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http://tinyurl.com/6s2pscl NY Times


The battle for eighth place was not determined by awe-inspiring defense or
smooth playmaking or any of the qualities that typically define playoff
teams. This was, after all, a tussle for the Eastern Conference’s last
playoff berth, a spot typically reserved for flawed lineups and sacrificial
lambs.

It was, rather, a messy shootout that lasted four quarters and finally ended
when J.R. Smith, the messiest of the bunch, hit a timely 3-pointer that gave
the Knicks the lead for good, and the Milwaukee Bucks disintegrated.

The Knicks took the game, 111-107, keeping their hold of eighth place with a
30-28 record and a two-game lead over the Bucks (28-30). There are eight
games left to play.

Carmelo Anthony led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds as the Knicks also
tied the season series at 2-2. Had they lost, they would have surrendered the
first standings tie breaker to the Bucks. If the teams end the season tied,
the tiebreaker will now be their conference records.

The Knicks shot 51 percent for the game, while allowing the Bucks to shoot 49
percent. Milwaukee’s flashy backcourt caused trouble for the Knicks all
night, with Monta Ellis slashing his way to 35 points and Brandon Jennings
adding 22.

Matters got tense as the Bucks pushed their way to an 8-point lead, their
biggest of the night, early in the fourth quarter. Anthony, frustrated and in
pain after getting smacked on injured fingers on his left hand, was called
for a technical foul for spiking the ball. But he recovered quickly, hitting
a hanging jumper to start a 3-point play.

For the second straight night, the Knicks had trouble securing critical loose
balls. The Bucks thrived on offensive rebounds down the stretch, leading to
an Ellis 3-pointer and a Luc Mbah a Moute layup.

But Smith answered with a 3-pointer that gave the Knicks a 108-107 edge with
1 minute 4 seconds left, and they never gave up the lead after that.

The stakes were well defined before tip-off. The winner would claim eighth
place, and the edge for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The
loser would have a difficult path to the postseason. The Philadelphia 76ers
(31-27) beat Toronto earlier in the evening to further secure their hold on
seventh.

“I think they understand the magnitude of the game,” Coach Mike Woodson
said before tip-off, adding, “We’ll see what we’re made of.”

The players seemed to welcome the moment. In an otherwise quiet locker room,
the only audible distraction was Frank Sinatra, crooning “New York, New York
” from Anthony’s mobile device as he stretched out on a training table.

Neither team played much defense in the first half, which ended in a 62-62
tie after a series of fast-break dunks and layups and some moments of
preposterously sloppy play.

The Knicks were scorching to start the game, making 14 of their first 16
shots and as they raced to a 14-point lead in just nine minutes. Their bench
squandered it just as quickly, allowing the Bucks a 26-8 run in a
seven-minute stretch bridging the first and second quarters.

Smith was not the only culprit in that period, but his mistakes were perhaps
the most egregious. He fouled Mike Dunleavy on a 3-point try in the second
quarter (an offense he committed again in the third quarter). He rushed a bad
jumper after Bucks fans tricked him into believing the shot clock was running
down (with a “five, four, three...” chant). He then missed a layup,
committed a pointless loose ball foul and got his jumper blocked before
Woodson finally yanked him, with the Knicks trailing by 42-38.

The first positive sign from the bench came from Steve Novak, who hit a
3-pointer to break an 0-for-8 streak that spanned the prior two games.

Anthony, Chandler and Shumpert carried the Knicks through the first half,
combining for 41 points. Anthony was assertive and efficient, despite
aggravating his sprained right wrist when Mbah a Moute fouled him. Anthony
winced and cursed loudly after getting smacked, and walked nearly the length
of the court before shooting his free throws.
PS. 可能因為拿到兩罰能幫助球隊, 所以受傷了還笑吧

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清晨霧一般的思念, 清新 double, 美麗 double, 捉摸不定 double...

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※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 60.250.135.187

推forttryon大, 你是對的~ 第一段第一句我想沒啥問題, 重點是第二句在說明今天
尼克公鹿爭的你死我活的老八位置, 其實僅是季後賽首輪的待宰羔羊

但看過今天比賽的版友應該都能發現, 尼克跟公鹿真的都表現的非常好, 所以我不想
這樣子潑尼克/公鹿, 甚至是尼克粉司的我的冷水~  我想不管最後是尼克還是公鹿拿
到老八進季後賽, 如果是今天的表現, 我想首輪的火/牛都不一定能贏, 您說是嗎?

然後很抱歉我的翻譯參雜了很多個人的修飾, 很多地方幾乎都沒跟原文一樣意思, 但
也沒偏離太遠, 因為我想這版的大家都有看球賽, 所以如果只是依照原文照翻就沒啥
意思了, 這一點還請大家見諒 ^^

最後還是謝謝forttryon您的指正, 也sorry again第一段我就不改了 ^^
※ 編輯: djviva          來自: 60.250.135.187       (04/12 14:15)

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