Kayce's expression was a bit strange. What was wrong with Durant? Why was his defensive intensity so high?
Three minutes into the game, Durant successfully limited both his direct opponent, Jason Maxiell, and Jonas Jerebko. Durant on defense was like he had taken a stimulant.
The Detroit Pistons' inside and outside game were both struggling. Rodney Stuckey, who had performed well in previous games, was being contained by Kayce, and his few strong drives to the basket had low shooting percentages.
After several missed shots, the Thunder's transition offense also started to show its power, with Russell's full-court, one-man fast break layup also coming through.
At 12-6, the Detroit Pistons were hit hard. Coach John Kuester immediately called a timeout. If the game was decided in one quarter, there would be no way to play the rest of it.
The fans at the Ford Center were thrilled. With an early lead, they felt that the Thunder and the Detroit Pistons were not even on the same level. Oklahoma City fans also started to get overconfident.
"The Thunder's playstyle is becoming more and more mature, especially their transition offense, which is played so well. The ball movement on offense is also excellent. It seems the Thunder are really on the rise!"
Su Qun, on the sidelines, saw the Thunder take the lead just over three minutes into the game and couldn't help but exclaim to a staff member beside him.
"I wonder which of these Western Conference Playoffs teams will fall behind first. Anyway, I think the Rockets are very likely to be out of it this season."
A Sina Sports reporter couldn't help but complain about the Rockets' current situation.
"It's a bit of a shame for the Rockets. If Yao Ming hadn't been injured, they could have continued to compete this season."
"Forget it. The Rockets' owner just doesn't want to spend money. The problem with their guard line has never been resolved."
Because the Thunder were playing the Rockets back-to-back tomorrow, this topic sparked a flurry of complaints from everyone.
Su Qun also knew in his heart that the Rockets' championship window might have already passed, and the Western Conference Semifinals might be Yao Ming's best Playoffs performance in his career.
After the timeout, Rodney Stuckey tried to use his individual ability to solve the Detroit Pistons current offensive struggles, but unfortunately, facing Kayce, who was a size bigger than him, he found it very difficult to shake off the defense.
After several crossover dribbles, Rodney Stuckey found that Kayce was still tightly covering him. He was tall and strong, yet very agile, and most importantly, Kayce rarely fell for fakes.
With little time left on the shot clock, he had no choice but to take a contested step-back mid-range shot.
"Bang" It was another miss.
After Kostić secured the rebound, he passed it to Durant nearby. The latter, without dribbling, made a direct pass to Kayce, and the Thunder's transition offense was initiated again.
Kayce received the ball and accelerated furiously, charging past half-court. Noticing that Russell had already caught up behind him, he made a covert behind-the-back bounce pass while on the move.
Russell received the ball and, ignoring Rodney Stuckey's interference in front of him, took three big steps and threw down a one-handed dunk!
"Slam!" The transition dunk was successful.
By the time the Thunder's offense was completed, the Detroit Pistons' players were only just retreating on defense.
Seeing such a scene, Kayce finally understood why the Detroit Pistons' performance was declining: insufficient defensive willingness, with everyone focused on offense to pad their stats.
"Russell with a spectacular fast-break dunk! This is the offense we love to see! Charge up, OKC!"
Commentator Twin started his passionate commentary.
In the remaining few minutes of the first quarter, the Thunder completely overwhelmed the Detroit Pistons with their athleticism.
The Thunder's three-point barrage began, or rather, Kayce's personal three-point barrage began.
Kayce, who had completely transformed into an outside artillery, showcased his excellent catch-and-shoot ability. Catch-and-shoot jumpers after screens, and kick-out passes from Russell and Durant's drives, all allowed Kayce to score easily.
The badge bonuses from [Catch and Shoot] + [Hot Zone Hunter] gave Kayce terrifying outside firepower.
After several passes on the perimeter, Kayce used Kostić's back screen to shake off his defender. He received a pass from Durant at the top of the arc beyond the three-point line and, without hesitation, took a catch-and-shoot jumper.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in steadily.
"Another three! Kayce hits another three, unbelievable! He's currently five-for-five and has already scored fifteen points!"
Commentator Twin excitedly raised his voice again.
"Oh! Ah!!"
A huge cheer erupted from the Ford Center. At 28-14, with 2 minutes and 56 seconds left in the first quarter, the Thunder were already leading by 14 points. This game was decided in one quarter!
Coach John Kuester cursed under his breath. The off-ball defense was always a step slow, and the defensive intensity of the starting lineup was problematic.
"Squeak!"
The Detroit Pistons called another timeout. Coach Kuester could not accept such a defensive attitude and had to make substitutions.
The Thunder's bench was fired up, and even the benchwarmers were excited. If the game was decided early, they would get a lot of playing time. Coach Brooks had been using a short rotation, and everyone on the bench was already eager to play.
"That's awesome, Bro! I think you're definitely going to break your scoring record today!"
Russell sincerely praised him.
"That depends on how the Detroit Pistons play in the second quarter. The scoring record isn't important; what's important is that we win this game easily and save some energy!"
Kayce said with a relaxed expression.
There wasn't much time left in the first quarter, and both teams started to make substitutions. The Thunder kept Kayce and Durant in, bringing on Thabo Sefolosha, Ibaka, and Nick Collison.
The Detroit Pistons brought in Willow Bynum and Charlie Villanueva, replacing the less effective Atkins and Wallace. With a double-digit deficit, the Detroit Pistons had to fight hard on offense.
But unfortunately, in the subsequent play, the Thunder had multiple players scoring. Kayce, who had opened up his outside shooting, also started to frequently dish out assists. Ibaka, after coming on, also showed his excellent help defense on the defensive end.
Rodney Stuckey, with great difficulty, used a teammate's screen to shake off Kayce's defense and excitedly drove straight to the basket, only to be met by Ibaka, who had rotated over for help defense, and was blocked with a thunderous swat.
"Slap!"
Collison secured possession and passed to Kayce, and the Thunder initiated another transition offense.
On a three-on-one fast break opportunity, Kayce saw Durant heading straight for the corner, and he understood. Durant also wanted to showcase his three-point shooting ability.
While on the move, Kayce flicked his wrist, passing the ball to the wide-open Durant in the corner. Without waiting for him to shoot, he immediately turned to get back on defense, simultaneously raising both hands to signal the crowd to cheer.
Durant received the ball, made a simple adjustment, and took an open three-point jump shot.
"Swish!" It was a clean swish, a transition three-pointer made.
"Ah!! Wow!"
Durant felt his shot hadn't even gone in yet, and the crowd had already erupted in huge cheers. He turned his head and saw that Kayce was showing off on the side. He immediately felt speechless and wanted to complain:
"I'm the one who made the shot, but you're taking all the credit?"
By the end of the first quarter, it was 36-22, with the Thunder leading by 14 points. Victory was already within their grasp.
"That's incredible! Kayce had 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists in the first quarter. I feel like he wasn't even going all out on offense; he was mostly just facilitating the team in the last few minutes."
The Sina Sports reporter was dumbfounded. He suddenly remembered what Kayce had said after winning the NCAA championship: "There's no difference between NCAA and NBA."
"I'm completely stunned. He's shooting three-pointers as easily as drinking water. Which of our domestic players has such shooting ability?"
A accompanying staff member couldn't help but compare Kayce to domestic players.
"This is shooting ability under high intensity. There's no need to compare. If they really had this ability, everyone would be playing in the NBA. Let's see how many points Kayce can score in this game!"
Although the game was decided in one quarter, Su Qun was still very much looking forward to Kayce's individual performance.
Coach Brooks was also willing to make it happen, directly telling Kayce during the quarter break:
"Kayce, stay aggressive. If an opportunity arises, attack decisively!"
Kayce nodded, indicating he understood. Coach Brooks was allowing him to rack up points in the second quarter.
Since the Thunder were already leading by 14 points in the first quarter, Coach Brooks also increased his rotation. At the start of the second quarter, the lineup was Kayce leading four bench players.
Shaun Livingston and Thabo Sefolosha partnered in the backcourt, with Kayce and Ibaka on the wings, and Collison at center. In this lineup, Kayce became the offensive focal point.
Coach Kuester, on the other hand, used a short rotation. Except for Willow Bynum, the remaining four players were all starters. The double-digit deficit forced the Detroit Pistons to fight with all their might.
On the Detroit Pistons' offense, Rodney Stuckey saw that his direct opponent had changed to Thabo Sefolosha and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he didn't have to guard Kayce.
But he quickly realized that Thabo Sefolosha's defense was still very difficult to break through. He reluctantly passed the ball back to Jerebko in the paint, who, facing Ibaka's defense, missed a low-post hook shot.
Nick Collison secured the defensive rebound. This time, the Detroit Pistons retreated quickly, so there was no transition opportunity. He passed the ball to Livingston, who slowly dribbled it across half-court after receiving it.
Seeing Kayce calling for the ball in the low post, he immediately passed it, while also signaling his teammates to spread out and create offensive space.
Jason Maxiell didn't dare to guard Kayce too closely. After Kayce received the ball, he took a probing step. Seeing his defender move back again, he immediately pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
"Oh! Kayce is destroying the Detroit Pistons! It's too easy! Maybe he has a chance to break his scoring record this game."
Commentator Twin was already at a loss for words.
In the first half of the second quarter, Kayce displayed the abilities of a top-tier small forward on both ends of the court. He dominated every Detroit Pistons player he faced; no defender could stop him.
Against guard defense, Kayce used his back to post up. As long as he pushed them into his shooting hot zone, [High Difficulty Shot King] + [Tough Shooter] + [Hot Zone Hunter] gave him a very high mid-range shooting percentage.
Against wing defense, Kayce used his balanced left and right hands and skillful ball-handling to tear through the defense.
[Triple Threat Veteran] could be combined with various offensive badges, and Maxiell, his direct opponent, was being completely devoured by Kayce.
On a Thunder possession, Kayce, facing Maxiell's defense beyond the three-point line, executed a series of crossover dribbles. He accelerated with the ball in his left hand to drive, with Maxiell tightly guarding his side and attempting to use body contact to disrupt Kayce's dribble.
But this defense was overzealous. While on the move, Kayce changed his rhythm, dribbling in place with his left hand, slightly twisting his body to fake a spin move.
Maxiell was completely faked out, stumbling, and could only watch as Kayce accelerated again, driving for a left-handed layup, easily scoring 2 points.
Halfway through the second quarter, Kayce was 4-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, scoring another 10 points. The lead had stretched to 20 points, and the Detroit Pistons players were already demoralized, with their defense becoming lax.
Despite the large lead, Coach Brooks still brought on Russell and Durant. Kayce also went to the bench to rest, as this was the Thunder's home game, and to give back to the fans, the starters needed to play at least three quarters.
By halftime, the score was 66-46, a 20-point lead, making the second half almost without suspense.
When the second half began, Kayce did not continue his aggressive play. After accumulating 30+5+10 in stats, he rarely shot except for a few desperation shots.
Durant's scoring, however, soared. Through three-pointers and free throws, he also reached thirty points by the end of the third quarter. Both teams played very freely in the third quarter, and without looking at the score, the game was lively and entertaining.
The fourth quarter was time for both teams' bench players. Both sides played very intensely, and Oklahoma City fans felt their tickets were definitely worth it.
Ultimately, the game ended with the Thunder easily defeating the visiting Detroit Pistons 118-102 at home.
Perhaps due to the aggressive play, the friendly facade was gone. After the game, both sides simply exchanged brief hugs, and then the Detroit Pistons players turned and left, not wanting to stay an extra second.
In the Thunder locker room, Durant excitedly shared his scoring experience:
"Guys, three-pointers and free throws are definitely the best ways to score. Of course, I have to admit, my outside shot was great tonight, but drawing fouls for free throws is something everyone can try."
In this game, Durant made 4 three-pointers and 10 free throws, easily scoring 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. It must be said that the referees indeed blew the whistle for him. With this officiating standard, the scoring title this season is definitely within reach.
"Three-pointers are too difficult. If the referees called a foul every time I drove to the basket, my average scoring would increase significantly."
Russell was a bit envious of Kayce and Durant. His mid-range shot was off in this game, resulting in not even reaching 20 points, with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers.
"Kevin is right. If you have a three-point percentage of around 35%, increasing three-point attempts appropriately will definitely improve scoring efficiency significantly."
"Given that we only have one star player on our team right now, don't expect too many free throws."
"If we all had LeBron James's officiating treatment, maybe we'd have a chance at the championship this season!"
Hearing Kayce's words, everyone burst into laughter. James's star treatment from the referees was almost in a league of its own.
This is not hard to understand. His driving style and the league's strong support, as a future face of the league, this kind of privilege is necessary.
Durant was very satisfied with his performance in this game. He scored 30 points on offense and successfully limited his direct opponent on defense, thinking to himself with a smug feeling:
"Let's see how you guys can still criticize me! This is a solid performance!"
Since they had to fly to Houston tomorrow, everyone went home early tonight to rest well and recharge for tomorrow's game.
After Kayce got home, he replied to the congratulatory texts from his 'surface brothers' while thinking about what Christmas gifts to get for the two girls.
"I hate Christmas. I've given every possible gift over the years."
...
On the plane to Houston, the Thunder team was still playing Texas Hold'em. Seeing Durant's annoyed expression, Jeff Green immediately asked:
"Kevin, don't tell me you've been reading those crappy media reports again."
"No, the media reports are fine, but last night a lot of Detroit Pistons fans kept leaving comments on my Twitter, calling me a free throw merchant. Fuck, what kind of crappy nickname is that?!"
Durant had been in a good mood last night until he checked Twitter messages after getting home, and he was instantly speechless.
"What? They can criticize that too?"
Then, he directly engaged in a late-night back-and-forth with Detroit Pistons fans on Twitter, and with his excellent Twitter combat skills, he completely shut them down until they stopped replying.
"Don't pay attention to what opposing fans say. After all, they lost, so we need to be considerate of the losers' feelings. The more you reply to messages, the more excited they get. The best thing to do is ignore their crappy remarks!"
Kayce had basically stopped looking at comments on Twitter recently. There were too many sour grapes, and he was simply too lazy to bother with those people.
"No, I will defend my Twitter territory. No one can defeat me on Twitter. Don't worry, guys, I've expanded my discussion group, and a lot of the time I don't even have to personally intervene anymore."
Hearing this, Kayce's expression was strange. He somewhat suspected that if Durant signed a big contract, he might directly start a media company specifically to serve him.
"I always feel like these operations are familiar? Maybe someone has really done these things in the future."
The Houston Rockets currently have a record of 13 wins and 13 losses, placing them eighth in the Western Conference, which Chinese fans are quite satisfied with.
Recently, a post on Hupu Forum has been highly discussed: "Who has stronger scoring ability, Kayce or Ariza?" Houston Rockets fans enthusiastically posted their opinions.
"Ariza's scoring ability is still stronger. Ariza has been playing very well in the recent games, with three consecutive games of 25+ points."
"Has the person above not watched Kayce play? Ariza is stronger? Stop defending him, Kayce completely dominates him, okay? I've long since realized that the two are not even on the same level."
"The Thunder's games are still broadcast too infrequently. Have you forgotten how Kayce crushed Ariza? From physical attributes to skills, Kayce is absolutely superior. Ariza is just a role player."
"Exactly, what's there to compare? Whether it's team performance or individual stats, Ariza can't compare. I'm a Rockets fan, and I don't have high hopes for Ariza at all."
"Only Kobe can bring out the best Ariza. Once he leaves the Lakers, he's no good. He should quickly go back to Kobe's side if he has the chance!"
"Kobe fans, get out! You're everywhere. What does this post have to do with the Lakers?!"
"It would be great if Ariza could come to the Cavaliers. My LeBron just needs players who can shoot threes and defend."
"The person above should quickly wave their sword and go find their Emperor. You're all over the place, I'm really fed up. Reported, you're welcome!"
Kayce at this time had no idea that fans across the ocean were arguing again. After arriving in Houston, Yao Ming once again treated him to an authentic Shanghai meal and also brought up Yi Jianlian's situation.
"Kayce, when you go to New York for an away game after Christmas, introduce Yi Jianlian to your trainers. He's been in a slump lately, and relying solely on the Nets' training, his playing time will only decrease."
Players in the league are quite gossipy, and Kayce's training team had also become famous. Everyone unanimously believed that at least half of Kayce's excellent competitive state was due to his trainers.
"No problem. Tony and Meg are best at customizing training plans for players and adjusting their physical condition. They also have many friends, so they can help Yi Jianlian find a new trainer then."
Kayce readily agreed. They were his compatriots, and he had to help when needed.
"That's good. He'll probably be too embarrassed to bother you the first time you meet, so please help him out a lot then. It would be a shame for Yi Jianlian, with such great athletic talent, to return to China to play."
"I'll toast you with water first!"
"Haha, you're too polite, these are small matters. I promise to help Yi Jianlian find a suitable trainer for him."
Head Coach Adelman had been having a headache lately. McGrady had returned from injury, but the Rockets' management wanted to continue benching their star player.
The Rockets had basically made it clear that they wanted to trade McGrady and were already in contact with other teams. Once the mid-season trade window opened, McGrady would be directly sent away.
Despite having an immediate contributor on the team, Adelman couldn't use him. Thinking about the Rockets' abnormal roster, he increasingly felt that the future was bleak, and could only silently think to himself:
"I hope the team improves after the trade."
At the Toyota Center, the attendance tonight was not very high, but there were many Chinese fans who specifically came to support Kayce.
When Kayce appeared, he immediately heard a considerable cheer.
The Thunder and Rockets had already played each other twice, and both teams' players were very familiar with each other. Both sides still used their regular rotations in this game.
Before the game, Russell excitedly performed a dance. Aaron Brooks was Russell's favorite player to guard at the moment. Since picking up his defense, Russell always delivered a strong punch when facing smaller players.
There was no suspense after the tip-off, as Kostić once again won the first possession for the Thunder.
After the Thunder ran a couple of figure-eight plays, Kayce received the ball and faced Ariza's defense. He dribbled twice between his legs in place, pulled back with a left-hand crossover dribble, and then executed a quick right-hand spin.
By the time Ariza reacted, he had already lost half a step. Hayes saw Kayce driving to the basket and had only one thought:
"Don't come over here."
But help defense still had to come. Kayce, on the move, tossed the ball with his left hand, and Kostić at the basket finished with an alley-oop dunk.
"Slam!" The old trick still worked, an easy dunk for two points.
Kayce, on defense, seemed a bit unenthusiastic. After playing two games against the Rockets, he had thoroughly figured out their tactics. The coaching staff hadn't made many specific arrangements for this game either; everyone just needed to play normally.
Russell and Durant, however, were still in high spirits. These two had been discussing how to rack up points in the locker room earlier.
The outcome of the game was as Kayce expected. Led by the Thunder's best sixth man, Aaron Brooks, the Thunder easily defeated the Rockets 110-94.
Aaron Brooks went 2-for-15 from the field for 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists, leading the Rockets to defeat.
As for Ariza, under Kayce's defense, he once again disappeared, disappointing the eager expectations of many Rockets fans.
20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kayce's performance was unremarkable, as his thoughts had already flown to the game three days later:
"Los Angeles Lakers experience package, I'm coming for you again!"