No NBA team is weak, and most NBA Head Coaches are not just for show. Old Coach Larry Brown, in particular, has a lot of substance.
This season, center Tyson Chandler, who was traded from the New Orleans Hornets, was out due to injury. Old Coach Larry Brown recently moved veteran center Nazr Mohammed into the starting lineup.
After studying the Thunder's lineup and playstyle with coaching staff, Larry Brown had an even bolder idea!
With just over 7 minutes left in the first quarter, the old coach substituted out starting center Mohammed for the 198cm guard Stephen Graham.
At this point, the Charlotte Bobcats' lineup had Diaw at the center position. Excluding the small guard Raymond Felton, the other four players on the court were all around two meters tall, a true small-ball lineup.
In this world, perhaps due to the butterfly effect caused by Kayce, many teams in the league had already begun to imitate the Thunder's tactical approach.
These days, star interior players are hard to find, but there are still plenty of guards and forwards around 2 meters tall.
Teams had also become more open-minded. Previously, encountering Twin towers in the paint usually meant the game was lost, but by going small and getting hot from the perimeter, they might be able to shoot their opponents to death. Losing was normal, winning was a huge profit, so there was no downside.
Once the Bobcats went with a small-ball lineup, Diaw completely opened up. In the low post, he continuously attacked Jeff Green with his large backside, and on the perimeter, he used his flexible footwork and hand-off fake screens to drive past Kostić.
What frustrated the Thunder most was that Diaw could also distribute the ball, constantly dishing out assists or indirect assists. Kostić's footwork simply couldn't keep up with him, and he was completely nullified.
Coach Brooks saw a major defensive problem and immediately called a timeout at 6 minutes and 12 seconds. The offense was fine, but he couldn't accept such defense.
"Guys, you're playing very well. Kostić, you go rest first. Ibaka, when you come on, pay attention to their screens. Your defense needs to keep up. Kayce, Kevin, Russell, increase your attacks on the rim."
Kostić was very frustrated. In the first few minutes, the Thunder had a rare advantage in the paint, and several offensive possessions were finished by him with great success, all going in. But on the defensive end, he was helpless; his lateral movement speed simply couldn't keep up.
After the timeout, the Thunder brought on their small-ball lineup. Although it was also primarily composed of forwards, the Thunder's average height was greater.
"It seems we've also made some lineup adjustments, bringing in Ibaka, who has been performing excellently recently. All five players on the court are rookies; this is a rare sight in the league."
Commentator Twin exclaimed dramatically about the Thunder's lineup.
After the Charlotte Bobcats' lineup adjustment, they switched directly on pick-and-rolls. Russell only ran two high pick-and-roll plays at the start, and then didn't have many good opportunities.
On the Thunder's first offensive possession after the timeout, as soon as they crossed half-court, Russell passed the ball to Kayce beside him, simultaneously making a tactical hand signal, indicating for his teammates to create offensive space.
After Ibaka came up to the three-point line for a pick-and-roll, Kayce drove to his left. Facing Diaw, who had switched onto him, he dribbled behind his back with his left hand, quickly changed direction between his legs, causing Diaw's defensive Center of Gravity to shift to the left.
But Kayce was waiting for this moment. With another quick change of direction between his legs, he accelerated in a straight line with the ball in his right hand, easily breaking through the opponent's defense. The continuous between-the-legs dribbling drew a gasp of amazement from the crowd.
"Oh!!"
Diaw, after being faked out, quickly chased back. He knew his teammates would have difficulty collapsing for help defense, as the Thunder's strategy was to clear the paint. At this point, he had to rely on himself.
Kayce felt Diaw still chasing hard behind him. While in motion, he suddenly slowed down, leaned into his opponent, and with a light scoop shot with his right hand, simultaneously shouted:
"And One!"
"Swish… Whistle." The ball went in, and the whistle blew.
"Come on! He ran into me himself, I didn't even move, sir! A loud shout doesn't mean I fouled!"
Seeing Kayce smiling and flexing his muscles to the courtside audience, Diaw angrily immediately found the referee, explaining repeatedly. Unfortunately, the sideline referee indicated that he had seen the play very clearly and maintained the original call.
Kayce walked to the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and calmly sank the free throw. The home-court whistle had to be utilized well.
Seeing the Thunder's lineup quickly shrink, the Bobcats also shifted their offensive focus to the perimeter. Stephen Jackson, who had recently joined the team, tried to solve the problem with his offense.
Facing Kayce's defense, after a simple in-and-out dribble, he tried to use his body to power through. However, he couldn't shake Kayce's entanglement while in motion, and his final layup was interfered with by Ibaka's help defense, resulting in a brick.
"Shit! That was definitely a foul! The league always takes care of these rookies!"
After bricking the shot, Stephen Jackson complained incessantly to the referee while retreating on defense. His offense being stopped by a rookie was a blow to his pride.
"The Golden State Warriors trading you might have been the right choice. You might want to consider retiring, buddy."
Seeing Stephen Jackson defending him, Kayce suddenly uttered a cutting remark, instantly breaking his opponent's composure.
"Rookie, has no one told you not to provoke veterans in the league? You were still breast-feeding when I was playing!"
Stephen Jackson immediately retorted. He genuinely couldn't accept the Warriors trading him. He was only 31, still capable, and had achieved the 'We Believe' upset with his brothers, yet he was still traded.
"Put away your outdated rules. The league doesn't take care of rookies. Referees only favor star players. You're past your prime, so no whistle. Accept reality, buddy!"
Kayce and Stephen Jackson stood in the corner, trash-talking fiercely, but the Thunder's offense wasn't affected much.
Durant came off a screen to receive the ball. Facing Gerald Wallace's defense, he took a big dribble, then pulled up for a jump shot from the right elbow of the free-throw line, easily sinking the ball. His height advantage was too obvious.
On the Bobcats' offense, Stephen Jackson was clearly provoked by Kayce. After receiving the ball on the perimeter, facing Kayce's defense, he used a between-the-legs dribble and an in-and-out move, then drove into the paint again with the ball in his right hand.
The result was another block by Ibaka, who came over for help defense. With the [Defense Core] badge activated, Ibaka's defensive talent was triggered early.
His defensive positioning was getting better and better, coupled with his impressive athletic talent. As long as Kayce didn't lose his defensive position too much, Ibaka could easily block shots when he came over for help.
"Fuck!"
Seeing Kayce secure the rebound and immediately initiate a fast break, Stephen Jackson cursed under his breath and chased hard from behind.
But the Thunder's transition offense was too fast. Kayce made a quick pass to Russell, who was streaking down the court. The latter, after receiving the ball, first used his body to push off Raymond Felton's defense, then took three big steps and easily slammed it down with both hands!
"Roar!"
After the dunk, Russell roared at Raymond Felton, who was defending him, and excitedly pumped his fists, signaling the crowd to get hyped.
In the next two minutes, Stephen Jackson, who had gotten carried away, perfectly demonstrated what it means to force shots when cold. Facing Kayce's defense, his post-ups, driving layups, and pull-up mid-range jumpers all bricked.
"Thank you for your Christmas gift, I really like it!"
Kayce saw Stephen Jackson brick another shot and again chuckled, teasing him.
"Shit! Shut up, rookie!"
The first quarter was almost over. Stephen Jackson was currently 2-for-10 shooting, with no free throws, and had bricked shots to the heavens. He didn't even have the confidence to trash-talk anymore.
Fortunately, the other Bobcats players were quite efficient, otherwise, the game would have been derailed by Stephen Jackson in one quarter. It was 24-26, with the Thunder leading by two points after the small-ball lineups traded blows in the first quarter.
Old Coach Larry Brown felt they had identified a weakness in the Thunder's lineup.
Therefore, in the second quarter, he shortened his rotation, substituting Ronald Murray for Raymond Felton, a like-for-like guard substitution, with everyone else continuing to play.
Coach Brooks, on the other hand, brought in center Kostić, and also put Thabo Sefolosha and Eric Maynor in the backcourt. Kayce and Ibaka also continued to play.
This lineup increased the interior height, attempting to overpower the opponent on rebounds. On defense, they relied on Ibaka's help defense ability to compensate for Kostić's lack of mobility.
After the break between quarters, Stephen Jackson also completely calmed down. At the start of the second quarter, he immediately focused all his energy on defense, intensifying his defense against Kayce.
After playing for about 3 minutes, Kayce felt a subtle sense of unease. He was bricking too many shots this game. He was 1-for-3 in the first quarter, and at the start of the second, he missed all three of his shots. Several times they were good opportunities, but his mid-range shots were all off.
Fortunately, the Bobcats continued to guard him tightly, allowing Kayce to dish out several exquisite assists. Coupled with his teammates' high shooting percentage, the score remained a back-and-forth affair.
On the Thunder's offense, through Kostić's destructive power in the low post, after several in-and-out plays and continuous perimeter ball movement, Kayce again got an open look at the 45-degree angle on the right side of the three-point line. After receiving the pass, he immediately jumped and shot.
"Bang!" Another brick.
Seeing the Bobcats successfully secure the defensive rebound, Kayce quickly retreated on defense, while silently complaining in his heart:
"This shouldn't be happening. Even if it's not in a Hot Zone, without the [Hot Zone Hunter] bonus, an open three-pointer should be easy to make. Did I do too much dribbling practice during Christmas, causing me to lose my touch this game?"
"Kayce's touch is indeed a problem this game. He missed several good shooting opportunities. Perhaps he hasn't fully recovered from the Christmas holiday."
Commentator Twin, seeing Kayce bricking shots, also helplessly complained.
Old Coach Larry Brown chuckled from the sidelines. After he and coaching staff meticulously studied Kayce's shooting spots, they naturally made targeted defensive arrangements for this game, trying to force Kayce to the right side and prevent him from receiving the ball on the left.
Their defense against Durant, however, was the exact opposite of Kayce's. As the regular season progressed, players' strengths and weaknesses would be fully exposed. Every team's coaching staff would continuously study opponents' weaknesses and strive to win every game.
The reason why many teams now favor Twin towers and super centers is because big men score more consistently in the low post; the closer to the basket, the higher the shooting percentage.
Five minutes into the second quarter, Kayce had zero points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Aside from his poor scoring, his rebounds and assists still helped the team stay in the game. Coach Brooks, seeing the situation was not good, called another timeout.
"Kayce, go rest and adjust. Don't worry about your shooting percentage. If an opportunity arises, you still need to shoot decisively."
"Russell, when you go in, pay attention to ball movement, control turnovers. Kevin, on offense, play with more patience and try to attack the rim more."
Durant immediately nodded, indicating he understood. Kayce was finally bricking shots too, which made him breathe a sigh of relief, and the sense of urgency in his heart was greatly reduced:
"As the team leader, I must step up now. Kayce, just keep bricking in peace!"
But sometimes, bricking shots is just that strange. Durant, after coming onto the court, found his own touch was also declining. Although the left side was indeed not his Hot Zone, he should still easily make open shots.
On the Thunder's offense, Durant came off a screen, received the ball, and instantly drove. Facing Gerald Wallace's defense, he dribbled behind his back with his left hand while in motion, changed pace, shook off his opponent's entanglement, and then smoothly pulled up for a fadeaway.
"Bang!" Another fadeaway brick.
"Shit! Is bricking contagious?"
A seemingly easy scoring opportunity, yet it was another brick. Durant cursed under his breath helplessly.
Fortunately, Russell and Thabo Sefolosha's touch remained online, helping the team withstand the Bobcats' offense in the latter half of the second quarter.
Gerald Wallace exploded in this quarter, shooting 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, efficiently scoring 10 points.
At halftime, the score was 50-50, with both teams tied.
Coach Brooks felt a bit helpless; the opportunities were there, but the shots just wouldn't fall.
Perhaps this was the downside of a perimeter-oriented team, with the offense relying too heavily on players' long-range shooting touch.
"We played very well in the first half.
Maintain this offensive rhythm, take decisive shots when opportunities arise, don't worry about the shooting percentage, and stick to our offensive strategy."
"We need to play tougher.
In the second half, we need to attack their basket more.
They lack big men who can protect the rim, so we need to finish more of our offense in the paint.
Come on, boys!"
Kayce and Durant both sat in their seats feeling a bit awkward, especially Kayce, who only made one shot in the first half, breaking his record for the lowest half-time score.
Durant, on the other hand, was angry with himself; despite diligently practicing every day during the Christmas holiday, his shooting percentage plummeted in this game, going 3-for-11 in the first half, filled with regret.
"Kayce, Kevin, we haven't lost the game yet; we're just missing shots, it's no big deal.
Honestly, seeing your shooting percentages finally start to drop, we all breathed a sigh of relief."
Nick Collison, as the team's veteran, spoke up to comfort the two brick-layers.
"Yeah, I almost doubted life itself, Kayce. Do you know, you really put a lot of pressure on us. You've been playing so efficiently before, God, and you're still a rookie!"
Kostić also immediately spoke up to comfort Kayce.
"That's so true! You're finally missing shots, Kayce. Every time I get a pass from you, I'm afraid I'll miss the shot, since you could easily make shots even with a defender on you. Seeing you miss, I feel much better."
Thabo Sefolosha also said excitedly.
"Kevin, sometimes I really wish you'd go back to your form from the first two seasons, when you always missed a lot of shots. This season, seeing you easily score 30 points every game, with your shooting percentage over 50%, I've felt a lot of pressure, just afraid of holding you back."
Jeff Green also spoke his mind.
Now, whenever he catches the ball for an open shot from beyond the arc and misses, he feels a tremendous sense of guilt.
Seeing the two of them miss, his mood instantly brightened.
"Us too, sh*t!
Especially this guy Kayce, so good in his rookie season, we're on edge every day in practice!"
Kayce heard his teammates in the locker room start to criticize him with a babble of voices, and the corner of his mouth twitched:
"It seems everyone has indeed been pushed to their limits!"
Durant also came to his senses at this moment, completely letting go.
Just missing shots in the first half, he suddenly thought of his other offensive moves:
"I have to show off my foul-drawing skills now, making good use of the home court's officiating standards!"
After the third quarter began, both teams brought back their starting lineups.
Veteran coach Larry Brown also stopped directing from the sidelines, sitting back on the bench, casually leaning back, and smilingly watching the situation on the court.
During halftime, Coach Larry Brown made some targeted defensive adjustments.
In the first half, the Thunder's perimeter shooting percentage was just over 40%, and he believed the scales of victory were slowly tipping towards his team.
However, after more than 4 minutes of play, the situation on the court was completely different from what he had expected.
Durant's touch was mediocre, but he had already been to the free-throw line three consecutive times, and the Thunder were still biting at the score.
On the Bobcats' offense, Gerald Wallace received the ball and faced Durant's defense.
After a triple threat, he quickly put the ball down with his left hand, drove past Durant with a big hop directly into the paint, faked once, got Durant to jump, and leaned into him.
"Squeak."
The referee's whistle blew, calling a shooting foul on Durant.
Gerald Wallace smiled triumphantly; it wasn't just about drawing fouls, he could do it too.
He then stepped to the free-throw line and calmly made both shots.
But before he could gloat for too long, on the Thunder's offense, Kayce received the ball at the right 45-degree angle outside the three-point line.
He drove with the ball in his right hand, then suddenly pulled it back between his legs while moving, paused slightly with his left hand, and quickly changed direction in front of his body.
Stephen Jackson quickly adjusted his center of gravity, not giving Kayce a chance to drive with his right hand, but unexpectedly, after one dribble, Kayce made a large turn, and after turning into the paint, he drove against Mohammed's defense and directly made a left-handed layup.
"And one!"
"Swish... squeak."
The shot went in, and the whistle blew.
Kayce stood at the free-throw line, adjusted his breathing slightly, and calmly made the extra free throw.
When his shot wasn't falling, he would attack the basket more often, especially since [Hot Zone Hunter] also had a bonus effect for drawing fouls.
Veteran coach Larry Brown felt that the situation on the court was a bit off, so he immediately called a timeout, rearranged the defense, and repeatedly emphasized that they must reduce fouls and not let the Thunder go to the free-throw line too often.
But after the timeout, the Bobcats' defense still had problems.
Although Russell's shooting percentage also started to decline at the beginning of the third quarter, after this timeout, Russell began to frequently attack the basket.
The Bobcats' small-ball lineup after the timeout lacked interior height, so whenever Russell drove, he would throw himself into the air, find the basket after contact, and his excellent athleticism allowed him to finish easily.
The whistle frequently blew in the third quarter, and the game was somewhat fragmented, with a slow pace.
In the end, both teams again tied the single quarter at 24 points.
After the final quarter began, the Bobcats also played aggressively on defense, constantly using various subtle dirty tricks to prevent easy catches.
After more than two minutes of play, neither side had scored.
Kayce realized that the Thunder's offense had started to stagnate, so he immediately began to post up for the ball on the right block in the paint.
After receiving Russell's lob pass, he first backed down, then feigned with a shoulder shake, quickly put the ball down with his right hand, and cut along the baseline.
Feeling that Stephen Jackson's defense was not out of position, he pulled the ball back with his right hand, quickly gathered it with a reverse pivot, faked a shot, and seeing the defender jump, Kayce leaned into him and casually tossed the ball up.
"And one!"
"Squeak."
Although the shot was off-target, the referee's whistle blew, calling a shooting foul on Stephen Jackson.
Stephen Jackson was no longer trash-talking at this point.
He already had 5 fouls, so he had to be more discreet now.
He didn't want to foul out early.
Kayce stood at the free-throw line, bounced the ball twice, quickly adjusted his breathing, and calmly made both free throws.
On the Bobcats' offense, Diaw used his large backside to post up and score against Jeff Green, helping the team break their scoring drought in the fourth quarter.
In the subsequent play, Durant also brought out his trump card.
Facing Gerald Wallace's overly aggressive defense, he waited for the opponent's arm to make contact with him and immediately executed a large pump fake.
"Whistle"
The referee's whistle blew, calling a shooting foul on Gerald Wallace.
"This is not a shooting motion at all. He's blatantly faking a foul. I just lightly touched his arm. Come on, this is definitely not a shooting foul!"
Gerald Wallace was very emotional, constantly explaining his actions to the referee, but unfortunately, this could not change the referee's decision.
Durant stepped to the free-throw line and calmly made both free throws.
In the next 3 minutes, the Thunder, relying on continuous attacks to the basket from Kayce, Russell, and Durant, constantly driving and dishing, maintained a 2-point lead.
But when Durant's big pump fake once again proved effective, drawing another shooting foul on Stephen Jackson, veteran coach Larry Brown also lost his composure and directly cursed at the referee:
"This is not a shooting motion at all. This is an insult to basketball, sh*t!
Your officiating completely ruined this game!"
When Stephen Jackson fouled out, he was initially very emotional, but seeing his Head Coach furiously berating the referee, he immediately went over and pulled the old man back to the bench, but the referee still called a technical foul.
"Oh!! Ah!"
The live audience at Ford Center began to cheer loudly.
Most home fans naturally hoped the referee's whistle would favor them, and if all the free throws went in, the Thunder would extend their lead.
Kayce thought helplessly, this was returning to the historical trajectory.
It was estimated that after this game, the Thunder's three whistles would definitely become famous!
After Stephen Jackson was ejected, the Bobcats were affected on both offense and defense.
In the subsequent play, Kayce finally found his shooting touch.
After receiving the ball at the right 45-degree angle outside the three-point line, facing Gerald Wallace who had switched onto him, he used a triple threat, put the ball down with his right hand, changed direction between his legs, and feigned a drive to the left.
Noticing the opponent had taken a big step back, he dribbled behind his back with his left hand and immediately stepped back for a jump shot.
"Swish."
The three-pointer swished through the net.
"Ah! Oh Ah!!"
The audience at Ford Center erupted in a huge cheer; this three-pointer was so timely!
Making this shot also made Kayce breathe a sigh of relief.
This game was truly brick-filled to the sky, but fortunately, he seized this opportunity.
This three-pointer also extended the Thunder's lead to 8 points.
In the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, the Bobcats constantly launched attacks, trying to catch up, but Durant's explosive power always delivered a response.
Finally, the game clock ran out, 92-99, the Thunder narrowly defeated the Charlotte Bobcats at home.
After the game, the Bobcats' players walked directly to the player tunnel.
Encountering such a home-court whistle, surface brothers, it's better not to be!
The Oklahoma City fans at Ford Center, however, were in high spirits.
The fans' demands were not high; as long as they won, everyone was happy.
Kayce and Durant didn't have much joy from the win either.
After all, they didn't play well in this game.
If they had to describe this victory, the most apt description would be 'chocolate-flavored sh*t'.
Kayce scored 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Looking at the stats, they seemed good, but he shot 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-4 from three-point range.
Many of his points actually came from free throws.
Durant had 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 14-for-14 from the free-throw line.
His stats also looked good, but he shot 6-for-19 from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range.
Without the fouls, he certainly wouldn't have gotten so many points.
Back in the locker room, Durant leaned dejectedly in his seat, icing himself and thinking with regret:
"What a sh*t game. This was a great opportunity to establish my locker room status. Kayce's touch was off, and I stepped up to lead the team to victory, but instead, we struggled to win because of the referee's whistle.
F*ck!"
"What's wrong, guys, we won! We're still first in the West, cheer up. Tomorrow we're heading to New York, haha, I'm going to see Taylor!"
Since he was about to see his idol, Russell was extremely excited at this time, and he began to display his graceful dance moves in the locker room again.
The rest of the Thunder were also infected by Russell's joyful mood and gradually started to chat and laugh.
Although Kayce smiled, he secretly made a resolution in his heart:
"I can't be obsessed with ball-handling training anymore, especially the combination practice of large and small balls.
Women, indeed, affect one's shooting touch!"