Roy looked at Kayce's retreating figure, pondering,
Are rookies this good now? This kind of combined ball-handling ability is rarely seen in rookies.
The Portland Trail Blazers can be said to have both inside and outside threats, with Roy on the perimeter and Aldridge in the paint. And as long as Oden is healthy, their inside offense is even more guaranteed.
The unfortunate thing is that Oden is a bit fragile. Not only does his face look 40 years old, but his body's fragility is also approaching that of a 40-year-old.
However, Oden was still a powerhouse in this game. In an offensive possession, he received a pass from Aldridge, faced Kostić's defense, backed him down to create space, and then immediately went up for a powerful dunk.
"Clang!" A dunk full of power.
"Oh!!!"
The audience gasped in amazement. Kostić is 213cm tall and has good bulk, but Oden completely overpowered him, driving him back for a direct dunk.
"Incredible strength! If this guy stays healthy, he's a beast in the paint!" Commentator Twin also praised Oden's physical talent.
After a few opening possessions, Kayce also discovered the Portland Trail Blazers' defensive strategy: whenever there's a pick-and-roll, Oden invariably drops back to protect the rim. However, this was also a clear weakness.
After Russell brought the ball across half-court, he made a hand-off to Kayce. After receiving the ball, Kayce signaled Kostić to come up for a screen. Seeing that Oden indeed didn't step out, he was secretly pleased.
Kostić set a good screen. Facing Roy's defense, Kayce accelerated with the ball in his left hand, successfully using the screen to get half a step ahead of Roy. Near the free-throw line, he executed a step-back and a drifting jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
"Number 5! Number 5! Kevin, number 5!" Kayce shouted a play to his teammates while making a tactical hand gesture.
Durant immediately understood Kayce's tactical intention and gave a thumbs-up, indicating he got it.
The number 5 play was developed by Coach Brooks and coaching staff, specifically tailored to the characteristics of Kayce and Durant.
The main idea was to use a pick-and-roll, then have the forwards attack the inside, utilizing their excellent ball-handling skills to break down the opponent's defense.
The Portland Trail Blazers' offensive pace was relatively slow. Under Kayce's tight defense, Roy couldn't generate many good opportunities. He noticed that the opponent's defense rarely fell for fakes, which frustrated him.
The Ankle Guard badge allowed Kayce to maintain his defensive position, but if he encountered a highly skilled player, the bronze badge might not be enough. However, Roy wasn't at that level yet.
This possession was again given to Aldridge. Jeff Green was at a disadvantage defending in the low post, as he was outmatched in both height and weight. Aldridge backed him down, turned towards the baseline with his right hand, and hit a fadeaway.
"Swish!" A signature move, effective everywhere.
The Thunder's offensive rhythm changed. After a series of figure-eight hand-offs, Kostić set a screen for Durant, who accelerated directly with the ball in his right hand.
Webster was a step late getting around the screen, and could only watch as Durant took a drifting shot from the right side of the free-throw line.
"Swish!" The shot was very stylish. Oden, dropping back, couldn't contest it.
"Nice job, Kevin!" Kayce gave Durant a thumbs-up. Aside from his Twitter habits, Durant's skills were undeniable, absolutely dominating his opponents.
The Thunder's role players were getting hyped. Russell's defensive pressure made Blake's dribbling unstable, forcing him to pass the ball. Roy received the pass but couldn't shake off Kayce's defense.
Even on pick-and-rolls, Kayce stuck to him like glue. In the end, he had no choice but to pass to Oden in the low post.
Kostić continuously used his body to push Oden out, making Oden uncomfortable receiving the ball. Just as he backed down and tried to turn towards the baseline, he was met squarely by Jeff Green.
Green went up and stripped the ball, then passed it to Durant in front of him. Durant, without stopping the ball, immediately passed it to Kayce, who had already started his run.
A wide behind-the-back dribble allowed him to evade Roy's defense. After crossing half-court, he delivered a precise long pass. The fast-breaking Russell soared into the air for a two-handed alley-oop dunk.
"Clang!"
After the dunk, Russell flexed his muscles, and the fans in the arena were ecstatic.
"A thunderous goal! It was so fast, the entire offense probably only took about 8 seconds, incredible!" Commentator Twin loudly praised the play.
Portland Trail Blazers' Head Coach McMillan was shouting loudly on the sidelines, seemingly reminding his players to pay attention to defense.
However, the Portland Trail Blazers' offense was still a bit stagnant. The Thunder accelerated their defensive rotations, disrupting low-post attacks with help defense. Eventually, the ball went from inside to out, and Webster took an outside shot.
"Bang!" The ball hit the front of the rim. Kayce grabbed the long rebound and immediately initiated a fast break.
Unable to find an opportunity in the frontcourt, he signaled his teammates to run. Kostić stepped up, and after a series of hand-offs, Russell accelerated for a drive. Aldridge, rotating quickly for help defense, passed the ball to Jeff Green.
Green, without stopping the ball, immediately passed it to Durant on the perimeter. A slight pump fake sent Webster flying, and facing Roy's help defense, he passed it again to Kayce at the top of the arc.
Kayce received the ball and, without hesitation, immediately shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in easily, the entire offense flowing smoothly.
This is what makes the Thunder so formidable right now: multiple ball-handlers. Including Jeff Green, four of the current starters can handle the ball.
Portland Trail Blazers' Head Coach McMillan called a timeout. There was still half of the first quarter left, and he needed to re-strategize his defense.
After the timeout, although the Portland Trail Blazers managed to score with a tough shot from Roy, the Thunder's offense remained unstoppable, constantly driving and dishing, with quick passes.
Finally, Jeff Green hit a three-pointer from the corner.
The Portland Trail Blazers wanted to slow down the game, but the Thunder's offense was simple and brutal, exploiting the slightly slower footwork of Oden and Aldridge in the paint.
After a pick-and-roll, they either shot directly or drove and dished. If they missed, Kostić would grab the rebound inside, and the four perimeter players would quickly get back on defense.
The fast-paced offense and defense made the Portland Trail Blazers a bit uncomfortable. On offense, they repeatedly missed shots, and Oden's raw technique was exposed. He couldn't effectively punish Kostić.
In just over 3 minutes, the Thunder went on an 8-2 run, leading 24-18 by 6 points. Oden also had two fouls, showing how strong Russell's impact was.
McMillan called another timeout. With 2 minutes remaining, it was time for lineup adjustments.
Oden was replaced by Joel Przybilla, also a big center with a height of 216cm. Blake was replaced by Rudy Fernández, adding another scorer.
The Thunder replaced Kayce with Sefolosha, and Kostić with Ibaka. The overall lineup became a bit smaller, allowing for quicker defensive rotations.
Kayce sat on the bench, catching his breath. He had to admit that Roy's defense indeed gave him some trouble. That guy was a bit stronger than him, always giving him enough physical contact.
However, in the first quarter, he still managed 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting 3 for 4 from the field and 1 for 1 from three-point range. In the last few minutes, the opponent had already started paying attention to his passing.
"Kayce, take a break. You'll lead the bench in the second quarter!" Coach Brooks was very satisfied with Kayce's performance.
In the final two minutes of the first quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers narrowed the score, relying on Rudy Fernández's outside shooting to close the gap to just 2 points.
28-26, the game was very tight.
"The guy who came on later is too accurate from three-point range, and his release is incredibly fast!" Russell complained while wiping sweat during the break.
"We need to watch his off-ball movement. We lost him on two possessions," Durant said, chugging water and reminding his teammates.
As the second quarter began, both teams brought in their bench lineups. For the Thunder, Kayce and Menor formed the backcourt, Collison and Sefolosha were on the wings, and Ibaka played center.
For the Portland Trail Blazers, Blake re-entered, pairing with Rudy Fernández. Travis Outlaw and Andre Miller formed the wings, and Joel Przybilla remained on the court.
The Thunder wanted to maintain their fast-paced offense, while the Portland Trail Blazers' bench lineup had veterans leading the way. Both sides had their advantages.
Kayce quickly dribbled across half-court. This lineup was also one of Coach Brooks' experiments. Rim protection would certainly suffer, but with all positions capable of long-range shooting, it maximized Kayce's advantages.
Everyone was on the perimeter, and Kayce didn't call for a screen. Facing Rudy Fernández's defense, he executed a crossover dribble, quickly pulled the ball back with his right hand, then quickly spun with the ball in his left hand.
This sequence of moves completely faked out his defender. He then pulled up for a jump shot directly from the free-throw line.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily, and Oklahoma City fans gave Kayce a huge cheer.
"Wow, what a brilliant Crossover! Kayce completely shook off Rudy Fernández. He should get himself an Ankle Guard."
Commentator Twin had already become a Kayce fan, immediately showering him with praise.
The Portland Trail Blazers remained calm. With a veteran leading the charge, they continuously attacked the Thunder's interior. Finally, Travis Outlaw scored on a drive.
After Kayce dribbled across half-court, he made a tactical hand gesture. After a hand-off to Menor, he successfully posted up in the low block through continuous off-ball screens from teammates.
Facing Andre Miller's defense, he quickly put the ball down after a triple threat, backed him down once, quickly gathered the ball, faked a shoulder shake, and then executed a fadeaway.
"Swish!" The fadeaway was picturesque and went in easily.
Andre Miller was a step slow due to the fake, and couldn't keep up with Kayce's shooting rhythm. After all, he was older, and his reaction speed had decreased.
The second quarter continued. Although the Thunder basically couldn't stop the Portland Trail Blazers' bench offense, with their inside-out attack, Ibaka's rim protection alone was limited.
However, the Portland Trail Blazers also couldn't quite contain Kayce's individual ability. They were experiencing what an 'offensive kaleidoscope' truly meant.
Drive and dish after an isolation, pull-up jump shots after pick-and-rolls, low-post back-to-the-basket moves—basically, no one could defend him one-on-one. Coupled with the ability to shoot from all positions, the Thunder successfully resisted the Portland Trail Blazers' comeback.
With 6 minutes left in the second quarter, both teams brought in their starters, and Kayce also went to the bench to rest. He had expended a considerable amount of energy in this half-quarter.
The current score was 44-40, with the Thunder still leading by 4 points.
Kayce chugged water on the bench, recovering his stamina, and thought to himself:
"I should get a lot of experience from this game, and I can still rack up more in the second half! Today's game is a huge win!"