[外絮] 25年前的今天-Reggie Miller8.9秒得8分

25年前的今天 Reggie Miller在麥迪遜花園廣場完成了8.9秒得8分的壯舉

以下翻譯一篇外電文章 重新感受一下當時的情景

https://reurl.cc/Njbpx5

Inside Madison Square Garden when Reggie Miller's 8 points in 8.9 seconds
echoed round the world

Donnie Walsh was fuming, he wanted to throw a punch or something. His
eyebrows furrowed, his cigarettes calling him, he stormed out of Madison
Square Garden and slid into a side locker room.

Donnie Walsh眉毛緊皺 氣到想要揮拳 他衝出了麥迪遜花園廣場 躲進了一間更衣室

"I've had it with these guys. I'm mad at them. They didn't play well today,"
Walsh, then the Indiana Pacers president, remembers saying to himself. "I'm
in the dressing room smoking a cigarette, pissed off."

這位當時的溜馬總裁 記得他當時對自己說:

"我受夠這些令人生氣的傢伙了 他們今天打得有夠爛

我在更衣室裡抽菸 氣到不行"

Someone knocks on the door. Walsh doesn't answer. The pounding gets louder.
Walsh inhales the nicotine, exhales and still he feels enraged. He hears
Pacers director of player personnel Mel Daniels through the door: "Donnie,
you're not going to believe this."

這時有人敲了門 Walsh不想理會 抽菸並沒有讓他平靜下來 他還是很生氣

但敲門聲愈來愈大 他聽到Mel Daniels在門外說:"Donnie 你絕對不會相信這件事"

"Mel, I'm not in the mood tonight. I don't need it, Mel," Walsh answered. He
didn't want to talk. He wanted to stew.

Walsh說:"Mel我今晚沒有心情鳥你" 他根本不想說話 只想生悶氣

The Pacers had led the first game of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals
by 9 points near the end of the third quarter. But with 18.7 seconds left to
play, they had squandered the lead, the team's offense at a standstill, the
Pacers down 105-99.

1995年東區準決賽第一場比賽 溜馬隊在第三節結束前還領先九分

但終場前18.7秒 因為第四節的進攻停滯 他們已經把之前領先的分數搞砸

比數是105-99 溜馬落後六分

That's when Walsh made his decision. He was done with the game. It was time
to smoke.

就在這時Walsh做了決定 他受夠這場比賽了 現在最好就是抽根菸

At the door of the dressing room, Daniels ignored Walsh's rejection. He
barged in. "Donnie," he said again. "You're not going to believe this. Reggiejust tied the game."

Mel Daniels沒有理會Walsh的拒絕 衝進更衣室

"Donnie 你絕對不會相信 但Reggie追平比數了!"

"I said, 'What in the hell are you talking about?'" Walsh said.

"你這傢伙到底在說什麼鬼?"Walsh說

He rushed next door to a security office and on a tiny television set with
rabbit ears, Walsh watched the final seconds of the game play out, the Pacerserupting as Miller drained two free throws to take the win.

Walsh衝到了隔壁的警衛室 透過一台帶著兔子耳朵的迷你電視

看到了比賽最後的幾秒 溜馬隊因為Reggie Miller投進兩個罰球已取得領先

But Walsh had missed most of the magic that happened 25 years ago. And what
he had missed may have been the greatest one-man comeback in the history of
the NBA.

但Walsh錯過了25年前那場奇蹟演出的大部分 這也許是NBA歷史上最偉大的個人逆轉秀

The game tipped off at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 7, 1995. The NBC television
broadcast opened with Bill Walton's pearly white smile and play-by-play
analyst Tom Hammond uttering something seemingly prophetic.

這場比賽於1996年5月7日周日早上11:30開打

在Bill Walton的招牌笑容中 比賽轉播開始

比賽評論員TOM Hammond則說了一些事後看來如預言般的評論

"Players will have to perform. For Indiana that means Reggie Miller. He's
coming off a great series against Atlanta," Hammond says. "The Garden will beno place for the faint of heart today."

"球員必須要拿出表現 對溜馬來說 就是當家球星Reggie Miller

在對亞特蘭大老鷹的系列賽中他打得很好 今天在麥迪遜花園廣場

更需要他拿出不畏懼壓力的演出"

The camera cuts to Knicks center Patrick Ewing standing still, staring into
the rafters, a scowl on his face, looking as if he could destroy anything in
his path.

鏡頭轉到尼克隊當家中鋒Patrick Ewing 他巍然站立 沉著一張臉緊盯著屋頂的梁柱

看起來彷彿他能摧毀所有擋在他面前的敵人

These Pacers and the lanky, trash-talking 29-year-old Miller had developed
into the Knicks' nemesis. The season before in Game 5 of the 1994 conference
finals, Miller racked up 25 points in the fourth quarter at Madison Square
Garden. It gave the Pacers a 3-2 lead in the series

溜馬隊和時年29歲的垃圾話高手Reggie Miller早已進化為尼克的宿敵

上一個球季季後賽在尼克主場 Miller曾有在第四節狂砍25分的演出

幫助溜馬取得3-2領先

His rivalry with Spike Lee, known to taunt Miller court side, reached a feverpitch that game.

他跟Spike Lee之間的敵對關係 更讓比賽氣氛炒到最高點

As Miller drained point after point, he turned to Lee and clutched his neck,
indicating the Knicks had choked.

就在Miller一球又一球的得分時 他轉向了Spike Lee 做出了掐喉的經典動作

象徵著尼克隊將在他的瘋狂得分下一敗塗地

The Pacers ended up losing the series in seven games and they had to watch asthe Knicks made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Houston.

但溜馬隊最終還是在第七戰中敗北

只能眼睜睜的看著尼克隊跟火箭隊展開激戰七場的總冠軍賽

There was pent up desire for revenge as the Pacers, especially Miller, walkedinto Madison Square Garden that spring.

這加深了溜馬全隊的復仇慾望 尤其是在那年春天走進花園廣場的Miller

"He was just the nicest guy," Walsh said, "until he got on the court."

Walsh說:"他是個非常和善的傢伙 但上了球場就不同了"

The first three points

第一個三分

Those last 18 seconds weren't pretty. There were shoving and falling and a
last-second decision by Miller to scurry to the 3-point line instead of goinginside for a layup. It wasn't pretty, but to Pacers fans it was beautiful.

比賽最後18秒實在不雅觀 充斥著推擠 跌倒的畫面

以及Miller決定後退到三分線投籃而非上籃得分

但對溜馬球迷來說 這畫面實在太美了

Miller was no different from Walsh, the way he felt trailing by 6 at the end
of that game. But, unlike Walsh, he couldn't leave to avoid the conclusion.

其實Miller的感覺跟Walsh是相同的 終場前落後六分 怎麼追啊

但他沒辦法像Walsh一樣選擇離開球場

"I was so upset, first of all, that we were down," Miller told IndyStar. "I
felt we were a much better team than the Knicks at that particular time. But
that game, we just didn't show up."

Miller說:

"一開始我對於我們落後實在是很生氣 我覺得我們在那時是比尼克更好的球隊

但這場比賽我們就是沒有拿出該有的實力出來"

Until Miller did.

但Miller做到了

He came out of a timeout with 18.7 seconds left, down 105-99, and "I said OK
if we get a quick 3, cut the deficit down, anything is possible," Miller said.

暫停後回到場上 時間還剩18.7秒 落後六分

Miller說:"如果我們能很快地投進一顆三分 追回一些比數 那任何事都有可能發生!"

Mark Jackson spotted Miller barreling toward him and tossed the ball in.
Almost in one motion — a catch of the pass and a lurching shot launched from
behind the 3-point line — Miller had cut the Knicks lead to three.

Mark Jackson看到Miller向他跑來 把球傳給他 Miller立刻拔起射籃 三分球進!

整個過程一氣呵成 這下子溜馬只落後三分

"Miller for 3 and he got it," Hammon screamed. "Reggie Miller with a clutch
trey."

播報員Hammon大叫:"Miller出手三分球 進!他投進了關鍵的三分"

16.4 seconds remain. The Pacers have to stop the Knicks.

時間剩下16.4秒 溜馬隊要擋住尼克的進攻

Anthony Mason takes the ball out of bounds.

Anthony Mason站在場外持球

"So now," Knicks assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy later said, "we have our
worst inbounder, Anthony Mason, take it out."

尼克隊的助教Jeff Van Gundy後來說:"我們把球交給了最糟糕的人來發界外球"

The second 3 points

第二顆三分

Greg Anthony was wide open. At least it looked that way to Mason. That's whathe said after the game.

Greg Anthony看起來有空檔 至少對Mason來說是如此 比賽結束後他這麼說

"I threw it to him, he slipped," Mason said. Or as Van Gundy puts it: "Reggieabsolutely shoved Anthony."

Mason說:"我把球傳給Greg Anthony 但他卻滑倒了 "

或者是像Van Gundy說的:Reggie推了他!(註:後來Miller在名人堂演說中有承認推他)

Anthony fell to the ground, Miller got the Mason pass

Anthony倒地 Miller抄到球

"I saw Anthony Mason kind of leaning and tipping over the line and he threw
the best chest pass I've ever seen in my life right to me," Miller said. "AndI knew immediately."

Miller說:"我看Mason有點重心不穩 然後他傳了顆我人生中覺得最棒的胸前傳球給我

然後我立刻就知道我該怎麼做了"

The floor was open for Miller to dribble in for a quick 2-pointer. And he sawthat.

Miller發現 空間足夠讓他運球上籃得兩分

"I easily could have gone in for the lay in," he said. Instead he turned to
run back to the 3-point line, took one dribble and jumped.

Miller說:"我知道可以很輕鬆的上籃得分"

但他卻選擇運球後退到三分線後跳投

"I said, 'Let me get back to the 3 and tie her up,'" Miller said. "And that'swhat happened."

我想 讓我後退投三分把比數追平吧! 然後事情就這麼發生了

Now, there were 13.2 seconds left to play, and at his home in Indianapolis
Pacers fan Aaron Spaulding watched in gleeful anticipation. Jonathon Pike, inthe stands atat Madison Square Garden, clutched his head, spilling a beer in
his lap.

現在時間還剩13.2秒 在印第安那 溜馬球迷Aaron Spaulding興奮又期待的看著比賽

尼克球迷Jonathon Pike 在尼克主場的觀眾席上抓著他的頭

還把啤酒翻倒在他的大腿上

Meanwhile, Walton was shouting across NBC airwaves: "One of the greatest
clutch playoff performers of his generation has apparently done it again."

與此同時 Walton大喊:"當代最偉大的季後賽殺手之一 又完成了一次壯舉!"

Clark Kellogg was Spaulding's first Pacers hero. Spaulding would go to the
games at Market Square Arena as a kid and dream.

Clark Kellogg是Spaulding第一位溜馬英雄 當他還是個孩子時

他會懷著夢想 到溜馬主場觀賞比賽

"That’s in the years where we were terrible," said Spaulding, now basketball
coach at Eastern Hancock. "We were like 20-62 and 3,000 people went to the
games."

如今是籃球教練的Spaulding說:"那時是溜馬的低潮期 我們的戰績大概是20勝62敗左右

而且只有三千位觀眾進場看球"

But then came the 90s and those huge series with the hated Knicks. And that
fabulous Sunday afternoon when Spaulding, in his 20s, sat and reveled.

但來到90年代 在與最令人痛恨的尼克隊幾次季後賽大戰後

20多歲的Spaulding將會在這場比賽後的下午時光盡情狂歡

"Up until the last eight seconds, it wasn’t really overly exciting,"
Spaulding said. "But then eight points in nine seconds and you're kind of
like, 'Did that just happen?' The game was over. That was crazy."

Spaulding說:

"比賽到了最後的八秒鐘才開始變得刺激

你知道嗎 8.9秒得8分 你會想:這是真的嗎?這場比賽我們贏了 這真是太瘋狂了"

It felt like sweet retribution for a couple of bad years. The 1994 playoff
loss to the Knicks in the conference finals. The 1993 playoff loss to the
Knicks in the first round, the game when John Starks head-butted Miller in
the third quarter of Game 3 and was ejected.

這感覺就像是歷經那麼多糟糕日子之後的甜蜜復仇

1994年在東區冠軍賽輸給尼克 93年在第一輪輸給尼克

還有93年第三場比賽第三節Starks頭槌Miller後被驅逐出場....等等

Spaulding was at that game. It was infuriating.

Spaulding就在那場比賽現場看球 這真的令人火大

"Now, though, it felt like Reggie had gotten them back," he said.

他說:"但是感覺現在Reggie已經復仇成功了!"

He hadn't just gotten them back, Miller had defied all odds. The Pacers'
chance of winning the game with 18 seconds left, down six points was 0.6
percent, according to an NBA win-probability calculator.

Miller不僅僅是復仇而已 終場前18.7秒溜馬隊落後六分 根據計算

溜馬隊贏球的機率只有0.6%而已 Miller把不可能化為可能

If Miller were able to maintain his scoring rate for those 8.9 seconds over afull quarter, he would have scored 647 points — 162-of-162 on 3s and
162-of-162 on free throws.

如果Miller能夠在整個第四節維持這樣的得分效率 他將可以得到647分

三分球162投162中 罰球162投162中

"He pulled off a miracle," said Pike, who was in the stands that game, a
young bartender who grew up in Manhattan and now lives in Indianapolis.
"Looking back, it's hard to believe it actually happened."

當時在觀眾席 在曼哈頓長大如今住在印第安那的年輕酒保Pike說:"他完成了一項奇蹟

回頭想想 還是很難相信這件事曾經發生過"

'Everybody was in shock'

每個人都驚呆了

After the second 3-pointer, the game was all tied up, but the Pacers' Sam
Mitchell didn't realize it, Miller said. Mitchell fouled Starks.

第二顆三分之後 比數平手 但溜馬隊的Sam Mitchell似乎不理解這點

他對Starks犯了規

"I was kind of like in shock that this whole thing happened," Starks said in
the ESPN short film "Winning Time." "I'm walking to the free throw line
thinking like, 'Man, did this dude just did this?'"

Starks在Winning Time紀錄片接受訪問時說:

"整件事發生時 我整個人還在驚嚇當中

我走上了罰球線 心裡還在想:馬的 這傢伙真的做了這些?"

Starks didn't look confident as the walked to the line. His teammates later
said the look in his eyes said, "I don't want to shoot these."

Starks的隊友事後說 從他的眼神可以知道 他走上罰球線時並沒有自信

They were seeing right. Starks missed the first free throw. "There is no way
he's going to miss the second," Miller said. "There is absolutely no way."

他們是對的 Starks第一個罰球沒進

Miller說:他不可能連第二球都罰不進 這絕對不可能

Way. The ball is batted around by at least 10 hands, but Ewing comes away
with the rebound. He throws up a short jump shot and misses.

結果真的沒進 球經過一陣混亂爭奪後 Ewing搶下籃板後跳投不盡

Miller grabs the rebound and is fouled with 7.5 seconds left.

Miller抓下籃板球且被犯規 這時剩下7.5秒

Pacers coach Larry Brown is racing down the sideline, clapping hysterically,
flailing his arms.

溜馬教練Larry Brown衝到了場邊 歇斯底里的拍著手後又胡亂揮動著手臂

Knicks coach Pat Riley is Brown's opposite, stock still, his mouth literally
in an O-shape, Monty Williams behind him staring in disbelief.

尼克教練Pat Riley完全相反 呆站著不動 嘴巴成O字型

站在他後面的Monty Williams不敢置信地盯著前方

"How valuable is possession of the ball in the first quarter, second quarter
or third quarter when you don’t have (a timeout) at the end when you need
it?" Riley told IndyStar after the game.

Riley在賽後說:

"前三節擁有球權有多重要?

當你在最後關頭需要叫暫停時卻沒有暫停可叫時 你就知道了"

(註:Miller罰進兩球後 尼克已經沒有暫停可叫)

Through the Miami Heat, where Riley is now team president, IndyStar was told
"he is respectfully declining" an interview request to talk about Miller's
feat.

如今是邁阿密熱火隊總裁的Riley 後來在他待在熱火隊的期間

始終婉拒接受訪問對Miller的壯舉提供任何意見

Rik Smits still remembers the feeling inside the arena that afternoon. It wasunlike anything he'd heard there before.

Rik Smits仍然記得當天下午待在球館裡的感覺 這是他以前從未感受過的

"You know, you never heard Madison Square Garden that quiet," said Smits.
"Everybody was in shock."

Smits說:"你從來沒聽過尼克主場那麼安靜過 從來沒有 大家都嚇呆了"

Smits overshadowed, and he's OK with that

Smits的光芒被掩蓋 但他覺得無所謂

In his warm-up jacket, a towel wrapped around his neck, Smits was on the
bench for the end-of-game Miller show.

Smits在比賽最後關頭坐在板凳席看著Miller的演出

He had fouled out earlier with 34 points. "I was having a heck of a game
personally," he said. Smits ended as the high scorer, Miller second with 31,
but Smits' stellar game was overshadowed by those 8 points that echoed round
the world.

他在早些時候犯滿離場時得了34分 是全隊最高分

Miller得了31分 但Smiths精采的表現卻因最後那8分而相形失色

"Hey, it was fine with me. I never wanted the attention anyway, so I was
always happy Reggie was on my team," Smits said. "The win was all that
mattered because without him doing that, my 34 points wouldn't have meant
anything. We would have lost."

Smits說:"我一點也不在意 我從來就不想要獲得關注

所以能有Miller作為隊友真的很開心 比賽能贏球才是最重要的

沒有他的表現我們可能就會輸球 那就算我得34分又能怎麼樣呢?"

Smits is seen during the game standing up, hands pointed straight to the
rafters as Ewing misses the shot, Miller grabs the rebound and is fouled.

Smits被目睹當Ewing投籃不進 Miller搶下籃板且被犯規時

從座位上站起 雙手指著屋頂的畫面

"What an amazing game to be a part of," Smits said. "It all happened so fast.We knew Reggie was capable of doing something like that. But to see it
happening at that stage and against the Knicks — it was pretty awesome."

Smits說:"真榮幸成為這場比賽的一份子 事情發生得太快了

我們都知道Reggie有本事做到這些不可能的事

但能在尼克主場對決尼克隊時目睹這一切 實在太爽了"

Now, there were just two more points to make. Miller headed to the foul line.

如今還有兩分要拿 Miller走上了罰球線

Walsh had just made it to that security office to see the end of the magic.

Walsh剛剛衝到警衛室準備看這場魔術秀的最後一刻

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me if Reggie makes these free throws we're
ahead in this game?" Walsh said he asked Daniels.

Walsh問Daniels:"等一下 你是說如果Reggie罰進這兩球 我們就領先了???"

Yep, Daniels told him.

是的

"I about fell over," Walsh said.

Walsh說:"我真是不敢相信"

"I go to shoot the foul shots," Miller said. "And that's where the last two
points come for 8 points in 8.9 seconds." He stops and he smiles.

Miller說:"我去罰了兩球 這就是8.9秒得8分的最後2分"

話說至此 他露出了微笑

The Pacers won the game 107-105 and the series in seven matchups. After the
game, an animated Miller is seen talking to a reporter on the court.

最終溜馬107-105贏球 並在這系列賽中以4-3獲勝

在比賽之後 神采飛揚的Miller在球場中接受記者採訪

"John Starks choked," he said. "We came up big." Actually Miller came up big.

Miller說:"John Starks搞砸了 我們完成了大逆轉"

實際上是Miller完成了大逆轉

Walsh walked up to Miller, laughing. "Where did you come from?" he asked.

Walsh走向Miller 笑著說:"你這傢伙到底是從那來的?"

Maybe he should have trusted that Miller would pull through, instead of
leaving to smoke that cigarette.

也許他應該要選擇相信Miller能做到 而不是生氣的離開去抽菸

"I've seen a lot of amazing things happen in the last seconds of a game but
never anything like that," Walsh said. "The game was over. It was over."

Until it wasn't.

Walsh說:"我曾經看過很多神奇的事在比賽最後關頭發生 但這種事我從來沒看過

比賽真的就這樣結束了!"

--

是35秒13分 一樣是偉大的一場比賽 你確定你不是反串?