The two teams' benches were tied, and in the remaining 5 minutes of the second quarter, the starters also played to a stalemate.
The Detroit Pistons fully utilized their experience and targeted defense to limit Durant, only allowing him to drive left, which made it very difficult for Durant to pass the ball, and Prince was not a pushover either.
As for Russell, he was basically given jump shots, but as soon as he drove into the paint, help defense was immediately in place. Coincidentally, the referee's calls were quite loose today, and the Detroit Pistons were at home, making it difficult to draw fouls.
At the end of the first half, both teams were tied at 48-48.
In the first half, Durant was 4-for-10 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, scoring 10 points and 4 rebounds. After coming on in the second quarter, he was severely limited and rarely took shots.
Russell was 1-for-5 from the field and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, scoring 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. He played very frustrated, unable to drive to the basket.
However, thanks to the excellent performance of the role players and Kayce's offensive firepower, they were able to enter the second half tied.
In the Thunder's locker room, Coach Brooks began to set up the tactical arrangements for the second half.
"Russell, if you have a wide-open shot, you should shoot with confidence and punish their defense."
"Kevin, be more decisive on offense. If you have an opportunity, shoot boldly. We need to avoid getting into their half-court slugfest. We need to play faster!"
"Kayce, continue to maintain your aggressiveness. On offense, we need to score quickly and efficiently, and everyone needs to pay attention to rebounding."
Coach Ben briefly reviewed the problems that occurred in the first half for the players, which took a lot of their energy.
"Russell, in the second half, if you have a chance, shoot. Don't force drives to the paint; the calls are very loose today," Kayce advised Russell.
"No problem, I believe my touch will warm up!" Russell had a very good mentality and didn't mind missing shots.
"I really hope we win this game quickly and return to Oklahoma City. I really don't like this team's style of play."
Durant was still a finesse player at this point and hadn't reached the level of physically overpowering opponents.
"I have to commend the Thunder; they really kept the score close in the first half, but I still believe our Detroit Pistons will handle them in the second half!"
The second half was about to begin, and the home announcer also routinely jinxed the opponent.
The third quarter started with the Detroit Pistons fielding their starting lineup. On the Thunder's side, Kayce was brought in directly; Coach Brooks wanted to get a head start.
Ben Gordon, after a pick-and-roll, drove straight to the paint. Seeing Jeff Green come over to help defend, he directly bumped into him and then yelled loudly:
"Ah!" This scream indicated that he had been fouled.
"Whistle!" The referee signaled a foul on Jeff Green for hitting the arm.
Jeff Green looked helpless, already too lazy to explain. He had been called for this in the first half. This home-court officiating was a bit disgusting.
"Guys, you still have a lot to learn," Ben Gordon said, trash-talking while shooting free throws.
"This is your home court; we can't learn your way of playing," Russell shouted loudly from behind Ben Gordon.
"Wow, it seems like second-year Russell is a bit anxious. Guys, I told you the Detroit Pistons would crush them."
The home announcer took the opportunity to brag.
Thunder offense. After Kayce received the ball, he gave his teammates a hand signal, indicating that Jeff Green should set more screens for everyone. In the second half, they would primarily attack Charlie Villanueva.
Although the opponent was also 211cm tall and bald, his defense was not that good.
After continuous handoffs, Durant got an opportunity. He directly used a screen to shake off Prince, and facing Villanueva's defense, he executed a quick in-and-out dribble.
After shaking off the defender's center of gravity, he pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
Kayce immediately signaled that it was a good shot, then waved for everyone to retreat on defense.
The Detroit Pistons' defensive rotations were very quick, and they were also good at defending opposing star players, but this did not mean their defense had no weaknesses.
Ben Gordon drove to the basket and found Prince, who received the ball, drove quickly, and then hit a pull-up mid-range shot.
Durant immediately indicated that it was his fault for not keeping up with the opponent's rhythm.
Russell dribbled past half-court and executed a handoff with Durant. Kayce, using Kostić's screen, again posted up in the low block.
Rodney Stuckey didn't dare to guard too closely, fearing he would be blown by with one step. As a result, Kayce took a jab step and then pulled up for a jump shot directly.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
Kayce looked at the opponent calmly; Rodney Stuckey was a bit helpless.
Jason Maxiell had already been played off the court by Kayce, and he currently had no good solutions on the defensive end.
The Thunder began to speed up their offensive pace. The Detroit Pistons played half-court offense; as soon as they missed a shot, they would sprint back on defense. If there was no opportunity, they would use screens to find advantageous matchups for isolation plays.
The offensive space on the court was excellent now, and Kostić could also reliably finish lobs.
The Thunder's perimeter players repeatedly attacked the opponent's defense, especially Kayce and Durant. They almost played one-on-one without distinction; no matter who defended them, they always found a way to score.
If they missed a shot, they would crash the offensive glass, trying not to let the Detroit Pistons get out in transition.
The pace of the game was gradually increasing. The Detroit Pistons' Head Coach called a timeout but still had no effect. This was simply offensive talent overpowering them.
No matter how fast you rotated, they could still score one-on-one. Apart from Russell being a bit cold, everyone else performed well.
With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Thunder also made substitutions, taking out the cold-shooting Russell and bringing in Thabo Sefolosha. At the same time, the interior also saw a rotation, with Ibaka returning to the game.
With this lineup, Kayce completely became the point guard. After crossing half-court, he immediately ran a pick-and-roll with Ibaka. Ben Wallace directly stepped up to show a hard hedge on Kayce.
Kayce was not in a hurry. He directly pulled Ben Wallace out, accelerated with the ball in his left hand, broke through, and suddenly executed a behind-the-back dribble.
Ben Wallace tried to steal the ball, but Kayce smoothly performed a quick spin move with his right hand, directly getting past the defender's close-out. Facing the substitute Kwame Brown, he executed a nimble Euro step layup.
The opponent was completely faked out and stood frozen, watching Kayce lay the ball in.
"Swish!" A lightning-fast breakthrough.
"Boo!!!"
The home crowd booed, seemingly completely enraged by Kayce's basket.
"Hey, rookie, you need to be careful!"
After being completely blown by, Ben Wallace felt a bit embarrassed and started yelling loudly at Kayce.
"Buddy, careful about what? You can't even guard me," Kayce said loudly, shrugging his shoulders while retreating on defense.
These words ignited anger in the hearts of the Detroit Pistons players. In the next few minutes, both sides' actions became noticeably more physical, leading to frequent trips to the free-throw line.
With 16 seconds left in the third quarter, the Thunder led the Detroit Pistons 72-66 by 6 points. On the last possession, the opponent still had a chance to narrow the deficit.
Willow Bynum milked the clock for the last possession. After 8 seconds, he used a pick-and-roll to drive straight to the basket. Jeff Green was a step slow in his rotation. Just as the opponent was about to score a layup, Ibaka directly took off from behind.
He delivered a thunderous block, swatting the ball directly out of bounds.
"Ah!!!"
After the block, Ibaka pounded his chest and roared. He had been heavily defended by Ben Wallace throughout the game and had been playing uncomfortably. This block was a release for him.
This also helped the Thunder maintain their lead.
During the break, Kayce also started to pant heavily. The continuous drives and isolation plays in the third quarter had consumed a lot of his energy.
Durant was the same in this regard. Both of them sat in their chairs and started chugging water.
"Russell, pay attention to seizing fast-break opportunities. If you have a chance, you must shoot decisively, don't hesitate!"
"Okay, Coach!" Russell, the physical monster, was still full of energy. This guy hadn't even broken a sweat, had he?
Perhaps the law of conservation of character kicked in, and Russell exploded in the fourth quarter. After coming onto the court, the opponent defended his drives, but Russell hit two Bang Bang three-pointers in two possessions, stunning the Detroit Pistons.
With his outside shot falling, driving became easier. One successful drive, one foul drawn for free throws, Russell single-handedly went on a 10-0 run, and the lead instantly became 16 points.
Kayce watched in amazement from the bench. This was incredible; those shots were truly unreasonable.
Just like that, when the fourth quarter was halfway through, Kayce led the bench players onto the court to 'fish'. After hitting a mid-range shot, his mind jolted, and he was immediately overjoyed:
"Hehe, the second silver achievement badge is finally mine!"