The Detroit Pistons' home commentator saw Kayce about to come off the bench and immediately quipped:
"It looks like our Rookie of the Year is about to make his debut. Let's all look forward to Kayce's performance!"
Kayce replaced Thabo Sefolosha. Currently, the ball wasn't moving well on offense. Durant and Russell's passing ability was still a bit lacking, as they were only rookies after all.
When Kayce entered the game, he was matched up against Rodney Stuckey, whose 196cm height put him at a disadvantage when defending Kayce.
After Kayce gave his teammates a tactical hand signal, he executed a hand-off pass with Russell.
Using a teammate's screen, he successfully established post position. Durant delivered a bounce pass to Kayce and quickly created space for him.
Feeling Rodney Stuckey desperately trying to post him up, Kayce suddenly executed a behind-the-back dribble, directly turning around for a jump shot.
"Swish!" It went in cleanly.
This move was McGrady's signature, and Kayce's execution was even more exaggerated, in short, it was flashy.
"Wow! That was indeed a spectacular shot! Rodney Stuckey needs to step up his defense!" The home commentator also briefly praised Kayce.
This was something Thabo Sefolosha couldn't do. Kayce, with the ball, could pass or shoot, and was also a 'Small-Time Bully'. In this situation, Kayce alone could change the opponent's defensive strategy.
Durant looked at Kayce's flashy moves with a hint of envy. He was still too tall, and some moves were difficult to execute under high-intensity confrontation.
On the defensive end, Kayce was also very active, constantly shouting reminders to his teammates during switches.
"Green, switch!" Kayce loudly reminded.
The Detroit Pistons always tried to create mismatches through Charlie Villanueva. It had worked well before, but Kayce wasn't at a disadvantage guarding bigger players.
Unless the opponent posted up or shot a pull-up, the [Defensive Expert] badge would provide some bonus, making his one-on-one defense very effective.
Charlie Villanueva saw Kayce attempting a triple threat. As soon as he put the ball down, Kayce quickly stripped it away and sprinted with the ball.
Spotting Russell already across half-court, he delivered a precise long pass, ball and man arriving at the same time, for a direct take-off.
A powerful windmill dunk was made.
"Ah!!" Russell vented his frustration. Earlier, when he drove in, the opponents made small fouls, making it too stifling.
The Thunder executed their first fast break of the first quarter, quickly closing the score gap.
The Detroit Pistons learned their lesson and slowly sped up their ball movement. Finally, Ben Wallace got an opportunity, but facing Kostić's interference, he couldn't make the shot.
Kostić grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to Kayce. The Thunder's fast break was on again.
Taking advantage of the opponent's defense not yet fully set, Kayce directly accelerated with the dribble, driving to the basket. Charlie Villanueva, guarding the paint, immediately stepped up to delay him.
Kayce didn't force the shot but found Durant on the perimeter. The latter received the ball, dribbled with his left hand, accelerated, and drove past his defender. Ben Wallace immediately rotated into position, but Durant dished the ball to the corner again.
Jeff Green took an open three-pointer, directly shooting it.
"Swish!" It went in steadily. The Thunder led 19-18, taking a 1-point lead.
Detroit Pistons Head Coach John Kuester immediately called a timeout. He needed to re-assign defensive tasks and make player rotations.
"Maxiell, when you get on the court, you need to lock down their rookie. Give him physical confrontation; don't let him get the ball easily!"
Coach Kuester was a bit dissatisfied with Rodney Stuckey's defense and immediately brought in the veteran. He also subbed in Kwame Brown, giving Ben Wallace a rest.
On the Thunder's side, Ibaka was subbed in for Kostić. Coach Brooks insisted on speeding up the offensive rhythm.
After the timeout, Ben Gordon hit a contested three-pointer off a screen, giving the Detroit Pistons the lead again.
Jason Maxiell, guarding Kayce, constantly made small tugging movements, but Kayce's agility was very high. He successfully received the ball on the perimeter through off-ball screens.
Kayce made a gesture indicating no screen was needed. After continuous crossover dribbles, he executed a wide-ranging in-and-out dribble, causing Jason Maxiell to lose his defensive balance.
A left-hand stop, then another crossover dribble. This sudden stop-and-go made Jason Maxiell stumble in place, and Kayce, dribbling with his right hand, accelerated past him.
Prince quickly came over to help, but Kayce made a hidden behind-the-back bounce pass, and a cutting Durant scored an easy layup.
Helping defense comes at a cost, and that was Kayce's role.
"Great pass!" Durant gave Kayce a thumbs-up while retreating on defense.
Although Durant's passing ability was average at the moment, his finishing ability was very reliable. As long as he focused on one thing, his efficiency would increase.
With 42 seconds left in the first quarter, both teams still had one possession each. The Detroit Pistons continued to play inside-out, trying to score by leveraging their height advantage in the paint.
But unfortunately, Kwame Brown was a bit soft. His post-ups couldn't push Ibaka, and he was interfered with by Jeff Green, ultimately missing badly.
Ibaka grabbed the rebound and immediately gave it to Russell, who charged forward with the ball.
However, the Detroit Pistons retreated quickly, and their defensive matchups were very clear. Kayce signaled for everyone to spread out, letting Russell isolate Ben Gordon.
No screen needed. Russell's in-and-out dribble and linear acceleration shook off his defender. Facing Villanueva's help defense, he immediately passed to Jeff Green on the perimeter. The latter, facing Prince's closeout, passed to Durant.
Durant drove straight to the basket. This option was anticipated by Kwame Brown, who immediately stepped up to impede him. Durant, without looking at the clock, threw the ball to Kayce on the perimeter.
With only 3 seconds left, from a step beyond the three-point line, Kayce directly shot a jump shot.
"Swish!" The ball went in as the light flashed. A lucky shot.
Kayce smiled slightly. It seemed his touch was indeed good today. With that, the Thunder led 24-21 heading into the second quarter.
During the break, Coach Brooks began to instruct Kayce.
"Kayce, if you have a chance, shoot decisively. We need to play faster and avoid set offenses. If there's a mismatch, attack it decisively!"
"No problem, Coach!" Kayce indicated that he understood.
The second quarter began with both teams bringing in their bench units. The Detroit Pistons were all seasoned veterans, while Kayce and Ibaka on the Thunder's side were still rookies.
On their first possession, the Detroit Pistons showcased their height advantage. Willow Bynum, after a screen, passed to Kwame Brown, who scored an easy layup with a high-post move.
"Ah!!" Kwame Brown even roared after scoring.
Kayce immediately went on the offensive. After receiving the ball in the low post, he quickly put the ball down from a triple threat, blowing past Jason Maxiell in one step. Before the help defense could arrive, he pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
"Jason Maxiell has some lateral movement issues; he's letting Kayce drive too easily!" The home commentator couldn't help but complain.
The Detroit Pistons' offense continued to combine inside and outside play, constantly moving the ball in and out. Willow Bynum hit another mid-range shot after a screen.
Kevin Ollie was at a disadvantage in his matchup; the opponent was very strong and good at screens.
The Thunder's offense was still initiated by Kayce. After a screen with Ibaka, Kayce shook off Jason Maxiell's defense and suddenly faked a bounce pass with his right hand.
Kwame Brown was fooled. By the time he reacted, Kayce had already released his jump shot.
"Swish!" Another 2 points.
The Detroit Pistons' Head Coach couldn't take it anymore and immediately shouted instructions from the sideline, telling his players to intensify their defense on Kayce.
But unfortunately, both teams' bench units had weaknesses. The Detroit Pistons constantly attacked the paint, while the Thunder relied on Kayce, their strong point, to energize his teammates.
The pace of both sides became faster and faster, but the score continued to go back and forth; neither team could stop the other.
When the second quarter reached just over 6 minutes, the Thunder called a timeout. The starters were coming back in.
Kayce was currently 5-for-8 shooting, 1-for-1 from three, with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. His scoring was already in double digits. The referee's whistle was a bit loose today, otherwise, he would have had a few more points!
After coming off the court, Kayce sat on the bench, chugging water, and couldn't help but grumble inwardly:
"Double-teaming a rookie? You old guys are too shameless."