Although Ibaka was drafted by the Thunder last year, he officially made his NBA debut this year. Due to language barriers, he previously struggled to integrate into the team.
However, after Kayce joined the team, his performance significantly improved. First, Kayce speaks Spanish, which helped Ibaka communicate better.
Moreover, Ibaka had a little secret: he felt his performance was better when he and Kayce were on the court together!
Before, he felt more confident in his jump shot, and recently, Ibaka felt his defense had also clicked. His body instinctively made the right defensive positioning with few errors. He didn't know why, but he enjoyed playing with Kayce.
In fact, this was the effect of Kayce's badge bonuses. The Organization Core and Defense Core badges had a significant impact on talented rookie players.
Ibaka and Russell were both beneficiaries. Durant's shooting was also gradually stabilizing, thanks to Kayce's badges. While these badges wouldn't instantly turn players into superstars, they could definitely help them develop better.
In the Sacramento Kings' offense during the second quarter, they still relied on Harden and Andrés Nocioni, continuing with pick-and-rolls with their bigs. Kayce hounded Harden, forcing him to pass the ball.
Kaspi received the ball near the free-throw line, and Ibaka immediately stepped up to contest. Facing such defense, Andrés Nocioni quickly came over to receive the ball and broke through with a quick step.
Etan Thomas's athleticism was a bit weak, and his footwork couldn't keep up. Just as the opponent was about to score a layup, Ibaka appeared out of nowhere, coming over for help defense and delivering a pin-block!
"Thwack!" The block was incredibly solid.
Kayce, quick-eyed and quick-handed, secured possession and immediately accelerated into a fast break. Harden tried to interfere beside him but found Kayce's dribbling speed too fast. He had started too late and couldn't catch up.
Kaspi retreated quickly. Seeing Kayce driving towards the basket, he tried to delay him, but Kayce, moving at high speed, had already spotted Thabo Sefolosha streaking down the other side.
With a two-on-one opportunity, Kayce flicked his wrist, passing directly to the unguarded Thabo Sefolosha, who caught the ball and took off for a one-handed dunk!
"Slam!" This was the Thunder's first fast-break score of the game.
After the dunk, Thabo Sefolosha patted his chest to acknowledge Kayce, then quickly retreated on defense. The Sacramento Kings quickly inbounded the ball, and Harden immediately set a pick after crossing half-court, switching Thabo Sefolosha onto him.
After continuous dribbling between his legs, he suddenly made a front-of-the-body crossover, driving left into the paint. Ibaka's defensive positioning was excellent, and he immediately came over to help, but Harden anticipated the defense and released a floater.
"Swish!" The two-point shot went in.
"Thabo, try not to give Harden his left hand. His right hand isn't as strong. Just defend his left side!"
As Kayce inbounded the ball, he reminded Thabo Sefolosha. The coaching staff had discussed these small details, but players on the court sometimes forgot them during the game.
"No problem, don't worry, Kayce!" Thabo Sefolosha immediately signaled that he understood.
After Kayce dribbled past half-court, Ibaka immediately came over to set a pick. Harden fought hard to squeeze past the defense, sticking tightly to Kayce. At the same time, Kaspi in the paint also raised both hands, stepping up to delay.
But Kayce, dribbling with his right hand and accelerating, suddenly executed a behind-the-back crossover. This change of rhythm and the fake behind-the-back dribble with his right hand made both Harden and Kaspi hesitate simultaneously.
In that instant, Kayce smoothly made a light, one-handed scoop layup.
"Bang, swish..."
The ball just flew over Kaspi's fingertips, banking off the glass and in.
"Oh!!"
The home fans couldn't help but gasp. The shot was too skillful, and the movement was very graceful and pleasing to the eye.
Harden looked at Kayce, who was already retreating on defense, feeling a bit helpless. He had tried his best to defend, but Kayce just kept breaking through his defense. Instantly, he remembered the times when Kayce dominated him in the past.
"This guy's game has improved again. Someone who lifts weights every day still has such good skills! God is so unfair!"
Harden was seething with jealousy. He knew Kayce had been focusing on strength training recently, but looking at his performance on the court, his touch and dribbling were still unaffected.
The Sacramento Kings' offense continued at a deliberate pace, specifically targeting Etan Thomas. After Andrés Nocioni set a screen, he immediately took a jump shot from beyond the three-point line.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in steadily.
Coach Brooks naturally saw this situation from the sideline. Etan Thomas, as a veteran, still had some utility, but facing the Sacramento Kings' continuous pick-and-roll offense, his footwork was indeed a bit slow.
However, as the Head Coach, Brooks still wanted a veteran on the court because Ibaka lacked experience and sometimes missed some defensive rebounds.
On the Thunder's offense, Kayce quickly crossed half-court, still using Ibaka's screen. He accelerated with his left hand to drive, with Harden fiercely contesting beside him.
Seeing the opponent's quick help defense, Kayce made a bounce pass with his left hand to Ibaka at the free-throw line.
Ibaka caught the ball and immediately took a jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
After scoring, Ibaka celebrated with a fist pump. He had been feeling great about his shot during practice recently, and making a mid-range shot in the game boosted his confidence even more.
The Sacramento Kings' defense was currently struggling. The Thunder were playing simple and direct: setting screens for Kayce to attack. If the opponent sent help defense, he would pass the ball. After Ibaka made his shot, their defense became even harder.
Sure enough, in the ensuing play, Kayce exploded again.
After Collison came up to set a screen, Dante Green was slow to close out, and Kayce immediately stepped back for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
On the Sacramento Kings' offense, after Harden set a screen, he struggled to drive, throwing the ball up while being defended by Kayce.
After Etan Thomas came up to set a screen, Kaspi overcommitted, and Kayce, while moving, found Etan Thomas, who caught the ball and immediately took off. Harden fouled him on the arm, sending Thomas to the free-throw line.
"Swish!" Both free throws went in.
On the Sacramento Kings' offense, after Harden set a screen, he fed Kenny Thomas for an easy score. Thomas caught the ball on the cut and tried for a dunk but was directly blocked by Ibaka!
After the stop, Ibaka passed the ball to Kayce, and the Thunder initiated another fast break.
Kayce dribbled with his right hand, constantly accelerating. Andrés Nocioni tried to steal the ball but was easily evaded by Kayce with a behind-the-back dribble. He then saw Thabo Sefolosha already sprinting up the court.
Without holding the ball, he made a precise lob pass while moving. Thabo Sefolosha leaped high, caught the ball with both hands, and threw down an alley-oop dunk!
"Slam!" The Thunder's lightning-fast fast break scored.
On the Sacramento Kings' offense, Andrés Nocioni tried to continue with the Etan Thomas pick-and-roll, but after the screen, Kayce's defensive pressure was too strong. He dribbled the ball off his foot, resulting in a turnover.
After Kayce dribbled past half-court, he was about to run an Ibaka pick-and-roll when Harden and Andrés Nocioni immediately came for a double-team. Kayce quickly passed the ball to Thabo Sefolosha.
Then, he first made a fake move as if running down, and using Ibaka's back screen, he directly shook off Harden's coverage. As soon as he ran out to the three-point line, Thabo Sefolosha immediately passed the ball back.
Kayce, upon receiving the ball, shot a drifting three-pointer without hesitation.
"Swish!" Today's basket felt as wide as the ocean, and the three-pointer swished through the net.
"Oh!!!"
The home crowd gasped again. This kind of acrobatic three-pointer was a bit of a dagger.
With this shot, Kayce had already scored 11 points in the second quarter. The Thunder went on a 19-7 run, and these few three-pointers almost completely broke the Sacramento Kings.
Even slowing down the pace didn't work anymore. Kayce's offensive ability overwhelmed the Sacramento Kings' defense. He could drive, shoot, and organize the offense, and the Sacramento Kings' wing players were being devoured.
Not long after the official timeout, Head Coach Paul Westphal called another timeout. He needed to bring his starters back in early. To collapse after only holding on for one quarter was not part of their game plan.
On the Thunder's side, Coach Brooks was also hyping up his players.
"Excellent performance, guys! Keep up this offensive rhythm, Kayce. Stay aggressive. You'll play the entire second quarter tonight. We want a big lead going into halftime."
Coach Brooks also wanted to bring back his starting lineup early because they had another game tomorrow. They would be playing a back-to-back road game, flying to Los Angeles tonight to challenge the Clippers.
Therefore, he hoped to secure the win early in this game to reduce the wear and tear on his starters.
After both teams brought their starters back, the Sacramento Kings' offense also started to pick up the pace. The deficit was a bit large, and if they continued to play slowly, the game would be over.
After Beno Udrih set a screen, he quickly passed the ball to Hawes at the free-throw line. Kostić also came up to defend. Seeing no opportunity, he passed the ball back to Harden, who caught it and immediately drove to his right.
Kayce kept his hands raised high throughout, covering Harden with his body. But with the score deficit, Harden played more decisively. Against Kayce's defense, he suddenly took a big step-back jump shot while moving.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in with difficulty.
"Nice one, Bro. Looks like you've increased your right-hand training. Good results!" Seeing Harden score and fall to the ground, Kayce walked over, pulled him up, and complimented him.
"Just a lucky shot. I should have listened to you and practiced my right hand more in high school, but alas..." Harden shrugged self-deprecatingly and quickly ran back on defense.
The Thunder's offense still started with a handoff at the top of the key.
Russell, using Kostić's screen, drove directly into the paint. Seeing Jason Thompson come over to help, he immediately found Jeff Green in the corner.
The Sacramento Kings' perimeter rotation wasn't slow either. Jeff Green saw the defender already sliding over, so he didn't hold the ball and immediately passed it to Durant on the perimeter.
Durant caught the ball and immediately drove, blowing past Andrés Nocioni. Seeing Hawes rotate into position again, he passed to Kayce on the perimeter.
Kayce caught the ball, took a light dribble, and immediately faked Harden off balance. He dribbled one step with his left hand, then stepped back for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in again.
This was the current strength of the Thunder's perimeter: many players who could handle the ball!
Although Durant and Russell sometimes made inaccurate passes, their drive-and-kick game was quite good, and Kayce, as a shooter, could still complete the offense effectively.
The Sacramento Kings' offense was clearly becoming more impatient. After Hawes set a screen, he received the ball beyond the three-point line and, without hesitation, shot it!
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
"Wow!!!"
Seeing that long-range shot go in, the home crowd immediately erupted in huge cheers for their team.
Kayce smiled at the situation. After dribbling past half-court, he gave his teammates a signal. Durant came over for a handoff. Jeff Green made a fake screen, then quickly popped out to create space.
Durant dribbled with his right hand, accelerating straight to the basket. Hawes reluctantly came to help again, but it was a fake shot and a real pass. Kostić received the ball and easily laid it in.
The Sacramento Kings' perimeter defense was currently too easy to break through. Faced with this situation, even Howard would be frustrated, let alone Hawes.
After holding on for a few minutes, the Sacramento Kings' defense finally collapsed. The Sacramento Kings' perimeter players, rattled by Kayce's shooting, flew off their feet at the slightest move. At this point, Kayce stopped shooting and started driving to the paint.
Seeing Hawes come over to help again, he drove to the basket, directly against the opponent's defense.
Feeling Hawes's body contact, Kayce threw the ball off the backboard without looking at the rim and cried out in pain.
"Ah!!"
"Whistle!" The referee blew his whistle, calling a shooting foul.
"Boo!"
The home crowd was very unhappy with the call and started booing Kayce and the referee.
Kayce didn't care about that. This foul gave Hawes his fourth foul, a huge gain! He took a deep breath and calmly made both free throws.
On the Sacramento Kings' offense, Hawes came out to the three-point line again after a screen, received a pass from Harden, and immediately took a jump shot.
"Clank!" It was a brick. Kayce grabbed the long rebound and immediately passed it to the fast-breaking Russell.
Russell, after receiving the ball, took one step past the free-throw line, immediately took off, and threw down a one-handed tomahawk dunk!
"Ah!!!" Russell, after the dunk, excitedly pounded his chest and roared.
There was one last possession in the second quarter. After a series of screens by the Sacramento Kings, Beno Udrih took an open three-pointer from the perimeter.
"Clank!" It was another brick. Jeff Green secured the rebound, and the first half of the game ended.
60-44. The Thunder outscored their opponent 36-20 in the second quarter, taking a 16-point lead into the second half.
Kayce scored 16 points in the second quarter, once again breaking his single-quarter scoring record, although only by one point.
Harden was a bit disappointed. He had thought that after beating the Utah Jazz, the team was finally on track, but he didn't expect Kayce to blow them out in the second quarter.
Seeing the Thunder players entering the locker room aisle, chatting and laughing, James Harden decided he must train hard and try not to look for big-butt girls anymore!
The home crowd's enthusiasm was also dampened by the Thunder. This game was basically over.
During halftime, Coach Brooks only gave a brief motivational speech and didn't specifically emphasize the tactical arrangements for the second half. After all, the Sacramento Kings' bigs were already in foul trouble, and the players all knew how to play.
"Kayce, do you have any extra tickets for the next game?" Everyone was chatting in the locker room when Russell suddenly asked Kayce.
"I still have some, but the seats aren't too close to the front. Griffin didn't get many tickets, but Britney should still have two front-row tickets."
Griffin, the unlucky kid, fractured his bone before the season even started, completely missing this season. He was incredibly jealous after seeing Kayce's performance.
Every now and then, he would call and text Kayce, complaining that the Clippers' old guys didn't care about him, the number one pick, and didn't even come to see him after he got injured.
"I don't need front-row tickets. My high school classmates want to come watch the game live. Any tickets are fine, thanks, Bro." Russell immediately bumped fists in acknowledgment.
"Too bad. I left a message for Scarlett on Twitter, inviting her to watch the game, but she didn't reply," Durant suddenly said.
"Eww!" Everyone immediately booed Durant.
"Kevin, I think you should try to get her phone number first. Sometimes, a celebrity's Twitter is run by staff, so they might not see your message."
Kayce felt he needed to give Durant some good advice. A simp doesn't get a house!
"No wonder she never replied to me. She didn't see the Twitter message!"
Durant used the simp's ultimate move: self-deception!
The second half of the game began. The Sacramento Kings only held on for a little over two minutes. After continuous missed shots and relentless counterattacks from the Thunder, the game was effectively over. Both teams then started to play for show and statistics.
After six minutes into the third quarter, both teams tacitly started to substitute their starters. The fourth quarter would be dedicated to practice time.
When Kayce was substituted, his stats were finalized at 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. Durant and Russell also both surpassed 20 points.
Finally, the game ended with a score of 110-96. The Thunder decisively defeated the Sacramento Kings, extending their season-opening winning streak to seven games.
Kayce's mind was no longer on the game. Tonight, he would travel to Los Angeles. This was his first time playing in Los Angeles since the draft.
"I really miss the happy life in Los Angeles!"