here will be blood: Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat Preview
血色將至：印第安那溜馬 vs. 邁阿密熱火 賽前觀
原文網址：http://www.nbapremiumtv.com/news/heatpacerspreview
After blowing a 2-1 lead against the Miami Heat in last year’s playoffs,
David West, Roy Hibbert, Paul George, George Hill, and the rest of the
Indiana Pacers sat in their locker rooms at the Banker’s Life Fieldhouse
with their heads down, humbled in defeat.
“We’ll be ready for them next time,” said the leader West as he looked at
the long and disappointing faces of his teammates. But even after being
delivered a heavy blow in defeat, West said what we all knew - the Pacers
would be back for the Heat and when they did, they would be stronger than
ever. A year later and here we are again, as Indiana plans to unseat Miami
from the throne of the Eastern Conference.
去年季後賽溜馬與熱火在第二輪對戰，溜馬一度驕傲地以2-1領先熱火。但在此之後，
溜馬眾將只能在自家主場休息室，沮喪地迎接戰敗的事實。溜馬當家 West 面對他失望
的隊友說著。「下次會對他們作好準備的！」經過戰敗的沈重打擊，West 宣示：溜馬
會捲土重來面對熱火，而且變得比從前更強。一年後溜馬出現了，並且準備好在東冠
爭奪戰中，將熱火掃地出門！
For Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Udonis Haslem, this will mark the
fifth time in their ten-year careers that they will advance to the Eastern
Conference Finals. For the Miami Heat franchise, it’s their third visit
since the Big Three joined Pat Riley and company.
On the other hand, Indiana will be entering the last round of the Eastern
Conference playoffs for the first time in nine years – the last was when
Reggie Miller still was a part of the team. And although experience certainly
favors Miami in this affair, make no mistake that this young, rugged, and
hungry Pacers team will be the biggest obstacle to their championship
repeat bid.
對於Wade, LBJ, Haslem來說，已經是十年的職業生涯中第五次季後賽打入東冠了。
這同時也是熱火三巨頭與 Riley 的第三次。相對溜馬則是九年來的第一次，上次
可以追溯 Reggie Miller 還在隊上的時候了。雖然熱火在經驗上佔了上風，但這隻
年輕力壯又對勝利充滿渴望的溜馬隊，可說是熱火衛冕冠軍路上最大的障礙。
How they got here:
The Miami Heat made their way to their third straight Conference Finals
appearance by dispatching a lowly and below .500 Milwaukee Bucks team in
four games and then winning four straight matchups against the tough,
defensive-minded Bulls after bowing down in Game 1 of that series.
On the other hand, Indiana won a closer than anticipated series against
Atlanta in six games before demolishing the Knicks impressively in the
same amount of time.
There’s absolutely no question as to how much disdain and hatred both
teams have for each other. Although both fronts have showed the respect
and political courtesies that the other deserves. All the members of both t
he Heat and Pacers franchise have been waiting for another playoff
meeting since the end of last year’s series – especially Indiana.
季後賽程：
熱火在橫掃公鹿後，被鐵血防守的公牛扳倒一場，接著以四連勝的姿態第三度打入東
冠。溜馬比預期困難地以 4-2 打敗老鷹並且以 4-2 漂亮地擊敗尼克。在去年的季後
賽後，毋庸置疑地兩隊對彼此都懷抱極大的輕蔑與敵意，但同時又保持著對球隊
應有的風度與尊敬。一年以來，兩隊都對這場激戰盼望以久－尤其是溜馬。
How they matchup and key personalities in the series:
In their intense and bloody six-game series last May, the Indiana Pacers
pushed Miami to their limits before their inexperience and the genius
of James and Wade torched them during Games 4-6. Thanks to the absence
of Chris Bosh because of an injury during the series, Indiana punked
Miami early as they won two of the first three games, which included
a horrible shooting night from Wade in Game 3 that also saw him get
into a heated argument with Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. But before
Indiana could complete the upset over the would-be NBA champions, #6
and #3 for the Heat put on a show in the remainder of the series wherein
they absolutely dominated and toyed with the Pacers’ defense.
系列戰關鍵人物：
回顧去年五月緊張熱血的對戰，起先少不更事的溜馬隊被 LBJ 和 Wade 的天才光芒
所掩蓋。由於 Bosh 在系列賽中因傷而缺賽，而讓溜馬在前三場取得2-1的優勢，其
中更包括了在 Game3 中 Wade 糟糕的命中率表現，讓他與教練 Spo 落人口實。
（譯註：該場溜馬94-75，Wade投13中2，命中15.3%）然而系列賽之後幾場，LBJ 和
Wade 雙巨頭大顯神威，完全將溜馬的防守玩弄於股掌之間。溜馬隊也只能望著可能
到手的冠軍興嘆。
"There's four teams left playing basketball in the NBA and this is something
we've been looking forward to all year. We lost to this team in the second
round last year, so we've already gotten a step farther this season,”
stated West as he looks forward to their upcoming battle, which starts
tomorrow at 8:30AM on BTV and NBA Premium TV.
However, for Indiana to complete the upset and finish the mission this time
around, they will have to do it with two major factors in play - the absence
of Danny Granger from the line-up and the presence of Chris Bosh for the
Heat. Granger has missed nearly all of his team’s games this season due to
an injured knee. However, his absence has been a blessing in disguise as
former Lincoln High School Protégée Lance Stephenson has done a marvell-
ous job in his absence.
季後賽發展至今，「全聯盟只剩下四個球隊在季後賽球場上。這正是我們期盼一整年
的時刻。我們去年第二輪就輸給了熱火，今年我們已經邁進了一步。」West期待著即將
來的血戰。現在對溜馬隊來說，已經不是回首過往的時刻。今年的對戰有兩大不同：
Danny Granger 的缺席與健康的Chris Bosh歸隊。 Granger 因為膝傷幾乎錯過了整季
的比賽，他的缺席卻讓來自林肯高中的 Lance Stephenson 代替他的位置大放異彩。
As a matter of fact, New York Knicks fans at home can thank Stephenson
for sending their squad earlier than expected after Lance burned them
for 25 points in the deciding Game 6 including a game-changing three-point
play in the final minute. Despite the fact that they will miss the ability
of Granger to score in this series, his replacement will do a fine job of
providing scoring, rebounding, hustle, and defense – especially on Wade.
Stephenson 在溜馬與尼克的G6對戰中大爆發，繳出25分10籃板的成績，其中包括一個
關鍵倒數時刻逆轉局面的三分球，在尼克主場球迷面前，提早將尼克掃地出門。溜馬
失去了Granger的得分能力，取代他的卻是 Stephenson 在得分、籃板、爭球、防守上
的全面身手可以發揮：尤其是在與 Wade 的對位上。
Another main reason why Indiana dominated New York in their battle was
because of the presence of former Georgetown center Roy Hibbert. Hibbert
obliterated Tyson Chandler on the boards, on defense, and on offense as
the Knicks center was left helpless against his smothering play. But if
Hibbert wants to lead his Pacers to their first finals appearance since
2000, he will have to bring his game to a higher level as Chris Bosh has
the potential to make his life miserable.
Bosh’s ability to spread the floor and hit jumpers from mid-range will
draw the Pacers big man out of the paint, thus opening lanes for Wade
and James to attack. To stop this, Coach Frank Vogel will have to
develop different schemes and plays that will limit the efficiency of
Miami’s explosive offense.
"I think this will be about substance," Vogel insisted. He also said
that “this series has plenty to offer without hard fouls and
trash-talking.” That this is “going to be about basketball.”
另外一個擊敗尼克的關鍵人物是來自於喬治城大學的中鋒 Roy Hibbert。他在進攻
防守與籃板等諸多方面限制了尼克的 Tyson Chandler，讓 Tyson 在窒息式防守中
孤立無援。但若要帶領溜馬自2000年後首度闖進冠軍賽，他就必須提昇自己將比賽
帶到更高的層級 － 因為 Chris Bosh 的存在，可能會讓他表現相當慘澹。
Bosh 的分球以及中距離的投射能力可以吸引溜馬的大個兒離開禁區，而為 Wade
和LBJ清出空間來進攻籃框。溜馬教頭 Frank Vogel 必須發展不同的戰術來限制
熱火爆發性的進攻效率。
「這個系列戰不需要骯髒的犯規與垃圾話口水戰。我想，讓我們回到籃球原點吧！」
Vogel如是說。
The series between these two heated rivals will also be decided by the
duel between James and George. Outside the court, both men have been
revealed to be good friends, as James has helped George in his development
over the past three years. Nevertheless, both All-Stars know that once
Thursday morning arrives, it’s all about business.
"It's been go time," LeBron declared. "Since the playoffs started,
it's been go time. And I love the way we've been playing so far."
這場系列戰除了是兩個熱血激昂的世仇球隊爭奪東冠以外，同時也是 James 和
George的決鬥。球場外這兩人是非常要好的朋友，James 在 George 這三年的
發展中幫助不少。然而這兩個全明星球員心知肚明－ 一旦比賽開打，便正事歸
正事。
Lebron說：「關鍵時刻已經來了，從季後賽開打時，就是關鍵時刻。我很滿意
我們目前的表現！」
George added to James ‘sentiment by saying that Indiana is expecting
not only to challenge the Heat, but also get past their adversary en
route to an NBA Finals appearance. “Obviously, we remember what happened
last year and it will be on our mind when we face this team. We're not
just happy to get to this stage, we want to get past this one, too."
George 相對 James 的感性更期盼比賽發展，George 表示溜馬絕不只是要挑戰熱火
，而是要擊敗對手進軍總冠軍賽。「我們當然還記得去年的教訓，面對熱火這樣的
隊伍我們會更加注意，但我們並不滿足於東冠這個舞台，我們要的是總冠軍！」
Despite all the key matchups of individuals between both teams, the Eastern
Conference Champion will be determined by two major factors - bench production
and Wade’s health. During the first season of the Big three era in 2011,
it was obvious that Miami’s main weakness was their lack of bench production.
As the years followed, Heat owner Micky Arison and executive Pat Riley did
a terrific job of assembling a supporting cast that has been nothing short
of spectacular for the defending champions in the playoffs so far.
Important players such as Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Norris Cole, and
Chris Andersen will have to provide their usual scoring and defensive
prowess that can dictate the pace of this series.
雖然在賽中的每一個對位都相當重要，但東區冠軍還是決定於兩個因素：板凳深度
與 Wade 的傷勢。在三巨頭時代的第一年，熱火隊最明顯的弱點就是缺乏板凳的輸出
。這些年來熱火隊的金主 Micky Arison 和總裁 Pat Riley 成功地尋求奧援，把
熱火打造成一支強大而毫無弱點的勁旅。關鍵球員如 Ray Allen, Shane Battier,
Norris Cole 以及 Chris Andersen 都會以他們一直以來的得分能力與防守本領支
援球隊，一切都為了熱火衛冕總冠軍而鋪路。
For Indiana, they will need contributors such as DJ Augustin, Tyler
Hansbrough, and others to bring their A-game if they have any admirations
of making a trip to the NBA Finals. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra knows that
the talent and production of his bench is superior to that of Indiana’s
and he will surely exploit this advantage.
對於溜馬來說，他們更加需要候補球員為球隊做出貢獻。譬如 DJ Augustin,
Tyler Hansbrough 等球員能有水準以上的表現，才能將他們變成一支前進總冠軍
的一流隊伍。熱火教練 Spo 深知自己的隊伍候補球員的能力勝過溜馬，絕不會放
過利用這樣的板凳優勢。
The balance of this war will also be predicated on how healthy and
effective Wade will be. The former Marquette star had some horrible
performances against Chicago – except the closing game – and knows
that he has to do better against Indiana especially with the likes of
Stephenson and George manning him. If Wade plays up to his usual
standards and looks like the old Flash that won the hearts of Miami
fans before, then the Heat will definitely make their third straight
NBA Finals appearance. However, if Wade does not show up, Indiana
may shock the world.
這場戰事的均衡與否將會取決於Wade因傷能否正常發揮而定，他在前一輪對戰
公牛的時候有差勁的表現，但在最後一場狀況回穩。Wade知道他必須在溜馬隊
Stephenson或是 George 的防守對位上表現得更出色才行。若Wade能夠表現得
如同當初贏得邁阿密球迷的心的往常那個閃耀球星的話，熱火將會勢如破竹的
連三度闖進NBA總冠軍賽。但若是 Wade 無法上場，就如同給了溜馬一個機會：
擊敗熱火，震驚全世界。
Prediction:
Despite the addition of a healthy Bosh this time around, Indiana is
a better team compared to last year and their roster is structurally
made to get past the Heat. The Pacers will also enter the Conference
finals with a world full of confidence considering that they trashed
Miami in two out of three games during the regular season.
However, the Heat’s ability to explode on offense and their championship
-level defense will force Indiana into a lot of turnovers that will play
to their advantage. The Heat also have a deeper bench, which is necessary
and important in a series that will be as physical and closely fought as
this one. And when all else fails, the reigning champions still have
LeBron to lead them like he did last postseason.
賽前預測：
雖然熱火隊與去年相比多了一個健康的Bosh，但溜馬也非昔日的吳下阿蒙，
他們更為擊敗熱火設計的專屬的陣容。更由於他們在球季中對熱火取得2-1的戰績
，他們將自信滿滿的迎接與熱火這一戰。
但熱火爆發性的得分能力與冠軍等級的頂尖防守，卻可以造成溜馬隊更多的失誤。
而在準冠軍賽如此激烈的身體碰撞與比賽強度，熱火隊板凳深度的優勢也能更為凸
顯。就算這些都不奏效，熱火這支衛冕冠軍還有最終王牌Lebron來當救世主。
Heat in 6
預測：熱火以4-2晉級。