五组不得不看的对抗赛
The Western Conference has been such a tight race this year, fromNovember through today; no one team has dominated the top spot in theconference.
从去年11月赛季开始至今，西部联盟竞争异常激烈，没有任何一支球队能够一直稳居榜首。
Phoenix, New Orleans, L.A. and San Antonio have all had their turnat the top of the uber-competitive slate, while Houston's 22-game winstreak has vaulted them to the top when they were counted completelyout in some minds just a few short weeks ago.
太阳、黄蜂、湖人和马刺都曾坐在西部第一的宝座上，但火箭的22连胜现在也将他们送上西部第一，要知道这在几周前对他们来说是想都不敢想的事。
Portland looked as if they had the momentum to make the Rockets stayhome for a while, and Denver is politely knocking at the door, butlacking the hunger to bust the thing down and get inside this EliteEight.
开拓者看起来似乎能够让火箭的步伐减缓一下，掘金也徘徊在季后赛门槛，但是他们都缺少对胜利的渴望，让他们足以位居西部前八。
Two weeks ago, nearly everyone had written off the Phoenix Suns …until their win over San Antonio eight days ago propelled them on afour-game (and counting) win streak and the Spurs have dropped fromfirst to sixth while we all took a short bathroom break.
两周前，几乎所有人都忘记了太阳……直到他们在8天前击败马刺，并取得4连胜，而马刺则由西部第一退到西部第六，时间快到似乎就发生在我们去洗手间的一刹那。
That is how tenuous and competitive this jockeying is; how vital every game, every bucket, and every turnover.
这告诉我们今年西部的竞争力和形势的微妙所在：每场比赛、每次进攻和每次失误都很关键。
Two things have remained consistent throughout, though.
但是，两件事情从头到尾都没有发生变化。
One is the fact that you can hardly put money on any given team onany given day. The other will be discussed after we look at fivepotential Western Conference match-ups that we would love to see:
一是你几乎不可能在任何一天把钱赌在任何一支球队身上，另外的事情在我们检阅一下我们希望看到的西部季后赛5轮交手时就会提到。
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Phoenix Suns - Golden St ate Warriors
太阳对阵勇士 4：3太阳胜出
Monta Ellis and Leandro Barbosa are the league's fastest ballhandlers and really defy you to blink while watching. While the Sunsmay have developed a reputation for 7 Seconds or Less in the pre-Shaqera, there have been many instances where Don Nelson's boys have abucket from end-to-end with 20-22 seconds remaining on the shot clock.
埃利斯和巴博萨都是联盟中处理球最快的人，都让你在观看比赛时不敢眨眼。虽然太阳在沙克到来前赖以成名的战术就是在7秒甚至更短的时间出手，但是你也知道老尼尔森的弟子们也可以从始至终在计时器还有20-22秒时就出手。
This is a series -- from a fan's perspective -- that you want to goseven games. If David Stern could script the games, this match-up wouldbe his Oscar winner.
这确实是一次精彩的系列赛——从球迷的眼光来看——如果你想看7场比赛的话。如果斯特恩能够导演这次比赛系列赛的话，这足以让他成为在奥斯卡评选中获奖。
Result: Phoenix 4, Golden State 3
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Dallas Mavericks - Utah Jazz
小牛对阵爵士 4：3小牛胜出
White men may not be able to jump, but this head-to-head wouldfeature two of the league's best big men who can shoot the lights outfrom 15-25' on any given spot-up.
白人也许不一定能跳，但是这组交手将是联盟中两个最优秀的大个子的对抗，要知道他们都可以在15-25英尺的任何地方出手。
Dirk Nowitzki and Mehmet Okur, assuming both are having good nights, would overshadow the Deron Williams - Jason Kidd duel.
假设说诺维茨基和奥库两个人都能发挥好的话，他们对抗的光芒将掩盖威廉姆斯和基德的对抗。
While Dallas is one of those teams that seems to be lumped into thepublic opinion that screams they made a wrong move in letting youth andsavvy (Devin Harris) go for age (Kidd), the jury is still out on thefinal impact Kidd can have.
小牛队是联盟中备受指责的球队之一，因为大家都认为他们将更年轻和有头脑的哈里斯放走，换来年迈的基德是错误的决定，但是最终还要看基德能给球队带来什么。
Dirk and Memo may light it up from the arc, drawing defenders out ofthe paint and opening the lanes, so the question at the end of the dayremains -- who would operate best, the athletic Williams or theexperienced Kidd?
诺维茨基和奥库都能在3分线出手，将防守者引出3秒区，留出突破的空间。所以问题是比赛最后，谁能做得更好，是更有活力的威廉姆斯，还是更有经验的基德？
Never dismiss the Carlos Boozer factor … or the impact Josh Howard has.
还有也不要忘记布泽尔的存在……当然还有霍华德的影响。
Result: Dallas 4, Utah 3
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New Orleans Hornets - Los Angeles Lakers
黄蜂对阵湖人 4：3湖人胜出
Two of the league's Most Valuable Players0yet-to-be-named as such gohead-to-head when the upstart Hornets face the experience of KobeBryant and Laker tradition.
当没有季后赛经验的黄蜂碰上科比和季后赛常客湖人时，这也是今年两名常规赛MVP候选人的直接面对面交手。
No one counted the Hornets in except Byron Scott, Chris Paul and theboys in-house in the Big Easy. This is a team on a mission, and theyhave not wavered a bit.
除了主教练斯科特、保罗和球队的那些小伙子们，没有人会期待黄蜂获胜。这是一支整装待命的球队，他们也不绝对不会退缩。
The same goes for Bryant's Lakers. Their mission was to sate Bryantenough that he would clamp down on the trade requests and remain loyalto the purple and gold.
湖人也是相同的情况。他们的任务是让科比放弃交易要求，仍然对紫金湖人保持忠诚。
The end result for both teams has been an impassioned, gritty,grind-it-out effort every game of the season … and the playoffs look tobe no exception, rather an elevation of that passion and determination.
两支球队的最终结果都是本赛季每场比赛都打得活力四射，竭尽全力。当然季后赛也不例外，而且将是激情和果敢的升级。
While this series would certainly go the distance if it lines up tooccur, you have to think that Phil Jackson still has another rabbit inhis hat and has a way to get to Ring No. 10 while Scott knows Lakertradition … and maybe how to get around it for the upset.
如果这一切都发生的话，这组系列赛将打很长时间，你也许会想杰克逊可能另有妙计获得他的第10枚总冠军戒指，而斯科特也很清楚湖人的传统……也许从一开始就会考虑这个问题。
Nevertheless, this ultimately comes down to Paul and Bryant, twovery viable MVP candidates when all is said and done. Moreover, if theLakers want their dynasty status to return, Paul may be the person theyultimately have to land if the Hornets ever slip up and allow him tobecome a free agent.
尽管如此，最终还要看保罗和科比这两名MVP候选人的对决。而且，如果湖人希望他们的王朝复兴的话，保罗（这里应该是加索尔）也许是他们最终要依靠的人，如果黄蜂一时疏忽，让他成为一个自由人的话。
Result: Los Angeles 4, New Orleans 3
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Houston Rockets - San Antonio Spurs
火箭对阵马刺 4：3马刺胜出
Any Texas battle is an entertainment experience, but the pride ofthe Lone Star State may be on the line when all is said and done at theend of the regular season. And with Houston's resurgence -- sans YaoMing -- one has to wonder if the Spurs' backs are not the ones on thewall.
任何德州内战都是一场大戏，但是在本赛季常规赛结束时，孤星州长期以来的荣耀——马刺队将会面临危险。随着火箭的复苏——在没有姚的情况下——你不得不去想马刺的后卫们是挂在墙上的那些人。
On the other side of the ball, the Rockets have jelled as a cohesiveunit under Coach of the Year candidate Rick Adelman. Most wrote Houstonoff as news emerged about Yao's season-ending stress fracture.
另外一方面，火箭在年度最佳教练候选人阿德尔曼的调教下阵容基本成型。很多人之所以认为火箭在季后赛中无所作为，是因为姚的意外受伤，彻底告别本赛季。
Not because of Adelman, but because of the mercurial, seesaw game ofTracy McGrady. Call him 'Cookie,' because he has historically crumbledunder pressure, but T-Mac has seemingly matured into the leader andunselfish player everyone had envisioned him being in Toronto andOrlando.
不是因为阿德尔曼，而是因为长期以来性格软弱、发挥不稳的麦迪。你可以叫他“新秀”，因为他一直生活在压力之中。但是麦迪似乎正成长为一名领袖和无私的球员，这和他当年为猛龙和魔术效力时给大家的印象不同。
Instead, he has been a pillar, even eliciting chatter of MVP. Yet,at 22 games, it still seems like you are looking over your shoulder,waiting for that bubble to burst. Waiting to be pinched back intoreality.
相反，他现在也在成为常规赛MVP争夺战中的一员。是的，22连胜，你现在还等待看他们连胜的泡沫什么时候能破灭。掐你一下，让你回到现实中来吧。
If anyone can do that, it is the Spurs, whose three-headed monsterof Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker is always lethal. Aging,but lethal at any given time. However, are four titles enoughexperience? Furthermore, do they have enough in the tank?
大家还得承认，马刺的三巨头还是一如既往地无敌。尽管年迈，剩勇仍在。但是，4次总冠军的经验足够么？此外，他们的弹药足够么？
Result: San Antonio 4, Houston 3
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Phoenix Suns - Los Angeles Lakers
太阳对阵湖人 4：3湖人胜出
The Suns have ousted the Lakers in the past two post-seasons.
太阳在过去两个赛季的季后赛中阻挡了湖人前进的步伐。
Kobe Bryant had had enough.
科比已经受够了这一切。
Tears welling in his eyes from the frustration, he made demands fromthe podium in Phoenix before the 2006-07 season had even begun todevelop rigor mortis.
失利后泪水不断流下，2006-07赛季还没有结束，科比还在凤凰城就要求球队做出调整。
A summer of calling out his teammates and the Lakers organization asa whole, the second-chance wooing and romancing of Bryant all summerlooked like a redux of any given soap opera script in Hollywood.
尽管整个夏天一直指责队友和球队管理层，但科比的要求似乎更象是为好莱坞的肥皂剧提供了台词。
Nevertheless, Bryant and the Lakers owned up to Laker tradition onceit came time to lace it up. Players like Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar,Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and a steadying force in legendary leaderDerek Fisher banded together (initially) to try and give Bryant areason to stay.
但是到需要站出来时，科比和湖人队还是继承了湖人的传统。沃顿、法玛尔、拜纳姆、奥多姆等球员的发挥，还有稳定发挥的传奇领袖费舍尔回归，所有这一切都让科比可以多待一个赛季。
Then the regular season began, with a 21-point thumping of the Sunsin their own crib, and the dialogue between Mike D'Antoni and PhilJackson began a rivalry not this heated since Raja Bell clothes linedBryant two years earlier.
常规赛开始，湖人以21分客场大胜太阳，德安东尼和杰克逊的对话揭开了两队新的对抗，科比和贝尔两年前就开始的对抗不再是主角。
Nothing says NBA Playoffs like a strong, respect-filled rivalry, and the Suns and Lakers have it.
没有人说NBA的季后赛就象一场激烈和充满敬意的竞赛，但是湖人和太阳的系列赛就是这样。
On Christmas Day, the Lakers would once again embarrass the Suns,this time on national TV. It put Amare Stoudemire on a mission that hehas not wavered from since, averaging insane numbers that -- in anyother year -- may have him in consideration for MVP or at least MostImproved.
在圣诞那天，湖人又一次遭遇太阳，这次是全国直播。这让斯塔德迈尔重新想起了以前的情形，那一年他的那些疯狂数字足以让他成为MVP或至少是有进步球员的侯选。
It also re-established that the Lakers and Laker tradition wereback … and Bryant was comfortable in remaining a Los Angeles Laker. 这场比赛也让湖人找回了以往的传统，而科比也对仍为湖人效力表示满意。
It was January 17th before the Suns got retribution for the twoearly season spankings, but L.A. won the season series a month laterwhen Shaquille O'Neal debuted like a colt with the wobbliest of legsagainst his old team.
1月17日太阳终于为两年前的胜利埋单，湖人在1个月后赢得了与太阳的系列赛，那场比赛中奥尼尔初次亮相，在面对老东家时的表现很象一个没有经验年轻人。
Both teams have improved since then, as O'Neal has gotten enoughlegs back to sprint down for a fast break bucket Saturday night and theHack-A-Shaq theory may dissipate with the free-throw rehabilitationprogram Assistant Coach Phil Weber is putting The Diesel through.
从那以后，两支球队都表现不错，奥尼尔的腿也足以让他在周六的比赛中打快攻，而他在助理教练韦伯训练下的罚球也会让砍鲨战术失效，大柴油机又将充满能量。
On the other hand, L.A.'s twin towers of Pau Gasol (let him be theoffensive guy) and Andrew Bynum (locking down the paint on 'D') shouldboth be healthy come May when these teams go toe-to-toe in the secondround … or even better, the Western Conference Finals.
而在另外一边，湖人的双塔加索尔（让他在进攻端发挥作用）和拜纳姆（让他在低位防守）都应该伤愈了，当两队在5月份在季后赛第2轮或是相遇，或是在更往后的西部决赛中碰面。
"Let's see them try that in the playoffs where we bust them everyyear," D'Antoni said of Jackson's alleged mind games on November 2nd.
“让我们看看他们在季后赛中，我们将如何痛扁他们。”德安东尼在回应杰克逊11月2日的言论时如是回应。
Hope he has some gravy to put on that, because the Lakers may make Mike D'Antoni eat those words.
希望他还能有心情记得这些，因为湖人的表现很有可能会让他低头认错。
Result: Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 3 That's right, the other consistentthing this season has been the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant.
对了，本赛季一直发挥稳定的是湖人和科比。
Bryant is the league's only viable MVP candidate, far above LeBronJames and the rest, simply because the Lakers have resurrectedthemselves with the same personnel in the locker room -- they were aNo. 1 team in the conference before acquiring Gasol.
科比是联盟唯一合格的MVP候选人，远比詹姆斯和其他人都要出色，仅仅因为湖人已经让他们在更衣室的人际关系变得融洽，在得到加索尔以前他们已经是西部第一。
This may be their year … and Phil Jackson's 10th piece of bling when all is said and done.
今年也许是湖人年……杰克逊有可能会拿到自己的第10枚戒指。
Many would say this is the pinnacle of a basketball purist'sentertainment package. These are two teams that have played two similarstyles of basketball over the past couple of seasons, with excitingresults and finishes.
很多人都说这只是一个篮球纯粹主义者的娱乐游戏的高潮。这两支球队在过去几个赛季里打出了类似风格的比赛，也带来了令人兴奋不已的结果和结局。 |
發表於 2008-3-21 04:36 PM
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