上周三晚新赛季NBA常规赛，火箭坐镇主场迎来鹈鹕的挑战。最终，鹈鹕客场131：112大胜火箭取得开门红，请看本报周五的报道：

The Rockets opened their 2018-19 season with a fizzle, rather than a bang, falling to New Orleans 131-112. Supreme execution by the Pelicans and defensive miscues by the Rockets marked the matchup.

Clint Capela was not the key to Houston’s offense, nor was he expected to be, but he certainly had to overcome the biggest individual obstacle.

And he did, with help from guards Chris Paul and James Harden. Pelicans forward Anthony Davis roamed the paint and obstructed easy baskets, but Capela got the better of him on more than one occasion.

报道中的fizzle本意是“（火快熄灭时）发出嘶嘶声”，引申为“失败”，可作名词和动词。例如：

The reform movement fizzled out because of poor leadership.

因为领导不力，这场改革失败了。

Their work turned out to be a fizzle.

他们的努力最后失败了。