In the Sina studio, the host and guests were all beaming with joy.
"Coach Ma, what do you think of Kayce's performance in the first quarter? What score would you give him?" Ke Xiaofan asked during the break, as per routine.
"Personally, I'd give him full marks. Kayce's performance was nothing like a rookie. From his physique to his technical moves, he didn't resemble a rookie at all."
"Moreover, he integrated into the team very well and is perfectly suited for this tactical system. We can see that after Kayce came on, Durant and Westbrook's offense became much easier."
"But the Thunder also have a hidden danger; their rim protection is still a bit weak. Hawes didn't perform as expected, which is also one of the reasons for the Sacramento Kings' offensive struggles."
Coach Ma had completely transformed into a Kayce fan, but thankfully he was still relatively restrained and didn't overdo it.
"In the first quarter, Kayce was 3-for-3, hitting one three-pointer. He scored 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists with no turnovers, playing very efficiently."
"The second quarter should start with the bench lineup, and Kayce should still be in. Let's look forward to his performance in the second quarter!"
Ke Xiaofan was very much looking forward to Kayce scoring high in this game, but then he thought, with a 15-point lead in the first quarter, this game might enter garbage time very early!
The atmosphere at the Ford Center was exceptionally lively. Last season, the Thunder won a total of 23 games, and big home wins were very rare.
Today, they took a large lead early on, and the team's offense was exceptionally flashy and entertaining. Oklahoma City fans immediately got hyped.
In the NBA, although defense wins championships, fans still prefer flashy offense. If the regular season games are ugly, fans won't buy it.
"Kayce, maintain the offensive rhythm, stay cautious, guys, be sure to protect the rebounds and box out!"
The second quarter was about to begin, and Coach Brooks quickly reminded his players. He didn't want to blow a big lead.
Kayce, however, felt that the Sacramento Kings were pretty much done for today. Their defense was too poor. To come back, they first needed to be able to defend.
At the start of the second quarter, the Thunder brought in several veterans. Thomas and Nick Collison could both play power forward, and they were tall enough. With Ibaka, they focused on protecting rebounds.
In the backcourt, Coach Brooks put in Kevin Ollie, who was also a veteran, to assist Kayce and control the pace.
On the Sacramento Kings' side, Kevin Martin also came in directly, seemingly intent on making a full effort to catch up.
Kayce continued to relentlessly chase Martin off-ball. Several screens failed to shake off his defense. Finally, a pick-and-roll was set for Hawes, who, using his height advantage, made a floater.
"Swish!" It went in successfully.
The Thunder currently had no real answer for this kind of play. High-post, high-difficulty shots, if they went in, they could only accept it.
In the Thunder's current bench lineup, Kayce's role transformed into a strong finisher. Because there were fewer ball-handlers on the perimeter, the plays became simpler.
In this offensive possession, Kayce directly called for the ball in the low post, and Kevin Ollie delivered it to Kayce with a bounce pass.
After a triple-threat, Kayce quickly put the ball down, took one step to get half a step ahead of Martin, dribbled twice with his right hand, and then executed a quick stop jump shot from mid-range.
"Swish!" It went in steadily. It was truly easy; thin players like Martin were Kayce's favorite.
The badge boosts from Triple Threat Veteran, First Step Master, and Quick Stop Master made Kayce's first step incredibly fast.
"That shot, he basically blew past Martin in one step. Kayce's first step burst is very strong! Beautiful mid-range shot!"
Ke Xiaofan had a misconception that Kayce didn't even use his full strength against Martin, easily blowing past him.
Coach Brooks was very satisfied with Kayce's performance. He could defend the opponent's offensive arrow and finish efficiently on offense. The Thunder had won big in this year's draft.
The Sacramento Kings' offense still couldn't get going. Martin was annoyed by Kayce's constant hounding and finally resorted to flopping.
"Slap!" Kayce quickly poked the ball away.
"Whistle!" The referee blew his whistle, calling a defensive foul on Kayce.
"Sir, I think that was a good steal," Kayce said to the referee during Martin's free throws.
"Young man, you have to understand the referee's job!" The referee gave Kayce a look.
Alright, Kayce understood. A star call. In situations with a big lead, this kind of call usually goes against the leading team.
However, Kayce decided to give Martin more physicality. The Thunder's offense ran the same play as the previous possession, and Kayce received the ball in the low post again.
This time, Kayce directly bumped Martin twice with his back to the basket, giving Martin's small frame a good jolt, and then immediately hit a turnaround fadeaway.
Martin was a beat too slow and could only watch Kayce shoot, completely helpless.
"Swish!" It still went in steadily. Russell on the bench was wildly waving his towel.
Oklahoma City fans also gave Kayce a huge cheer. A rookie scoring over an opposing All-Star in a one-on-one situation—they loved to see it!
Kayce looked at Martin with a smile as he retreated on defense, as if to say, if you flop, I'll just score on you when we get the ball back.
Martin's face fell. He was a bit broken. This kid looked handsome on the outside, like a sunny type, but he played with no mercy!
Basketball shouldn't be so cutthroat; you should show some respect to veterans.
The Sacramento Kings' offensive pace consistently failed to pick up. They relied on their big men in the half-court, with an occasional outside shot.
The Thunder, on the other hand, were not in a hurry. They played at a leisurely pace. If a play didn't work, they'd pass the ball to Kayce. If he missed, they'd quickly get back on defense, keeping the tempo very slow.
Six minutes into the second quarter, Kayce had already taken three "hot potato" shots. Ibaka was a master at passing off the ball; if he couldn't finish, he'd pass to Kayce.
But Kayce didn't mind. A leader is supposed to take those tough shots; otherwise, how could he be called a leader?
During the second quarter timeout, the Sina studio was also discussing Kayce's performance.
"The Thunder's strategy is interesting. When the shot clock is running down, they give it to Kayce. There have been three such shots this quarter."
Ke Xiaofan looked at the situation with some confusion.
"It should be a tactical requirement from the Head Coach. Kayce's ability to make tough shots is good, so his teammates look for him in those situations."
Coach Ma, however, saw it clearly, having largely guessed the Thunder's strategy.
"But overall, the Thunder's bench did hold up. Kayce kept passing to his teammates and didn't initiate much offense himself."
Ke Xiaofan felt a bit regretful. If he had shot more, he felt Kayce could have scored 20 points by halftime.
"Russell, get in there and control the pace. Don't run with the opponent. If there's a fast break, take it, but be patient on offense!"
With 5 minutes and 12 seconds left in the second quarter, Coach Brooks put the starting lineup back in.
After coming off the court, Kayce sat on the bench, chugging his drink. This beverage was also specially formulated for him by the nutritionist, Wagner. It tasted good and helped replenish his energy.
"Kayce, some of my passes weren't good, that..." Ibaka sat next to Kayce, about to say something, when Kayce interrupted him.
"It's fine, Bro. Those shots are exactly what I should be taking. It's a tactical arrangement, and you did great. But you need to learn more about screens from Kostić. Remember to set a tighter screen for me."
Kayce joked with Ibaka with a smile. Ibaka also smiled after hearing it and immediately bumped fists with Kayce in greeting.
The coaching staff also noticed this and were increasingly satisfied with Kayce. It was hard to find players willing to take those tough shots these days.
For the rest of the second quarter, both starting lineups went back and forth, playing an exciting game, but the Sacramento Kings still couldn't catch up.
This was typical of a weak team: their defensive intensity and consistency were completely lacking. Once they fell far behind, the game was essentially over.
At halftime, the score was 68-51, with the Thunder still leading by a large margin. Kevin Martin playing the entire second quarter made no difference.
During halftime in the Thunder's locker room, the players were all relaxed. Coach Brooks only gave a few simple instructions. Everyone knew the game was basically won.
Durant, laughing while scrolling through Twitter, shouted:
"Look, guys, a lot of Oklahoma City fans are leaving comments on Twitter supporting us! This feels great!"
"Why are so many people under my Twitter saying my dancing is really ugly? And telling me to stop dancing?"
Russell's face darkened. That was his carefully prepared opening dance.
Kayce didn't look at his phone; he was eating an orange, replenishing energy. But Durant glanced at his phone for him, and then got jealous.
"Come on! Why are your comments double mine, and they're all praising you, even complimenting your fashion sense! You have to treat us when we get to Detroit tomorrow!"
"No problem, as long as the Coach agrees, we'll have a big meal!" Kayce immediately indicated his willingness to pay.
"Then no deal!"
His teammates immediately complained with laughter, because currently, the team rules prohibited eating out when on the road.
The atmosphere in the Sacramento Kings' locker room wasn't good. Last season, everyone was a weak team, so why had things suddenly changed like this?
Harden's mentality was pretty good. It was good that garbage time came early. When Martin came off, all the possessions would be his, and racking up stats was a sweet deal.
The third quarter began, and Kayce also started. But the game had completely swung in the Thunder's favor. The Sacramento Kings' defense once again deteriorated. It was clear they were giving up.
When the third quarter was 5 minutes in, the lead reached 22 points. The Sacramento Kings called a timeout and took out their starters. The Thunder then also pulled their starters, and both teams entered garbage time.
During this period, Harden led the Sacramento Kings. James Harden was initially quite happy, but seeing that Kayce hadn't come off for the Thunder, a bitter feeling immediately welled up in his heart.
Then, Harden's feeling came true, as Kayce began to put on a show.
On an offensive possession, Kayce dribbled between his legs repeatedly, then suddenly accelerated, shaking off his defender. Facing the help defense from the inside, he executed a left-handed scoop layup.
Harden felt frustrated.
On an offensive possession, Kayce received the ball with his back to the basket, then directly turned and cut into the paint from the low post, driving against the center's defense, and scored with a right-handed reverse layup.
Harden felt pain.
On an offensive possession, Kayce dribbled with a crossover, then continuously changed direction in front of his body, directly causing Harden to stumble. After breaking through the defense, he took off.
He evaded the block in mid-air and finished with a one-handed dunk!
Harden yelled in his heart: "Coach! I want to rest!"
The fans at the Ford Center were completely engulfed in wild cheers. This was too flashy; that shot was truly beautiful!
"What a spectacular dunk! What a crazy offense! Kayce is definitely the Rookie of the Year. I've completely fallen in love with him!"
The commentator Twin was in full swing, praising Kayce to no end.
After about 4 minutes into the fourth quarter, Kayce was substituted out. Harden finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Kayce kept showing off, he would have directly fouled out.
When Kayce came off the court, the audience gave him a warm round of applause. Everyone was very satisfied with his performance.
In this game, he shot 9-for-14, 2-for-5 from three, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, achieving a double-double with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. This was Kayce's debut performance for the Oklahoma City home fans.
Finally, the game ended with a score of 112-93, as the Thunder defeated the Sacramento Kings at home, securing their first victory of the new season.
Durant shot 9-for-19, 1-for-3 from three, and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line, scoring 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Russell Westbrook shot 7-for-15, 0-for-1 from three, and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, scoring 22 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 turnovers.
Kayce, Russell, and Durant's combined scoring accounted for half of the team's points. Other teammates also performed excellently, with the entire team delivering a powerful punch!
After the game, Kayce was warmly welcomed by the media. They swarmed him, and the questions were still the usual old topics.
Kayce's answer was: "The Head Coach's tactics are good, teammates trust each other, and we are all family."
However, when Kayce came over to Zhang Weiping, he opened up and spoke some truths.
"You played a fantastic first game! Rate yourself, what score would you give yourself?"
Zhang was thrilled by this game. A player like Kayce was truly unprecedented in Tianchao.
"I'd give myself a 6, a passing performance, very normal play," Kayce said modestly.
Zhang was immediately a bit speechless. Good heavens, if this performance is passing, then for a perfect score, you'd have to fly to the sky!
"The regular season has also started. Talk about your goals for the new season!" Zhang asked his second question.
"The ultimate goal is, of course, the championship. But for now, let's set a small goal: make the Playoffs and win games in the Playoffs."
Kayce was also not shy; goals should be talked about with confidence.
"One last question. After this game, I believe many fans will be following you. What do you want to say to your fans?"
Zhang didn't ask any more clichéd questions and went straight to the point.
"Haha, it's still the same thing: remember to vote for me in the All-Star game. I really want to be the top vote-getter. Thank you all for your support in advance!"
Kayce laughed heartily, expressing his thoughts in a joking tone.
"Alright, I'll help you campaign for votes when I get back. Keep up the good work! Play with style!"
Zhang also chuckled. Kayce was indeed different from other young players: confident, optimistic. He liked him more and more.
By the time Kayce drove home, it was late at night. The post-game physical therapy took a long time. His trainer, Meg, was very particular about his body protection, with strict procedures before and after games.
After a simple wash-up, Kayce lay down on his soft bed. Tomorrow he had to fly to Detroit for an away game, so he needed a good night's rest.
After midnight, when Kayce entered the dream space, he briefly checked the status of the achievement room badges and couldn't help but feel satisfied.
"The regular season is great. One game can increase experience by at least 2 points. Leveling up is just around the corner!"
After carefully feeling his body in the space, Kayce felt that a new functional drink was also about to be unlocked.
"A B+ grade functional drink, I'm really looking forward to its effects!"