At the end of the first quarter, Coach Brooks was very pleased with the players' performance. During the break, he began to constantly motivate everyone.
It's normal to feel a bit tired during back-to-back games. At this time, the Head Coach needs to use inspirational words to awaken everyone's enthusiasm.
"Kevin, Kayce, perfect performance! Take a break for a bit, maintain this aggressiveness, we're bringing two road wins back to Oklahoma City!"
"Ollie, when you get on the court, pay attention to the offensive rhythm. Ibaka, focus on protecting rebounds and collapsing the defense."
Coach Brooks began to constantly remind the bench players of what to pay attention to. Kevin Ollie, who had been suppressed by Kayce and could only play garbage time, finally returned to a normal rotation and was full of energy.
Durant sat on the bench, wiping sweat and excitedly telling Kayce:
"Kayce, my shooting touch has been getting better and better lately. Maybe playing one-on-one before games really helps."
Kayce's expression became a bit strange when he heard this. He knew in his heart that Durant was benefiting from the bonus effect of his Organization Core badge.
Even if it only added a tiny bit of offensive attribute, Durant's shooting stability improved significantly, and he rarely entered "brick-laying" mode anymore.
After a game, his mid-range shooting percentage could reach around 47%, and with a better touch, it would easily be 50%.
In the first quarter of this game, Durant was 4-for-4, getting 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Kayce was also 4-for-4, but he had two three-pointers, getting 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.
"If you think it's useful, you can stick to this habit, as long as you don't mind losing a little money," Kayce replied with a smile.
"OK, I really learned a few tricks from you. Your crossover dribble rhythm is excellent, and I've been practicing it recently. However, I'm used to pulling back and directly going for a fadeaway, which might be more efficient."
Durant's passion for basketball is undeniable. He constantly practices and refines any technique he finds suitable for himself.
"If I had your height, maybe I would do that. I think you could add some pull-up jumpers after a jab step. Shorter defenders will definitely try to get under you, and in that situation, dribbling is prone to turnovers."
Many of Kayce's skills were developed by playing one-on-one with Durant in the Dream Training Space, plus the daily basic ball-handling drills in the space. This is what led to his consistent dominant performance on the court.
"You're right. It seems I still need to add some training. Maybe I can also add more three-point shooting practice!"
Durant was already deep in conversation. Besides his love for online Twitter debates, in real life, it's either training or parties.
Jeff Green was a bit confused by the conversation between Kayce and Durant. He also tried hard to practice ball-handling, but he simply didn't have the talent. He never beat Kayce in one-on-one dribble drives.
"I always feel like we don't live in the same world. Can talent really let you do whatever you want?"
Jeff Green silently shed a tear in his heart.
While Kayce was chatting animatedly on the bench, Kevin Ollie, who came on in the second quarter, also performed excellently, successfully withstanding the Clippers' bench surge.
Sebastian Telfair, who came off the bench for the Clippers, played aggressively, driving to the basket and shooting from outside. Coupled with Craig Smith's contribution of firepower after coming on, the second quarter started with intense play from both sides.
Ricky Davis also put in a lot of effort on defense, and Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby successfully protected the defensive rebounds.
After more than 5 minutes into the second quarter, the score was 13-13, and the lead hadn't been narrowed. The Thunder's bench had completed its mission.
During the official timeout, Coach Brooks prepared to bring back the starting lineup after the break. He wanted to enter the second half with a large lead, not wanting to drag things out.
"Excellent work, fellas! Kevin, Kayce, focus on attacking the paint more. They haven't rested, so attack their interior often."
Coach Brooks instructed them while constantly drawing up tactical arrangements on the whiteboard.
After the timeout, both teams brought back their starting lineups. Kayce saw Marcus Camby still on the court. This veteran was really fighting hard for a bigger contract.
After Kayce dribbled past half-court, he saw Rasual Butler lower his center of gravity, staring intently at him. Kayce made a gesture, and Jeff Green came over to screen and receive the ball, with Kayce taking his defender with him as he cut.
Durant quickly came over for a handoff. This time, Jeff Green set a real screen, delaying Al Thornton's defense. Marcus Camby, seeing this, quickly stepped up to help.
But Durant, in motion, executed a wide body-fake change of direction, directly shaking off the helping Marcus Camby and driving into the paint. Under Chris Kaman's block, he performed a left-handed scoop layup in the air, softly putting the ball in.
"And One!!"
Feeling the contact, Durant also shouted, attempting to get a 2+1.
However, the referee ignored it, and Durant smiled and ran back on defense after making the shot.
"This is an incredible ability to combine ball-handling and scoring! My God, this is a move made by a 210cm big man! Absolutely spectacular!"
This basket stunned the home commentator. He had truly never seen such a sight.
The Clippers players were feeling frustrated at this point because the Thunder's offense was very simple and direct: they used individual ability to compress the defense, and then isolation plays. The problem was, they simply couldn't defend it!
After Baron Davis dribbled past half-court, Kaman came over to screen. Kayce squeezed through the screen quickly. Out of options, Davis passed the ball to Kaman again, who received it and immediately took a floater.
"Swish" The 2 points went in. This shot caught Kostić by surprise, and his defense was a step slow.
After Kayce dribbled past half-court, he immediately executed a handoff with Durant, then directly posted up in the low block. Durant lobbed the ball to Kayce.
Kayce received the ball with his back to the basket, then turned around and put the ball on the floor, accelerating with a right-hand dribble to drive. The Triple Threat Veteran + First Step Master badge bonuses allowed Kayce to easily break through Rasual Butler's defense.
He drove straight along the baseline into the paint, took off, and facing Kaman's block, he tightened his core, performed an aerial scoop, glided to the other side of the rim, and threw down a reverse dunk!
"Slam!" Kobe's signature reverse dunk was successful.
"Ah!!! Ah!!"
This dunk ignited the enthusiasm of the Staples Center crowd, who collectively let out huge cheers.
"A spectacular driving dunk! My God, that was so fast! I must commend Kayce; he must have watched a lot of Kobe's highlights!"
The home commentator was almost completely won over, fully entering "Kayce-praising" mode.
Kayce, after the dunk, saw an excited Durant running towards him. The two shared a synchronized chest bump celebration, and this play also greatly uplifted their teammates' spirits.
Jordan on the Clippers' bench looked on with envy. On the day of the tryout, he knew Kayce was a genius and also willing to share the ball.
Jordan had always paid attention to the Thunder's performance. In the new season, he saw that Ibaka, a rookie, was getting more rotation time, and Kayce always found him for easy scores. He felt incredibly jealous.
If Kayce had come to the Clippers, he would definitely be playing now. He believed his ability to finish at the rim was no less than Ibaka's.
In the remaining minutes of the second quarter, the Clippers were shredded by Kayce and Durant. Fearing their shooting, the defense had to play up, but when the defense played up, these two would simply drive past them.
Old Dunleavy called another timeout, but it was still useless. The Thunder's offensive pace became faster and faster, and the Clippers' older players found it hard to keep up.
The Clippers' mindset became anxious, and their outside three-pointers clanked off the rim. The Thunder, on the other hand, grabbed the rebound and launched a frantic fast break. As a result, with 2 minutes and 12 seconds left, they were in the bonus, and Kayce and Durant started shooting free throws again.
The game was over. The second quarter ended with a score of 64-44, the Thunder already leading by 20 points at halftime.
In the second quarter, Kayce was 2-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, getting 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Durant was 2-for-3 from the field, 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, getting 8 points and 2 rebounds. Both continued their efficient performance.
During halftime, Kayce's fans were ecstatic. They bought the right tickets; the money was well spent. Britney, seeing the supporters wearing Kayce's jersey, couldn't help but exclaim:
"Maybe he's right. Basketball suits him, and the Thunder suits him!"
Anne heard this and carefully scrutinized Britney beside her, saying pointedly:
"You should trust him. Kayce is a very proud person. He hopes to help the Dutton Family through his own efforts. Don't even think about giving him money."
"I didn't give him money! He earns so much now, and he's still so stingy with himself. I just sent him clothes!"
Britney's little secret was exposed, and she couldn't help but defend herself.
"Alright, I know you care about him. Actually, there are some issues with the Dutton Family, but Beth said nothing will happen in the next year or two, so don't worry!"
After Anne finished speaking, she gently stroked Britney's hair, which made the latter pout playfully, and the two started bickering again.
During halftime, in the Thunder's locker room, Kayce saw a weak Russell and quickly went up to him, asking with concern:
"Feeling better? Russell, maybe you should go to the hospital for a check-up!"
"Thanks, Bro, I feel much better. I'm really hungry now, but the Dr. won't let me eat anything. I think I'll be fine."
Russell had diarrhea and hadn't eaten anything all day.
"Let's get you checked out when we get back to Oklahoma City. If we win this game, we'll have two days off. Get some good rest, Russell!"
Durant also came over to comfort Russell, and teammates even offered their recovery secrets. Ibaka swore that cricket tea could make Russell recover quickly.
Everyone shivered in disgust. Cricket tea... what kind of dark cuisine is that?
In the Clippers' locker room, everyone's mood was also good. So what if they lost? It had no impact. They would just pad their stats in the second half. Old Dunleavy didn't say much either; he knew it wouldn't do much good.
In the third quarter, both teams amicably padded their stats, and the game proceeded steadily. Kayce and Durant came off the court after reaching 20 points, as the lead was too large, and it was time for the bench players to play.
The fourth quarter also played out very smoothly, and time flew by. Finally, the game ended with a score of 112-96. The Thunder decisively defeated the Clippers on the road, extending their winning streak to 8 games.
In their next game, they will return home to face the San Antonio Spurs.
After Kayce briefly said goodbye to Britney and Anne, he had to fly back to Oklahoma City overnight. Even though the Thunder were ranked first, their popularity wasn't very high.
After all, the league was pushing the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and the Green-Yellow rivalry! At worst, they could always create a "23 vs 24, James vs. Kobe" narrative, which would also be great, wouldn't it?
After the game, there weren't many media reporters for the interview. Kayce, attending the press conference, wasn't angry at the situation, but merely sighed inwardly:
"Perhaps even if the Lakers were terrible, they would still get more attention than the Thunder. Small market teams are really tough."