On January 12th, the hot topic in the NBA tonight was no longer about the MVP race, but rather whether Coach Popovich, that old geezer, had been holding back in previous games.
With a score of 85-105, the San Antonio Spurs decisively defeated the Los Angeles Lakers at home. The Spurs had already secured the win in the first half. With Gasol out due to injury, Duncan efficiently scored 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks, single-handedly destroying the Lakers interior.
The Spurs recorded 29 assists throughout the game, showcasing perfect team play and scoring both inside and out. The Lakers had almost no way to retaliate. Although Kobe shot 7-for-10 in the first half, efficiently scoring 16 points, it still couldn't prevent the Lakers from trailing by 14 points at halftime.
As a result, the second half quickly turned into garbage time. A frustrated Kobe stopped shooting, silently watching his bench players clank shot after shot.
Seeing Kobe's determined gaze, the Lakers rotation players were so scared that they entered mamba mode prematurely, almost bending the San Antonio Spurs' basket.
Of course, the Thunder were very happy about the Lakers loss, once again widening the win-loss gap and solidifying their position as the top team in the Western Conference.
Kayce felt speechless after watching clips of Coach Popovich's post-game interview; that old geezer didn't say a single truthful thing.
"Next game, the San Antonio Spurs will travel to Oklahoma City to challenge the Thunder. With the Thunder's interior players injured, will you still choose to rest Duncan?"
A media reporter, stirring up trouble, asked a rather sharp question after the game. The NBA has always discouraged resting players, as fans buy tickets to see the stars, but Coach Popovich has always done as he pleased, using almost every injury excuse imaginable.
"Duncan will still start. His competitive form is excellent. Of course, as everyone knows, playing on the road always brings some unfavorable factors. I just hope all my players can stay healthy."
Coach Popovich had a set of diplomatic answers and completely ignored the reporters provocations. He didn't mention resting players once; he didn't want to pay a fine.
When Kayce saw this, he was a bit unsure about Coach Popovich's player arrangements. He always felt that the opponent was up to something. The game against the Lakers didn't consume much energy, and no one likes to lose to the same team consecutively.
"I hope that old geezer rests Duncan quickly; that way, the game will be much easier!"
Kayce saw the San Antonio Spurs post-game news report and couldn't help but silently pray. As long as they got through the San Antonio Spurs, Kostić would be almost ready to return, and the subsequent games would be much easier.
In this era, without a bruising interior player, it's really hard to withstand the continuous onslaught from the Western Conference's star power forwards and centers.
On January 13th, during the Thunder's afternoon practice, Durant was in high spirits, his form exceptionally good. The basket seemed as wide as the ocean, and every shot he took went in.
On the MVP candidate list, Durant, with his excellent performance, ranked third. If nothing unexpected happened, he would likely receive the Player of the Week award again this week. With good news, Durant's form naturally improved a lot.
"The media has finally included Kevin in the MVP conversation. If we can achieve a good record, perhaps Kevin can really win this award."
As Durant's staunch supporter, Jeff Green, of course, had to praise his boss and make his presence felt in the locker room.
"Actually, ESPN has been loudly proclaiming recently that Kayce will win the MVP. These media outlets are really boring. If the records are similar, I think the NBA will definitely award the MVP to LeBron James, or perhaps to Kobe Bryant."
"It's very difficult for a rookie to win this award. However, Kayce's All-Star votes rank third among Western Conference guards, which is a shame."
Russell also had to build momentum for his good brother Kayce; this was about the position of the team's boss.
"Alright, just a simple warm-up will do. Kostić will not play in tonight's game. The medical team advised him to rest for a few more days. So, tonight we will continue with the same rotation as the last game. Let's go, guys!"
Coach Brooks didn't go into much tactical detail, only briefly announcing the rotation for tonight's game. Facing the in-form San Antonio Spurs, the coaching staff had already prepared for a loss.
Kayce noticed that the coaching staff's mood was low and could only sigh helplessly in his heart:
"I hope the San Antonio Spurs really do a lineup rotation tonight!"
Time flew by quickly. In the evening, Oklahoma City fans arrived early at the Ford Center. This was the last game of a four-game homestand. The Thunder had achieved a 2-1 record, which Oklahoma City fans were very satisfied with, especially since the team had two injured interior players!
During the final warm-up phase before the game, Kayce saw the San Antonio Spurs lineup with one big and four small players and felt a bit helpless. The opponent would surely switch on every screen, and this defensive strategy was indeed very effective against the Thunder.
"Don't worry, guys, my hand is hot tonight, we can definitely win this game!"
Durant was a bit overconfident, after all, he had already climbed to third place on the MVP candidate list. With media praise and fan admiration, he even felt invincible, transforming directly into a modern-day Jordan.
"Tonight, our offense needs to be more patient. Pay attention to their defense."
Before going on court, Kayce briefly reminded his teammates again. Unlike previous easy wins, the San Antonio Spurs were not a pushover. Since Coach Popovich, that old geezer, chose to play his starters, he would definitely not just coast.
The referee signaled both teams' players to come to center court. Ibaka and Duncan prepared for the tip-off at mid-court.
"The game begins! Duncan tips the ball to the San Antonio Spurs. After Parker dribbles past half-court, he immediately passes the ball to Duncan at the elbow."
After Duncan received the ball, everyone else cleared one side. Parker quickly cut along the baseline. Russell's defensive focus was very concentrated, sticking tightly to Parker. Duncan noticed there was no passing opportunity, and after a triple threat, immediately shot the ball.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
Ibaka was a bit helpless. He didn't dare to get too close because Duncan could really blow by him in one step. After the opponent's triple threat, his defensive Center of Gravity instinctively shifted backward, and he could only watch Duncan easily shoot.
Ibaka was destined to get a good lesson from Duncan in this game.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball, and after Russell dribbled past half-court, he found that the San Antonio Spurs were indeed employing their previous defensive strategy: quick switches after screens.
After several off-ball movements, the Thunder still couldn't get an easy shot.
At this point, Kayce and Ibaka executed a baseline cross-screen, and DeJuan Blair switched over, trying to push Kayce out.
But with the boost from his [Post-Up Playmaker] badge, Kayce still successfully received the ball near the paint.
After receiving the ball with his back to the basket, Kayce smoothly spun, cleverly shaking off DeJuan Blair's defense, and accelerated along the baseline with the ball in his left hand.
Noticing that Duncan had already recovered to the basket, he flicked his wrist and passed to an unguarded Collison.
The latter, after receiving the ball, quickly tossed it with his right hand, and the two-pointer steadily went in.
"Oh!"
The Ford Center crowd immediately cheered; their team had scored, and everyone settled back down to watch the game.
The San Antonio Spurs' offense, all of their tactics originated from Duncan.
Low-post strong plays, off-ball cuts, high-line hand-offs, Duncan's comprehensive skills left the Thunder's defense scrambling, and Collison was quickly being overwhelmed.
Coupled with Tony Parker's quick drives after pick-and-rolls, which always tore apart the Thunder's interior defense, after just over three minutes into the game, it was 12-4.
The San Antonio Spurs had made every shot, and the Thunder's offense was also experiencing problems.
The defensive strategy of switching on every screen meant that Durant always had a defender in front of him, making it difficult to get open looks after screens.
Just like their previous encounter, the San Antonio Spurs were not giving up three-pointers, accepting Durant's mid-range pull-up jumpers instead.
However, Durant, facing the San Antonio Spurs' wing players, started the game with a series of misses; it was clear he hadn't adjusted from 'easy mode' yet, and several of his shots were out of sync with his offensive rhythm.
Coach Brooks, seeing the unfavorable situation on the court, immediately called a timeout.
"Guys, be patient; we need to find better shooting opportunities. Move the ball around. The San Antonio Spurs are a mature team; don't think the game will be too simple."
"Kayce, control the pace of the offense; we need to play smarter! We need to find their defensive weaknesses, don't think about ending the game quickly.
Come on, boys!"
Coach Brooks didn't emphasize too many tactical plays; this timeout was just to help everyone calm down and quickly adjust their mindset.
The opponent was not a pushover.
After the timeout, the Thunder had possession.
Kayce called an offensive play, and after a double screen from Ibaka and Collison, Kayce smoothly received the ball.
Facing the switched-on DeJuan Blair, he dribbled the ball while giving a look to Durant in the corner.
As Durant moved up the line, Kayce seized the opportunity and passed the ball early.
Durant, catching the ball on the move, instantly drove, then pulled back with the ball in his right hand while in motion, and released a pull-up jumper.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
Inefficient with isolation plays, Durant still had a huge advantage when taking curl-cut catch-and-shoot jumpers.
After all, with his height and arm length, Jefferson found it difficult to contest his shots.
Less dribbling, quicker releases, that's what Durant should be doing.
Although the Thunder's offense gradually found its rhythm, the San Antonio Spurs always managed to make a response shot, and the deficit remained stubbornly wide.
In the remaining minutes of the 1st quarter, the Thunder's trio went all out.
Russell made a high-post pick-and-roll, then a pull-up jumper, sinking a mid-range shot steadily.
On the next possession, Tony Parker did the same, using Duncan's screen to quickly respond with a long two-pointer.
Kayce, facing the switched-on Jefferson beyond the three-point line, dribbled with a left-hand crossover and pulled back, then changed direction with a right-hand between-the-legs move, followed by a wide left-hand behind-the-back dribble, faking a drive.
This caused Jefferson's defensive center of gravity to shift backward, and Kayce pushed off his feet, quickly stepping back for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
On the San Antonio Spurs' offense, after continuous passes in and out and a drive-and-kick, Manu Ginobili, who had just come on, received the ball and used a convincing fake move to shake off Kayce.
After dribbling one step beyond the three-point line, he immediately shot a jumper.
"Swish!" The response shot went in easily.
Durant came off a screen to receive the ball, accelerated with the ball in his left hand, and then suddenly dribbled behind his back while in motion, sinking a pull-up two-pointer.
But the San Antonio Spurs quickly inbounded the ball, crossed half-court, and passed directly to Duncan in the low post.
The latter, facing Collison's defense, backed down twice, then spun and laid it in.
The two sides went back and forth, both shooting with high efficiency, but the Thunder were consistently unable to narrow the gap.
By the end of the 1st quarter, it was 35-27, with the San Antonio Spurs leading by 8 points.
During the quarter break, on the Thunder's bench, everyone looked serious. The feeling of this game was very bad. The San Antonio Spurs, with their excellent defensive rotations and skilled offensive coordination, steadily suppressed the Thunder.
"Fuck, I don't believe they'll be this accurate all game!"
Durant muttered, a bit frustrated. He truly hadn't expected the San Antonio Spurs' response shots to all go in.
"Hard to say!
I have a bad feeling."
Kayce looked helpless, sighing with a bitter smile.
"I don't believe their stamina can maintain this defense. They just played a back-to-back game against the Los Angeles Lakers!"
Russell was still full of energy and vitality.
He believed the Thunder would definitely turn the game around; playing at home, they had a stamina advantage.
But NBA games are sometimes that magical. Once the opponent finds their game rhythm, they become unstoppable.
This was exactly the case for the San Antonio Spurs in this game; they went completely wild in the subsequent time!
Duncan's mid-range shots and interior scoring kept going in, and Tony Parker and Ginobili's three-pointers continuously connected.
With scoring from both inside and out, after a run in the 2nd quarter, the deficit grew to 16 points.
Just a few consecutive misses in the latter half of the 2nd quarter, and the game was practically over.
Kayce was a bit stunned; it collapsed too quickly, he hadn't even reacted.
When the San Antonio Spurs took a large lead, the outcome of the game was essentially sealed.
Several Thunder comeback attempts were ineffective, and eventually, time ran out.
110-96, the San Antonio Spurs successfully exacted their revenge, easily defeating the Thunder on the road.
After the game, Coach Brooks smiled wryly and embraced Coach Popovich.
In this game, the Thunder's the coaching staff was almost helpless, only able to watch their team lose.
"Gregg, I really wish you had rested Duncan for this game; you guys played too well!"
Coach Brooks also entered commercial mutual praise mode.
"The Thunder are just affected by injuries. Your players all possess excellent physical talent.
Honestly, I like the way Kayce plays; he's truly a genius!"
Coach Popovich, feeling pleased after the win, and Coach Brooks engaged in harmonious commercial mutual praise on the sidelines.
In summary, it was a 'you're good, I'm good, everyone's good' situation.
After losing to the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder seemed to have eaten Mentos; they couldn't stop.
On the road to Dallas, challenging the Mavericks, they were once again overwhelmed by the opponent's explosive three-point shooting.
Kidd, Barea, Terry, and Nowitzki, everyone was sinking three-pointers left and right.
Ibaka felt particularly miserable.
Nowitzki was simply inhuman; mid-range, three-pointers, dribble drives, post-up isolations—after a flurry of fancy offense, he was completely destroyed.
101-112, the Mavericks, at home, shot down the Thunder, successfully getting their revenge.
The biggest reason for the Thunder's loss was their defensive slump; their interior defense truly couldn't hold up.
However, there was good news: Kostić would be able to return for the next game.
In both games, Durant scored 30+ points.
After playing the Mavericks on the road, the Thunder team flew back to Oklahoma City overnight.
Their next game would be at home against the Miami Heat.
Durant, returning home late at night, found it difficult to sleep.
Helpless, he resorted to browsing YouTube and looking at girls.
However, when he saw ESPN's basketball channel, he couldn't help but click on a video discussing the MVP.
"Durant can't lead the Thunder to wins. He's not a qualified leader. In fact, his high scoring is hurting the team!"
When Durant saw this, he immediately cursed angrily:
"Fuck you! Scoring can't help the team?
They can even criticize that?"