After the second quarter, the Rockets' fans in China were completely deflated. Their team's performance was too poor, trailing by 13 points at halftime, 58 to 45.
On Hupu Forum, Rockets fans had already started criticizing Ariza. He was 1-for-9 in the first half, scoring only 2 points, shooting terribly.
"Is this Ariza's level? Look at Kayce, Durant, and Westbrook of the Thunder. I feel they are all much better than Ariza."
"Haha, I think Jeff Green is better than Ariza. At least he isn't as bad a shooter as him!"
"Lowry isn't doing well either; Kayce's defense in the second quarter made it difficult for him to even pass the ball. Not to mention Budinger, who couldn't even make a 3-pointer."
"A late first-round pick and a second-round pick really can't compare to a third overall pick. Kayce is only in his rookie season and is playing like this. If he plays for another 10 years, he's going to take off!"
"NCAA really is no different from the NBA. Kayce is awesome, nothing more to say. I'm really going to vote for him for All-Star!"
"They really weren't bragging. A genius is just different. This season, I'm going to watch the Thunder's games!"
In the Sina studio, Ke Xiaofan let out a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, the point difference hadn't reached 20, otherwise, he wouldn't see Kayce in the second half.
"Coach Ma, what do you think of both teams' performance in the first half? What adjustments should the Rockets make in the second half?"
Ke Xiaofan brought up the topic again.
"The Thunder's bench played exceptionally well. Kayce successfully activated the entire team, with 10 assists and no turnovers in the first half. The Thunder played very intelligently!"
"On the Rockets' side, Ariza had a disastrous performance, plus their point guard couldn't effectively organize the offense, leading to a sputtering first half."
"If the Rockets want to catch up in the second half, they first need to defend the opponent's offense, but with the current lineup, it's difficult to do. It all depends on what other surprise tactics Head Coach Adelman has."
Ma Jian also didn't want this game to be decided too early and enter garbage time, as Kayce wouldn't be on the court, making the game uninteresting.
"Thank you, Coach Ma, for your excellent commentary. During halftime, our production team has prepared a compilation of Kayce's highlights, including clips from previous games. Everyone can watch it; it's truly spectacular!"
Ke Xiaofan took the opportunity to recommend it to netizens.
In the Thunder's locker room, everyone was in high spirits. Leading by double digits on the road, of course, they had to celebrate.
"Kevin, you still let Ariza score. Being too soft isn't good!" Kayce began to tease Durant.
"God, spare Ariza. How many bricks has this guy thrown? Kayce, you're a devil, but I love your defense!"
Durant exaggeratedly mimicked Ariza's sour expression, and the entire locker room erupted in laughter.
"It's too bad. I bet this guy wants to go back to Kobe's side now. Think about his proud look at the beginning of the game!"
Russell also began to relentlessly mock the opponent.
"That's because he has a championship ring. After winning the championship, this guy clearly got a lot more arrogant!"
Jeff Green was also annoyed by the opponent's expression; that kind of disdain made him very uncomfortable.
"Then we'll have to teach him a lesson. It's just a championship won by riding coattails; he really thinks of himself as a superstar."
Kayce said unceremoniously. Respect is mutual. If you don't respect us, then we'll blow you out!
"Exactly, we have to show him!"
The teammates in the locker room started discussing animatedly; no one liked being underestimated.
As the third quarter began, both teams put their starting lineups on the court. On the Rockets' first possession, Aaron Brooks passed the ball to Ariza coming off a screen.
Kayce also put all his effort into defending off-ball. With the bonus from the [Off-ball Movement Killer] badge, Ariza was never able to shake off Kayce's defense.
After a triple threat, he quickly put the ball down. Luis Scola also came over to screen, but Kayce agilely squeezed through the pick-and-roll, still staying wrapped around Ariza and constantly making physical contact.
Ariza's dribble was unstable under the contact. Kayce went up and poked the ball away, then quickly stole it, accelerating directly towards the opponent's basket.
The dispossessed Ariza chased desperately, but Kayce's speed was too fast, and he could only watch Kayce deliver a one-handed tomahawk dunk.
"CRASH!" The powerful dunk was successful.
"BOO!" The crowd once again booed, and it was unclear who the sound was directed at.
With the dunk, Kayce's score in this game reached 11 points. He had already achieved an efficient double-double, and there was still plenty of time left in the game.
"Ariza is completely shut down by Kayce. This kind of performance can't help the Rockets turn the game around."
Ma Jian couldn't help but complain, saying that the play was truly terrible.
The Thunder, on the other hand, became more energetic the more smoothly things went. Their defensive intensity completely picked up, with Russell constantly making physical contact with Aaron Brooks.
"SQUEAK!" The referee blew the whistle, calling a defensive foul on Russell.
"Sir, I didn't even use force. He's flopping; he's acting." Russell, who was called for the foul, complained briefly. This made Aaron Brooks feel uncomfortable. Didn't use force?...
The Rockets' offense was stalled again, so they passed it to Luis Scola in the low post. After a series of fakes, he made a layup over Jeff Green.
Russell dribbled past half-court and handed the ball to Kayce.
"Number 5!! Number 5!!" Kayce shouted while signaling an offensive play to his teammates, and at the same time, gestured for Durant to come and receive the ball.
Kostić also moved up to the top of the key. Durant used this screen to temporarily shake off Battier's entanglement, dribbled with his right hand, accelerated directly, and pulled up for a jump shot near the free-throw line.
"SWISH!" A comfortable 2 points.
This was the Thunder's current little trump card: Kostić's high screen. Kayce, Russell, and Durant began to intensify their individual attacks and constantly quicken the pace of the game.
The Rockets were clearly unaccustomed to it. The opponent was playing too easily, overwhelming them with talent in one-on-one situations, and constantly restricting them on defense. Aaron Brooks drove in and missed another shot.
Jeff Green grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to Kayce, but the Rockets retreated quickly. Seeing no opportunity, they weren't in a hurry. After dribbling past half-court, he made a hand-off pass to Russell.
Russell had a good shooting touch in this game. Facing Aaron Brooks' defense, he didn't do too many fakes, but instead accelerated in a straight line and pulled up for a jump shot.
"SWISH!" The mid-range shot found the bottom of the net.
For the next three minutes, the Rockets experienced what it felt like to be overwhelmed by talent. Durant and Russell were simply unstoppable, either with pull-up jump shots or drive-and-kick plays.
Jeff Green and Kayce both made 3-pointers from beyond the arc. The defense simply couldn't keep up anymore.
Adelman reluctantly called another timeout, taking out Hayes and putting in Randall. The Thunder also replaced Kostić with Ibaka.
After Ibaka came on, the Rockets' drives also fizzled out. Small players like Aaron Brooks were easy targets for blocks.
"SMACK!" The little black bean's floater was swatted out of bounds again.
"AHH!!" Ibaka roared, pounding his chest after completing the block.
After the baseline inbound, Ariza took a desperation jump shot, hitting another brick. The long rebound bounced out, and Kayce once again secured the rebound.
The Rockets desperately retreated on defense. Kayce didn't call for a screen after crossing half-court. Facing Ariza's defense, he executed a series of crossover dribbles, then suddenly held the ball with his right hand, faking a drive. Ariza's center of gravity shifted backward.
Kayce directly stepped back and took a jump shot.
"SWISH!" The 3-pointer found the bottom of the net, a real dagger!
"Ariza's defense has collapsed. He retreated too far on that shot. It's going to be very difficult for the Rockets to tie the score in this game."
Ke Xiaofan was also speechless. Why did the games he broadcast always end with Kayce checking out early?
Watching the point difference widen, the Rockets also began to speed up their offensive rhythm, and frequently shot from beyond the 3-point line.
Unfortunately, this was not their preferred offensive method. Bang Bang kept clanking shots, and as soon as the Thunder secured a rebound, they immediately pushed for a transition offense.
Both sides engaged in a run-and-gun battle, and as a result, the point difference grew larger and larger. Kayce quietly picked up two more long rebounds.
In the Sina studio, Ma Jian was looking at the technical statistics of both teams. At this point in the game, there was no suspense left. Seeing Kayce's data, he was immediately surprised and then spoke up:
"Kayce has a chance to get a triple-double in this game! He currently has 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, just one rebound short!"
At the same time, the broadcast in America also started to indicate that Kayce had already achieved a near triple-double.
Ariza still couldn't find his shooting touch. At this point, he had started to give up. After a screen from beyond the arc, he took a jump shot over Ibaka's contest.
"BANG!" The rim almost got bent by his shot.
It was another long rebound. The ball bounced directly into Kayce's arms. Kayce was a bit dumbfounded as he secured this rebound and secretly sighed:
"Good brother, truly a successor to the mamba mentality."
At this moment, Kayce had achieved a triple-double. The media reporters on the sidelines frantically pressed their cameras, recording this historic moment.
"Our director checked the official NBA data, and Kayce should have broken James' record, becoming the youngest player in the league to achieve a triple-double. Let's congratulate Kayce!"
Ke Xiaofan said excitedly. This game was not watched in vain; he had witnessed history!
The on site reporters in America also started posting on Twitter. Kayce was destined to go viral tonight.