assume about confident vets is that they will dictate the pace of a game from tip-off. Not so with these Knickerbockers. All season long, they started games flat and played from behind after the first quarter. It was maddening. That changed through the first three rounds of the playoffs, but lately they have returned to their woeful ways. From my recap:
This was the first time they looked like the “old Knicks” since the first round. The lead guys started slow, the reserves provided a second-quarter lift while Towns and Brunson were split up, the play went stale again after halftime, and they hoped for Captain Clutch magic in the fourth. It was as if, after being away from the Garden for 19 days, they’d forgotten what a juggernaut they had become and, returning to their home court, reverted to their bad habits.
I say it often: first-quarter mistakes are just as impactful on the outcome as those in the fourth. New York started the game with two unforced errors and fell behind by seven points, putting themselves on the back foot for the rest of the game. With both teams so evenly matched and deserving of a championship, every brain fart is another nail in the coffin.
On that note, will the Knicks ever win a first quarter? They lost the first in Game One, 27-19, then 34-25 in Game Two, and 33-22 in Game Three. Playing from behind, they won the second quarter in all three contests. Great. But why must they put themselves at a disadvantage every single time? Every first quarter, they turn me into a sputtering, seething Lewis Black.
We must give them credit—the Spurs played their best game of the series. Castle was cooking (and boy, I dig that kid). Their distribution was excellent, their defense was hard-knuckled, and they were wise to keep Wemby away from KAT for long stretches. Both of these things can be true: San Antonio did an admirable job of keeping KAT out of the offense, and the Knicks did a lousy job of incorporating KAT into the offense. Brunson shot 15 more times than Towns. They could have at least split the difference!
Would you believe that Towns finished +8 and Bridges +11? I don’t, but it is true. It’s difficult to fathom because Bridges could not buy a bucket, and Shamet was worse. He crashed back to earth with 1-of-8 shooting and a -22 plus-minus. Shamet’s marksmanship has been a big part of New York’s postseason success. In his return to the Garden, ShamWow went ice cold. If he had made just one or two more threes, New York would be lining up the brooms.
If Mikal plays like that, Mike Brown knows better—he’s gotta sub in Shamet or Clarkson (OK, not Shamet this time). When Bridges is down, it seems like he doesn’t want to be on the court, which is weird for the guy with the longest active streak of consecutive games played. His foul on Wemby, when he had linked into his limbs like they were playing Twister, is the kind of stuff Bridges does when his confidence is shaken. If things are going well, Mikal is great. He has been in eight straight games now. After a few bad turns, though, he tends to ruminate, and it affects his performance. Brown has benched him in fourth quarters before. He should have last night.
Towns can get lost in his head, too. His anxiety reveals itself differently: he gets giddy and does a lot of Gorsh, can you just believe this?-type pantomiming. When that happens, it doesn’t affect his shooting per se, but it does result in forehead-slapping fouls. Which kills momentum and leads to foul trouble . . . which sends him to the bench . . . which reduces New York’s offensive options. . . . Sigh.
Josh Hart is different. He will randomly lose confidence in his shot and then play hot potato for a few games before snapping out of it. But that never affects his overall play, he’s the same maniac throughout. Brunson is mostly a killer, but if he’s getting smacked around without calls, his anger either leads to a turnover or a dagger three to win the game.
Occasionally, in late-game, high-stakes situations, OG Anunoby gets the yips at the charity stripe. It’s one of the few flaws in my favorite Knick; otherwise, he is one of the most unflappable hoopers to ever play. While his missed free throw late in the fourth was costly, his corner three redeemed him and nearly saved the game. When it came time for that last shot, we would rather that OG had taken it (“NOT BRIDGES, NO!!” I yelled), but even if it went in, a Manhattan Miracle was still needed. They were losing by four with five seconds left. (Note that if OG had made that free throw, a longball would have tied it. . . .)
Nevertheless, despite so much going wrong, I also thought the Knicks were right about to bust open the game many times. There is a lot of complaining in NY about the officiating (some warranted), but ultimately, the Knicks lost because they missed too many shots. We doubt they will misfire so badly in Game Four. From your side of the aisle, did this feel like a Spurs victory or a Knicks collapse? And what do you expect on Wednesday night?
J.R.
It certainly didn’t feel like New York collapsed. Every team goes through dry spells, and after winning a few dozen games in a row (I honestly lost count), eventually you might have a poorly timed dry spell and drop a contest once a millennia or so. I’m just saying it’s a thing that happens, though it’s understandable if you’ve forgotten what it’s like in the interminable time since Knicks fans have had to suffer the indignity of taking an L.
As far as starting slow goes, man, the Spurs have been there. It was such a thing that it led to the team getting upset after a loss and shaving their heads. (I sure hope I’m remembering the timing of this right. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.) To be precise, Keldon Johnson, and Wembanyama shaved their heads. There were a few other guys who trimmed their hair and some others who were threatened. Carter Bryant was told that if he blew three more dunks before the season ended that he’d have to shave his head. Instead of the ambitious dunks that he’d been missing repeatedly during games, he switched to easy two-handed shove-it-in-the-basket for a few weeks out of fear KJ wasn’t joking.
Anyway, the first game after going bald, Wemby and the team started sprinting out of the gate and they have won first quarters, or at least the beginning of the game, like clockwork ever since. It sure is fascinating when a team flips a switch like that. Makes you wonder about how it’s done, when sometimes it takes players years to get out of some ruts.
You said you love Castle, so I’ll admit that I’m crazy about OG. He’s the guy I’ve wanted on the Spurs ever since his name was tossed around while SA came to terms with Toronto on the Leonard/DeRozan deal. Can’t tell you how jealous I was when NY nabbed him. That said, my heart belongs to Josh Hart. I don’t know what it is about guys like him and Alex Caruso, but I can’t ignore it. Hart seems to always be in the right place at the right time making the right play precisely the way necessary to end an opponent’s run or preserve his team’s flow. Plus, he plays with so much passion and savvy and he reads exactly where weird rebounds are headed so frequently it’s infuriating.
Anyway, thanks for the player personality breakdown, it’s helpful to understand the opposition better when I haven’t been watching them much this season and only know them by the way they play against San Antonio. I’d have never thought that about Bridges, who’s always seemed imperturbable to me.
As for what I expect in Game 4, I’ll begin with what I don’t expect: another impeccable shooting performance from Hart and Clarkson. I also don’t expect KAT to Chet the bed again. He’s too good a player to disappear two games in a row, right? I also don’t expect Fox to go 4-14 again, no matter how bad his ankle is. I could see the Spurs continuing to get Wemby closer to the rim. So far, across the three games, his average shot distance has gone from 17 feet to 13 to 10.6. I don’t know that it’ll get lower than that, but I like SA’s chances as long as it doesn’t start going up again. I expect more great defense from both teams, and I expect a tied series heading back to Texas.
What do you expect from G4, and who do you think will have the biggest bounce back game?
R.R.
Chet the bed. That’s so deliciously mean, I have to add that to my repertoire.
I shaved my head once, either just before or at age 21. I had applied midnight black hair dye and, while waiting for it to set, I drank too much Goldschläger (any Goldschläger is too much Goldschläger). After a while, I checked and saw that my hair had turned Smurf blue. Hammered, impatient, and disappointed, I decided to shave it all off. The next day I shambled into work, hungover and looking like I was wearing a blue skullcap. The dye had stained my scalp. My coworkers assumed I’d been in some accident. How come nobody told me that shaving one’s head is the secret to improving basketball skills? If I’d known, I would’ve gone straight to the Y to school some fools . . . with my bald, blue head . . . covered in nicks from the dull razor I had used. . . .
The Knicks don’t do anything quite as interesting when the team needs a jolt. Brunson, the team captain, calls a meeting. They air it out. They play better afterward. Since the entire Knicks organization keeps secrets tighter than the Genovese crime family, details of team meetings are never leaked. If any Knick ever shows up on the injury report with broken thumbs, rest assured he’s a rat.
You and I seem to appreciate similar qualities in hoopers. I have equal amounts of affection for Anunoby and Hart. On any given day, I’ll call either one my current favorite Knick. When Josh arrived in New York in a swap with Portland for Cam Reddish, I was unfamiliar with his game but a friend from Seattle said, “You are going to love him.” ‘Tis true. These days, I consider him a modern-day Dennis Rodman with better offensive skills. Although I’ve mentioned this in posts, no one has congratulated me for this genius comp. You watched the Worm play, I assume. Is the comparison apt?
That’s an interesting stat about Wemby inching closer and closer to the rim. I expect Mike Brown to scheme a response to that. As for who will have a bounce-back game, can I answer “the whole team”? Shamet will sink three to four threes, Bridges will get his shot count up, and KAT will log a 20-10 double-double. With their cold shooting spell snapped, I predict the Knicks to take a 3-1 lead back to Texas.
By the way, congratulations to us for not mentioning the officiating. That grenade would blow up the comments section. Oh, but look at the time! I’ve overstayed my welcome already. Good luck to you tonight (but Knicks Forever, of course).
J.R.
Congratulations, Russell, you have activated: Fraternizing with the Enemy’s, lightning round! Ready, begin!
I see your nicked-and-dyed scalp story and raise you a Wemby in the park sketching a statue on the day of the game story.
If broken thumbs means a rat, what does a broken hand mean?
The “Rodman, but with offense” comp is pretty apt, but I gotta go back to Alex Caruso. Both guys embody modern basketball through the lens of Wayne Gretzky, the man who skated to where the puck was going to be. Josh teleports across the court to materialize with the ball in his hands.
No, you may not answer, “the whole team” but thanks for playing! See you on the road back to San Antonio!
By J.R. Wilco, via Pounding The Rock