作者为《休斯敦纪事报》主笔
Chris Paul wandered through the lane as he had throughout the All Star game, maneuvering so easily he might as well had been whistling while he worked. This would be Dwight Howard’s turn, Paul seemed to decide.
全明星赛上，克里斯-保罗经常在罚球区一带不断运球徘徊，这是他掌控比赛的一贯方式。在他的印象中，这一次霍华德应该会从身旁出现，冲向篮筐。
Paul had spent the night dominating the way he has much of the season, taking the Clippers toward the upper echelon of the Western Conference. Even in the All Star game setting, when the collection of gaudy statistics and above-the-rim highlights seems to be the goal of the day, Paul kept both feet on the ground and ran the offense for the Western Conference with masterful precision.
这样的场景在保罗脑海中已经形成一个定式，这也是他掌控快船队不断前进的模式。在空接之城，他就是这么让格里芬和乔丹在空中飞来飞去。即便是在全明星这样表演性质很强的比赛中，保罗也没有显得和平时有什么不同，他两只脚依然稳稳站在场上，掌控全队进攻，而让其他球星高高跃起，成为焦点。
As he made his way around a screen and in position to set up Howard to finish a lob with the sort of slam that bends rims and thrills crowds, Paul kept looking to his right and waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Howard never made a move toward the basket.
这一次，他和霍华德进行挡拆配合，希望送给霍华德一个篮筐之上的传球，让魔兽和他也来一次空中接力，给现场观众一些激情。但保罗一直在那个位置运球、等待、等待、再等待，可霍华德一直没有转身奔向篮筐。
Nets center Brook Lopez, who also seemed to be waiting for Howard’s cut, but in that moment, easily obscured by all the scoring and all the highlights and all the parties that fill All Star weekend, the difference between the Lakers and Clippers and the directions they are heading seemed clear.
和保罗一样以为霍华德会空切冲向篮筐的，还有东部的中锋布鲁克-洛佩兹，但这样的时刻没有出现。在这个嘈杂、充满高光时刻和各式表演的全明星周末，人们可以从保罗和霍华德身上，看出洛杉矶两支球队之间不同的未来。
When the Lakers acquired Dwight Howard with the plan to make him part of their great big man legacy from George Mikan to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal, it seemed that one day they would built a statue of Howard outside Staples Center. Instead, he has become a statue inside NBA(微博) arenas, moving slowly and cautiously.
当湖人队在去年夏天引入德怀特-霍华德的时候，对他寄予厚望，希望他能够继承湖人高大中锋的传统，成为贾巴尔、奥尼尔(微博)这些人的接班人。甚至人们觉得未来的斯台普斯中心球馆外也会有一座属于霍华德的雕塑，但现在他却成为一座球场上的“雕塑”，移动缓慢。
Kobe Bryant’s frustration with Howard has been clear, especially when Howard seemed hesitant to return from his shoulder injury. Howard had happily gone to Los Angeles for the final season of his contract, seeming determined to sign long-term to be the next great Lakers big man and heir to Bryant, but has instead found the stage with the NBA’s most celebrated team to be filled with pressure and expectations and so far unfulfilled potential.
科比(微博)对于霍华德的失望之情已经表现得很明显，尤其是当霍华德表示肩伤希望休战的时候。原本魔兽非常开心自己能够在夏天加盟湖人，并做好了与这支有光荣传统的球队续约的准备，但是这个赛季的种种情况表明，湖人或许不是他的最佳选择，他在这里经受了比在魔术时多得多的压力，同时他也没有获得满足感。
Down the hall, the Clippers have taken over. They still cannot demand the attention and fanaticism that the Lakers inspire, but they can whip the Lakers whenever they meet, including the game days before Paul so emphatically became the All Star game MVP. While the Lakers reached the All Star break well short of playoff position, the Clippers were happily rolling, hitting the Lakers with a dunk-fest in the final game before the break.
洛杉矶快船已经接管了湖人在这座城市的老大地位，尽管他们还没能像湖人那样获得最多的关注度，可在对阵湖人队的比赛中，他们每每都能获胜。在全明星赛之前，保罗率领快船又一次血洗了湖人队，用那些快速的进攻和扣篮(微博)让湖人将士显得颜面无光。
Paul dominated the All Stars, getting 20 points with 15 assists, but has been doing that all season. Asked to describe his offense, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said simply “Chris Paul.” Everything is built around him. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan cut to the rim. Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler hit jump shots. If games remain close, Paul takes them over.
保罗统治了全明星赛，拿下20分15助攻，就像他整个赛季做得那样。当快船主帅文尼·内格罗被要求描述保罗的进攻时，他言简意赅地说：“球队的一切都围绕着保罗进行，布莱克·格里芬和德安德鲁·乔丹在他的掌控下冲击篮筐，昌西·比卢普斯和卡隆·巴特勒等待他的传球投中空位的篮子。如果比赛在最后时刻还有悬念，保罗就会接管一切。”
They have not reached the echelon of the Spurs or Thunder, yet, but they seem headed in that direction.
尽管快船的战绩还没有赶上马刺或者雷霆，但是他们正在朝着正确的方向在前进。
In a town that had the NBA’s most and least successful franchises, Los Angeles had undergone a dramatic role reversal. The Lakers are nowhere near as troubled as the Clippers had been for all those years, but just months since they seemed rebuilt for another championship run with the acquisitions of Howard and Steve Nash, they are struggling just to make the playoffs. The Clippers are not the championship favorite that the Lakers have so often been, but they are a team no one would want to go against in the post-season.
在洛杉矶，他们近两个赛季完成了戏剧性的角色颠倒，湖人的新闻充斥着各大媒体的头条，在去年夏天获得霍华德和纳什后，湖人被认为是夺冠大热门。可几个月之后，他们表现挣扎，连季后赛都岌岌可危。而快船却在这样的吵杂声中默默前进，已经成为对手都不愿意在季后赛碰到的球队，尽管他们一直都不是夺冠呼声最高的球队。
That does not seem ready to change. Howard and Paul are both headed to free agency this season. For all the Lakers’ declarations that they would not trade Howard because they intend to keep him and build around him for years to come, there seem more reasons for Howard to leave than to stay. For all the chances Paul will have to leave the franchise that once was the NBA’s worst, there seemed little reason to wonder if he will opt to leave Los Angeles, having made the Clippers the kind of team ideal for him.
情况或许在今年夏天也不会有什么变化，尽管保罗和霍华德都会在夏天成为自由球员。目前湖人队已经公开表示，不会交易霍华德，他们有资本等到7月份。可人们看不到太多霍华德留下来的理由。相反保罗没有什么离开洛杉矶的理由，尽管这支球队曾经是联盟最糟糕的球队，可现在这里的一切围绕着他进行，而他在这里开创了一片天地。
The once-joyful Howard looked miserable throughout the All Star weekend, but never more so than when asked about his future. Paul was happy and comfortable, every bit as in control as when he headed down the lane with the ball looking for an open teammate.
乐天派霍华德在全明星周末期间显得沮丧，但更让他沮丧的应该是自己不确定的未来。而保罗却在洛杉矶的球队呆得快乐舒服，每一次他都像文章开头时提到的那样，在场上运球、等待，然后伺机将皮球传给空位的队友，乐此不疲。
Finally, as Paul looked toward Howard in the second half of the All Star game, offering a chance for Howard to do what he has done best, Paul seemed at the height of his powers; Howard was stuck, stopped by uncertainty.
终于，保罗在全明星赛下半场发现了一个传球给霍华德的好机会，希望魔兽能够用他曾经最擅长的方式得分，但魔兽不知道被什么东西困住了，都在当打之年，保罗状态巅峰，魔兽却一路下滑。
Los Angeles’ stars never had a chance to get together again. Howard sat out the final 20 minutes of the All Star game. Paul dominated it, taking the win and Most Valuable Player. For Paul and Howard, the All Star game was not a break from the season, but a continuation, and a reminder of the stunning change of direction for the teams of Los Angeles and two of its most high-profile stars.
自那次配合后，洛杉矶的4位首发球星们再没有机会一起出现在场上了，霍华德在比赛最后20分钟全部坐在场下，而场上，保罗统治了比赛，帮助球队获胜，自己也拿下MVP。对于保罗和霍华德来说，全明星赛不是赛季中期的一次休息，而是一个战场的延续，暗示了洛杉矶两支球队不同的未来。
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