By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer / San Antonio Express-News, 2026-10-01 14:03:10
2026年6月13日，星期六，NBA总决赛第五场第四节，在霜冻银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀（2号）将纽约尼克斯队后卫杰伦·布伦森（11号）手中的球打掉。
在马刺休赛期的公开训练对抗赛中，达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 立刻察觉到了变化。
内线球员卡位抢板时愈发凶悍；后卫和侧翼在第一道防线上的防守对抗更具侵略性；球员们在全场各个角落飞身争抢每一个地板球。
福克斯断定，这种身体对抗强度的提升，正是马刺在2026年一路杀入NBA总决赛这一惊艳之旅所带来的积极成果之一。
“我们当时碰上了联盟中对抗最强硬的四支球队，”这位两届全明星后卫说道，“如今来到这里打训练赛，你能看到大家已经完全适应了那种对抗强度。所以这可能是进入新赛季最大的不同之处。”
在经历与开拓者、森林狼以及雷霆的高强度肉搏战并过关斩将后，马刺最终憾负于作风顽强的纽约尼克斯——那支由杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)、卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns)、OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby) 和约什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 领衔、前赴后继冲击对手的铁血之师。在那轮跨度长达23场的季后赛征程中，马刺积累了宝贵的经验，这不仅会让队伍在本赛季变得更加坚韧，也让他们为未来的季后赛硬仗做好了更充分的准备。
“这种提升，远比单纯打磨个人技术、弥补自身短板或者强化招牌绝活更有帮助，”福克斯表示，“这是我们迈入新赛季的关键一环。”
毋庸置疑，在常规赛豪取62胜并斩获西部二号种子、防守效率与总篮板球均高居联盟前列的马刺，在踏入季后赛时绝非等闲之辈。
“在常规赛期间，我们就经历了一次（在对抗层面的）进化，”马刺主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道，“去年曾有一段时间，一些球队试图用高强度的身体对抗来击败我们。显然，大家心知肚明，维克托（文班亚马）首当其冲成为了被针对的焦点。我认为我们的一些年轻球员——即便是那些本就兼具对抗能力的球员——也需要学会如何在保持对抗的同时打得更聪明。我认为全队在这方面经过常规赛的洗礼，得到了长足的进步。”
但在季后赛首轮面对开拓者时，全队的轮换阵容中仅有福克斯、卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 和哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 三人具备季后赛经验。而当马刺再次踏上季后赛舞台时，以文班亚马、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 为首的年轻核心阵营，都已是历经沙场淬炼的百战之兵。
“有些路你必须亲自走一遭，我很庆幸我们挺了过来，对手绝对称得上是西部对抗最强悍的三支球队，”文班亚马说，“对我而言，我们必须让大脑习惯去应对这些艰难的场面。打出身体对抗有一部分属于技巧的学习，但更多的是付出拼劲，去忍受那些让你不适的煎熬。想要克服它只有一种办法，那就是正面迎击，所以我很高兴我们碰上了那些对手。”
曾于2024年在波士顿随队夺冠的科内特对此深表赞同。
“在如何实现成长这方面，我们获得了一些非常棒的汲取经验的机会，”他说道。
总决赛更是给马刺敲响了警钟，在难以招架尼克斯那股永不停歇的韧劲之后，他们深知自身必须变得更加硬朗。纽约人在那轮系列赛的前五场比赛中，每一场都曾完成过两位数落后的逆转，包括第四场在落后29分的绝境下打出了一场载入史册的107比106逆转好戏——阿奴诺比在终场前1.2秒凭借孤注一掷的决绝直插禁区，完成补篮绝杀。
“在我们的许多轮系列赛中，强硬对抗都是反复强调的重中之重，”卡斯尔在谈到提升对抗时说道，“大多数情况下，我们都能多次成功防下对手，而对手的大部分得分都来自于二次进攻篮板，源于我们没有做好卡位。身体对抗在其中起到了决定性的作用。”
如果想回忆马刺打足48分钟的高强度对抗与侵略性时能有多出色，他们只需重温总决赛第三场的录像。在那场于麦迪逊广场花园震耳欲聋的喧嚣中以115比111取胜、将系列赛总比分扳为1比2的战役里，马刺在防守端对布伦森施加了凶狠的消耗，展现出了卓越的防守协同性，迫使尼克斯屡屡在进攻时间将尽时仓促出手，并在罚球次数上以24比8遥遥领先。
“他们开局阶段的对抗强度非常大，”纽约球员兰德里·沙梅特 (Landry Shamet) 赛后坦言，“他们的节奏推得飞快，杀入禁区的次数远远超出了我们的容忍限度，打得极具侵略性。”
但马刺当时未能将这种状态贯彻始终。
“我们本绝不该输掉那轮系列赛，”二年级前锋卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 说道，“系列赛的大部分时间里我们都占据着主动。但这就是比赛，纽约做出了正确的应对，他们坚持不懈地冲击。优秀的球队正是如此，他们步履不停、百折不挠。”
在从尼克斯身上汲取了这一宝贵教训后，马刺后卫/前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 期望球队在本赛季能够展现出更胜一筹的身体对抗，但他同时也提醒全队必须保持球商。
“不仅要提升对抗强度，更要站准防守位置，打得更加聪明，”这位2026年最佳第六人说道，“展现身体对抗固然必不可少，但更重要的是兼具侵略性与球商，这样我们才不会陷入犯规麻烦，避免愚蠢的犯规，并尽早抢占有利身位。”
尽管季后赛的激烈程度和肉搏强度确实远超常规赛，但科内特指出，马刺希望无论何时登场比赛，都能始终保持这种球风。
“我们希望在比赛中注入十足的冲击力、极具压迫感的节奏和强大的身体对抗，”他说道，“这无疑是季后赛的固有属性，但我同样觉得放眼整个联盟，如今在常规赛中对抗也被摆在了极高的位置。每晚都能带着那股能量和硬度去比赛，是没有任何商量余地的。”
在自由球员市场上以两年3100万美元签约的15年老将前锋托拜厄斯·哈里斯 (Tobias Harris)，以及首轮第26顺位选中的中锋小塔里斯·里德 (Tarris Reed Jr.) 的加盟，将助力马刺达成这一目标。
“在真正和他交手或对位之前，你根本意识不到他有多么强壮，”福克斯在谈及这位身高6英尺8英寸、体重230磅、肌肉线条分明的哈里斯时感慨道。
作为文班亚马与科内特的替补，23岁的里德或许不会获得太多的出场时间。但这位身高6英尺11英寸、体重270磅的禁区内线，凭借在低位展现出的极高积极性与坚决态度，已经给人留下了深刻的印象。
“他在篮板球的拼抢上简直如同猛兽，禁区终结也极其出色，”同样出自康涅狄格大学的校友卡斯尔在谈到他时说道。
在经历上赛季出人意料地提前打进总决赛后，这支依然年轻的马刺深知自己已成为众矢之的。
“从揭幕战第一天起，人们就会带着极高的期望审视我们，因此你将面临每一个对手的全力阻击，”福克斯表示。
然而，在踏平了2026年季后赛的严苛炼狱后，他们早已整装待发，既能硬抗一切冲击，亦能以铁血予以迎头痛击。
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。
查看原文：How Spurs' playoff run left them a more physical team for 2026-27
How Spurs’ playoff run left them a more physical team for 2026-27
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) knocks the ball out of the hands of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the fourth quarter of game five of the NBA Championship at Frost Bank Center on Saturday, June13, 2026.
De’Aaron Fox noticed it right away during the Spurs’ offseason open gym scrimmages.
Big men blocking out with increased ferocity. Guards and wings defending stronger at the point of attack. Guys battling all over the court for loose balls.
Fox concluded the increased physical play was one of the positive carryovers from the Spurs’ surprising run to the 2026 NBA Finals.
“We played four of the most physical teams you’ll play in the league,” the two-time All-Star guard said. “And coming in here playing pickup, you can see guys are used to that physicality. So that’s probably the biggest difference coming into this year.”
Having survived rough-and-tumble matchups against Portland, Minnesota and Oklahoma City before losing to hard-nosed New York and its collection of keep-coming-at-you warriors headed by Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, the Spurs gained valuable experience during that 23-game run that should make them an even tougher team this season and have them better prepared for future playoff battles.
“That’s something that helps even more than just becoming better at your craft, or better at whatever skills you’re not good at, or your best skill getting better,” Fox said. “It’s a key component going into this season.”
Make no mistake. The Spurs were not a soft bunch by any means entering the playoffs after winning 62 games and capturing the No. 2 seed in the West thanks in large part to ranking among the league leaders in defensive rating and total rebounding.
“We went through an evolution of (playing more physical) during the regular season,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “There was a time last year where some teams had the approach of trying to beat us by being physical with us. Obviously, we know conversations about Victor (Wembanyama) were at the top of that list and I think some of our younger players, even the ones that are physical, needed to learn how to be smart and physical. I think that element of our team grew tremendously through the regular season.”
But only three rotation players — Fox, Luke Kornet and Harrison Barnes — had playoff experience entering the first round against the Blazers. When the Spurs make the playoffs again, their young core led by Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will all be battle-tested.
“It’s something you have to go through, and I’m glad we went through it (against) probably three of the most physical teams in the West, for sure,” Wembanyama said. “For me, it’s like we got to get our brains used to doing those hard things. Playing physical is a bit of technique of learning, but it’s mostly effort and mostly going through some uncomfortable things. There’s just one way to beat that, and that is to do it, so I’m glad we faced those teams.”
Kornet, who won a championship with Boston in 2024, agreed.
“We got some good learning experiences in terms of ways to grow,” he said.
The Finals reinforced the need for the Spurs to get even tougher after they struggled to match the Knicks’ relentlessness. New York overcame double-digit deficits in each of the five games, including recording a historic 107-106 victory after trailing by 29 points in Game 4 that Anunoby capped with a hell-bent, unimpeded dash through the lane for a putback with 1.2 seconds left.
“It was a big emphasis in a lot of the series we had,” Castle said of being the more physical team. “For the most part, we would get a lot of stops, and the majority of the time that teams would score would be off of offensive rebounds and us not blocking out. Physicality plays a big role in that.”
For a reminder of how good the Spurs can be when they are the more physical, aggressive team for 48 minutes, all they need to do is watch video of Game 3 of the Finals. In cutting New York’s series lead to 2-1 with a 115-111 victory before a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd, the Spurs beat up Brunson, employed outstanding defensive connectivity that forced the Knicks to take difficult, late-clock shots, and enjoyed a 24-8 advantage in free throw attempts.
“They were really physical early,” New York’s Landry Shamet said afterward. “They played really fast. Got into the paint far too much for our liking. They were really aggressive.”
But the Spurs couldn’t sustain it.
“We had no business losing that series," second-year forward Carter Bryant said. “We were in control for the majority of the series. It happens. New York did the right things and they kept after it. That’s what good teams do. They keep going and they persevere.”
But having learned that valuable lesson from the Knicks, Spurs guard/forward Keldon Johnson expects the team to be even more physical this season, although he was quick to caution it has to be smart about it.
“Raising physicality, but also being in the right positions and being smarter,” the 2026 Sixth Man of the Year said. “Obviously, you want to be physical. But (it’s also) being smart with the physicality so we’re not in foul trouble, not committing dumb fouls, being in the right spots early.”
While’s it’s true the playoffs are much more intense and physical than the regular season, Kornet pointed out the Spurs always want to play that way whenever they suit up.
“We want to play with a lot of force, a lot of pacing, a lot of physicality,” he said. “It’s definitely the nature of the playoffs, but I also feel like just in the league in general, there’s a lot of emphasis on physicality (now in the regular season). It’s non-negotiable: (Playing) with that energy and that force on a nightly basis.”
The additions of 15-year-veteran forward Tobias Harris, who signed a two-year, $31 million deal in free agency, and first-round center Tarris Reed Jr., the 26th overall pick, should help the Spurs reach that goal.
“You don’t realize how big he is until you actually play against him or match up against him,” Fox said of the muscular 6-foot-8, 230-pound Harris.
Playing behind Wembanyama and Kornet, Reed, 23, likely won’t get many minutes. But the 6-11, 270-pound bruiser has already impressed with how active and determined he is down low.
“He’s rebounding the ball like crazy. He’s finishing,” Castle said of his fellow Connecticut alumnus.
After reaching the Finals ahead of schedule last season, the still-young Spurs know they will have a target on their backs.
“Coming in from the first day, people are expecting us to be good, so you’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” Fox said.
But having gone through the gauntlet of the 2026 postseason, they’re well-prepared to absorb it and give it right back.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer / San Antonio Express-News