原文出處： http://0rz.tw/4245F -- ORLANDO -- The old dog had a little bite left in him, but Lindsey Hunter still couldn't avoid the trappings of advancing basketball age. 奧蘭多訊 -- 即便是識途老馬，獵人也一樣無法避免漫長籃球生涯在其身上留下歲月 的痕跡。 It was a "three-bagger" for him Saturday. Three ice bags, that is -- one on each knee and another wrapped around his right ankle. 星期六對他來說是個"三壘安打"。三個冰袋，兩個分別放在雙膝，另外還有一個綁在 右腳踝側邊。 Even worse, he couldn't get up from his seat at his locker room cubicle. 更糟的是，他甚至沒辦法從球員休息室小隔間的椅子上爬起來。 "I'm as stiff as a board," he said with a wince, "but it's still worth it when you can show the young fellas around here that there's still some game underneath there." "我僵硬得像塊板子，"說話同時他笑得臉部肌肉都不斷抽搐，"不過能在年輕小夥子面 前展現老將的風範，推翻他們心中"廉頗老矣，尚能飯否？"的疑慮，無論再辛苦都值得。" It was there, hiding behind cobwebs and dust, waiting to finally see the light of that inevitable day when the aging warrior is called upon for that final battle. 沙場老將的真實本領平時藏身於蜘蛛網和塵埃之後，等待無可避免的那一天，只在被 征召進行最終決戰的那一刻才會施展出來。 Hunter was the personification of guts and guile in the Pistons' hard-fought 90-89 Game 4 victory against Orlando, a game they should have lost considering the talent they lacked with Chauncey Billups' absence. 在少掉槍蜥後大家都認為活塞沒有贏面的第四戰中，獵人挺身而出幻化成為勇氣毅力 與奸詐狡猾的真實化身，而活塞也在歷經48分鐘惡鬥後以90比89驚險勝出。 But that's when toughness assumes the stage. 是棄而不捨的硬漢精神讓活塞拿下這關鍵一勝。 Hunter couldn't remember the last time he played 26 minutes in a game. His aching body certainly didn't have any clear recollection. But there was the old man hitting the floor for a loose ball and getting tied up with Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, forcing a jump ball. And then Hunter discovered enough spring in those 37-year-old legs, winning the jump ball. 獵人已經記不得上一次他在一場比賽中上場26分鐘是何年何月的事了。他年邁的身體 一定沒有什麼清晰的記憶。但你可以看到一個老將奮不顧身為了一顆loose ball撲倒在地 ，和魔術控衛Jameer Nelson僵持不下並造成了跳球。而之後獵人更發現了用了他37年的雙 腿還很能跳，跳球跳贏了年輕小老弟Nelson。 He hit a couple of big three-pointers during the Pistons' second-half comeback from a 15-point deficit as well as providing constant defensive pressure. 在提供穩定防守壓力之餘，他在下半場活塞從落後15分劣勢瘋狂追分的過程中也投進 了兩顆大號三分。 "I felt like a 22-year-old," Hunter said. "OK, make that a 32-year-old." "我感覺自己好像是22歲的年輕小夥子，"獵人說。"好吧，就寫我說32歲好了。" Hunter has spent much of this season in a suit instead of suiting up, relegated to the role of unofficial assistant coach. He played sporadically, picking up a few garbage minutes here and there. 獵人本季大部分的時間都穿著西裝在場邊觀戰，基本上他已經被視為一個非正式的助 理教練。他上場時間不多而且很零碎，大部分都是負責消耗一些垃圾時間。 But he received regular text messages from president Joe Dumars, encouraging Hunter to stay mentally sharp because there are always unexpected playoff emergencies that demand the immediate contributions of a sage veteran's steady hand and cool head. 但獵人經常收到來自老喬的書面訊息，他要獵人保持隨時準備上場拼戰的積極心態， 因為季後賽總會有超出眾人預期之外的緊急狀況需要一名睿智的老將立即提供穩定的攻守 以及冷靜的頭腦。 That's why Hunter made the Pistons' 50th anniversary team. There's value that's not easily quantifiable, but you know it when you see it. 那就是獵人之所以名列活塞50週年明星隊的原因。那是無法輕易量化的價值，但在你 看到時，你就會明白其價值所在。 "I realize that I'm at the twilight of my career," Hunter said. "This is the end for me. But it's moments like these that you cherish because it still brings the kid out in you. It's still fun. It's why you don't walk away and not look back. You don't think about your age when you're competing. That's what makes it fun." "我明白我的職業生涯已經快要走到盡頭，"獵人說。"今年就是我的最後一年。但你會 珍惜像這樣的時刻，因為那仍能牽動住在你心中的那個小孩。那仍讓人感到有趣。那是你 捨不得一去不回頭的原因。在你認真拼鬥時你根本不會考慮到年紀的問題。那就是之所以 有趣之處。" Few gave the Pistons a reasonable shot against the Magic minus Billups for really the second straight game considering he badly strained his hamstring early in the Game 3 loss. 考量槍蜥於第三戰開始沒多久就嚴重扭傷右腿後肌而連續缺陣第二場的情況下，其實 沒有什麼人能為活塞投進合理而即時的投籃。 But sitting him was the right call. 不過讓他安心休息是正確的抉擇。 He wasn't ready physically or mentally. 不管在身體或心理上他都還沒準備好。 He now gets another three days of rest and treatment. And if the hamstring or Billups' level of comfort playing with a sore hamstring hasn't improved, then sit him again Tuesday night. 他現在又多了另外三天可以好好休息跟治療。而且如果腿後肌或槍蜥帶著酸痛的腿後 肌打球的情況仍未改善，那星期二再讓他休息一場吧。 The Pistons' preparation for their sixth straight Eastern Conference championship series began Saturday. Getting Billups as healthy as possible for the next round now becomes their biggest priority. 活塞準備在星期六面對他們連續第六度的東區冠軍賽。讓槍蜥在下一輪開戰前儘可能 恢復健康成了他們最優先的考量。 "Lindsey came in and was pretty much the savior," said Tayshaun Prince, who was truly the floor general in Billups' absence. "Experience meant a lot for us. With (Rodney) Stuckey, we kind of have to talk to him more about what we're going to do and things like that, especially with the atmosphere being so loud. With Lindsey, he knows what to do." "獵人適時補上根本就是扮演了救世主的角色，"槍蜥缺陣時場上的實質指揮官小王子 說。"經驗對我們來說意義非凡。對Rodney Stuckey來說，我們必須多跟他交代一下接下 來該怎麼做，要做些什麼之類的，特別是在季後賽這般吵雜的氣氛之下。但換作是獵人， 他完全不需要我們多說什麼。" Dwight Howard and the Magic complained that it wasn't receiving what it considered a fair whistle. But the officials didn't reward the Magic's lack of offensive aggressiveness. 魔獸等魔術成員抱怨裁判吹判不公，而裁判只是不喜歡魔術缺乏進攻積極度的表現罷 了。 When you live by the three-pointer, you ultimately die by it. 當你過分倚賴三分球討生活，你終需自食惡果。 The Magic missed a great opportunity at making this a series. The resignation on their faces afterward suggested a team that'll return to Orlando following Tuesday's Game 5 at the Palace simply to clear out their lockers. 魔術錯失了扳平系列賽的大好機會。賽後他們絕望的面孔已經顯露了他們將會在星期 二第五戰後清空宮殿球場的客隊球員休息室內雜物返回奧蘭多的未戰先敗之兆。 They're young. Their time is approaching. 他們還年輕。他們的大好時光才剛要開始。 But this was a day for those turning time back, if only for a brief moment. 就算只是短暫的一刻，但這仍是屬於堅守傳統籃球風格的活塞的一天。 --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 210.241.111.125 ※ 編輯: kerrys 來自: 118.232.69.131 (05/13 00:38)