After Kayce and Artest wrestled each other, Yu Jia and Xu, the commentators in the CCTV studio across the ocean, were stunned.
Shoving matches in the NBA are relatively common, but they had rarely seen players immediately grappling and throwing punches.
"This scene is certainly a bit heated. Our colleagues in America will definitely report on it extensively after the game, but Artest really didn't need to push him on that play."
Host Yu Jia started to smooth things over while the referees were reviewing the replay.
"Artest felt humiliated after being faked out and immediately pushed him. He probably saw Kayce as a rookie, but he didn't expect the youngster to not give him any respect."
Commentator Xu was quite amused. Personally, he was definitely biased towards Kayce.
"The NBA is currently very strict on penalties for on-court violence, but there shouldn't be any major issues. Both sides were quickly separated."
Host Yu Jia naturally didn't want Kayce to be suspended. He was in great form right now, and a suspension would be a loss.
"Let's listen to the referees' final ruling. Both sides received a Flagrant Foul 2 and were ejected. It's a bit of a shame, Kayce was in great form."
Commentator Xu immediately exclaimed it was a shame when he saw Kayce was ejected. There was still a quarter and a half left in the game.
"It's truly a shame. So, Kayce's stats for this game are set at 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists, shooting 6-for-10 from the field, 4-for-4 from three-point range, a very efficient performance, and no turnovers."
The more Host Yu Jia looked at the stats, the more he felt it was a pity. Aside from the continuous missed shots during the second period, his performance in the first and third quarters was perfect.
"In this game, we saw a young team on the rise. The Thunder's young players are indeed all incredibly talented. Perhaps they can make the Playoffs this year."
Commentator Xu had completely become a Kayce fan. With his skills and physique, he couldn't help but praise him.
"Hopefully, as Commentator Xu said, the young Thunder will make it into the Playoffs in the Western Conference this year. All right, the game has started, let's continue watching."
Host Yu Jia heard the director's prompt from behind and immediately shifted the topic back to the game.
After the conflict erupted, the players on both sides didn't calm down easily. The game continued, but the actions gradually intensified, and the referees frequently blew their whistles, making the game rhythm fragmented.
In this chaotic battle, Russell and Durant were in their element. Whether it was transition offense or isolation plays, they both played brilliantly.
On the Los Angeles Lakers' side, Kobe also kept scoring. Without Kayce's constant hounding, Kobe's efficiency clearly improved significantly, and both sides engaged in an offensive shootout.
By the end of the third quarter, it was 85-75, with the Thunder leading by 10 points going into the fourth quarter.
On the Los Angeles Lakers' side, Phil Jackson didn't substitute any players, sending all his starters out, hoping to immediately catch up.
Coach Brooks also went all out, maintaining the same lineup as the third quarter. Neither side's starters rested. Whether they could win depended on these few minutes.
The audience at the Ford Center was very happy. They got to watch a free fighting match, and their home team seemed to be about to defeat the championship team, which made them ecstatic.
The live DJ howled and screamed, leading the audience in cheering loudly for the team, and the sound waves in the arena grew louder and louder.
Durant started to dominate in the fourth quarter. Without Artest guarding him, he felt more and more comfortable, and his shots were falling consistently.
Seeing Odom come to guard him again, he used a series of in-and-out dribbles to shake off his opponent, then directly pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish" the mid-range shot went in easily.
After scoring, Durant shrugged at Odom, then shook his head as he retreated on defense.
He learned this from Kayce; he didn't trash talk his opponent but simply used simple body language to show his disdain.
This made Odom furious. He wanted to go up and say a few words to Durant, but he was immediately stopped by the referee who had been watching him.
The physical contact between the two sides began to increase again. Ibaka and Bynum started wrestling in the paint.
The referees repeatedly stopped the game, and the live audience booed and chanted, "Beat LA!!"
After about six minutes into the fourth quarter, Phil Jackson called a timeout. He was going to take out his starting lineup; this game wasn't worth expending too much more effort.
If another player got injured, it would be a huge loss.
As the bench players gradually entered the game, the game slowly entered garbage time. Finally, to the cheers of the entire audience at the Ford Center, the Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 110-100.
Last year's bottom-feeder team turned things around and defeated the championship team. Although this was just a regular season game, the Oklahoma City fans were still overjoyed. The ticket was well worth it!
With a 4-0 start to the new season and an undefeated home record, Coach Brooks was also in a great mood.
After the game, he took Russell to the press conference. Russell had an excellent performance in this game, shooting 9-for-14 from the field, 1-for-3 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, efficiently scoring 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, with only 1 turnover.
Durant shot 10-for-19 from the field, 2-for-5 from three-point range, and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, exploding for 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. However, he had 3 turnovers, but it was harmless; almost no one could guard him in one-on-one situations.
Especially when Kayce was on the court, whether it was isolation plays with the ball or off-ball cuts, Durant could complete them efficiently. He didn't have to worry about organizing the offense; he just got the ball and went for it, simple and brutal.
Seeing everyone return to the locker room, Kayce was also very happy. If they had lost this game, it would have been too humiliating. With the music on, everyone danced wildly.
It wasn't until Coach Brooks returned with Russell that the celebration ended.
"Great job, guys. You have a day off tomorrow. Remember not to eat junk food or go to nightclubs. Training will resume the day after tomorrow. Keep up this spirit, let's go!"
Coach Brooks didn't say much else and simply gave them a day off, which made everyone cheer.
"Kayce, don't forget to post on Twitter. Tonight, I'm going to open a few burner accounts and roast those two jerks, Odom and Artest, to death!"
Durant wasn't satisfied with the offline confrontation and planned to continue the battle online. Of course, the trash talk had to be done with burner accounts; he still needed to piggyback on Kayce's fans with his main account to maintain his image as a star player.
"No problem, Bro, I guarantee your followers will skyrocket tomorrow!" Kayce and Durant fist-bumped.
"Wow! Kayce, your dancing was amazing! Next time, let's do a routine together for the opening!"
Russell saw the dancing footage captured by the team staff and immediately became interested.
"Russell, you know, I'm not very good at partner dancing. You played great today!" Kayce quickly changed the subject.
By the time Kayce drove home, it was already late at night. The post-game physical therapy always took a lot of time, but his trainer, Meg, told him it helped reduce the risk of injuries, so Kayce completely accepted the arrangement.
He took a quick bath and sent messages to Britney and Anne. In a few days, he would be going to Los Angeles for an away game, and the blonde sweetheart said she had a surprise for him.
"Just don't tell me I'm a surprise dad..." Kayce thought to himself.
Lying on the soft bed, Kayce slowly fell asleep and once again entered the Dream Training Space. He called up the control panel and saw the notification on the achievement room, which made him overjoyed.
"Another badge upgraded! I really wish all 82 regular season games were against the Los Angeles Lakers. They're a mobile experience pack!"