Dwightmare on Polk Street
魔獸噩夢在Polk街（火箭主場）上演
What the hell was that? What was supposed to be a grudge match featuring
the league’s highest profile free agent leading the league’s most
rapidly ascendant team to a victory over his depleted former team turned
out to be a nightmare in Houston. It was an ugly exposé of what might
be gaping holes in the Rockets' ability to win basketball games.
那到底是什麼鬼比賽？本應該是一場勢不兩立的比賽，由聯盟去年最佳自由球員帶
領聯盟中最快速崛起的球隊打敗他那戰力空虛的前東家，結果變成休士頓的噩夢。
這比賽或許曝露出火箭難看的一面，也就是球隊取得勝利的能力出現隱憂。
This was supposed to be the game when Dwight Howard would demonstrate to
the Lakers just how much he loves his new team, and how much brighter
his future is in Houston than it would have been in Los Angeles. Just
before tipoff I saw one Houston fan desperately trying to get the
camera’s attention with a teasing hand-drawn sign that read, “HEY, L.A.
— MISS HIM YET?”
這比賽本應是Dwight Howard展現給湖人隊看他到底多愛這支新球隊，而且他在火箭
隊的未來比留在湖人隊會好多少。就在球賽開打前，我看到一位火箭球迷拼命的想
讓鏡頭注意到他，手上拿著手工的嘲諷標語寫著：「嘿！洛杉磯，想念他沒？」
What an interesting question that has become …
這還真變成個有趣的問題啊…
Howard does not possess the kind of personal intensity that fuels those
awkwardly fascinating “reunion” games in the same way that guys like
Kevin Garnett do. In addition, Kobe Bryant — whose mere presence could
have energized the entire Toyota Center for days — was not in the gym,
and the atmosphere around the game was utterly blasé. At tipoff it
really did feel like an ordinary November NBA game.
Howard並未帶有那種會激起尷尬又吸引人注目的「戰老東家比賽」的個人強烈情緒
，沒有像當時Kevin Garnett和灰狼比賽的感覺。此外，Kobe Bryant也沒有在場館
內，而他只要露臉便能讓火箭主場精力充沛。同時，比賽的氣氛一片沉悶。在球賽
開始時，這場比賽感覺就像11月NBA的某場普通比賽般。
It looked like one too. As a whole, the play was extremely sloppy, but
nothing was as careless as Houston’s sorry excuse for perimeter defense.
Some of its guards looked lost, and others looked incapable, but
nobody’s defense looked as bad as James Harden’s. It was pitiful,
prompting the great Haralabos Voulgaris to tweet the following:
而看起來就是場普通比賽。整體來說，戰術執行非常草率，但沒有什麼比火箭隊那
令人抱歉的外圍防守還要更漫不經心。隊上有些後衛看起來昏了，而另外一些看起
來能力不夠，但沒有人的防守比James Harden守的還要糟。令人感到同情的是這刺
激到偉大的Haralabos Voulgaris，讓他在推特上寫到：
Haralabos Voulgaris @haralabob
James Harden has resorted to just letting his man get past him and trying
to poke the ball loose. Ole style.
James Harden的防守是讓他守的人過他並試著把球抄掉。好讚膩～
Haralabos Voulgaris @haralabob
I’m not sure the HOU defenders know the left side of the 3 point line
even exists.
我不太確定火箭隊防守者是否知道左側三分線的存在。
Houston's defense was so bad that at one point I wondered whether it
thought closing out on 3-point shooters might be considered "illegal
defense." By the end of the first half the Lakers had 64 points, despite
only converting 13 of 34 2-point attempts and taking only six free
throws. Houston’s defense was playing well when inside the arc, but it
was plain dreadful beyond it. In the first 24 minutes, the Lakers made
an insane 11 of 14 3s. Don’t get me wrong, their shooters were hot, but
the kinds of looks they were getting were very juicy, even by early-
season NBA standards.
火箭隊防守爛到某個時間點我甚至懷疑他們是否認為撲向三分射手是「非法防守」
。在上半場結束時，湖人隊得到64分，即使他們兩分球命中率只有34投13中，只出
手六個罰球。火箭隊在三分線內的防守相當好，但三分線外就糟透了。在前24分鐘
裡，湖人隊瘋狂砍進14顆三分出手中的11顆。不要誤解我說的話，他們的射手的確
熱得發燙，但他們得到的出手機會都是大空檔，即使擺在NBA球季剛開始的強度來
看。
The Rockets regrouped in the third quarter and launched a strong
comeback. They played better defense, holding Los Angeles to just 17
points. Howard had played great defense all night, stymieing Pau Gasol,
who was once again settling for those atrocious 18-foot jumpers that
everyone in Los Angeles not named Mike D’Antoni wants him to stop
taking.
火箭隊在第三節重新振作並開啟一個強韌的逆轉秀。他們防守增強，讓湖人隊只得
到17分。Howard整晚防守都很優異，死守Pau Gasol讓他再次投那些糟糕的18呎跳
投，而這些跳投正是除了Mike D’Antoni外每個洛杉磯人都希望他不要再出手的位
置。
Although the Rockets still trailed by a few points, the mood was very
optimistic and you could sense that the better team was about to assert
itself and take over the game. Harden went on a tear and reminded
everyone how good he can be. With four minutes remaining the game was
tied at 91, but the momentum (that’s right, Barnwell) belonged entirely
to Houston. Chandler Parsons scored on a huge dunk to put the Rockets up
by two; the crowd went bonkers. It was the exact kind of basket that
permanently deflates an overmatched road team in a normal November NBA
game.
雖然火箭仍然落後幾分，狀況卻很樂觀，而且你能感覺到這支更好的球隊正要證明
自己和接管比賽。Harden手感火熱並提醒大家他可以表現多好。在比賽剩四分鐘時
，比賽是91平，但氣勢完全在火箭隊這邊。Chandler Parsons用一個驚天灌籃幫助
火箭隊領先兩分，球迷可嗨翻了。這灌籃就是那種在普通的11月NBA比賽中，讓實
力較差的客隊一瀉千里的進球。
But that’s when shit got weird.
但此時豬羊變色。
It was time for hack-a-Dwight, that bizarre and ruthless tactic that
reduces the beautiful, fluid game we all love to a god-awful free throw
contest. The idea is to lengthen the game and reduce the value of your
opponents’ possessions by fouling a man who can’t shoot free throws
very well. This technique rarely works, so we don’t have to watch it
too often. But in the ultimate twist of the evening, D’Antoni, who’d
watched teams employ it against him all last season, decided it was his
turn for revenge.
這是駭獸時刻，詭異又殘忍的的戰術把我們熱愛的比賽美感和流暢感變成令人厭惡
的罰球大賽。這個戰術的核心概念是藉由故意送一位不擅長罰球的人上罰球線，來
延長比賽時間並減少對手球權的價值。這個戰術並不常奏效，所以我們不會太常看
到它出現。但在這個180度大轉彎的夜晚，上季D’Antoni看對手利用這個戰術對付
他整個賽季，此時決定這是他報復的好時機。
He was about to introduce Rockets fans to one of Howard’s biggest flaws,
stealing the game in the process.
他正準備要讓火箭球迷認識Howard最大的缺陷之一，並在這過程中把勝利偷走。
Howard missed seven of his 12 fourth-quarter free throws, letting the
Lakers stay in the game despite their sudden inability to make shots.
After making 12 of their first 15 3s, the Lakers missed 16 of their next
18. But their 35th 3-point attempt of the night would provide the
night’s most iconic moment. Steve Blake drained one of the biggest shots
of his career — and he has had some big ones — from deep along the left
wing as Howard frantically and fruitlessly lunged in his direction. As
the ball went through the net, a few sobering realities fell upon Houston.
Howard的第四節12罰投丟7球，讓湖人隊在突然失去投籃能力時依然保有取勝可能。
在三分球投15中12後，湖人隊便18球投丟16球。但他們第35球三分出手便是這晚最
具代表性的時刻。Steve Blake在左側遠處砍進他生涯中最重要的一球之一，而他以
前便投進過一些，此時Howard拼命但效果不彰的往Blake方向撲去。當球進框的瞬間
，火箭隊面臨幾個嚴肅的事實。
http://i.minus.com/ibl4xk4XeN3Pob.gif
Reality 1: The Rockets play bad perimeter defense, and that will cost
them games. Harden does not bring the same energy to both sides of the
floor. He’s a great athlete and a heady player, but it’s his will to
burn calories playing defense that is highly questionable.
事實1：火箭隊外圍防守很爛，而且這將會讓他們輸掉比賽。Harden並沒有在攻守
兩端出一樣的力。他是位優異的運動員和聰明的球員，但他想認真防守的意志是
個大問號。
Reality 2: Howard’s continued inability to make free throws will be a
liability for whatever team he plays for. It’s the biggest hole in his
game and will haunt his entire career if he can’t improve it.
事實2：Howard持續罰球手軟將會是每個他所屬球隊的不安要素。這是他球季中最
大的洞，並將會困擾他整個生涯如果他無法進步的話。
Reality 3: The Lakers had just beaten the Rockets in Houston without Kobe.
事實3：湖人隊只是在沒Kobe出場時，在火箭主場打贏火箭隊。
Rockets fans have seen a lot of wins and losses, but perhaps they had
never seen a loss quite like this. It began with an abysmal defensive
performance and ended with an unlikely comeback made possible in part
by their new superstar’s inability to make free throws. These are
problems. A few weeks ago it was easy to find people predicting great
things for the Rockets franchise, and those things still might come,
but they won’t come without some big adjustments.
火箭球迷見過無數的輸贏，但他們可能沒看過這種輸法。開頭是糟糕的防守，而結
尾是少見的逆轉模式，而這個不可能任務是由於他們的超級球星罰球手軟。這些都
是問題所在。幾周前，找到人預測火箭隊這季將成功是簡單的事。而現在成功的球
季依然有機會出現，但除非球隊有一些重大改變，否則成功不會到來。
原文網址－
http://tinyurl.com/ka2ndlb
心得：
球季還長，或許還要再多觀察幾場
有些東西還是要等樣本多一點才能進一步分析
但是未來的比賽都打得像開季一樣...那火箭只有令人失望
去年已經有前車之鑑，雷聲大雨點小會多麼慘
今年...就不要主角還一樣
每個球隊都會遇到困境
只要團結都有辦法度過
希望火箭能打出應有的內容