2017-02-25

【Aiden in English】

        I have yet to witness a last-second game. Those games come down to the wire, where the game is in the balance of, not skill, but determination, desire to win, and a tiny bit of luck.

        This game was the second game in a row that I hadn’t hit a three. You can say when the weather gets warm, I grow cold. But I think I just am missing some of the previous confidence I had.

        I must say, this game was not really about me. In fact, I can safely say half the team had no points in the game. From the start, the opposing orange team was in the driver’s seat, and they were slamming down the gas pedal. At one point, they were up by at least ten in the first half. Funny thing is, most points came off of a cherry-picking player on our press. Usually, our press gave us an advantage due to the lack of skilled dribblers on the other team. When this game began, however, a person would always streak deep and sometimes by wide open. Other times, our traps would never be really set along the sidelines, and so the press essentially gave our opponents fast breaks on every possession. Of course, one of their star players also had to have probably his best game of the season. A bit of foreshadowing, his night would not end well.

        Admittedly, getting absolutely destroyed in a game is something I don’t experience much. However, the feeling was there in the first half. Yet we thought we could come back in the second half since the shot openings were mostly there.

        So that’s what we did. The comeback started in the third quarter when the press somewhat worked with their point guards resting. Our team pounded in the paint, which led to easy buckets. Steals off of the press got wide-open layups or jump shots, even if some were not falling. That was the main problem in the third quarter. Many of our shots were wide open, except that they did not go into the basket.

        Then things went south for the other team. I kind of feel bad, but it really isn’t anyone’s fault. The opposing team’s star point guard, who basically had sixteen of the 21 points in the first half, threw up over the half-court line. Funny enough, he smiled as he regurgitated his lunch on the court. Following a ten minute break of washing the court, he picked up his third foul. In our league, five fouls and you’re out. Our coach realized this, and as cruel as it sounds, told us to target him on lay-ups and fouls.

        The coach liked what we did in the third quarter, and so he basically banned all other shots than lay-ups and jumpers within the paint. Our point guard took over from there, making his way to the free-throw line over and over again. I’m not sure if our point guard was targeting the player or not, but with just over a minute left in the game, the orange star picked up his fifth foul and left the game.

        The score at this point was pretty much tied, and it really was anyone’s game. The only reason the game wasn’t secured by us was that we missed free throws in the fourth quarter. Out of the many times, a foul was called, we as a team probably shot around a solid fifty percent at the line. That sucks since we were playing a high powered and accurate three-point team. As time ticked down within the final minute, we gained possession of the ball on our side, and the coach called our final timeout. The gameplan was to take the lead with a two-pointer in the paint, and if we missed, we would run back and go for a steal or trap. At the time, we were down by a single point, so every second mattered for the rest of the game.

        The following possession was a load of baloney from the start to the shot, and obviously, we missed. The other team slowed the ball down. To be honest, I’m not really sure what happened afterward. Somehow, we pulled down a rebound or something, because the entire team came charging down the court. Not going to lie, these final minutes were carried by our point guard and a tall forward on our team. With the ball in their hands, I felt a lot better about the final possession. The ball found its way to the forward who spun and knocked down a jumper. The ball seemed to suspend in the air before falling into the net, and the audience quieted for a second. And then there was chaos. The oranges called a time-out, and so we talked about defending their offense. Holding onto a 1 point lead, we felt quite excited to witness what was about to happen.

        The ball was inbounded and taken up the court with no particular worry about time. The other team seemed content with taking the last shot of the game, which was fine with me. To be truthful, I’m not sure if my heart could handle much more of this type of nerve-racking action back and forth game. The ball swung around, and our coach desperately told us to press up the shooters. The last thing we wanted to be was a wide-open three from the top or corner because they made far too many in today’s game already.

        Time ran down to the final ten seconds. Holding our breath, the ball moved to the right side of the court, and then into the corner. The shooter picked up his dribble, which pretty much sealed the deal. Quickly, our defenders set a trap in the corner, and as time expired, he chucked up a shot and a prayer for a foul, but he got none.

        Today, we walked away with a one-point victory. It doesn’t feel good to only win by one, but sometimes, the desire to win is the deciding factor in a close game. This marks the second to last game of the regular season, and as humble as it was, we remain as the league’s elite teams.

【紅霞譯文】

        我從未親眼見過賽前一秒鐘定奪乾坤的球賽，終場進入倒計時階段，勝負輸贏往往取決於整體素質，球技固然重要，但鬥志、信念以及一點點運氣才是取得勝利的關鍵所在。

        這是我連續第二場比賽未投中一個三分球，你大可臧否天氣變暖而我投球變得不准，但我覺得自己只是失去了一些以往積累起來的信心。

        我首先聲明，這場球賽不是我自己的比賽，況且足有半數隊友在整場較量中一分沒得。比賽伊始，對手橘色球隊氣勢逼人，強力壓着我們打，上半場曾一度領先高達十分有餘，有趣的是他們很多得分均在我們防守緊逼之下靠長傳給後場專門守候球員投籃命中的。通常情況下我們緊逼防守都是很奏效的，因為對方球員的控球能力不行。然而比賽剛剛拉開序幕，一位球員直搗後場，勢必造成防守空當；有時我們包夾陷阱不能真正把對手逼至邊線，結果防守緊逼反倒促使對方一爭得球權和快速反擊的機會。當然，對方一名球員今天可能發揮出自己在本賽季最高水平，就此埋下伏筆，後面有他好果子吃。

        誠然，對於輸得慘不忍睹的比賽我本人也缺乏體驗，然而上半場滋味不怎麼好受，但是隊友們覺得可以在下半場逆轉，畢竟投籃機會還是一直有的。

        我們立刻付諸行動。第三節當對方控球後衛下場休息，我隊緊逼戰術取得了一定的成功，先是頻繁帶球闖入禁區輕鬆投籃，接着又靠緊逼防守斷球入網或跳投得分，哪怕誤打誤撞也在所不惜，不過命中率低是我們第三節的問題所在。第三節對方防守頻出漏洞，很多球我們都是在無人擋無人攔的情況下三步上籃或者跳射投中的，即便如此，有的球死活扔不進籃筐。

        至此對方每況愈下，我心裡有點遺憾，但這確實由不得任何人。對方後衛明星上半場一氣拿下21分中的16分，累得在半場線上哇哇嘔吐，滑稽的是他邊吐邊笑，乾脆把下肚的午餐倒個精光，十分鐘清場後，他第三次犯規。按照本屆聯賽規定，五次犯規者將被罰下球場。教練熟諳利害，要求我們盯死他，設法讓他帶球犯規，手段夠毒辣的。

        教練讚賞大家在第三節中的表現，言外之意，除了禁區投籃和跳投入網而外，其它打法一概禁止。我隊控球後衛自此控制了形勢，一次次的被判從罰球線投球。我不知道我隊後衛是否故意找對方的明星球員犯規，距離終場僅有一分鐘的時候，橘隊球星因五次犯規而被罰出比賽。

        此時雙方比分咬得很緊，誰都有望成為最後贏家，而我隊可能輸掉這場比賽的唯一原因就在於第四節罰球屢屢失手，眾多回合中裁判僅僅叫罰一次，我隊命中率徘徊在百分之五十上下，簡直糟糕透頂，畢竟對方是一支進攻性強況且又擅長投三分球的隊伍。隨着時針指向終場前一分鐘，我隊搶到發球權，這時教練叫了最後一次暫停，部署我們集結禁區專攻兩分球，一旦未果全力往回沖，加緊斷球包夾防守，當時我們仍落後一分，因此每一秒鐘都事關重大。

        接下來從場外發球一直到投籃打得亂七八糟，很明顯這次進攻沒有得分。講真格的，後面發生了什麼我都記不得了，不知我們是怎麼搶到籃板球的，只記得我們整個球隊在得球後沖向了對方的半場。不瞞你說，緊要關頭還得仰仗我隊控衛和大前鋒勇挑重任，球在他們手上，我對把持決勝性控球權放心多了。球被傳給前鋒，他迂迴帶球，躲過前來搶球的對手，球好像在空中盤旋片刻方才入網，觀眾席鴉雀無聲，沒過多久立刻沸騰起來，橘隊見狀叫停，我們及時討論對策嚴守對方進攻。此時我隊暫時領先一分，人人對即將分曉的結果滿懷期待。

        球在場上傳來傳去，絲毫不介意計時錶上顯示的讀秒數字，對方好像對自己最後一次投籃蠻有把握，我不置可否。坦率地說，我再也承受不住這種揪心揪肺的比賽。球繼續轉悠，教練拼命喊叫看住投籃，我們要避免造成空當，免得對方從葫蘆頂或三分球底線遠射成功，今天他們沒少從這兩個位置鑽空子。

        比賽還剩最後十秒了，大家緊張得大氣不喘，眼見球被傳至右半場然後進入底線，對方投籃手停止運球，千鈞一髮的時刻到了，說時遲那時快，我隊防守球員包抄阻攔，比賽哨音響起，而他已做好投籃動作正待我隊上前犯規，沒想到球竟然窩在自己手中，裁判也沒有吹犯規。

        今天我們以一分優勢獲勝。一分之差算不上什麼，但有時在勢均力敵的抗衡中求勝欲望是贏球的決定性因素。這是常規賽倒數第二場比賽，無需吹牛，我們算得上本賽季一支精英球隊。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2016: Academic Challenge(學術知識競賽)

2015: B-D Dinner @ Lai Lai Garden(來來花園生日晚餐)

2012: 生日聚會─溜冰(B-D Skating)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

2017 Twp Rec Basketball Game-8(2017年鄉村娛樂籃球隊第八場比賽)

2017 Twp Rec Basketball Game-5(2017年鄉村娛樂籃球隊第五場比賽)

2017 Twp Rec Basketball Game-3(2017年鄉村娛樂籃球第三場比賽)

2017 Twp Rec Basketball Game-2(2017年鄉村娛樂籃球隊第二場比賽)

2017 Twp Rec Basketball Game-1(2017年鄉村娛樂籃球隊第一場比賽)