When Kayce completed this dunk, in the Sina studio in Celestial Empire across the ocean, the two commentators also shouted in unison:
"Kayce shook off the defense, and the opposing center had already come over to help."
"Oh my God, he dunked it directly, incredible, that dunk was too spectacular!"
Ke Xiaofan and Ma Jian almost shouted out loud. This dunk was too shocking. Taking advantage of the break between quarters, the two calmed their excited moods and continued to discuss the game.
"Coach Ma, although we fell behind at the start, we overtook the score in the final moments. How do you view the Thunder's performance in the first quarter?"
Host Ke Xiaofan posed the question as usual.
"This is the effect of Kayce's presence. Thabo Sefolosha doesn't have very good ball-handling ability, and with Durant's poor shooting touch at the start, the Trail Blazers seized the opportunity."
"But after Kayce came on, the Thunder's offense completely changed. As a forward, he can disrupt the opponent's defensive system!
And his passing ability is excellent. It can be said that after he came on, he revitalized the team's offense."
Ma Jian had gotten into his stride. Anyway, just hype it up. Kayce was the key player.
"Actually, we can also see that Durant and Westbrook on the Thunder both need ball possession. Some fans are worried that the Thunder won't have enough balls to go around. Coach Ma, what are your thoughts on this?"
Host Ke Xiaofan posed another question.
"The issue of ball possession is actually very easy to understand. First, Durant primarily needs shooting opportunities; he's responsible for finishing plays. Westbrook needs ball possession, but Kayce can also be a finisher."
"The current situation is that in half-court offense, Kayce is responsible for controlling the offensive rhythm, while in transition offense, Westbrook will distribute the ball more. Therefore, these three can be said to be complementary at the moment."
Ma Jian expressed his opinion. He believed that the Thunder's biggest problem currently lay in the interior, as Kostić couldn't withstand the impact of strong teams' big men.
"Thank you, Coach Ma, for your comments. The second quarter is about to begin, and Kayce should continue to stay on the court. Let's look forward to the Thunder's performance in the second quarter!"
Ke Xiaofan heard the director's cue, immediately ended the discussion, and prepared to focus on the commentary.
The Thunder were still immersed in Kayce's dunk. Russell was too excited to sit still during the break. After Coach Brooks had set up the tactics, he couldn't help but say:
"That was crazy, Kayce! Quickly tell me, how does it feel to dunk over a big center?"
"Actually, their help defense was slow, but honestly, it felt really good after the dunk!" Kayce replied casually.
"I like their big guy. When he came on, the Trail Blazers' defensive rotation speed slowed down. Haha, I have to thank him!"
Durant wiped his sweat, chuckling as he teased the opposing big center.
"Alright, boys, one last time, we need to protect the rebounds, go!" Coach Brooks was worried about the bench unit getting outrebounded, so he constantly reminded his players.
The second quarter began, and both sides brought on their bench units. Kayce was primarily responsible for providing offensive firepower during this period, helping the bench maintain the score.
Seeing Roy come on directly for the Trail Blazers in the second quarter, Kayce knew they were about to make a push.
At this point, Kayce played directly at point guard, partnering with Thabo Sefolosha in the backcourt. After crossing half-court, he began the hand-off action on the perimeter.
Rudy Fernández tightly chased the off-ball Kayce. Kayce didn't find an opportunity after the screen. After receiving the ball, he dribbled continuously between his legs, then suddenly accelerated and drove with his left hand.
This step directly gained him half a body length on his opponent. Rudy Fernández, in a hurry, tried to grab him, but Kayce suddenly pulled back, faking a jump shot.
This directly fooled his opponent. Seeing Rudy Fernández flying towards him, Kayce went up to meet him and shot a jump shot.
"Swish"
"Beep" The referee's whistle blew, and it was a made basket with an extra free throw.
Kayce felt something different when he shot. The moment he shot while drawing the foul, his shooting felt smoother, as if he wasn't bothered by the defender in front of him.
"Is this the new effect of the silver badge [Rhythm Shooter]? It feels pretty good."
Kayce thought silently as he stood at the free-throw line, then took a deep breath and calmly sank the free throw. The crowd cheered for him.
On the Trail Blazers' offense, Roy had the ball, looking at Kayce defending him, feeling a bit of a headache. He wasn't a particularly fast player himself, relying more on strength and rhythm.
But Kayce, aside from being at a slight disadvantage in strength, was rarely fooled, and his ability to fight through screens was very agile, which made it very difficult for Roy to play.
After a pick-and-roll on this possession, Kayce again squeezed through the screen, sticking tightly to Roy, constantly denying him good shooting opportunities. In desperation, Roy could only pass the ball to Andre Miller on the perimeter.
Ultimately, this possession ended with Travis Outlaw forcing a drive for a basket, making the entire offense very stagnant.
Kayce quickly dribbled past half-court, then executed a series of between-the-legs dribbles, followed by a sudden wide-ranging in-and-out dribble that caused Rudy Fernández to lose his defensive balance. At this point, he performed a behind-the-back dribble with his left hand.
Nick Collison immediately came over and set a perfectly timed screen. This directly shook off Rudy Fernández, and Collison rolled down. Roy reluctantly came over to help defend.
But as soon as Roy moved, Kayce feinted and delivered a no-look pass to Thabo Sefolosha on the perimeter.
The latter caught the ball and immediately shot an open three-pointer.
"Swish" It went in cleanly.
Thabo Sefolosha let out a sigh of relief after the basket. He hadn't played very well in the first quarter either, and this made basket immediately made him feel much better.
"Beautiful no-look pass! Kayce's assist was spectacular!"
Ke Xiaofan was also very excited watching this play. Thabo Sefolosha made the shot, not wasting the assist.
Rudy Fernández raised his hand, indicating that it was his fault. He was shaken too badly, directly losing his defensive position, which led to the three-pointer.
The Trail Blazers' offense was still struggling. They found that all of the Thunder's bench players were around 2 meters tall. Although their interior was a bit short, Ibaka had a large help-defense area.
On the perimeter, Roy was tightly guarded by Kayce, and opportunities mostly fell to Rudy Fernández. I Tang Thomas couldn't keep up with his speed, always leaving him open.
But unfortunately, Rudy Fernández expended too much energy on defense, and his offense suffered.
"Bang" The three-pointer clanked off the rim.
Kayce directly collected the long rebound, immediately pushed the pace, and initiated a fast break. Taking advantage of the opponent's defense not being set, he used an in-and-out dribble to shake off Travis Outlaw.
Facing Joel Przybilla's defense, he executed a big reverse layup, easily putting the ball in.
"Wow ah!!"
The hype squad on the bench waved their towels. This basket, again, was scored against the opponent's big man's defense, and they loved that kind of scoring.
McMillan immediately called a timeout. He had to make substitutions; if they continued like this, the lead would widen.
Coming out of the timeout, the Trail Blazers brought back Oden and Blake. Their offensive possession immediately showed results: after an Oden screen, he successfully scored an easy basket, and Blake's pass was perfectly placed.
But on defense, Blake was numb. Kayce, facing this kind of smaller guard, didn't need a screen. After a between-the-legs dribble, he directly accelerated and drove with his right hand, which gained him half a step on Blake.
Near the free-throw line, Kayce ignored the defense and pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish" The mid-range shot went in easily.
Seeing Kayce returning to defense with a slight smile, Blake's heart burned with anger. This was more frustrating than trash talk; his opponent simply didn't care about his defense.
Next, the score went back and forth. Although Blake's defense was lacking, he could provide offense. After Roy missed several shots, Blake stepped up.
The Thunder relied on Kayce as a strong point to solve their offense. He could score and pass, and no matter who defended him, they couldn't stop him. Finally, with Roy as the primary defender, after frequent physical confrontations, Kayce missed a few shots.
With 5 minutes and 12 seconds left in the second quarter, both teams brought on their starting lineups, and Kayce was substituted out to rest.
Having expended a lot of energy, Kayce sat on the bench, wiping sweat with a towel, but secretly complained about Roy in his mind:
"If you put so much effort into defense, your offense won't be much better. Offensive and defensive balance isn't easy!"
Roy's heart rejoiced when he saw Kayce leave the court. On the Trail Blazers' offensive possession, after a screen, Roy faced Thabo Sefolosha's defense, executed an in-and-out dribble, and pulled up for a jump shot at the free-throw line.
"Bang" It clanked off the rim.
Durant grabbed the long rebound, immediately dribbled at a furious pace, and scored an uncontested layup on the fast break.
Roy lived up to his nickname, Yellow Mamba, continuing to shoot despite missing. Unfortunately, touch isn't something that just suddenly appears when you want it to.
For the remainder of the second quarter, after Roy missed four consecutive shots, Blake began to give the ball to Aldridge. If this continued, the lead would likely open up completely.
Durant and Russell, meanwhile, entered 'brave' mode. When the opponent missed, they counterattacked, fully utilizing their athleticism.
Everything went smoothly. In half-court offense, facing Oden's help defense, they either fed Kostić for an easy score or passed to Jeff Green in the corner for a shot.
By the end of the second quarter, the Thunder led the Trail Blazers 55-47, an 8-point advantage.
Kayce shot 5-for-9 in the first half, 1-for-2 from three, and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, totaling 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 turnover. He maintained an efficient performance, successfully completing his task of providing offensive firepower off the bench.
Moreover, his defensive performance was also excellent. Roy frequently missed shots in the first half under Kayce's defense, shooting 3-for-11 and scoring only 7 points.
During halftime, the atmosphere in the Thunder's locker room was good. After all, leading at halftime, especially at home, made it hard not to be happy.
"Guys, great job! In the second half, we need to strike while the iron's hot and win this game!"
Coach Brooks began his motivational speech. Winning against a playoff team at home was very important.
In the third quarter, Kayce started directly, and both teams were in their starting lineups. Roy's expression was calm; it seemed he had cooled down at halftime.
The Thunder immediately started their high-post hand-off action, and also increased the number of screens between Durant and Kayce.
When Durant set a hand-off screen for Kayce, the Trail Blazers' defense felt immense pressure. Unlike Russell's shooting, Kayce was very accurate from the outside, which forced them to fight over screens and go high.
This is where Durant's opportunities came. He could pop out or cut in, with many options. Even if the rotation was in place, they could just pass it back to the perimeter, and Russell could continue to drive.
This rapidly depleted Aldridge's stamina. Russell's frequent attacks on the basket put a lot of pressure on the interior, and Blake's defense was like paper!
Russell was in his element in the second half. He liked this kind of alternating attack strategy, and Kayce, Durant, and Jeff Green could all create space for him. Kostić could help him screen Oden.
This made him more and more excited, even wanting to dunk over Aldridge, though he didn't succeed. But his passionate play ignited the home crowd's atmosphere.
"I like Russell's performance. He's full of energy on the court, constantly attacking the basket. The Trail Blazers can't hold on much longer!"
Home commentator Twin was also in full swing at this point. He felt that victory in this game was within reach.
More than 8 minutes into the third quarter, the Thunder still led by 8 points, with the Trail Blazers always biting at their heels.
Roy once again faced Kayce's defense, which made him increasingly impatient. He still hadn't found his shooting touch in the third quarter, currently 0-for-4, with only 2 points from free throws.
Kayce focused on orchestrating the offense and defense this quarter, taking only 1 shot, making 1 three-pointer, but he dished out 6 assists.
The [Defensive Expert] + [Ankle Guard] badges ensured Kayce was not at a disadvantage in one-on-one defense, after all, the Yellow Mamba wasn't the Black Mamba.
Perhaps due to declining stamina, Roy committed a turnover on this possession. After a pick-and-roll, his dribble was unstable. Kayce seized the opportunity and directly poked the ball away from behind.
Seeing this, Russell immediately sprinted across half-court. Kayce didn't stop the ball, delivering a precise long pass to him.
After receiving the ball, Russell took off directly for his signature one-handed tomahawk dunk!
"Slam" The basketball hoop shook violently.
"Ah!!!"
Russell roared after the dunk. He was completely hyped up now and didn't feel tired at all, gaining more energy as he played.
"Beautiful steal, and Westbrook's dunk was spectacular too! I believe many fans are already starting to like the Thunder!"
Ke Xiaofan in the Sina studio was also very happy. Kayce's performance was too outstanding.
Rookie players must show their attitude on the defensive end, and Kayce did this perfectly.
On the Trail Blazers' offensive possession, Oden failed to score on an easy basket, fumbling the ball with butterfingers. Jeff Green got the ball and immediately passed it to the charging Russell, who didn't stop the ball either, passing it to Kayce, who had already crossed half-court.
Seeing Durant already accelerating on the other side, Kayce ignored the retreating Webster and directly threw the ball off the backboard. Durant followed up to catch the ball and slammed it into the basket with one hand.
Kayce, after throwing the ball, coolly ran under the backboard, not even looking back at the situation. The sideline photographer immediately captured this moment.
Kayce ran past calmly, Durant dunked with one arm behind him, and Webster was small and helpless under the basket.
This classic scene became incredibly popular in America after the game!
With just over 1 minute left in the third quarter, the lead had stretched to 12 points. Kayce knew that the Trail Blazers' momentum was gone, unless Roy suddenly exploded, but that was almost impossible.
"The Yellow Mamba is still a bit lacking after all!" Kayce thought silently as he retreated on defense.
On the Trail Blazers' side, not only was Roy frustrated, but Blake was also having a tough time defending against Russell. Every offensive possession required a pick-and-roll, otherwise, Russell's pressure was too intense.
Aldridge was also struggling. On defense, he and Oden frequently protected the rim, and on offense, he had to come up for screens. His stamina bar was almost empty.
The Thunder's offensive pace was so demanding that not only was Aldridge having stamina issues, but Kostić's legs were also feeling weak.
On this possession, Aldridge pounded Jeff Green in the post, but it was ineffective. His turn was slow, and seeing the opponent's defense closing in, he immediately passed the hot potato to Roy on the perimeter.
The Yellow Mamba, with a flick of his wrist, ignored Kayce's close-out defense and shot directly from beyond the arc!
"Bang" Another brick.
Oden grabbed the rebound, but just as he was about to jump, Durant cleanly stripped the ball from him. Both teams scrambled for the loose ball on the floor.
"Beep" The referee's whistle blew, calling for a jump ball.
Durant and Webster contested the jump ball, which was basically a free possession for the Thunder, as Durant tipped the ball.
On the last possession of the third quarter, after Kayce crossed half-court, Russell signaled for everyone to spread out.
Kayce slowly controlled the ball. The Ford Center crowd stood up, cheering and shouting for him. With 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Kayce began to find his rhythm with a series of between-the-legs dribbles.
Roy's defense didn't stick tightly to him. He knew that once Kayce gained a step, his opponent would force a shot over him, but Kayce's sudden left-handed cross-step dribble and pull-back still shifted his defensive Center of Gravity.
Seeing Roy bite on the fake, Kayce faked an acceleration drive with his right hand. Taking advantage of the opponent pressing up, he pulled back again, simultaneously taking a quick step-back, and shot a jump shot from beyond the three-point line.
"Swish" The ball went in as the light flashed.
"Ah!! Ah!! Ah!"
The fans in attendance roared wildly as they saw Kayce directly shake Roy, then make the shot.
Kayce was also very excited, directly chest-bumping Ibaka, who rushed off the bench to celebrate.
"This feeling, it's not bad at all!"
83 to 68, the Thunder led by 15 points going into the fourth quarter, essentially securing the victory in this game.