During the break, in the Sina Sports studio, host Ke Xiaofan and Ma Jian were summarizing the performance of both teams in the first quarter.
"For the Magic, the best player in the first quarter was definitely Rashard Lewis, Coach Ma, what are your thoughts on this?"
"Rashard Lewis had many open looks from beyond the arc, mainly due to Howard's ability in the paint. Howard completely dominated Kostić on both ends of the court. As soon as the Thunder collapsed their defense slightly, the outside opportunities opened up."
"Howard will continue to perform in the upcoming game. He only had one foul in the first quarter, which was very well controlled. If the Thunder want to catch up, their interior defense must be strengthened."
What Coach Ma said before the game came true; the Thunder's interior indeed couldn't hold up and was exploited.
"Indeed, when single coverage can't stop Howard, the game becomes very difficult. Alright, the second quarter is about to begin, let's turn our attention back to the live broadcast."
Coach Brooks directly had Jeff Green continue to play in the second quarter. I Tang Thomas couldn't space the floor offensively, so he had to be dropped from the rotation.
"Kayce, try to speed up the offensive pace, attack their guard line more often. Green, pay attention to Ryan Anderson's outside shooting, and keep up with him on defense!"
Kayce nodded, indicating he understood. This was a good opportunity to catch up.
In the second quarter for the Thunder, Kayce and Thabo Sefolosha partnered in the backcourt, with Jeff Green and Ibaka at forward, and Nick Collison at center.
The Magic, on the other hand, used Anthony Johnson and JJ Redick in the backcourt, Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson at forward, and Marcin Gortat at center.
"The Magic's rotation still maintains strong points both inside and out. The offensive spacing on the court is also very good. Carter leading this lineup ensures offense, now it just depends on how their defense performs."
Coach Ma saw Marcin Gortat inside and Carter outside for the Magic and immediately felt that the Thunder were in trouble.
Both teams' offensive schemes were very similar. The Magic relied on Carter, and the Thunder relied on Kayce. Both had a big man inside and four shooters outside.
After Kayce brought the ball past half-court, Carter immediately came up to defend. This lineup relied on him for both offense and defense.
With a screen from the number 5, Collison stepped up to set the pick. Kayce accelerated with a right-hand dribble to drive. Marcin Gortat's defense wasn't very aggressive because Carter squeezed through the screen very quickly.
The screen quality wasn't high. Feeling Carter's body contact beside him, Kayce suddenly executed a behind-the-back dribble while in motion, then smoothly made a large turn with his left hand, and released a fadeaway.
"Swish!" The two-point shot went in.
"Oh ah!!!"
The entire sequence of movements was fluid and exceptionally graceful, immediately drawing huge exclamations from the Amway Center audience.
"What a great shot! Kayce played that beautifully. That move was so visually appealing, and most importantly, he made the shot in the end! This is definitely a top 10 play!"
Host Ke Xiaofan was instantly excited upon seeing Kayce's stylish basket.
"Beautiful combo move, nice job, Li!"
Carter caught up to Kayce, who was retreating on defense, and said with a smile.
"I can only use that once, I know. After that, this move won't work against you."
Kayce shrugged. When it came to flashy and entertaining play, Carter was still the one to watch. Just in-game dunks alone, this legend had a whole repertoire.
On the Magic's offense, Anthony Johnson, also an experienced veteran, passed the ball to Carter after crossing half-court and began directing traffic, signaling his teammates to clear space for Carter.
Facing Jeff Green's defense, Carter executed several consecutive between-the-legs dribbles followed by a front crossover, shaking off Jeff Green, and accelerating with a left-hand dribble to drive.
Marcin Gortat held Collison firmly in the paint, allowing Carter to easily score a layup.
Kayce watched helplessly. If Ibaka collapsed, Ryan Anderson would get an open look. Next possession, he would have to defend Carter himself; Jeff Green couldn't keep up with his speed.
After quickly dribbling past half-court, Kayce signaled Thabo Sefolosha to come get the ball, then sank to the corner. Jeff Green came out to receive the ball off a screen from Collison, and with a quick step, drove past Ryan Anderson's defense.
This burst of acceleration completely blew past Ryan Anderson. Marcin Gortat came over to help defend, and Jeff Green passed the ball in motion to Collison under the basket, who received the pass for an easy bucket, scoring 2 points.
Although Jeff Green's technique was a bit rough, his dribbling and driving were definitely not a problem, as he was, after all, a 5th overall pick in the first round.
"Excellent teamwork. It seems other Thunder players are slowly stepping up. Now it's all about defense."
Coach Ma hoped the Thunder could hold on for a few possessions and narrow the deficit.
On the Magic's offense, Kayce now directly guarded Carter. It was still a pick-and-roll. Kayce fought hard to squeeze through, but Carter suddenly passed the ball while in motion. JJ Redick caught the ball on the perimeter and shot immediately.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
The Thunder were half a beat slow on defending the off-ball screen, directly allowing JJ Redick to get open.
Over the next four minutes, the Magic's offense flourished both inside and out. Marcin Gortat repeatedly scored in the low post, and Ryan Anderson and JJ Redick also hit three-pointers.
On the Thunder's side, Kayce continuously drove for free throws, and combined with scattered scoring from others, prevented the deficit from widening too much.
Seeing his players struggling, Coach Brooks called another timeout. He felt he should have put his starters back in during the previous official timeout; this timeout felt a bit late.
Halfway through the second quarter, the Magic were leading 17-13 in the quarter. Kayce, besides one mid-range shot, had also made 4 free throws, getting 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The Magic's defense against Kayce was to deny him shots, double-teaming him as soon as he drove inside, forcing others to finish. As a result, opportunities arose, but his teammates missed several shots, and the deficit still widened.
Kayce sat on the bench, chugging water. He had already noticed that teams he faced were switching to a physical, bruising style of defense against him. After mismatches, the Magic even directly fouled him a few times.
"That old man Stan Van Gundy isn't a good guy either. Is this how you defend a rookie?!"
Kayce thought glumly while drinking water.
During the long timeout, in the Sina Sports studio, host Ke Xiaofan couldn't help but say:
"The Magic's defensive approach is a bit unusual. There were two instances of mismatch defense where they just directly fouled. Coach Ma, what's your take on this?"
"That's the Magic's strategy. In that pick-and-roll defense, Carter was slow to squeeze through, so Gortat went straight up and bowled Kayce over. Anthony Johnson also directly used his body to hit Kayce."
"Stan Van Gundy must have given instructions before the game: don't let Kayce play comfortably, give him frequent physical contact. Kayce is 19 years old this year, so he's definitely at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength, and this defensive approach has been effective."
Coach Ma felt the Magic had found all of the Thunder's weaknesses.
"Actually, it's not just Kayce; the Magic's defense against Durant is also the same. Coach Van Gundy did his pre-game work very well and successfully limited the Thunder."
Host Ke Xiaofan also sighed inwardly. If you play well, others will study you. It's not easy to make a living in the NBA.
For the rest of the second quarter, Coach Brooks brought back Russell and Durant to keep the score close, hoping to make a strong push in the third quarter. If they couldn't catch up then, they would concede the game.
Fortunately, after both teams' starters returned, the deficit didn't continue to widen. At halftime, the Magic led 60-46, entering the second half with a 14-point advantage.
In the Thunder's locker room, spirits were low. Being down by 14 points at halftime was a significant deficit, and most importantly, the Magic's offense, flourishing both inside and out, had almost completely broken the Thunder.
Coach Brooks didn't have many good solutions; this was a roster flaw. So, in the second half, he had to take a gamble, betting on the Magic's outside shooting percentage to drop.
"Green, starting the second half, we're going to double-team Howard in the low post. Everyone else, pay attention to perimeter rotation defense. Rebounds, especially long rebounds, we absolutely must control them now."
Kayce heard the coach's tactical arrangement and knew it meant protecting the paint and hoping for the best on the perimeter.
"I definitely need to increase my strength training in the future. Are these guys playing rugby? Many of their actions aren't aimed at the ball; they just want to foul!"
Durant was roughed up in the first half. Whether it was coming off screens or catching the ball in the low post, several Magic players, led by Michael Pietrus, constantly initiated contact.
"The playing style in the East is just like that. The NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons back then weren't pretty to watch!"
Jeff Green also complained.
"Actually, it's the same in the West. Russell handles the physicality best; he's completely unaffected."
Although Kayce was a bit frustrated, he admitted his shortcomings.
"Actually, I was affected too. My touch dropped significantly. After the first few games, I thought I was an elite shooter!"
Russell felt his performance was mediocre and spoke his mind.
"Haha, Russell, don't mistake an illusion for reality. Trust me, attacking the rim is what you should be doing!"
Jeff Green laughed, teasing Russell.
Seeing everyone in the locker room starting to laugh and chat again, Kayce also felt relieved. They would fight hard again in the second half; there was still a chance.
The third quarter began, and both teams brought back their starting lineups. The outcome would be decided in this quarter.
After Russell brought the ball past half-court, he immediately passed it to Kayce, who was calling for the ball in the low post. Facing Carter's defense, Kayce took a jab step, then rose up for a pull-up jumper.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in.
The Thunder's main strategy in the second half was to speed up the pace. A 14-point deficit was truly impossible to overcome by playing slowly.
On the Magic's first possession of the second half, Jason Williams lobbed the ball to Howard in the low post. Howard received the ball, made a post-up move, and Jeff Green quickly came over to double-team.
Howard didn't force it, immediately kicking it out to Rashard Lewis in the corner. Durant rotated into position, and the Magic made continuous passes without dribbling. Finally, Jason Williams took an open three-point jump shot.
"Swish!" It went in steadily.
Kayce frowned. This was a spot the Thunder intentionally conceded, but it still went in.
In the ensuing game, Kayce experienced the terror of a one-star, four-shooter lineup. The Magic's three-point rain began!
As long as Howard was double-teamed in the low post, the Magic's perimeter players could hit three-pointers. Michael Pietrus made two consecutive shots at this time.
"Ah!! Ah!!"
The Amway Center audience was hyped. The Thunder struggled to score 2 points, only for the Magic to immediately respond with a 'Bang Bang' 3-pointer, further widening the gap.
Kayce glanced at Coach Brooks, who signaled to continue, so he reluctantly stuck with this defensive strategy.
But three-pointers are an illogical thing. When Carter also hit two consecutive three-pointers while being defended, the Thunder collapsed, especially that ultra-long three-pointer, which made Coach Brooks shake his head directly.
"Ha ah!! Wow oh!!"
Howard let out a strange yell and high-fived Carter in celebration, also inciting the live audience. The Amway Center was completely ignited.
Playing from behind is very difficult for young teams. The Thunder were clanking shots frequently at this point. Kayce wanted to reasonably seek open shots, but everyone was missing now. He knew he had been too optimistic.
After playing most of the quarter, Coach Brooks pulled his starters, calling off the fight.
Kayce sat on the bench, also pondering his own issues. There was an opportunity in the third quarter, but he had disrupted the offensive rhythm. Should he trust his teammates, or try to force it himself?
"In the end, my physical shortcomings were amplified. It's a shame that everyone is training muscles these days, and flopping doesn't even get a whistle. This is truly too difficult."