The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and packed full of action

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and packed full of action

Transcript¹

There's been plenty of drama — on and off the court — and fans are loving it. The NBA had its highest TV opening playoff ratings in a decade.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The NBA is not even a week into its postseason, and there's been plenty of drama, great basketball and some booing. NPR's Tom Goldman is here to talk about all that. Hey there, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE²: Hi, Steve.

INSKEEP: OK, Boston Celtics against the Brooklyn Nets - Game 2 was last night. What happened?

GOLDMAN: The Celtics won and took a two-games-to-none lead in a series that feels like it's gone on for a lot longer because each of the games has been really intense - tough and physical, a lot of fouls³ called. Boston, again, played great defense⁴ last night, especially against the Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who shot a combined 8 for 30. That's not good. Durant, in particular, considered the best scorer in the NBA, has struggled offensively in both games. The rotten thing about this series - both teams are good enough to go very deep in the tournament, so it's too bad they have to play in the first round. Feels like every game in this best-of-seven series is going to be filled with drama.

INSKEEP: Well, let's talk about the drama of the booing in Game 1. What was the situation with Irving?

GOLDMAN: Well, the history behind it - he played for Boston, said he wanted to stay and then left for Brooklyn. And Boston fans didn't like that. They felt betrayed. It's not helped by Irving, last year in the playoffs, stomping⁵ on the Boston logo at half court. That's not a way to endear yourself. So Kyrie has long been an interesting and controversial character. Last night, early in the game. he was seen apparently⁶ breaking his Ramadan fast. That's the interesting part. The controversy⁷ this season has been his decision not to get vaccinated⁸ against COVID, meaning he had to sit out a bunch of home games because of New York City laws. And critics said he was being selfish, putting himself above his team. So he's heard it from the Boston fans for two games, some saying very abusive things, according to Irving. And in Game 1, he decided⁹ to fight fire with fire, giving the crowd the middle finger several times and getting fined $50,000 for it.

INSKEEP: Wow, $50,000 for the middle finger. I hope that was satisfying. But he's frustrated¹⁰ with the crowd. Are there are a lot of instances of that?

GOLDMAN: There have been in recent years. Last season's playoffs, for instance, there were incidents with players getting spit on, having popcorn¹¹ dumped on them. A fan threw a water bottle at Irving. And, Steve, an interesting take this week from an NBA insider, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, known as Woj to hoop¹² fans - he talked about the growth in legal sports gambling¹³. You see commercials for sportsbooks and casinos constantly on game telecasts now. It's making money for leagues and for players, and fans are betting on their phones during games. Woj says it's also potentially fueling more of the belligerence¹⁴.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ADRIAN WOJNAROWSKI: People gambling on almost everything, and they're drinking - and when people are losing money in real time and they're pointing to a player on the court that said, hey, I bet you to score more points in the second quarter than somebody else and I lost.

GOLDMAN: Gambling and drinking, Steve. I, for one, am shocked. But, yeah, some athletes say they are feeling the abuse ramping¹⁵ up. It's too bad.

INSKEEP: Yeah, it is. It's not good. So if we turn our eyes back to the court, what other first-round series caught your attention?

GOLDMAN: The Golden State Warriors¹⁶ are looking like the team that dominated the NBA just a few years ago. And suddenly, the No. 1 seed in the West, Phoenix¹⁷, against No. 8 New Orleans is must-watch. Phoenix lost in the NBA finals last year, had the best regular season this year and seemed ready to make another finals run. But then in Game 2, the Suns best player, guard Devin Booker, strained a hamstring. New Orleans played great and won. The series is tied 1-1. Suddenly, it's interesting.

INSKEEP: NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman, thanks so much.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome.

(SOUNDBITE OF SARAH, THE ILLSTRUMENTALIST'S "DRACO")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 fouls   

n.煤层尖灭；恶劣的( foul的名词复数 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的v.使污秽( foul的第三人称单数 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏

参考例句：

• The player was sent off the field because of fouls. 这名运动员因屡屡犯规而被罚下场。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Jones was ordered off in the second half after repeated fouls. 由于屡次犯规，琼斯在下半场中被责令退出比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 stomping   

v.跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He looked funny stomping round the dance floor. 他在舞池里跺着舞步，样子很可笑。 来自辞典例句
• Chelsea substitution Wright-Phillips for Robben. Wrighty back on his old stomping to a mixed reception. 77分–切尔西换人：赖特．菲利普斯入替罗本。小赖特在主场球迷混杂的欢迎下，重返他的老地方。 来自互联网

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

8 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

12 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

13 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

14 belligerence   

n.交战，好战性，斗争性

参考例句：

• He could be accused of passion,but never belligerence.可以说他很冲动，但不能说他爱挑事。
• He was almost back to his belligerent mood of twelve months ago.他故态复萌，几乎又像一年前那样咄咄逼人了。

15 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

16 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

17 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。