In the NBA, how can you silence the haters? By performing. Basketball, after all, speaks through on-court performance.
At the Palace of Auburn Hills, the fans' enthusiasm had waned. With 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, some had already left early to avoid traffic.
Kayce spent the last two minutes being idle in the corner, essentially just transitioning possession, letting his teammates play. If things went south, he'd take the bailout shot.
Finally, the game ended. Thanks to Russell's sudden outburst, the Thunder won relatively easily, 102 to 89, securing their first road victory of the new season.
Kayce finished with 8 of 14 from the field, 2 of 4 from three, and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line, totaling 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. He energized the entire team, and Coach Brooks was very satisfied with his performance.
Durant shot 9 of 19 from the field, 1 of 2 from three, and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, scoring 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist. After Kayce entered the game, he fully unleashed his finishing ability.
Russell Westbrook shot 6 of 11 from the field, 2 of 2 from three, and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Thanks to his excellent performance in the fourth quarter, he notched 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Without Russell, the win today would have been much harder.
Currently, the Thunder are on the right track. Although Jeff Green is gradually becoming a role player, it's unavoidable; whoever is stronger gets the ball.
After the game, the two teams embraced in greeting. Even though the Pistons lost, once they left the court, everyone was 'superficial brothers,' all part of the NBA's family.
"Great job, Bro! It's hard to believe you're only 19. I'm rooting for you!"
Prince actively sought out Kayce, and the two bumped fists in greeting.
"You're a championship team; I still have a lot to learn!"
Kayce remained humble. After all, Prince plays a clean game and is worth learning from.
After the road game, the Thunder had to fly back to Oklahoma City overnight to prepare for their upcoming home games.
By the time Kayce returned to his mansion in Oklahoma City, it was already late at night. The team would have a simple tactical training session tomorrow afternoon, so the players could sleep in.
After a quick bath, Kayce lay exhausted on his soft, large bed. The NBA schedule is indeed tight; once the regular season starts, everyone is constantly flying around.
"A second silver badge! I'm really looking forward to it!" With this thought, Kayce slowly drifted off to sleep.
In the Dream Training Space, Kayce eagerly entered the Achievement Room. Looking at the newly appeared silver achievement badge, he quickly stepped forward and touched it to check its attributes.
Achievement Badge [Rhythm Shooter]: 2 / 500
Enhances shooting ability after shaking off a defender, improves shot stability.
Kayce looked at the silver achievement badge before him. Compared to before, it now increased shot stability, but this effect currently left him a bit puzzled.
"It seems I'll just have to experience it slowly in games. But silver must be stronger than bronze, right? Just grind it out!"
He checked the achievement badges again and found that most badges had increased their experience by at least 2 points. He nodded in satisfaction; as long as they grew, playing these games was worth it.
Leaving the Achievement Room, Kayce began his daily basic training. He had a premonition that perhaps a new functional drink would be unlocked in the next game.
On the other side of the ocean, in China, relevant basketball forums were buzzing with news about Kayce. His excellent performance of two consecutive 20-point games had already attracted the attention of many fans.
"Is this really a rookie? Is he 19? Last game was against a tanking team, but the Pistons aren't bad this game, brothers! Who watched the live broadcast? Hurry up and tell us."
"I did find resources and watched for a while. Kayce is really too strong, especially his ball-handling skills, so cool! Unfortunately, the more I watched, the more it lagged."
"Strongly recommend broadcasting more Thunder games. Honestly, I'm starting to like this team. It's a youth storm!"
"A 20-year veteran Thunder fan here. I think Kayce is strong, but compared to rookie James, he's still a bit off."
"James Fans upstairs, have some self-respect. Did rookie James have these skills? This shooting? He was just a player who relied on his body!"
"Heh heh, James is still better than Kobe, at least he's willing to share the ball!"
The perfectly good news thread once again devolved into a battle between two sides, but Kayce had already begun to enter the sight of most fans. Perhaps the Thunder would also slowly become some people's favorite team.
In Oklahoma City, Zhang was still there, as the next two home games were the main event, especially the game against the Los Angeles Lakers, which he had been looking forward to for a long time.
"Look at the news reports here in America. ESPN is playing the bad cop, and TNT is playing the good cop. With both sides hyping him up like this, Kayce's popularity is skyrocketing!"
Zhang chuckled as he read the media reports, finding it more and more interesting.
"This is a good thing; only with attention can there be better development. Yi Jianlian's personality is a bit too reserved, otherwise, he definitely could have performed better."
The accompanying staff member also sighed.
"After all, this counts as a cultural difference, right? Has the Thunder approved our interview process?"
Zhang thought of Yi Jianlian's current situation and felt a bit regretful, but the most important thing was the upcoming work.
"The Thunder's efficiency is very fast, and after the game, we can even go to the locker room for interviews," the staff member immediately replied.
"Haha, I hope the Thunder can achieve good results in these two home games. Otherwise, our interviews won't be as interesting!"
Zhang seemed to have thought of something and burst out laughing.
The next day, after breakfast, Kayce also saw ESPN's report, which left him stunned. Good heavens, did Stephen A. get paid? How can he praise him so much?
"A rookie of James's caliber? This is truly a huge compliment, The Chosen One."
Kayce smiled and shook his head. He'd have to treat Stephen A. to a meal if he got the chance.
When he arrived at the Ford Center in the afternoon, his teammates also started joking around.
"Kayce, did you see the ESPN report? Now there are even odds for you to win Rookie of the Year! I've bet a lot of money on you!"
Durant shouted excitedly in the locker room, even more animated than Kayce himself.
"I bet a lot too, Kayce, you can't let us lose money!" Russell also joined in the fun.
The atmosphere in the locker room was lively, with everyone discussing their bets. Jeff Green even suggested that the next time they faced James Harden, they should defend him to death!
James Harden was currently popular on TNT, where the network frequently praised the James Harden.
Kayce was utterly helpless. Are America's media all so idle? Is a rookie even worth this much hype?
On November 1st, the Thunder would host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. Oklahoma City fans had bought their tickets early and were eagerly awaiting this game.
The opponent was a Playoffs team, and fans were eager to see how the current Thunder team would perform. While beating weaker teams was nice, facing strong teams was when a team's true level could be seen.
That evening, the Ford Center was once again packed. About half an hour before the game, Oklahoma City fans had already filled the arena, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.
In the player tunnel, the Thunder players were also in high spirits; this situation was much better than last year!
Kayce took a deep breath, hearing the boisterous sounds inside the arena:
"Yellow Mamba? Perfect for experiencing the effect of the new badge!"