By Mike Finger | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-06-12 17:15:46
圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) (1) 在2026年6月10日星期三于纽约麦迪逊广场花园举行的NBA总决赛第四场第四节中低头看着球场。尼克斯队以107-106击败马刺队，系列赛大比分3-1领先。
维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 实在太软了，而且不知怎的，打球还脏得要命。米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 这个年轻教练，在领先优势溜走时却把暂停揣在兜里，显然已经有些力不从心了。
至于达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)，那个本该运球却选择投篮的控球后卫？
带着那样的家伙，你永远也赢不了总冠军。
这些都是站不住脚的论调，但在总决赛中几分钟的糟糕表现，就能让它们变成篮球界的“铁律”，尤其是在数百万六月份之前根本没怎么关注比赛的观众眼里。一旦球员或教练在全世界的注视下被贴上某种标签，想要撕掉它可就难了。
因此，在周六于霜冻银行中心迎战纽约尼克斯队的第五场比赛之前，马刺队面临着一个选择：
他们可以花上接下来的几年时间，试图去改变人们对他们的看法。
或者，他们可以从现在就开始行动。
马刺中锋文班亚马谈到走出第四场阴影：“我们非常有信心，但是，是的，我不会说这很容易释怀，对吧？毫无疑问，这绝对比之前的任何一场比赛都要艰难得多。我的意思是，现在我们已经挺过来了。这是季后赛，没有时间去后悔…… pic.twitter.com/zAgM9uFPtb
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) 2026年6月12日
“没有时间去后悔太久，”文班亚马在周五说道。就备战一场面临淘汰的生死战而言，他是对的。过度分析这场历史性惨烈崩盘的第四场比赛中的每一个痛苦细节，也无法改变它已经发生的事实。
然而，适度的反思是一件好事，这其中也包括承认公众舆论中确实包含着一些事实。
事实是，文班亚马可能确实需要找到一种更强势收尾比赛的方法。他在今年季后赛的表现堪称惊艳，包括在对阵俄克拉荷马城的那场双加时杰作中，他在出场的第49分钟依然展现出了最佳状态。
但在对阵尼克斯的比赛中，他有几次在关键时刻显得后劲不足。尼克斯队显然是有意为之，抓住一切机会对他进行身体对抗，试图以此消耗他的体力。
事实也是，约翰逊可能确实需要找到应对之策。十年前还在执教四年级小学生的这位39岁教练，在接替格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 方面，全世界恐怕没有人能比他做得更出色了。没有他，马刺队几乎不可能打进总决赛。
但当尼克斯队在第四场比赛中发起反扑，先是蚕食了29分的分差，随后在下半场以猛烈的攻势击溃马刺时，约翰逊还是暴露出了经验不足的问题。他的暂停可能晚叫了一两个回合。而回过头来看文班亚马似乎体能撞墙的表现，马刺队如果能在上半场为他争取更多的休息时间，效果可能会更好。
在第四场比赛结束后立即被问及这一话题时，约翰逊曾表示他不认为文班亚马的使用率是个问题。但在周五进行评估之后，他重新审视了自己最初的回答。
马刺主帅米奇·约翰逊谈到管理文班亚马的时间：“回过头来看，我确实认为我必须确保自己能帮助他保持所需的体能，以便能像他需要的那样强势地收尾比赛。回顾这场比赛，我觉得我本可以做得…… pic.twitter.com/fAvgcloQq9
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) 2026年6月12日
“我必须确保在这方面帮到他，”约翰逊说，“我觉得我在这方面本可以做得更好。”
当然，这表明这位教练可能比人们想象的更适合这个大舞台。毕竟，能够意识到计划何时行不通并做出相应调整，不正是任何争冠球队对主帅的期望吗？
在这样的季后赛对决中，当双方都证明了自己有能力承受打击并迅速做出应对时，固执己见是行不通的。你必须能够承认什么是不起作用的，以及什么是你一开始就不应该尝试的。
话虽如此：福克斯本赛季对马刺队的成就至关重要，难道有人会怀疑他没有从周三最后几秒那次备受指责的失误中吸取教训吗？
在马刺队领先一分的情况下，他一路狂奔向篮筐，本该等待对方犯规，而不是冒险出手，结果导致投篮被封盖。他知道这一点，大家都知道这一点。但纠结于此并不能帮助圣安东尼奥赢下第五场比赛。
“我想我已经‘被解雇’了212次，我们已经‘交易’了福克斯72次，”约翰逊调侃着铺天盖地的外界批评说道，“我们（周六）依然要上场打球，而我依然要执教。”
当全世界再次瞩目时会发生什么？只需短短几分钟，名声就可能再次发生逆转。
文班亚马谈到马刺是否能在对阵尼克斯1-3落后的情况下在总决赛中实现逆转：“是的，绝对可以。每个人都认为——每个人都知道——我们会做到的。” pic.twitter.com/91mWkOIiKe
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) 2026年6月12日
文班亚马可以证明自己并不软。约翰逊可以证明自己能够应付自如。福克斯可以证明自己依然是那个曾荣膺NBA年度最佳关键球员的人。
是的，这听起来可能有些天方夜谭。在NBA总决赛历史上，只有一支球队曾在1-3落后的情况下完成过逆转。
但在马刺队的更衣室里呢？
“每个人都认为——每个人都知道——我们会做到的，”文班亚马说道。
到那时，另一种截然不同的论调将成为新的“铁律”。
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：Why the time is now for Spurs to change this NBA Finals narrative
Why the time is now for Spurs to change this NBA Finals narrative
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks down toward the court during the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The Knicks defeated the Spurs 107-106, leading the series 3-1.
Victor Wembanyama is way too soft, and somehow also plays way too dirty. Mitch Johnson, the young coach keeping timeouts in his pocket while a lead slips away, is in way over his head.
As for De’Aaron Fox, the point guard who shot when he should have dribbled?
You’ll never win a championship with that guy.
These are the spurious narratives that a few rough minutes in the NBA Finals can turn into basketball gospel, particularly among the millions who weren’t paying close attention before June. And once a player or a coach gets tagged with a reputation while the world watches, it can be tough to shake it.
So heading into Saturday’s Game 5 against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center, the Spurs face a choice:
They can spend the next several years trying to change people’s minds about them.
Or they can start doing it now.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, on moving past Game 4: “We’re very confident, but yeah, I wouldn’t say it was so hard to, like, shake off, right? Harder than any other game before, by far, for sure. I mean, now we’re over it. It’s the Playoffs. There’s no time to regret things… pic.twitter.com/zAgM9uFPtb
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) June 12, 2026
“There’s no time to regret things for too long,” Wembanyama said Friday, and in terms of preparing for an elimination game, he’s right. Overanalyzing every excruciating detail of a historically colossal Game 4 meltdown won’t change the fact that it happened.
A little self-reflection, however, can be a good thing, and that includes acknowledging the pieces of the public narrative that contain some truth.
The truth is, Wembanyama probably does need to find a way to finish stronger. He’s been spectacular this postseason, including during a double-overtime Oklahoma City masterpiece in which he was at his best in his 49th minute on the floor.
But he’s faded down the stretch a couple of times against the Knicks, who’ve made a point of pushing him around at every opportunity and waiting for it to wear on him.
And the truth is, Johnson probably does need to find a way to counter that. Nobody in the world could have been expected to do a more impressive job replacing Gregg Popovich than the 39-year-old who was coaching fourth-graders a decade ago. The Spurs almost certainly wouldn’t be in the Finals without him.
But when the Knicks made their run in Game 4, chipping away at a 29-point deficit at first and then overwhelming the Spurs with a second-half onslaught, Johnson showed some of his inexperience. A timeout might have come a possession or two too late. And looking back on the way Wembanyama appeared to hit a wall, the Spurs might have been better served finding more rest for him in the first half.
Asked about that topic immediately after Game 4, Johnson said he didn’t think Wembanyama’s usage was an issue. On Friday, after evaluating it, he’d reconsidered his initial answer.
Spurs coach Mitch Johson, on managing Victor Wembanyama’s minutes: “Looking back on it, I do believe that I have to make sure that I help him have the energy required to finish the game as strong as he needs to finish the game. Looking back on the game, I think I could have done… pic.twitter.com/fAvgcloQq9
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) June 12, 2026
“I’ve got to make sure I help with that,” Johnson said. “I think I could have been better in that regard.”
This, of course, is the sign of a coach who might be more ready for the big stage than people think. After all, isn’t the ability to recognize when a plan isn’t working, and to adjust accordingly, exactly what any championship contender should want from the man in charge?
During playoff matchups like this, when both teams have proven the ability to take a punch and come up with a counter on the fly, stubbornness gets you nowhere. You have to be able to admit what isn’t working, and what you probably shouldn’t have tried in the first place.
And on that note: Is there any doubt that Fox, who’s been so integral to what the Spurs have accomplished this season, learned something from his much-maligned miscalculation in the closing seconds on Wednesday?
Racing toward the basket with the Spurs leading by a point, he should have waited to be fouled instead of risking a shot that wound up being blocked. He knows that. Everybody knows that. But dwelling on it won’t help San Antonio win Game 5.
“I think I’ve been fired 212 times, and we’ve traded Fox 72 times,” Johnson said, poking fun at the onslaught of outside criticism. “We still have to show up and play (Saturday), and I’ve got to coach.”
And when the world tunes in again? In a matter of minutes, reputations can change again.
Victor Wembanyama, on whether the Spurs can make a Finals comeback despite a 3-1 deficit against the Knicks: “Yeah, absolutely. Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it.” pic.twitter.com/91mWkOIiKe
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) June 12, 2026
Wembanyama can prove he isn’t so soft. Johnson can prove he’s capable of keeping his head above water. Fox can show he’s the guy who the NBA once awarded as its Clutch Player of the Year.
Yes, that might seem like a stretch. Only one team in the history of the NBA Finals ever has rallied from a 3-1 deficit.
But inside the Spurs’ locker room?
“Everybody thinks — everybody knows — we’re going to do it,” Wembanyama said.
And then a different narrative will become gospel.
By Mike Finger, via San Antonio Express-News