On the evening of April 14th, the 2009-2010 NBA regular season officially concluded, and the rankings of the teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences were finalized.
In the Western Conference, perhaps due to the butterfly effect brought by Kayce, the Lakers were in excellent form this season, achieving an astonishing record of 62 wins and 20 losses. Following closely were the Thunder, who, despite a series of losses in the latter part of the regular season, still finished with 61 wins and 21 losses.
The Mavericks ranked 3rd with 56 wins and 26 losses. Although Caron Butler's addition did not meet expectations, the Mavericks, thanks to the excellent performances of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, maintained their third-place position in the West.
The subsequent rankings were the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trail Blazers, with each of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th places separated by just one win, making it an incredibly tight race.
With the regular season concluded, the first-round playoff matchups were also clear: Lakers vs. Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns vs. Utah Jazz; Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs, Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets.
The game times have also been set, with the Western Conference playoffs beginning on April 18th, giving each team four days to rest.
Compared to the Western Conference teams, the top teams in the Eastern Conference had secured their playoff spots early. The only suspense was which team would clinch the last playoff berth, and in the end, the Bulls emerged victorious.
With a record of 41 wins and 41 losses, the Bulls, relying on their tenacious defense, successfully held onto the 8th spot in the final stages, while the Toronto Raptors with 40 wins missed the playoffs, further dissatisfying their star player, Chris Bosh.
The Cleveland Cavaliers achieved an impressive record of 63 wins and 19 losses, topping the league. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, LeBron James is set to win the regular season MVP.
Following them were the Magic with 59 wins. The combination of Dwight Howard and Vince Carter was dominant in the East, and Howard once again showcased his defensive prowess, with the DPOY award beckoning him.
The young Atlanta Hawks achieved a 53-win record, ranking 3rd, while the Boston Celtics, with their Big Three, had 50 wins, placing 4th. The subsequent teams were the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, and Chicago Bulls.
The first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs will begin on April 17th, and many NBA fans are already eagerly anticipating it.
After the regular season ended, Coach Brooks gave a motivational speech in the locker room, once again exciting everyone. Then the team announced a day off for the players to rest well.
After returning home to Oklahoma City, Kayce immediately slept soundly. Everything had settled, and he no longer had to think about potential playoff opponents. Kayce's somewhat tense mind finally completely relaxed.
By the next morning, Kayce was fully refreshed. The B+ grade functional drink was a lifesaver during the intense schedule, always keeping Kayce's energy levels high.
While eating breakfast, Kayce felt that the feeling of fullness in his body had significantly decreased. He understood that his body was almost completely done digesting the strengthening effects of the B+ grade functional drink.
However, the body attribute panel had not yet updated. According to past patterns, it should only display the current attributes after a new functional drink update, which Kayce was very much looking forward to.
With the playoffs about to begin, Kayce felt it was time to send out a tweet to show his attitude:
What a fantastic season, an incredible team. playoffs, I'll give it my all! OKC! Let's go for the championship! #ThunderFamily #BestRookieInThePlayoffs #DuttonsKid (Crown.jpg)
As soon as he sent the tweet, he received a flood of messages from Oklahoma City fans. Automatically ignoring some of the more enthusiastic comments, Kayce nodded with satisfaction. The surge in followers indicated that most of them were likely active fans, and Chapman had indeed not lied to him.
On April 16th, the Thunder officially entered playoff preparation mode. After a season of adjustments, the basic tactical sets were well-rehearsed, and various derivative plays, refined during the regular season, had resulted in several suitable strategies for the team.
Coach Brooks and the coaching staff's task at this point was to accelerate the team's ball-handling speed. Whether on offense or defense, the objective had to be clear, and the execution decisive.
"Kevin, during the game, you must be careful not to dribble too much. The San Antonio Spurs will definitely pressure you with their defense. Speed up your offensive rhythm after receiving the ball."
"Russell, the same goes for you. Whether it's a high pick-and-roll or a simple UCLA cut, you need to be more decisive. Don't worry about shooting percentage; if you miss, we'll quickly get back on defense."
"Good, Kayce, that's the rhythm. Green, adjust your screen angle again. Watch your movements. I don't want to see you get into foul trouble in the playoffs."
The Thunder were currently practicing a simple UCLA cut offense. coaching staff had introduced new requirements: no matter which of the three perimeter players attacked, the rhythm had to be fast!
In the previous offensive possession, Kayce simply made a back-cut, used Jeff Green's screen to easily shake off Thabo Sefolosha's defense, received a pass from Durant, took two dribbles, and then hit a right-side Fade Away mid-range shot.
The entire process took less than 5 seconds. Compared to the regular season, coaching staff had relaxed the shooting restrictions on Kayce. In terms of his tactical standing within the team, he was essentially on par with Durant.
"Excellent offensive selection, guys, that's it. We need to avoid getting too entangled with the Spurs. We need to try to defeat them thoroughly from the perimeter. Russell, pay attention to your defensive area!"
"."
By the end of the afternoon practice, Russell had a look of utter despair. His touch was off today, and he was hesitant on offense, but Coach Brooks frequently demanded that he shoot a lot. The result, naturally, was Bonbon clanking shots and getting another scolding from coaching staff.
"I must refine my shooting again in the offseason. Under this offensive system, it's too painful without a consistent shot."
Kayce heard Russell's words and smiled, comforting him:
"Your outside shooting percentage has steadily increased this season. In the offseason, I suggest readjusting your shooting mechanics. Have your trainer communicate with Tony and them. Tony is definitely an expert in that area."
Durant was in his element during practice. This season, he had completely changed his playstyle, abandoning playmaking entirely to focus on finishing. He could easily meet coaching staff's demands.
However, the sense of crisis in Durant's heart never dissipated. Kayce was improving too quickly, and the opponent's skills were even more comprehensive than his. He always felt his core tactical position was about to be snatched away. But with the playoffs about to begin, Durant temporarily put aside his personal thoughts.
After a quick drink of water, Durant started gossiping with everyone:
"Stern announced the salary cap for next season, $56.1 million, but I read a news report that the Lakers' total salary has already exceeded $91 million. Unbelievable, where did they spend all that money?"
"The luxury tax can no longer restrain these big-city teams. I think the league might introduce new luxury tax regulations."
Kayce had also seen that news report, and he hadn't expected the Lakers' payroll to be so high. To win a championship, you have to spend more money.
"Kayce is right, such a total salary is far too much over the cap. The players' union hasn't reached an agreement with the league yet, I feel like the league shutdown isn't far off."
As a role player, Collison had been following this news closely. He was almost certain that the league would enter a shutdown.
"That's how it is with big-city teams; they have endless money, and tickets are never a problem to sell. Look at the poor Hornets; one hurricane already destroyed them, sigh. Also, please don't let there be a shutdown, I really have no money left."
Jeff Green was a bit of a big spender, with several different chains for daily wear, not to mention all the luxury goods. Although he hadn't maxed out his credit cards, savings were definitely non-existent.
"Let's not think about that anymore, let's start a betting pool! The Eastern Conference playoffs start tomorrow, everyone place your bets!"
"Not much suspense. The Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Magic, and Hawks will definitely sweep their opponents in gentlemanly fashion. I bet 4:1 to end the first round."
"I bet 4:0. The gap between Eastern Conference teams is quite large, sweeps will definitely happen frequently!"
Kayce saw his teammates eagerly placing bets. He had no memory of this in his mind, but judging from the Thunder's games against Eastern Conference teams this season, the top four teams indeed had overwhelming strength. Thinking of this, he secretly complained:
"The Eastern Conference playoffs are so comfortable."
On the evening of the 18th, the Thunder and Spurs' first-round playoff game was about to begin. With about an hour until tip-off, Oklahoma City fans were already starting to gather at the Ford Center.
Tonight, the Thunder's cheering T-shirts were dark blue, with the three letters OKC on the chest. At the same time, the uniform team also provided white handkerchiefs for the spectators. This was the team's first playoff appearance since moving to Oklahoma City, and everyone in the Thunder organization took it very seriously.
The Ford Center can accommodate 19,500 people, and playoff tickets had long been snatched up by Oklahoma City fans. Many fans who couldn't get tickets complained that there weren't enough seats in the arena, as everyone wanted to come and support their home team.
Once the audience entered, everyone consciously put on their dark blue cheering T-shirts. The venue instantly transformed into a sea of blue. The nearly 20,000-seat arena was now packed, and the atmosphere was incredibly fervent.
Before the game, in the Thunder locker room, Coach Brooks didn't go over specific tactical arrangements again but instead offered another bowl of inspirational chicken soup to everyone:
"From 23 wins last season to 61 wins this season, we've had a dream season. 60 regular season wins, that's an incredible achievement, and we still managed to do it even when we relaxed in the second half of the season."
"Guys, we need to believe in our teammates around us, believe in the team's strength, and play with confidence. The Spurs are no match for us. Go out and enjoy the game, Oklahoma City fans have been waiting for this day for a long time!"
"The playoffs are our stage! Let's go, young men!"
"Ah! One, two, three, family!"
Unlike the Thunder's inspirational pep talk, the Spurs, as a team that consistently makes the playoffs, had no difference in their locker room from the regular season, with Coach Popovich and the GDP leading the way. Everyone looked intently at the old man in front of the tactics board.
Coach Popovich sketched on the tactics board while constantly instructing his players:
"Just like we practiced in previous training sessions, we need to use defensive pressure on Durant and Kayce on the perimeter. After the start, pay attention to the referees' whistle, after all, this is their home court."
"On the defensive end, I'll emphasize one last thing: try to force the Thunder to take a lot of pull-up mid-range jump shots. If the opponent breaks through the first line of defense, it's okay, keep defending, Tim will solve the problem."
"If the opponent uses a zone defense, Manu, you know what to do. Guys, our goal is to get a win on their home court. We need to go all out in this game! Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
Tonight, Kayce and Russell's UCLA teammates also came to cheer them on. The two had specially selected seats close to the Thunder's bench for everyone. Although these were temporary extra seats, it was still a perk for the home team's players.
"Is this the atmosphere of the playoffs? Oklahoma City fans are really enthusiastic. If the 76ers could make the playoffs next season, that would be great."
Ever since Jrue Holiday entered the Ford Center, he felt incredibly envious. The 76ers' home court was quite enthusiastic at the beginning of the new season, but then the team's performance declined. Towards the end of the regular season, fans would even leave early, which was incomparable to the Thunder's situation.
"You still have a chance in the East. Luc Mbah a Moute made the playoffs with the Bucks, but the West is just too tough. I think it will still be very difficult for the Timberwolves to make the playoffs next season."
Kevin Love had already somewhat resigned himself. When he saw the records of the top teams in the West, he was completely numb. He figured if the Timberwolves could win a few more games next season, that would be good, but the playoffs were highly unlikely.
"You guys can still imagine the future, I don't even know if the Hornets will be disbanded next season. I just played half a season as a starter, and then this happened, sigh."
Love and Holiday heard Darren Collison's complaint and couldn't help but sympathize with the unlucky guy. There was nothing either of them could do about the Hornets' situation.
During the playoff entrance ceremony, the Thunder also put some thought into it. Teammates updated their flashy gestures for their entrance, and those with poor memory could easily forget them.
When the lights in the Ford Center went out, the home DJ and the live audience started screaming wildly, and this atmosphere reached a climax when Kayce and Durant came out.
"Let's welcome the Thunder's All-Star player, this season's Rookie of the Year, from UCLA, Number 10, Kayce-Lee!"
"Ah!!!"
The cheers from nearly 20,000 people made Kayce feel his blood boiling. This was different from the previous NCAA games. Although there were many fewer spectators in the arena, everyone present was an Oklahoma City fan supporting the Thunder.
Kayce and each teammate did a set of flashy gestures, and during the final warm-up, he even had a short, awkward dance with Russell. Kayce was really trying to ignite Russell's passion for the game.
Noticing that the Spurs had actually started Manu Ginobili, Kayce was a bit surprised, but immediately realized that if they had two short guards on the court, the Spurs would likely get off to a cold start.
The Thunder's starters tonight all had matching protective gear, all white, paired with Adidas' somewhat loose jerseys, making them look very handsome overall.
As the game was about to begin, Kayce noticed that Durant was still a bit nervous. Entering the playoffs for the first time, Durant's mother had come directly to the arena to cheer on her son, but this also made Durant seem a bit reserved.
"What's wrong, Kevin? You seem a bit nervous. Don't worry, with me here, we'll definitely win this game easily."
"???"
Durant was speechless when he heard Kayce's words. He had already noticed that Kayce had been a little overconfident lately, always acting like the boss, but after hearing Kayce's words, Durant's emotions suddenly stabilized.
"Just don't keep clanking shots at the start! Go, Bro!"
The two exchanged a simple fist bump. At this moment, the head referee also signaled both teams' players to come to center court. Kostić and Tim Duncan stood in the center circle, ready for the jump ball.
At the start, Duncan jumped for the Spurs and secured possession. George Hill dribbled the ball across half-court.
The Thunder continued to employ their modified 3-2 zone defense in this game.
In this defensive system, Kayce could decide his specific defensive method against his opponent, while Durant and Russell only needed to guard their respective defensive areas.
From their positions, Kayce and Kostić were responsible for one side, Durant and Jeff Green for the other, and Russell was at the top of the arc.
This was a deliberate arrangement by coaching staff, as Russell tended to over-defend when defending pick-and-rolls.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The Ford Center crowd, led by the arena DJ, also began to cheer for the team's defense.
After several passes on the perimeter, the Thunder's defensive positioning remained solid.
The Spurs' continuous passing did not create any open three-point opportunities for the weaker side.
With 12 seconds left on the shot clock, George Hill passed the ball directly to Duncan, who was calling for it in the low post.
As soon as Duncan received the ball, Durant's help defense was already there, but Duncan's ball handling was even faster.
He dribbled one step towards the baseline with his left hand, then quickly spun towards the baseline, and then deftly shot a hook with his right hand.
"Swish!" Two points in the paint, easily scored.
"Oh!"
The crowd let out a sigh; Durant's help defense was already in position, but Duncan's fluid movements still completed the offense.
Coach Brooks gave his players a thumbs-up from the sidelines, indicating that the defense was fine.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball, and Russell rapidly dribbled it past half-court, simultaneously signaling an offensive play to his teammates.
"OKC! OKC! OKC!"
When the first basket was made, the Ford Center crowd stood up to watch the game, cheering loudly for the team's offense.
Coach Brooks and coaching staff's tactical strategy, formulated before the game, was exceptionally simple and direct: start by attacking Kayce and Durant.
On this possession, Jeff Green set an off-ball screen for Kayce at the 45-degree angle on the left side of the three-point line.
Due to the average quality of the screen, Kayce was unable to shake off Manu Ginobili's defense in time, with Manu Ginobili consistently sticking close to Kayce on his left side.
However, when Kayce quickly moved towards the top of the arc and received a pass from Russell, his right hand suddenly pulled the ball back between his legs.
Due to inertia, Manu Ginobili was completely faked out by this move.
Before he could recover, Kayce adjusted his steps, quickly gathered the ball, and shot a jump shot from beyond the three-point line.
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
As Kayce held up three fingers and retreated on defense with a slight smile, the Ford Center immediately erupted in a huge cheer.
"Roar!"
The crowd began to frantically wave their white handkerchiefs, the blue and white ocean continuously surging, and a huge wave of sound exploded in the players' ears.
The Spurs starting Manu Ginobili was not just for his defense; coaching staff also expected Manu Ginobili to take on more responsibility on offense.
George Hill was a bit hesitant on offense at the start of the game.
The Thunder's zone defense gave George Hill some perimeter shooting opportunities, but he was, after all, just a rookie and failed to capitalize on the fleeting open chances.
Manu Ginobili naturally noticed George Hill's situation and tried to use Antonio's screen to shake off Kayce's defense.
The Spurs chose a tactic similar to the Thunder's last possession.
But Kayce nimbly squeezed through the screen.
George Hill stopped dribbling at the three-point line at this moment, and in that instant, Russell's defense also pressed up, which made the pass to Manu Ginobili somewhat soft and weak, with the ball speed being too slow.
Kayce easily anticipated the direction of the ball, exerted force, swung his long arm, and made an early steal, tipping the ball away.
Noticing that Manu Ginobili still wanted to retrieve the ball, he grabbed it with one hand and smoothly flicked it forward.
Russell, who was fast-breaking, received the ball and took three large strides, his body arched like a drawn bow, and he slammed the ball into the hoop with one hand!
"Slam!" A fast-break dunk was successful.
"Ah!"
Russell's dunk once again ignited the atmosphere, and the excited Oklahoma City fans began to roar, venting their excitement.
"He fouled! Sir, that steal was definitely a foul!"
Seeing the Thunder score easily again, Coach Popovich began to complain about the referee's officiating, trying to pressure the referees with his complaints, but the sideline official just smiled and motioned for Popovich to return to his position.
That steal was a test by Kayce.
Since the referees allowed such a lenient standard, Kayce's defense gradually became more aggressive afterward, and he intensified his aggressiveness in perimeter defense.
Manu Ginobili felt his offensive rhythm was completely disrupted by Kayce's defense; receiving the ball on the perimeter was accompanied by physical contact, and once he drove near the free-throw line, Kayce also started to try to steal the ball.
After all, he rarely lost his position, and the game had just begun, so there was no need to worry about fouls for now, and his defensive actions naturally became more aggressive.
After two minutes of the first quarter, the Spurs' offense relied more on Duncan's low post, and several open three-point opportunities on the perimeter were all missed, with both Jefferson and Manu Ginobili shooting bricks.
Coach Popovich felt the game was getting out of control.
On a Thunder offensive possession, Durant, using Kostić's screen, received a pass from Russell at the top of the arc beyond the three-point line, accelerated his drive with the ball in his right hand, then suddenly dribbled behind his back while moving, and then pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot found the bottom of the net.
Jefferson was completely helpless.
From receiving the ball to shooting, Durant took only about 4 seconds.
This highly efficient offense, relying purely on physical talent, made it difficult for the Spurs' defense to cope.
The perimeter defensive pressure Popovich wanted simply couldn't be executed.
Kayce and Durant, facing such defense, could always easily put the ball into the basket, and somewhat ironically, the Spurs' perimeter was being fiercely pressured by the Thunder.
George Hill, whom Popovich had high hopes for, was ineffective on the court.
Facing the Thunder's defense, he consistently failed to find suitable scoring methods and couldn't effectively organize the team's offense.
When 5 minutes and 32 seconds remained in the first quarter, Kayce assisted Kostić for an easy two points in the paint, and Popovich could no longer sit still, immediately calling for a timeout.
The current score was 10:18; the Thunder's offensive pace was too fast, and the Spurs were even struggling to keep up with their rhythm.
On the Spurs' bench, Popovich said calmly:
"Tony, get on the court immediately. We need to respond on the perimeter. Don't hesitate; if an opportunity arises, shoot immediately. Their zone defense is very compact. Tony, when you're on, play more mid-range shots after pick-and-rolls and control turnovers."
The rookie was unreliable, so in the end, it still came down to the GDP.
After the timeout, the Spurs' offense gradually improved, but they still failed to hit open three-pointers from the perimeter in a timely manner.
A large part of the reason was the immense pressure the Thunder put on the Spurs on offense; every defensive possession pushed the players to their limits.
On a Thunder offensive possession, Kayce and Jeff Green executed a cross-screen on the baseline, then used his body to hold off Manu Ginobili behind him, receiving a pass from Russell at the left elbow.
He immediately exerted force, quickly leaned back, dribbled one step towards the baseline with his right hand, then quickly turned to the baseline, gathered the ball, and shot a heavily leaning Fade Away.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot found the bottom of the net.
Spurs' offense: When Duncan received the ball in the low post, Durant immediately double-teamed without hesitation, completely leaving Jefferson open on the perimeter.
Duncan's passing speed was also very fast.
Jefferson received the pass on the perimeter and, before Russell's help defense arrived, took another open three-point shot.
"Bang!" Another brick.
The long rebound bounced directly into Russell's hands, who immediately initiated a fast break.
Russell, with the ball, was like a small tank, constantly accelerating in a straight line, pushing off Tony Parker at his side, steadily protecting the ball in his hands, and deftly laying it up with his left hand.
"Ah!"
The Oklahoma City fans once again waved their handkerchiefs, frantically venting their excited emotions.
Coming back, Tony Parker used Duncan's high pick-and-roll to hit another long two-pointer.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball, and Kayce dribbled it past half-court, looking at Jefferson in front of him, holding the ball in his right hand, and suddenly raising his center of gravity.
He leaned slightly forward, quickly dribbled between his legs and changed direction in front of his body, a wide and powerful dribble that completely froze Jefferson like a wooden stake.
At this point, Kayce accelerated his drive with the ball in his right hand, and as soon as he passed the free-throw line, he immediately pushed off with both feet, rapidly ascending.
Facing Duncan's defense, he slammed the ball into the basket with one arm!
"Slam!" A fast-break, successful poster dunk.
"Ah!" "Ha ah!"
Kayce let out a roar after landing, and his teammates surrounded him, cheering loudly.
This play was too explosive; the Ford Center crowd had already thrown their white handkerchiefs into the air.
Coach Brooks excitedly pumped his fist on the sideline, while Popovich shouted for a while on the sideline, then immediately sat back on the bench.
He knew this game was pretty much lost.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 22:38.
The Thunder went crazy in the first quarter; Kayce and Durant's accurate shooting, coupled with Russell's furious fast breaks, made the Thunder's offensive pace incredibly fast.
In the subsequent game, the Thunder, in their 'God of War' mode, played with increasing excitement, while the Spurs shot more and more bricks, failing to respond with three-pointers in time.
The Thunder's brutal run in the first quarter directly sealed the victory.
96:121, the Thunder defeated the Spurs at home by a large margin.
Such a score makes it hard to believe this was a playoffs game.
After the game, the Spurs players quickly left the court, and the Ford Center was filled with jubilation.
Kayce efficiently scored 28 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, and 2 steals in this game.
"Cool! I Love Kayce!"
"OKC! OKC! OKC!"
Kayce kept waving to the Oklahoma City fans on the sidelines.
He was very satisfied with his performance in this game, and the officiating standards at home were indeed much more lenient.
Seeing the fans still cheering loudly, Kayce thought proudly:
"This is what you call 'talent basketball'!"