In April 2010, America media reporters and basketball commentators began to revel. Besides the upcoming playoffs, several big fish would also appear in this year's free agency!
On April 1st, April Fool's Day, many NBA fans focused their attention on the Cavaliers.
This season, under the leadership of LeBron James, the Cavaliers had already achieved a record of 59 wins and 16 losses. If no surprises, the Cavaliers would win at least 60 games this season.
Achieving 60+ wins for two consecutive years was an incredible accomplishment. All Cleveland fans rejoiced, believing he was their The Chosen One, the best gift God had given them to save Cleveland sports.
On this day, LeBron James also accepted an interview with NBA-TV and firmly stated during the interview:
"I have always had a grand goal. I will bring a championship to Cleveland. Before achieving this goal, I will never abandon my city! Nor will I stop pursuing victory!"
As one of the big-name players in the free agency, LeBron James's emphatic words showed his firm attitude towards re-signing. America media went wild, frantically spreading this news.
Media reporters and basketball commentators all believed this was LeBron James's announcement of re-signing with the Cavaliers, a declaration of loyalty to Cleveland sports!
Cavaliers fans were ecstatic. Their The Chosen One would not leave, and Cleveland would eventually win a championship!
Hmm... Although saying this on April Fool's Day was a little discordant, most fans didn't care about such details.
On Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, news about LeBron James staying with the Cavaliers and committing to winning a championship for his hometown began to spread rapidly. In those days, everyone loved to see a Michael Jordan-like script!
A lone hero, enduring hardships, staying with one team in one city, and finally winning a championship, fans never tired of this storyline. Currently, LeBron James almost perfectly fit this script, and everyone was looking forward to the birth of a second Michael Jordan.
On Reddit, the Cavaliers subreddit experienced a surge in traffic as everyone discussed LeBron James's decision to stay.
"This is absolutely amazing news. I'm happy the team got 60 wins, but I'm even happier to see LeBron James stay with the team. I swear, he is our savior!"
"Watching James's interview, I was truly moved. This is what a true city hero is! We should strengthen the team in the offseason. The team should trade for another All-Star player."
"God truly hasn't given up on Cleveland sports. The day we win a championship, I will definitely get a championship tattoo. I've completely fallen in Love with LeBron James; he is my hero!"
"Guys, today is April Fool's Day. What if these words are the opposite?"
"F***! Get out of the Cavaliers subreddit! Don't doubt our hero!"
"F*** you! Didn't you see James's statement? He will win us a championship!"
Durant, surfing the internet at home in Oklahoma City, saw that the internet was full of news about LeBron James's interview. Various praises were endless, and the calls for him to be the face of the league, the next Michael Jordan, were already soaring!
His contract was also expiring this year, but hardly any reporters came to interview him, which made Durant a bit depressed. Although he was sure to stay with the Thunder, the hype was just too different.
On Twitter, besides Oklahoma City fans who cared about Durant's contract extension and constantly left comments, almost no one paid attention to where Durant would go in the offseason.
Durant looked at his phone, which kept pushing various news about LeBron James, and thought indignantly:
"He hasn't even won an MVP yet, and he's already building momentum. Let's talk after he eliminates the Celtics. When I become Nike's top star, the face of the league will be me."
Kayce naturally saw the overwhelming news at home. Only then did he truly realize how great LeBron James's influence was. America media indeed liked The Chosen One.
However, seeing LeBron James's statement, combined with today being April Fool's Day, the strange feeling in Kayce's heart lingered. While cracking melon seeds, he muttered to himself:
"This can't be a coincidence, can it? Did this guy plan it out early? NBA-TV also knows how to stir things up, specifically choosing today for the interview."
But the next second, he saw a message on his phone, which scared Kayce so much that he dropped his melon seeds.
"Pretty boy, I Love you, I want to have your baby!"
"Shit! My safety measures have always been very good, this isn't right!"
Kayce immediately sat upright. Seeing the text message from Shakira, his head buzzed. However, remembering it was April Fool's Day, he calmed down slightly and immediately called her.
Before Kayce could speak, a burst of wild laughter came from the phone.
"Hahaha, I can't, I'm dying of laughter. I knew you'd react like that. Don't take it seriously, I'm just kidding, pretty boy!"
Kayce heard Shakira on the phone laughing breathlessly and said helplessly:
"Is this Colombian humor? Also, I'm not a little boy."
"Hmm, I know. Thank you for the Colombian food you sent; I really like it. Did you see the photos of my new look that I sent you? Do you like it?"
At this moment, Shakira was in New York, eating the loving lunch Kayce had sent. Thinking of Kayce's reaction, she still couldn't help but secretly laugh.
"You look like an 18-year-old girl, but you're very beautiful. You really suit uniforms!"
Kayce thought of the photos Shakira sent him: a white shirt, a casual tie, and low-rise black jeans. He couldn't help but scratch his head. This woman looked younger and younger with her styling. She must have spent a lot of money on her body.
"No talking about age! Perhaps at the end of April, this year's World Cup theme song will be announced. I think you can start preparing a gift!"
"Wow! Congratulations, I have a feeling you're going to be a global sensation!"
"I'll take you to South Africa in June to watch the game. Get ready, Pretty boy!"
Kayce heard the dial tone on the phone and shook his head helplessly. As long as no one died, it was fine. Thinking that she had almost scared him to death, he secretly complained in his heart:
"I must give her some resistance! My post-up moves these past few months haven't been practiced in vain!"
On the afternoon of April 2nd, the Thunder's defensive practice had just ended. Russell, who was rarely criticized by Coach Brooks, said happily during the break:
"Guys, have you seen the news? The Lakers and Kobe Bryant have completed an early contract extension. Both sides signed a three-year, $90 million big contract! Kobe will get over $30 million in salary in the last two years. That's a huge amount of money!"
"The highest salary in the league! If I had that much money, how should I spend it?"
Jeff Green, thinking of Kobe's terrifying salary, almost turned green with envy. It was simply too much.
"The Lakers are definitely going to pay a huge luxury tax. The Buss Family is really willing to spend money!"
Durant didn't envy Kobe's big contract, as he was also about to sign a max contract. What he truly envied was the Lakers' generosity, paying luxury tax without hesitation. The Thunder couldn't compare in this regard.
"It seems Kobe is going to be a one-man, one-city player. I thought he was really going to transfer to the Bulls in '07."
In 2007, Kobe wanted to transfer to the Bulls. Jerseys were even printed, but in the end, the trade didn't happen. The media also heavily promoted it back then, and Kayce remembered it well.
"A robbery-style trade, as Popovich rightly said. Gasol's arrival allowed the Lakers to win a championship. That was truly an outrageous trade back then!"
Collison also suddenly remembered the process of the Lakers trading for Gasol and complained along with him.
Kayce also suddenly remembered what Kobe Bryant said in an interview today:
"It's rare for a player to finish his career in one city, and I'm very excited about it."
Kayce strongly agreed with Kobe's view. Honor and money often couldn't be had at the same time. The Lakers and Kobe achieved success together. Thinking about the Thunder's situation, he could only shake his head to himself:
"Generous owners are rare. I hope there will be a butterfly effect in the future."
On April 3rd, the Thunder flew to Dallas to challenge the Mavericks on the road. Because the Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz at home yesterday, there was now a two-game difference.
The Thunder currently had a record of 57 wins and 17 losses. Coach Brooks was no longer concerned about rankings. He would systematically rotate the starting lineup as planned, reducing the playing time of the Big Three to prepare for the playoffs.
The Dallas Mavericks were in 3rd place in the Western Conference, 5 games behind the Thunder, and only one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns behind them. Facing the pursuit of the Suns, Jazz, and Denver Nuggets, Head Coach Rick Carlisle was a bit troubled.
If they ranked 3rd, the Mavericks would face the Denver Nuggets in the first round, but this was not the opponent he had hoped for. Coach George Karl had rich coaching experience, and the Denver Nuggets also had a superstar in Carmelo Anthony.
They also had Chauncey Billups controlling the team's tempo on the perimeter. This would definitely be a difficult opponent. Compared to them, the Utah Jazz would actually be a better choice, but the win differences between 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th place were too small, and no one could predict the final outcome until the very end.
Therefore, in this game, Head Coach Rick Carlisle played all his starters, going all out for the win. After the tip-off, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd quickly got into rhythm, showing good form.
Their accurate perimeter shooting made Jeff Green and Russell extremely miserable, especially Jeff Green. Whenever he faced Nowitzki's offense one-on-one, his defense was basically useless.
The only player who performed poorly on the court was Caron Butler. Facing Kayce's defensive style, which rarely committed to a move and strictly maintained his defensive position, he was completely silenced.
On a Mavericks' possession, Caron Butler, using a screen from center Dampier, successfully received a pass beyond the three-point line. However, facing Kayce's defense, Butler's crossover or between-the-legs dribbles, after a series of moves, Kayce remained in position.
Seeing that the shot clock was running out, he had no choice but to shoot a high-post jump shot near the paint, contested by Kayce.
"Clang!" Another missed shot.
The rebound was successfully secured by Kostić, who passed it to Russell. The latter noticed that the Mavericks had fully retreated on defense, so he wasn't in a hurry, slowly bringing the ball past half-court and signaling a play.
Kayce, using a back screen from Kostić, successfully received the ball beyond the three-point line. Facing Caron Butler's defense, he drove with his left hand in a crossover step, easily gaining half a step. While moving, he suddenly bumped Caron Butler with his body, causing him to lose his defensive rhythm.
Then Kayce pushed off with his feet and shot a mid-range step-back jumper.
"Swish!" The two-pointer easily went in.
Kayce saw that the sideline referee did not signal an offensive foul. He smiled at the defending Caron Butler, then quickly retreated on defense. This was also a way for him to test the referee's officiating standards. As Kayce expected, with the playoffs approaching, the officiating was indeed much looser.
Rick Carlisle naturally noticed Butler's situation, which was also a concern for him. Although the team's roster had been upgraded after the All-Star break, it seemed the integration was not successful, and Caron Butler had not achieved the desired effect.
In the first quarter, both teams played at a fast pace and maintained a high shooting percentage.
With 3 minutes and 42 seconds left, Kayce was substituted out by Thabo Sefolosha again.
Seeing Kayce sitting on the bench, Coach Brooks nodded with satisfaction: "Good form, Kayce, keep it up. We have a back-to-back game tomorrow night, and we'll control the playing time of the starting lineup."
"I understand, Coach, I'll follow the team's arrangements."
Although Kayce really wanted to say that he had no physical problems, coaching staff didn't think so.
Kayce had played in every game this season, and although many games were decided by the third quarter, everyone still agreed that he should get some good rest towards the end of the season.
By the end of the first quarter, the Thunder, playing on the road, were temporarily trailing by 7 points, 30:37.
The Mavericks' shooting percentage was too high, hitting 15 of 20 shots in the first quarter, a 75% field goal percentage.
Although the Thunder's defense declined in the latter half, this performance also showed the Mavericks' determination to win.
In the subsequent games, Coach Brooks began a large-scale rotation again.
Except for Durant, who was chasing scoring records, the starting lineup played 26 minutes.
After the bench players came on, the intensity of the game began to drop.
Ultimately, the Mavericks, playing at home, won the game 110:121, maintaining their third-place position in the Western Conference.
When Kayce and Nowitzki embraced to greet each other, Kayce saw the serious expression on Dirk's face and immediately whispered: "You should be happier winning at home. You're still ahead of the Phoenix Suns."
Nowitzki sighed softly and replied, "The feeling of the unknown isn't good. To still have this kind of competition at the end of the season isn't very friendly to an old guy like me."
"Haha, I think you're in your prime. Keep it up, man!"
Kayce didn't expect Nowitzki to lament his age.
Dirk's offense currently had virtually no dead spots on the court, which was clearly his prime.
"You too, I hope everything goes well in the playoffs!"
On April 4th, Kayce, back in Oklahoma City, noticed an interesting piece of news: Carmelo Anthony clarified his statement, "Everyone Loves Madison Square Garden."
Anthony emphatically stated: "I just wanted to express that Madison Square Garden is a basketball mecca, but I don't long for New York. You know, my contract isn't up yet, I'll stay in Denver, and I'll win a championship here!"
Although media reporters and commentators were skeptical, Anthony indeed could not become a free agent this summer.
He signed a 5-year, $80 million contract in 2006.
However, many media outlets still speculated that if he didn't go to New York, Carmelo Anthony might team up with LeBron James in the future.
As soon as this news came out, Cavaliers and Nuggets fans immediately started arguing on Reddit.
"I really hope Anthony comes to the Cavaliers. If he teams up with James, he'll definitely save Cleveland sports!"
"Anthony will absolutely not go to the Cavaliers. He's a born winner. Last year we made it to the Western Conference Finals, just one step away from the championship. I believe he will stay with the Nuggets."
"The league definitely doesn't want to see two superstars team up. I don't think this kind of thing is ever going to happen!"
"Come on, man, this is the NBA, anything is possible. I'm really looking forward to this offseason. If Chris, Wade, Anthony, and James were on one team, I believe they would win all the championships."
"This can only happen in a game. Two young MVP-level players on the same team, that would definitely be cheating!"
When Kayce saw this, he couldn't help but reply to this brother, "Factos (eyes.jpg), forming a super team is indeed cheating!"
"Kayce, stop looking at those boring messages, it feels like the media is especially active this year, come swim with me!"
Kayce put down the iPad in his hand. This was a product Apple had just launched in March.
The Dutton Family had always held a lot of Apple stock, and whenever a new product came out, they would get it immediately.
This was also a perk for minor shareholders.
"I'm not interested in playing in the water with a big, chubby guy, Love, you absolutely should lose some weight. Once you slim down, you'll be a handsome guy everyone loves!"
Love didn't care about Kayce's words and continued splashing in the pool.
Tonight's Thunder's welfare game was against the Timberwolves.
After a while, seemingly feeling a bit hungry, Love spoke again: "How about we go to that private kitchen restaurant we went to before?
Their steak is really good. I've actually been controlling my diet lately, so today I must properly compensate my stomach!"
Kayce saw Love continuing to splash in the pool in various ways, couldn't help but slap his forehead, and said helplessly: "Eat less, man, if you get any fatter, it's going to affect your play in the court."
"I'll lose weight eventually anyway, so why not eat to my heart's content first?
Cheese is power! Ah!!!"
"..."
Ford Center was still packed tonight, and Oklahoma City fans once again witnessed Kayce receiving the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award at home.
The fans were very happy, and thinking about this season's dream record, the Oklahoma City fans on site became even more enthusiastic.
"OKC! OKC! OKC!!!"
In the fiery home atmosphere, the Timberwolves surrendered early, 100:116.
The Thunder easily won the game at home.
In the Northwest Division, the Timberwolves were everyone's welfare, absolutely good for padding records.
Kevin Love might have eaten too much steak in the afternoon, as he shot terribly tonight, going 3-for-12 for 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.
However, he didn't care about the stats; he was happy to be in Oklahoma City, with all his good brothers here!
"Kayce, Russell, remember to save us tickets. All the UCLA brothers will come to Oklahoma City to cheer you on!"
Russell's face instantly lit up when he heard Love's words.
This was his first time playing in the playoffs, and he wished he could bring all his friends to Oklahoma City.
"Cool! Don't worry, we've already prepared. I'm so excited!"
Kayce, Russell, and Love chatted animatedly after the game. Sitting on the bench, Durant looked at the box score and smiled slightly. Just a few more games, and the scoring title for this season would be undisputed!
"This truly is a fruitful season!"
On April 6th, after a brief rest, the Thunder once again flew to Salt Lake City, where they would challenge the Utah Jazz on the road.
The fifth-place Utah Jazz were fiercely chasing the Phoenix Suns ahead of them. To secure home-court advantage, the Utah Jazz did not rest their starters for this game; even the recovered Okur played 38 minutes.
With the Thunder not playing with full effort, the Utah Jazz easily defended their home court, 106:116.
After the game, in the Thunder's locker room, Coach Brooks was still very satisfied with the team's condition.
Kayce had efficiently scored 20+5+5 in these few games, and the always unpredictable Jeff Green also performed well.
Seeing that everyone was not affected by the loss, Coach Brooks cleared his throat and said, "Hang in there, guys. Although tomorrow is a back-to-back game, we're flying back to Oklahoma City tonight, and tomorrow afternoon's practice is also canceled.
Everyone get some good rest and push through the final stage of the regular season!"
"Yeah!!!"
Kayce felt this arrangement was great; no amount of motivational talk was as good as a day off.
When he returned to his Oklahoma City mansion late at night, Kayce had some insomnia. When he surfed the internet and saw news from Yahoo Sports, his spirits immediately lifted.
"Ace reporter Wojnarowski revealed that an NBA manager told him that Butler University's young Head Coach Brad Stevens is interested in entering the NBA."
"Butler University narrowly lost to Duke University by 2 points in the national championship game. Stevens' coaching level is evident to all. We can wait and see which team this young Head Coach will ultimately choose."
When Kayce saw this news, he felt a bit of regret. His small butterfly effect had failed to change the course of history; all the news told him that this was the world he was familiar with.
"That's good too, a lot of information is beneficial to me. Should I take the most difficult path?"
On the evening of April 7th, at Ford Center, regardless of the outcome of the game, the enthusiasm of the Oklahoma City fans remained undiminished.
Especially when Kayce received the ball on the perimeter, easily shook off Arron Afflalo, ignored Nene's block, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand, the audience roared with excitement.
"Ah!!!"
"Cool!! I Love Kayce!"
However, after one more possession, Kayce was substituted out by Coach Brooks.
Timed substitution.
Kayce waved to the nearby audience in a showy manner, then fist-bumped a young fan in the front row before heading to the bench.
"I'm not washing my hands for a month! So cool!! I love Kayce!"
The excited child, after the fist bump, jumped around frantically on the sidelines, hugging his dad and repeating the phrase.
Serge Ibaka, on the bench, looked at Kayce next to him and whispered, "I really didn't expect the Nuggets to play so aggressively after the Utah Jazz lost. I thought they really liked the Mavericks as an opponent!"
"No one likes to play the Mavericks. You've also faced Nowitzki; once he finds his rhythm, he's virtually unstoppable on offense."
Serge Ibaka heard Kayce's words and remembered the fear of being dominated by Nowitzki just a few days ago, then nodded in agreement and muttered to himself, "I wish I had that kind of mid-range jump shot."
In this game, Coach George Karl still used a short rotation.
Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony even played 42 minutes, only being substituted out after the victory was confirmed.
98:94, the Thunder's bench suddenly exploded.
Thabo Sefolosha even scored 18 points and 6 rebounds in this game.
Anthony, in a good mood after the win, praised everyone he met.
Seeing Kayce, the two quickly embraced to greet each other: "Congratulations, Kayce, you did it. Without a doubt, you are the best rookie of the 2009 class!"
"Thanks, Bro, I hope everything goes well for you in the playoffs! Haha, I'm looking forward to us meeting in the Western Conference Finals."
When Kayce returned to his Oklahoma City mansion, he saw news on Twitter: the Spurs officially announced that they had extended Manu Ginobili's contract for three years and $40 million, which meant Manu Ginobili officially bid farewell to the 2010 free agency market.
Many media and sports commentators lamented the Spurs' good fortune:
"The GDP has been working together stably for so many years! Popovich must have saved the galaxy in his previous life..."
On the morning of April 9th, after the Thunder finished their film session, everyone was about to have lunch together.
On the way to the restaurant, Jeff Green seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "Guys, the New Orleans Hornets owner is selling team shares.
I never thought that after being affected by the hurricane, the Hornets would actually be sold!"
"I also saw that report. Major shareholder George Shinn wants to sell all his shares, with the transaction amount expected to be around $200 million. But what surprises me is that no one seems to want to take over this mess."
Durant had naturally also seen the news and couldn't help but gossip with Jeff Green.
"If it doesn't sell, will the Hornets disband?"
"Probably not, NBA teams can still make money. This is just a natural disaster issue."
"The Hornets have been too miserable this season. Chris Paul was injured before the All-Star game and was out for the season, the team's performance declined, and now the owner is selling the team."
Kayce heard his teammates' chatter and felt some sympathy for the unlucky Chris Paul: "When the league takes over the Hornets, there will be even more infuriating operations waiting for him."
On the evening of April 9th, the Thunder hosted the Phoenix Suns. In this game, Coach Brooks further reduced the playing time of the starting lineup.
LeBron James of the Cavaliers had already gradually reduced his playing time, and Durant had secured the scoring title for this season. In this situation, the Thunder were willing to do a favor and let the Phoenix Suns get a win.
At 100:91, the Phoenix Suns, with all their starters playing, defeated the Thunder on the road and maintained their fourth position in the Western Conference.
Tonight's protagonist was destined to be Durant, and the audience at Ford Center was also happy for Durant. The Thunder had produced a scoring champion, and the fans were overjoyed, shouting repeatedly after the game:
"KD! KD! KD!!"
Durant was also a bit emotional, constantly waving to the fans. Two years of dormant had finally led to this year's explosion. An excited Durant roared in his heart:
"From now on, the NBA will enter my era!"
After this game, the Thunder team held a grand party for Durant. Jeff Green and Kayce almost brought all the high-quality girls in Oklahoma City to Durant's house, and the scene was wild.
Durant, already a bit drunk, held onto Kayce tightly, shouting excitedly:
"Bro! We will definitely win the championship. I want all the honor, money, and girls!"
Although Kayce held his liquor well, he was also a bit tipsy at this point. Hearing Durant's words, he also shouted along:
"Crush everyone! Win the championship!"
After the Thunder's consecutive losses and the end of their difficult schedule, they could fully relax for the remaining three games. At this point, most teams had no desire to fight, and playoffs teams were consciously starting to rotate their lineups.
On April 11th, the Thunder challenged the Golden State Warriors on the road. Before the game, Kayce once again visited Stephen Curry's home. Kayce noticed that both of them had joyful expressions and couldn't help but tease:
"Wow! Is something good happening? I don't want to become an uncle so soon."
Ayesha rolled her eyes at Kayce and immediately said:
"Although we plan to get married next year, for now, we still want to enjoy our time as a couple. Taking care of a child is a very troublesome thing!"
"I respect Ayesha's opinion, but a good thing has indeed happened recently. A few days ago, GM Larry Riley personally came to me, and we had a sincere conversation.
"He personally promised that the Warriors would build the team around a point guard. Kayce, I believe his words. Perhaps after two or three more seasons, when the team completes its rebuilding, I will become a core player."
Kayce was truly surprised that the Warriors had made such a promise. It seemed that they were truly optimistic about Curry's future. Seeing Curry's delighted expression, he immediately offered his blessings:
"Hardship gives way to joy, Bro! Perhaps being drafted by the Warriors back then wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Stay healthy, and I believe you will have a legendary career!"
"We should have a drink! Kayce, I know you can hold your liquor well. A few simple drinks won't affect your game tonight!"
Ayesha Curry didn't wait for Kayce to refuse and immediately opened the chilled champagne.
"Oh!! This is against team rules!"
"A few drinks, it's fine."
In the evening, many Chinese fans came to Oracle Arena again. In a somewhat dazed state, Kayce played 34 minutes, easily scoring 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, along with three steals. The Warriors almost completely gave up on defense.
At 120:112, the Thunder easily won on the road, but after this game, they had to immediately fly to Portland tomorrow to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers, another familiar back-to-back game.
On the morning of April 12th, as soon as the Thunder arrived in Portland, the Trail Blazers announced unfortunate news: the diagnosis for the team's star player, Brandon Roy, was out, a minor meniscus tear requiring surgery.
Everyone who heard the news sympathized with Brandon Roy.
"Roy is really too unlucky. In my impression, he is always frequently injured. Besides him, Greg Oden of the Trail Blazers is the same. It seems he hasn't played many games this season."
Durant had been following Greg Oden's news, after all, Greg Oden was the first overall pick in his draft class. But after the new season began, what made Durant speechless was that Greg Oden seemed to be constantly injured.
"Injured before the playoffs and requiring surgery means at least a month of rest. It seems the Trail Blazers will be eliminated in the first round."
Russell was also very sympathetic to Roy when he heard the news. This was the playoffs! Working so hard through the regular season, only to get injured right before the playoffs began. He couldn't accept such a result if it happened to him.
"The Lakers are so lucky. If we could predict the future, we would definitely try our best to secure the first seed in the Western Conference!"
Jeff Green, thinking about facing the experienced Spurs in his first playoffs, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for the Lakers' schedule.
"There's no need to envy them. After all, we are all healthy, and that's the biggest success. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, the Spurs are no problem at all!"
Kayce immediately retorted when he heard Jeff Green's words, but his boss-like demeanor immediately drew teasing from his teammates.
"I don't know why, but I always feel like Kayce is silently showing off!"
"I feel like Kayce has gotten carried away, but his words do sound very reassuring. Wow, is this your secret to picking up girls!"
"I can't take it anymore, guys. Kayce must be possessed by Michael Jordan. Green, quickly get out your broken talisman."
"Shoot! You're not allowed to insult my lucky charm!"
"."
In the evening's game, both teams made early rotations. Coach Brooks was genuinely afraid that one careless mistake could lead to an injury for one of his key players.
Meanwhile, Head Coach McMillan was also terribly depressed. The regular season was about to end, and his star player was injured. Thinking about facing the Lakers in the first round, the future looked bleak.
The Trail Blazers also didn't stubbornly continue with a short rotation. If another player got injured, they might as well not even play in the playoffs.
At 106:95, the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers on the road, securing two consecutive wins in back-to-back games.
The most outstanding player in this game was Marcus Camby. The veteran put on a show, dominating on both offense and defense, showcasing the style of a former Defensive Player of the Year.
He shot 11-for-16 from the field, scoring 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Although the game was lost, Marcus Camby received a standing ovation from the Portland fans.
Kayce played 22 minutes in this game, scoring 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Seeing Marcus Camby's performance in this game, he couldn't help but sigh:
"He's still an old veteran, after all. He even padded his stats so brilliantly! I still have a lot to learn."
On the morning of April 14th, Kayce rested at home in Oklahoma City. Tonight, the Thunder would host the Grizzlies, which was the last game of the regular season.
However, today was destined to be a day for LeBron James. Even if they lost to the Hawks tonight, the Cavaliers would finish with a 63-19 record, securing the top spot in the league.
Around 9 AM, a news story about LeBron James began to circulate wildly in NBA circles. Brian Windhorst, a Cleveland-based reporter with close ties to LeBron, released a piece of news:
The message he heard from LeBron's camp was that LeBron would stay with the Cavaliers!
An insider told him: "I've never been more certain than I am now that he's staying in Cleveland."
Kayce's expression became increasingly strange when he saw such news. He always felt that the information from these so-called insiders was all made up. He didn't believe that LeBron James would make any private promises.
Thinking about what would happen in the future, Kayce couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself:
"Perhaps no one would have thought that the era of 'Brotherhood Basketball' was about to arrive!"
On the evening of April 14th, Ford Center was incredibly noisy. Many Oklahoma City fans couldn't believe that they had truly achieved the second-best record in the Western Conference this season. For this, everyone arrived at the arena early tonight to cheer and shout for the home team.
During the pre-game warm-up, Kayce was surrounded by enthusiastic fans several times. Finally, security personnel couldn't stand it anymore and rescued Kayce from the hands of the enthusiastic fans.
"Kayce, sometimes you should put on some airs. You don't act like a star player."
Kayce heard the words of the burly black security guard next to him and immediately replied with a smile:
"Everyone buying tickets to watch the game live is the biggest support for the team. It's just some autographs and photos, simple things. This is also my way of giving back to the Oklahoma City fans!"
"You will definitely become a superstar, go for it, Kayce, I really want to see the Thunder make it to the Western Conference Finals!"
"Leave it to me! I definitely won't disappoint the Oklahoma City fans. Thank you for your usual care, Bro!"
The black security guard and Kayce fist-bumped, and looking at Kayce's back, he couldn't help but grumble in annoyance:
"I should have asked for a signed jersey."
In the last regular season game, neither team had any pressure regarding their record. After the game started, both teams abandoned defense, and the game almost turned into an exhibition.
About four minutes into the first quarter, Kayce, for a long time, showed off some fancy moves. Facing O.J. Mayo's defense beyond the three-point line, after continuous dribbling between his legs, he suddenly lowered his center of gravity.
Holding the ball with his left hand, he faked a drive, then suddenly pulled it back between his legs. His right hand quickly turned, instantly shaking off O.J. Mayo's defense. Moving towards the basket, he faced Gasol's help defense and block with a nimble Euro step, easily evading the defender, and made a soft right-handed layup.
"Swish" The layup under the basket was successful.
O.J. Mayo looked at the smiling Kayce, but felt a bit frustrated. He completely experienced Kayce's terrifying body coordination; there was no difference between his left and right hands, allowing him to perform various moves at will. He was almost completely faked out, like a wooden post.
"Ah!!"
"Cool!!"
The audience at Ford Center began to cheer enthusiastically for Kayce's spectacular basket.
Kayce briefly showed off some fancy moves, then started to relax. Coach Brooks also began to put in players from the end of the bench, allowing everyone to make an appearance in the last regular season game at home.
The pace of the game was incredibly fast. The substitute players also performed diligently. Finally, at 105:114, the Thunder concluded the 2009-2010 regular season perfectly at home.
At this point, the arena was completely boiling. The excited Oklahoma City fans were already looking forward to the upcoming playoffs, which would be a brand new experience!
"OKC!! OKC!! OKC!!"
Hearing the fans' crazy shouts, Kayce and his teammates began to salute the audience in the arena, thanking everyone for their support throughout the season. Feeling the huge sound wave from the crowd, Kayce smiled happily, thinking to himself:
"61 wins and 21 losses, second in the Western Conference, third in the league. playoffs, here I come!"