The Thunder were crushed by the Los Angeles Lakers in a nationally televised game, and the most direct consequence was that Durant lost his Player of the Week award.
Originally, everyone in the game wanted to help Durant score more points, but it was like his mom opened the door to a blacksmith's shop – he was completely off, shooting 5-for-19 and finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 turnovers.
Kayce's own stats were decent: 7-for-15 from the field, 2-for-4 from three, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, for 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 turnovers. It was a solid, if unremarkable, contribution.
Russell played the best, shooting 8-for-14 from the field, 1-for-2 from three, and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, for 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 turnovers, once again outplaying the unfortunate Old Fish Fisher.
Tomorrow, the Thunder will fly to Salt Lake City to challenge the Utah Jazz on the road. After this away game, the Thunder can return home, where they will have a continuous stretch of five home games. Oklahoma City fans have been eagerly awaiting this.
The night the game ended, because it was a nationally televised Los Angeles Lakers game, it became a significant hot topic, especially after seeing the power of the Los Angeles Lakers' twin towers again. Many media outlets were already shouting:
"Los Angeles Lakers are the champions!"
At TNT, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley were also commenting on the game.
"Guys, remember what I said before? The Thunder's record will fluctuate wildly. It's hard for them to win against Western Conference Playoffs teams. Look at this game, who still doubts me!"
Barkley became happier the more he spoke, and by the time he finished, he was beaming with joy.
"Charles, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers is normal. They are the defending champions. They have Gasol and Bynum in the paint, Kobe and Artest on the perimeter, and Fisher is an experienced veteran!"
"The Thunder are all rookies, Come on! We can't be so harsh on young players; they are still growing!"
Kenny Smith continued to support the Thunder; talented young players always receive preferential treatment.
"I agree with part of your point, but it will be difficult for the Thunder to make the Playoffs. They lack a big man. Kostić's defense is terrible, and look at Jeff Green; this guy is frequently shooting threes from outside!"
"Buddy, you are a power forward. You need to destroy opponents in the low post, grab 10 rebounds, and block 2 shots every game. That's what a power forward should do!"
Barkley turned his head and began to criticize the Thunder's interior again.
"But you can't deny that when Jeff Green is on the court, the Thunder's offensive spacing is better. This is their tactical system, and they have been successful."
Kenny Smith directly threw out the data, displaying the plus-minus on the big screen.
"So, I still insist that the league's playing style is getting softer and softer. Can you imagine a future where the low post disappears, and everyone just shoots threes? God, nobody wants to watch that kind of game!"
The tough guy Barkley couldn't help but complain about the league's playing style again.
"Then I can only say you're outdated, buddy! There's nothing wrong with efficient scoring. Ratings are increasing every year, which means audiences like the current games."
"Nobody likes to watch a game where players just float around and shoot the ball. This is a man's sport; games need physical contact!"
The two TNT commentators strayed further and further from the topic, completely entering a bickering mode.
The next day, on the plane to Salt Lake City, everyone continued playing Texas Hold'em. As they chatted, Durant suddenly complained:
"Kayce, you're right. I really shouldn't look at Twitter. After just one loss, so many people are hating on me!"
"Just ignore them. They're all a bunch of boring guys who don't understand basketball and just want to rant."
Kayce looked at the cards in his hand with a worried expression, offering his opinion.
"You're too generous. I've already stayed up all night with my discussion group, directly flaming them until they stopped replying. No one can defeat me on Twitter!"
"Eww!!!"
Hearing Durant's words, everyone collectively booed. Ever since Kayce suggested he create a discussion group on Facebook, Durant has been on a rampage on Twitter, and he has now become widely known.
The Utah Jazz's record has been average since the start of the season, currently at 7 wins and 6 losses, placing them 7th in the Western Conference. However, as the season progresses, the Utah Jazz's form has been improving.
Before the game, Head Coach Jerry Sloan discussed the Thunder's playing style with coaching staff, and the final conclusion was that "we also have an advantage in the paint!"
Boozer and Okur are experienced, capable both inside and out, and with Deron's organization and playmaking, their regular style of play would be enough to completely defeat the Thunder.
Therefore, before the game, the Utah Jazz did not do much targeted training or tactical planning, simply stating to get the ball into the paint.
On the evening of November 24th, after a boring Thanksgiving in Salt Lake City, the Thunder, having rested for a day, were eager to play.
"Every time I come to Salt Lake City, it's dead boring. Honestly, I don't like playing here. Some fanatic white fans always shout out insulting language!"
Durant had been so bored these past two days that he spent every night intensely arguing on Twitter.
"I heard that the Utah Jazz's home officiating has always been controversial. Have you guys experienced that in the past?"
Kayce was very curious if the Utah Jazz truly had a "no-foul" reputation.
"Kevin lost all the time in his rookie season, and I also lost all the time last year. This question should be asked to Collison; he's been on the team the longest and should know these things."
Russell spoke truthfully, inadvertently bringing up past sad memories.
Kayce was a bit speechless when he heard this. Well, he almost forgot that the Thunder had been tanking before.
"Alright, guys, in this game, we need to run more pick-and-rolls. According to the plan set before the game, let's try to speed up the offensive pace!"
Coach Brooks temporarily abandoned the bankrupt version of the triangle offense. Russell and Durant are not good at complex off-ball movement, and adapting to tactics requires a lot of time.
Most importantly, if Kayce finished too many possessions, the team's offense would become much more stagnant.
Therefore, after some discussion, coaching staff decided to let Kayce control the team more. The defense was already beyond saving, so they had to rely on offense.
The game was about to begin, and the home DJ started yelling and introducing the team, while also hyping up the crowd.
As soon as he stepped out, Kayce already felt the atmosphere of Salt Lake City in the regular season: noisy, with occasional profanity.
"A true 'iron-blooded home court,' they start by greeting you with insults. No wonder everyone dislikes playing here."
Kayce looked around, smiling and waving to the fans, which caused several agitated older men to immediately start spewing expletives.
Durant watched from the side, grinning, and simply asked:
"How does it feel, Bro? They say it's even scarier here in the Playoffs, with 20,000 people cursing at you. I haven't experienced it, though."
"Not bad. I think everyone is very enthusiastic; it's just that their way of expressing it is a bit unique."
Kayce shrugged, jokingly teasing the fans here, which made everyone on the Thunder burst into laughter.
Both teams started with their regular lineups for this game. The Utah Jazz had Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews in the backcourt, Ronnie Brewer and Carlos Boozer on the wings, and Mehmet Okur at center.
The Thunder's backcourt consisted of Russell and Kayce, with Durant and Jeff Green on the wings, and Kostić at center.
There were no major changes to either team's starting lineup. Kostić and Okur jumped for the ball in the center.
"Slap!"
"Great, Okur successfully secured the first possession for us. Deron quickly dribbled the ball past half-court."
The Utah Jazz's home commentator took this time to quickly introduce both teams' starting lineups.
After Deron dribbled past half-court, he first ran a pick-and-roll with Okur. Since Okur has a three-point shot, Kostić also came out to defend him. At this point, Boozer was already calling for the ball in the low post.
Deron threw a bounce pass to Boozer. Facing Jeff Green's defense, Boozer immediately backed him down, pounding his way to the basket, then turned and shot a hook shot.
"Swish!" 2 points easily scored.
The two were the same height, but Boozer was 10kg heavier than Jeff Green. They were not in the same league.
Kayce saw the situation from the side and could only sigh helplessly:
"This trick again. Can't these Western Conference teams try a different approach?"