Whether mental attributes provide a bonus to players has always been a mystical question.
Kayce's simple understanding of mental attributes is a player's focus on the court. When you are fully immersed in the game and highly concentrated, you might perform better than usual.
In this grudge match, Russell was highly focused from the start. On defense, he was fully invested, chasing Rose on every screen with very high success.
His offensive performance was also exceptionally good. After several high pick-and-rolls, all his mid-range shots went in. In the first three minutes of the game, Russell and Rose went back and forth, constantly responding to each other.
The United Center Arena audience was thrilled. The star-studded offensive show had everyone cheering, especially Rose's offense. He skillfully drove into the paint every time, twisting and turning to put the ball into the basket.
Rose, already in the zone, didn't call for a screen on offense. Facing Russell's defense, he dribbled between his legs multiple times, then accelerated with the ball in his right hand, breaking through. With a sudden in-and-out dribble, his speed didn't drop at all, and he easily penetrated the restricted area.
Facing Ibaka, who came over to help, he didn't force a shot. Instead, he faked a shot and made a real pass, allowing Noah under the basket to easily score.
"Ah! Wow!!!"
Rose's in-and-out dribble shocked the audience, who exclaimed in awe. Such a crossover was truly exaggerated: low center of gravity, changing direction without losing speed. As long as the first step wasn't kept up with, Rose could easily tear through the defense.
Russell was very frustrated that he couldn't defend the shot. He had anticipated Rose's in-and-out dribble, but his body couldn't react in time, and he could only watch Rose break through his defense.
"Russell, that was just a simple defensive possession. Calm down and maintain your focus."
While inbounding the ball, Kayce quickly reminded Russell, fearing that he might suddenly lose his cool again.
"I'm fine. This is just the first quarter. Don't worry, Kayce."
Russell took the ball and loudly declared that he was still in good shape. Today, he was the rational and calm Russell.
On defense, after Russell continuously made mid-range shots, the Bulls finally changed their defensive strategy.
After a pick-and-roll at the 5 spot, Noah directly switched to guard Russell. It must be said that this energetic big man was indeed excellent on defense, still able to keep up when guarding a smaller player.
Seeing no good opportunity, Russell immediately passed the ball to Kayce on the perimeter. With about 10 seconds left on the shot clock, after Ibaka's screen, Gibson directly switched to guard Kayce.
Kayce, with the ball in his left hand, suddenly executed an In and Out, then a crossover dribble to pull back, stopping for a jump shot from the left elbow of the free-throw line.
"Swish" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
Gibson, noticing Kayce's shot, didn't even look at him and immediately returned to defense. A nameless fire surged in his heart. Both he and Kayce were 2009 rookies, but the attention they received was worlds apart.
After being selected by the Bulls with the 26th pick in the first round, Gibson came to the team playing the role of a younger brother. He always worked very hard, but the media and critics only sang praises for Kayce.
Especially ESPN, they had already hyped Kayce to the heavens. The title of Jordan's successor had long been placed on Kayce's head.
Rookies entering the league, their biggest competitors are players from the same draft class. Gibson felt incredibly uncomfortable seeing Kayce always playing so gloriously; he was green with envy.
Taking a few big strides, Gibson caught up to Kayce, who was returning to defense, and shouted arrogantly:
"For the rest of the game, don't even think about scoring easily on me!"
"Why are you shouting so loudly? Are you a rookie from the same draft class as me?"
"..."
Kayce was a bit speechless and replied indifferently, but he didn't expect such an action to immediately make Gibson's face turn red. This was completely ignoring him! How could he say he was a first-round pick, they had even taken photos together!
In the subsequent game, the two sides exchanged leads. The inside combination of Gibson and Noah gave the Thunder a tough time.
The Bulls' offense was not complicated. In summary, Hinrich shot from outside, Gibson and Noah grabbed rebounds inside, Rose constantly drove, and Gibson and Noah continuously scored easy baskets.
Such a simple tactic easily restricted the Thunder's fast break offense. Every time they protected a defensive rebound, it involved a fierce struggle, especially Noah, who was very aggressive on offensive rebounds.
But the Bulls also couldn't stop the Thunder's trio. With simple screens and off-ball movement, whenever an opportunity arose, Durant always managed to make the shot, either catching and shooting or faking a shot and driving inside to draw a foul.
The silver [Organization Core] badge made Durant's shooting even more stable. Kayce already felt that the real-life Durant was gradually approaching the data-simulated player in his space.
On a Thunder possession, after Russell played two consecutive possessions, he immediately passed the ball to Kayce after crossing half-court, then ran to the left baseline to create offensive space. Ibaka also sank to the right baseline area at this time.
Durant first set an off-ball screen for Collison at the free-throw line. Collison quickly moved to the three-point line to set a screen for Kayce.
Kayce quickly moved, driving to the left. At this point, Durant suddenly popped out, and Collison moved a few steps, setting another off-ball screen for Durant.
Kayce, who had driven to the left elbow of the free-throw line, noticed that Durant had shaken off Luol Deng's entanglement and was popping out. His left hand immediately delivered a diagonal pass. The ball met the man, and Durant, without adjusting, shot a three-pointer from beyond the arc.
"Swish" The three-pointer swished through the net.
"Squeak"
Seeing Durant score again, Coach Vinny Del Negro finally couldn't take it anymore and called another timeout.
The Thunder had executed the same play twice. Kayce had previously assisted Durant on a cutting dunk, and this time it was an outside three-pointer. The Head Coach was very dissatisfied with Luol Deng's two defensive plays.
"Great pass, Kayce. It was right in my shooting rhythm when I caught it. I'll split the 3 points with you."
During the timeout, Durant fist-bumped Kayce, acknowledging that having such a passer made his scoring much easier.
"I don't lose out by getting an assist. Shit! Are the Bulls players in the paint crazy? They're relentlessly crashing the offensive glass; we haven't had a single fast break opportunity since the start."
Kayce took a sip of water while complaining about the situation on the court.
Coach Brooks didn't talk about offensive strategy; he immediately started emphasizing defensive rebounding:
"We're playing very well. Continue to protect the rebounds. You must box out early. Ibaka, you need to pay attention to this; don't let Noah easily get near the basket."
"After securing the rebound, make a good outlet pass. Russell, be decisive in attacking the basket on fast breaks. The Bulls are close to the foul limit. We need to speed up. Keep it up, guys."
Russell nodded calmly. In this game, he seemed to have entered a different state, making rational decisions with the ball and shooting efficiently. He wasn't just playing; he was determined to win this game.
For the remainder of the first quarter, both sides started to miss shots frequently. The Bulls intensified their defensive pressure. The United Center Arena was their home court, and with the home-court whistle, many minor fouls went uncalled.
In addition, Rose always charged in like he was carrying a dynamite package, which meant the Thunder never got long rebounds. Every time they protected a defensive rebound, everyone scrambled for the ball.
By the time the first quarter ended, both teams were tied at 24. Without the whistle's boost, the Thunder found it difficult to score more than 30 points.
Rose was 4-for-7 in the first quarter, scoring 8 points. All 4 of his made shots were spectacular. He didn't seem to want to draw fouls; all were moves where he shook off defenders and finished with a scoop layup. If he had used a bit more technique, he could have had at least two more free throws.
Russell was 5-for-7 in the first quarter, scoring 10 points. Except for one drive, all his other points came from mid-range shots near the free-throw line. Russell made almost all the open shots given to him on defense.
At the start of the second quarter, Kayce played at the 3 spot for the Thunder, with Menor and Thabo Sefolosha forming the backcourt, and Ibaka and Tyrus Thomas protecting the paint. The Bulls also had a short rotation, with Rose and Noah subbed out and John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas coming in to match up.
On a Thunder possession, Kayce received the ball at the top of the arc off Ibaka's back screen. Luol Deng was chasing very tightly. After squeezing through the screen, he gave a small step of space, raising both hands, attempting to defend Kayce with his height advantage.
Noticing the opponent's defense, Kayce, after receiving the ball, dribbled between his legs in place, then suddenly executed a crossover dribble to pull back with his right hand. His left hand paused, and from beyond the three-point line, he made a 'shot-fake hesi', causing Luol Deng's center of gravity to immediately shift forward.
At this point, Kayce quickly executed an in-and-out dribble, accelerating with the ball in his right hand. While moving, Kayce suddenly paused, twisting his body backward, which again caused Luol Deng's center of gravity to shift backward. Feeling the defense on his side loosen, Kayce made a soft underhand layup before Gibson could help defensively.
"Swish" The two-point shot went in steadily.
Seeing Luol Deng's frustrated expression, Kayce smiled slightly. His strength training was not for nothing. His body control ability was clearly a notch stronger than at the beginning of the season, and such rhythm changes were now second nature to him.
Most importantly, Kayce's body coordination was excellent. Whether it was a same-hand, same-foot layup or a normal underhand layup, Kayce could easily complete it. This allowed him to attack the basket at any time after a breakthrough. Luol Deng was easily broken through precisely because he couldn't keep up with Kayce's rhythm.
In the first half of the second quarter, Kayce fully activated his individual offensive mode, tearing through Luol Deng and Gibson like a sieve. Many times, Kayce didn't completely get past their defense, but as long as he gained half a step, the two found it very difficult to contain him.
Especially Kayce's left and right-hand In and Out dribbles, these small in-motion skills, gave Gibson a lot of trouble, making him look like a wooden post every time. This was also a technical move Kayce had been using frequently recently, and it was very effective against big men.
After Chicago Bulls' Tyrus Thomas missed several strong attempts under the basket, the Thunder easily took a 4-point lead.
With the bonus from the silver [Defense Core] badge, Ibaka's defense became increasingly steady. Although he couldn't compare to the starting big men of some strong teams, he occasionally showed some impressive performances.
Chicago Bulls attacked. After a pick-and-roll, Gibson cut down and received a bounce pass from Hinrich, intending to go for a one-handed dunk directly. However, Ibaka came over to help defend and met him with a huge block!
"Ah!! He fouled!"
Gibson screamed, lost his balance, and stumbled to the floor, complaining loudly to the sideline referee. But the referee signaled to continue the game. Kayce controlled the ball and immediately pushed for a transition offense.
The Chicago Bulls' retreat defense was very fast. Luol Deng immediately found Kayce, wanting to use his physical confrontation to slow down Kayce's advance. Kayce sensed the opponent's intention and didn't covet the ball, immediately passing it to Menor.
After receiving the ball, Menor dribbled twice and then passed it again to the cutting Thabo Sefolosha. The Chicago Bulls' paint was completely open, and Thabo Sefolosha easily scored a layup. This was the Thunder's first successful transition offense of the game.
Coach Del Negro called a timeout. He didn't expect his rotation lineup to perform so poorly, unable to score or defend. He decided to bring the starters back in early.
Brooks also subbed out Kayce and Ibaka, temporarily playing a small-ball lineup, hoping to hold on for a few minutes. However, after this lineup came on, they missed two outside three-pointers, and the Chicago Bulls began to double-team Durant.
Fortunately, Russell stepped up at this moment. First, he received a pass from Durant, used a quick step to break through directly to the inside, drawing a foul from Noah, and two free throws helped stabilize the team. Then, he hit two consecutive mid-range shots from high pick-and-roll plays.
Especially the second shot, facing Rose's defense, he first used a pick-and-roll to shake off Rose's entanglement, then suddenly pulled the ball back between his legs with his left hand while moving, quickly changed direction in front of his body with his right hand, shook off the trailing Rose, and hit a pull-up jumper.
"Roar! !"
After scoring, Russell roared at Rose, showing his tough attitude.
"Boo!"
Seeing Russell provoke their team's star player, the United Center Arena crowd immediately let out huge boos.
Rose still maintained his poker face, not saying a word, but on the offensive end, he began to intensify his drives. Facing Russell's defense, after a crossover dribble, he used continuous in-front-of-the-body changes of direction. The movements were small, but the speed was too fast, and he immediately blew past Russell.
After rushing into the paint, he took off, evaded the defense of Nick Collison and Etan Thomas, and then, with a large-arc scoop from right to left, he used his left hand to lay the ball up, hitting the high backboard and sending the ball into the hoop.
"Ah! Wowha! !"
Such a flashy layup immediately ignited the enthusiasm of the United Center Arena crowd. First, a huge cheer erupted, and during the defensive possession, they also began to cheer for the home team:
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Kayce, sitting on the bench, was also a bit stunned to see Rose twist his body in the air to make the layup. It was like he couldn't make a layup without a scoop. Sometimes, a direct foul bait might be more effective, but he had to admit, playing like that was really cool and could indeed boost home morale.
Coach Brooks saw that the team had temporarily withstood the opponent's counterattack, so he planned to let Kayce rest well in the second quarter to conserve more energy for the second half.
At halftime, the score was 52 to 48, with the Thunder holding a 4-point lead.
During the halftime break, in the Thunder's locker room, Coach Brooks stood in front of the whiteboard and immediately began to explain the tactics for the second half.
"Excellent first-half performance, guys. We protected the defensive rebounds and didn't let the Chicago Bulls get their favored second-chance points. But in the second half, we need to strengthen our outside shooting on offense, especially three-point shooting."
"In the first half, we only attempted 6 three-pointers, making 2. This kind of outside firepower is far from enough. Kayce, Kevin, whether it's three-pointers off screens or three-pointers off isolation, I need you to make those shots from outside!"
"We need to play our own offensive rhythm, reduce half-court sets, and at the same time, continue to protect our defensive rebounds. After this game, when we return to Oklahoma City, we'll have four consecutive home games. Come on, guys!"
"Oh yeah!"
The temptation of going home excited the Thunder players, who cheered loudly. Kayce also quietly gave Durant a provocative look, signaling to compare in the second half. Durant shook his head, smiled, and held up four fingers, indicating he could make four three-pointers.
Russell, who was in focus mode, didn't notice the small gestures between the two. At this moment, he was shouting excitedly:
"Guys, this game is on me! I'll lock down Rose in the second half!"
The third quarter began, and the Thunder attacked. After Russell dribbled past half-court, Kayce immediately went to the corner. They started by running a double screen play for Durant. With two screens from Collison and Ibaka, Durant received the ball at the 45-degree angle on the right side of the three-point line and immediately pulled up for a shot.
"Swish" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
Last season, Durant's field goal percentage was 47.6%, and his three-point percentage was 42.2%. Although they were somewhat inflated, they still had some reference value.
At the start of the new season, with the bonus from Kayce's [Organization Core] badge, Durant's field goal percentage was close to 50%. Although his three-point percentage had slightly dropped, it was currently maintained at around 38%.
After making the shot, Durant showily raised a finger, signaling to Kayce that it was the first one.
The Chicago Bulls attacked. Luol Deng, using Gibson's screen, shook off Durant's defense and took a pull-up mid-range jumper.
"Bang" It clanked off the rim.
Collison firmly boxed out Noah behind him, successfully secured the defensive rebound, and immediately passed it to Kayce beside him. Noticing the Chicago Bulls' quick retreat defense, Kayce was not in a hurry and slowly dribbled past half-court.
Hinrich defended Kayce closely from the front, wanting Kayce to pass the ball early. But he over-committed on defense. Kayce, while moving, suddenly changed direction with a between-the-legs dribble with his left hand, quickly dribbled behind his back with his right hand, and then took a large step-back to the three-point line, directly pulling up for a shot.
"Swish" A flashy shot, the three-pointer went in without touching the rim.
"Oh! ! Wow!"
The United Center Arena crowd let out a gasp of surprise. What was happening? He shot a three-pointer right after crossing half-court, and it went in?
Hinrich also looked at Kayce in a daze. The action was too fast; by the time he reacted and wanted to defend, Kayce had already released the ball.
Once the lead reached double digits, the Chicago Bulls players became a bit anxious. After all, their three-point shooting was poor, and with a large deficit, it would be too difficult to catch up. On offense, after a front-of-the-body crossover, Rose once again drove to the basket, shouldering Russell. However, he was interfered with by the helping Ibaka and couldn't score.
Collison once again secured the defensive rebound. After Russell received the ball, Kayce signaled everyone to slow down, as the Chicago Bulls had already fully retreated on defense.
In this defensive possession, the Chicago Bulls players put in 120% effort, speeding up their defensive rotations and chasing hard. Several plays failed to materialize.
With 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Russell changed direction and immediately drove into the paint. But Noah's lateral movement was incredibly fast. Russell felt he would definitely be blocked, and seeing Kayce out on the perimeter from the corner of his eye, he immediately passed the ball off.
Kayce received the pass one step beyond the three-point line. Noticing the shot clock was expiring, he didn't hesitate, taking a long-range three-pointer with a jump shot.
"Swish" The three-pointer went in again.
After scoring, Kayce's expression was calm, and he showily raised both hands, slowly retreating on defense, but in his heart, he let out a sigh of relief: Fortunately, he received the ball on the left side of the three-point line. The combination of the [Hot Zone Hunter] + [Catch and Shoot] badges gave him a boost; otherwise, this shot would have been really hard to make.
Perhaps this three-pointer angered the Chicago Bulls players. In the subsequent game, the opponents defended on the three-point line, and with the added benefit of home-court officiating, they constantly engaged in pulling and grabbing, determined not to allow the Thunder to shoot from outside.
But the lead remained around 10 points. Kayce was a master at controlling the tempo, not making turnovers on offense, and immediately retreating on defense after a miss. On defense, Russell played with renewed vigor, as if he had been injected with adrenaline. He was finally going to win against Rose, and he was excited!
By the end of the third quarter, the score was 78 to 68, with the Thunder still leading by ten points. The Chicago Bulls' outside shooting was truly terrible, and without transition offense, catching up was incredibly difficult.
The fourth quarter began with both teams' starters back on the court. Russell, in this grudge match, erupted again, hitting three unreasonable pull-up mid-range shots, once again widening the lead. Rose was clearly broken down, becoming more and more anxious on offense, attempting mid-range jumpers but still missing.
After this long rebound bounced out, Kayce easily collected it and immediately passed it to the fast-breaking Russell. The latter received the ball, accelerated madly, shouldered off the trailing Rose, and took flight directly for a one-handed tomahawk dunk!
"Slam" The transition offense resulted in a dunk.
"Ah! !"
An excited Russell roared, letting out a long-held breath. He was finally going to win against Rose!
"Boo! !"
Kayce heard the huge boos erupting from the United Center Arena and chuckled to himself:
"We're definitely winning this game! The first grudge match of the new season, Russell leads 1-0 for now. The feeling of 'brotherhood basketball' is really good!"