Dwightmare on Polk Street
魔兽噩梦在Polk街（火箭主场）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.
那到底是什么鬼比赛？本应该是一场势不两立的比赛，由联盟去年最佳自由球员带
领联盟中最快速崛起的球队打败他那战力空虚的前东家，结果变成休士顿的噩梦。
这比赛或许曝露出火箭难看的一面，也就是球队取得胜利的能力出现隐忧。
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?”
这比赛本应是Dwight Howard展现给湖人队看他到底多爱这支新球队，而且他在火箭
队的未来比留在湖人队会好多少。就在球赛开打前，我看到一位火箭球迷拼命的想
让镜头注意到他，手上拿着手工的嘲讽标语写着：“嘿！洛杉矶，想念他没？”
What an interesting question that has become …
这还真变成个有趣的问题啊…
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并未带有那种会激起尴尬又吸引人注目的“战老东家比赛”的个人强烈情绪
，没有像当时Kevin Garnett和灰狼比赛的感觉。此外，Kobe Bryant也没有在场馆
内，而他只要露脸便能让火箭主场精力充沛。同时，比赛的气氛一片沉闷。在球赛
开始时，这场比赛感觉就像11月NBA的某场普通比赛般。
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:
而看起来就是场普通比赛。整体来说，战术执行非常草率，但没有什么比火箭队那
令人抱歉的外围防守还要更漫不经心。队上有些后卫看起来昏了，而另外一些看起
来能力不够，但没有人的防守比James Harden守的还要糟。令人感到同情的是这刺
激到伟大的Haralabos Voulgaris，让他在推特上写到：
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的防守是让他守的人过他并试着把球抄掉。好赞腻～
Haralabos Voulgaris @haralabob
I’m not sure the HOU defenders know the left side of the 3 point line
even exists.
我不太确定火箭队防守者是否知道左侧三分线的存在。
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.
火箭队防守烂到某个时间点我甚至怀疑他们是否认为扑向三分射手是“非法防守”
。在上半场结束时，湖人队得到64分，即使他们两分球命中率只有34投13中，只出
手六个罚球。火箭队在三分线内的防守相当好，但三分线外就糟透了。在前24分钟
里，湖人队疯狂砍进14颗三分出手中的11颗。不要误解我说的话，他们的射手的确
热得发烫，但他们得到的出手机会都是大空档，即使摆在NBA球季刚开始的强度来
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.
火箭队在第三节重新振作并开启一个强韧的逆转秀。他们防守增强，让湖人队只得
到17分。Howard整晚防守都很优异，死守Pau Gasol让他再次投那些糟糕的18呎跳
投，而这些跳投正是除了Mike D’Antoni外每个洛杉矶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.
虽然火箭仍然落后几分，状况却很乐观，而且你能感觉到这支更好的球队正要证明
自己和接管比赛。Harden手感火热并提醒大家他可以表现多好。在比赛剩四分钟时
，比赛是91平，但气势完全在火箭队这边。Chandler Parsons用一个惊天灌篮帮助
火箭队领先两分，球迷可嗨翻了。这灌篮就是那种在普通的11月NBA比赛中，让实
力较差的客队一泻千里的入球。
But that’s when shit got weird.
但此时猪羊变色。
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.
这是骇兽时刻，诡异又残忍的的战术把我们热爱的比赛美感和流畅感变成令人厌恶
的罚球大赛。这个战术的核心概念是借由故意送一位不擅长罚球的人上罚球线，来
延长比赛时间并减少对手球权的价值。这个战术并不常奏效，所以我们不会太常看
到它出现。但在这个180度大转弯的夜晚，上季D’Antoni看对手利用这个战术对付
他整个赛季，此时决定这是他报复的好时机。
He was about to introduce Rockets fans to one of Howard’s biggest flaws,
stealing the game in the process.
他正准备要让火箭球迷认识Howard最大的缺陷之一，并在这过程中把胜利偷走。
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的第四节12罚投丢7球，让湖人队在突然失去投篮能力时依然保有取胜可能。
在三分球投15中12后，湖人队便18球投丢16球。但他们第35球三分出手便是这晚最
具代表性的时刻。Steve Blake在左侧远处砍进他生涯中最重要的一球之一，而他以
前便投进过一些，此时Howard拼命但效果不彰的往Blake方向扑去。当球进框的瞬间
，火箭队面临几个严肃的事实。
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.
事实1：火箭队外围防守很烂，而且这将会让他们输掉比赛。Harden并没有在攻守
两端出一样的力。他是位优异的运动员和聪明的球员，但他想认真防守的意志是
个大问号。
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.
事实2：Howard持续罚球手软将会是每个他所属球队的不安要素。这是他球季中最
大的洞，并将会困扰他整个生涯如果他无法进步的话。
Reality 3: The Lakers had just beaten the Rockets in Houston without Kobe.
事实3：湖人队只是在没Kobe出场时，在火箭主场打赢火箭队。
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.
火箭球迷见过无数的输赢，但他们可能没看过这种输法。开头是糟糕的防守，而结
尾是少见的逆转模式，而这个不可能任务是由于他们的超级球星罚球手软。这些都
是问题所在。几周前，找到人预测火箭队这季将成功是简单的事。而现在成功的球
季依然有机会出现，但除非球队有一些重大改变，否则成功不会到来。
原文网址－
http://tinyurl.com/ka2ndlb
心得：
球季还长，或许还要再多观察几场
有些东西还是要等样本多一点才能进一步分析
但是未来的比赛都打得像开季一样...那火箭只有令人失望
去年已经有前车之鉴，雷声大雨点小会多么惨
今年...就不要主角还一样
每个球队都会遇到困境
只要团结都有办法度过
希望火箭能打出应有的内容