As Trail Blazers slump, rest of Western Conference surges

The Trail Blazers have lost a season-high four consecutive games. They haven’t defeated a team with a winning record since Feb. 1. And two of their most important players, franchise cornerstone LaMarcus Aldridge (back contusion) and sixth man Mo Williams (right hip strain), will miss two games and two weeks, respectively, with injuries.

目前的四連敗是拓荒者本季敗場數最多的連敗，他們從二月一日以後就沒有再擊敗過那些他們曾贏過的隊伍，而且還傷了兩位最重要的球員——背部挫傷的球隊基石LaMarcus Aldridge預計將缺陣兩場比賽，而右側臀部拉傷的第六人Mo Williams則預計是兩週。

It’s hard to imagine things getting much worse for a team that has been so good for so much of the season.

對於一支本季表現如此傑出的球隊而言，很難想像事情還能變得更糟。

“It’s not always going to be smooth sailing, that’s part of the game,” Dorell Wright said Wednesday night after the team’s 103-90 loss at San Antonio. “But that’s what brings the team together — adversity and going through things like this. We have a bad taste in our mouths right now, but we have to have a short memory and move on.”

Dorell Wright於星期三晚上球隊以103-90遭馬刺擊敗後表示: "事情不會總是一帆風順，這也是比賽的一部份。但那也是促使這支球隊之所以緊密在一起的原因——遭遇如此的逆境並一起設法克服。我們現在都覺得不好受，但我們必須儘快忘掉並且繼續前進。"

In the grand scheme of things, a four-game losing streak isn’t that big of a deal. Neither is an injury or two. But for the Blazers, what makes their issues particularly disconcerting is that while they are trending down, the rest of the Western Conference is trending up.

縱觀整個賽季，一個四連敗或是傷了一兩個球員都沒有什麼大不了，但西區其他球隊正在衝刺當中，而拓荒者卻慢慢往下沈淪，使得這波連敗對他們來說特別令人不安。

The Blazers’ biggest funk of the season couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.

The Spurs’ Wednesday night victory over the Blazers was their eighth win in a row, providing them the best record in the NBA (48-16) and propelling them to the top of the Western Conference standings.The Los Angeles Clippers (46-20) have won nine in a row to take over third place in the West. The Houston Rockets (44-20) own the NBA’s best record since Jan. 1 and the Memphis Grizzlies (38-26), who have won 11 of their last 14, aren’t too far behind.

拓荒者在最差的時間點遭逢了本季最大的困境。馬刺在星期三擊敗拓荒者後順利拿下八連勝，48勝16敗的戰績不僅是聯盟最佳，也將他們推進到西區第一種子。九連勝中的快艇(46-20)拿下西區第三種子，而火箭(44-20)則是進入2014年後戰機最佳的球隊。至於落後拓荒者不算遠的灰熊，也在過去14場比賽中也贏了11場。

With roughly one month left in the regular season, some Western Conference contenders are finding their grooves at the perfect time, just as they gear up for a deep playoff push.

“We are getting a rhythm,” San Antonio point guard Tony Parker said. “Obviously, we don’t want to peak too early. But we are playing good basketball and hopefully we can keep it going and stay healthy.”

西區一些很有競爭力的球隊在例行賽剩下差不多一個月——如此絕佳的時機裡找到了贏球方程式，一舉為季後賽能走多遠做好準備。馬刺控球後衛Tony Parker表示: "我們正掌握自己的節奏。顯然地，我們並不想太早就火力全開，但我們打得很好而且希望能持續下去並保持健康。"

Despite their slide, the Blazers are in fifth place in the West. But they lead eighth-seeded Dallas by just 3 1/2-games. There’s still plenty of time for a late-season Blazers resurgence, but time is slipping away — especially considering how well the rest of the Western Conference is playing.

儘管處於低潮，拓荒者仍保有西區第五的位置，但他們只領先第八種子的小牛3.5場勝差。距離球季結束仍還有一小段時間讓拓荒者東山再起，但時間消逝很快，尤其是考量到西區其他球隊打得有多好的時候。

from OregonLive.com