原文出處： http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/season_review_apr07.html -- Pistons nail down top seed, broom Orlando out of playoffs 季後賽活塞高速運轉，將奧蘭多魔術橫掃出局 Magic Time 神奇時刻 By Keith Langlois Editor’s note: Pistons.com looks back at the 2006-07 Detroit Pistons season with a month-by- month review, starting with training camp and concluding with the Eastern Conference finals, which the Pistons reached for the fifth consecutive season. Part VII: April. 編者註：Pistons.com（活塞官網）以每月評論來回顧底特律活塞2006-07球季，從訓練營 開始至東區決賽，這也是活塞第五次打入之東區決賽。第VII部份：四月。 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – April comes with its own special feel around The Palace since Joe Dumars accepted the keys to the franchise from William Davidson seven summers ago. College basketball’s Final Four opens the month, spring flowers are pushing their way through the Michigan soil, the days are getting longer – the playoffs are coming. AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - 自七個暑假前Joe Dumars從William Davidson手中接掌兵符以來 ，四月以其獨特感覺圍繞著宮殿而來。大學聯賽最後四強賽開啟了四月，春天花朵從密西 根州的土壤中綻放，花朵盛開的日子不知有多久，但此刻季後賽已經到來。 The Pistons pretty much knew as April dawned that they had once again nailed down the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago and Cleveland were still within striking distance, but with their rugged March schedule and the flu bug both behind them, the Pistons had both the inside track and a few steps on the competition. 如以往四月乍到般，高速運轉的活塞再度成為東區第一種子。芝加哥公牛與克利福蘭騎士 仍然保持明顯的差距，他們也因為三月嚴峻的賽程與後來的流行性感冒，使活塞順利進入 內圈，並與競爭對手保持些許差距。 They opened April before another national television audience against the defending champion Miami Heat, still without injured star Dwyane Wade but playing well enough in his absence to have allayed fears they would miss the playoffs altogether. 四月前全國電視觀眾不看好衛冕軍邁阿密熱火隊。其陣中球星Dwyane Wade仍然受傷，但 在其缺席下表現良好，一掃眾人懷疑熱火是否會再度錯過季後賽。 The Pistons sprung a half-court trap on Miami to seize control in the fourth quarter and went on to win five of their first six games in April to make it official – the No. 1 seed was theirs. 活塞對熱火設下半場陷阱來控制第四節，且連續獲得四月以來第六場中的第五勝，並成為 第一種子。 Now it was a matter of balancing rest for their key players with enough work to keep them sharp and digesting scouting material on the handful of teams that might still be their first-round opponent. 對活塞主力球員調整休息及工作量以保持朝氣與蒐集第一輪對手的資料是相當重要的。 It came down to the final night of the regular season until the Pistons knew they’d be playing Orlando, a young team that started the season 14-6, went into a mid-season tailspin but closed on a high. Beyond the obvious connections – Grant Hill’s free-agent flight to Orlando had, ironically, enabled the Pistons to add Ben Wallace as the first building block of the Dumars era, and Darko Milicic’s disappointing time as a Piston ended with him being shipped to the Magic a year earlier – there was one overriding reason to be concerned about the Magic: Young Dwight Howard was an imposing inside force. 直到季賽最後一晚，活塞確定他們的對手就是－奧蘭多魔術隊，一個年輕且季初拿下14勝 6負的球隊，季中有些混亂，最後仍迎頭趕上。早先與魔術的關係有：Grant Hill飛往奧 蘭多使活塞能夠以Ben Wallace的加入來建構Dumars時代的第一步。前一年將Darko Milicic送至魔術隊。毋庸置疑地，魔術隊唯一要擔心的就是年輕的內線球員Dwight Howard。 “That team is very dangerous,” said Chauncey Billups, who had briefly been a member of the Magic himself. “They have a lot of firepower. They’re young, they’re athletic, they’re hungry. It’s not hard at all to get up for this.” 曾經是魔術隊一員的槍西說”這支球隊是十分危險的”。”他們火力十足、年輕、活躍、 對勝利飢渴，要對付他們可不容易"。 The Pistons had been 4-0 against Orlando in the regular season, beating the Magic when they were 14-6 to start their slide and wrapping it up a week before the season ended with a 104-99 win at The Palace on a night they sent Howard to the free-throw line 16 times. 在季賽裡，活塞4:0橫掃魔術隊，並於魔術取得14勝6負時擊敗魔術，開始魔術下滑之路， 而在季賽結束前於宮殿以104:99擊敗魔術，那一晚他們將Howard送上罰球線16次。 The Pistons wasted little time establishing superiority over Orlando, jumping to a 28-16 lead after one quarter of Game 1 and keeping the Magic at arm’s length the rest of the way in a 100-92 win. 活塞對奧蘭多花費些許時間才佔到便宜，Game1在第一節後活塞才取得28比16的領先，且 將魔術玩弄於股掌之中，以100：92取得勝利。 Game 2 was Game 1 all over again – the Pistons hit them hard and fast, then toyed with Orlando for another eight-point win, 98-90 this time. Game2如同Game1的翻版，活塞痛擊奧蘭多，並取得另一場領先8分的勝利，這場比賽98： 90。 They were even better when the series headed South. The Pistons won Game 3 by 16 points, then closed out Orlando with magnificent offensive execution down the stretch in Game 4 when all five starters contributed big plays in a 97-93 win that gave the Pistons the sweep they coveted. Physical and emotional fatigue, they felt, had cost them in the previous two postseasons when they allowed lesser teams to needlessly extend series. 當這系列朝向南方前進時，活塞甚至有更佳的表現。Game 3活塞取得16分優勢的勝利，以 執行強大的防守策略來處理掉奧蘭多魔術，這一直持續到Game 4，活塞先發五虎精彩演出 ，以97：93取得勝利並橫掃魔術並取得活塞所要的勝利果實。再過去兩季裡，對於低種子 球隊系列的多餘比賽使他們感受到肉體及精神上的疲倦。 “The balance was great,” Tayshaun Prince said. “A different person stepped up at a certain time in the game. It was Rip and Chauncey early, then (Webber) got involved. Sheed got in foul trouble and (Antonio McDyess) was aggressive. (Carlos) Delfino and Flip Murray were huge coming off the bench in the second quarter. Different guys stepped up for us and our core players stepped up in the fourth quarter. That’s what a team is all about.” 小王子說”我們十分冷靜”。”每段時間都有不同的人跳出來，最早是Rip跟槍西，接著 是威爸。而Sheed陷入犯規麻煩時，McDyess變得更有侵略性。Delfino及Murray在第二節 從板凳中挺身而出。越來越多人加入我們，使得第四節的核心人物越來越多。我們就是這 樣的球隊” The Pistons knew they would need that type of effort and clutch play even more in the next round. They were hoping for a slugfest that would leave the survivor of the Chicago-Miami series leg weary for them. What they got was a young Bulls team – anchored by old friend Ben Wallace – that had stunned the NBA by loudly sweeping the defending NBA champions out of the playoffs. 活塞知道他們下一輪要更加努力並控制比賽。活塞期望芝加哥公牛及邁阿密熱火間的廝殺能 使出線者疲憊。但活塞碰上的是一支年輕的公牛隊，也就是由老戰友Ben Wallace領軍的公 牛，橫掃衛冕軍隊的公牛隊。 照片 The Pistons knew near the end of the regular season that they would be playing Dwight Howard and the Magic in the first round of the Playoffs. Allen Einstein (NBAE/Getty) 活塞在季賽末段知道他們將於季後賽第一輪碰上由Dwight Howard帶領的魔術隊。 --

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