On April 21st, with the conclusion of the Thunder vs. Spurs game, the results for all G2 first-round playoffs games were finalized.
All upper-bracket teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences successfully defended their home courts. Except for the Mavericks vs. Nuggets game, all other home teams easily defeated their opponents.
On April 20th, G2 between the Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets escalated into a heated battle. Both teams utilized a 7-man rotation, frequently engaging in physical confrontations. Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki took a large number of shots, and for a long period, both sides primarily relied on free throws.
However, the home team Mavericks still managed to narrowly defend their home court. Relying on Nowitzki's performance of 28 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, they ultimately secured a difficult 98-92 victory over their opponents.
Nevertheless, after the game, Head Coach Carlisle expressed strong dissatisfaction with the officiating, frequently lashing out during the press conference:
"It's hard for me to imagine this is playing in the American Airlines Arena. This is our home court, but Carmelo Anthony alone received 15 free throws in this game. The inconsistent officiating almost cost us this game. The NBA should look into the refereeing issue!"
As soon as Head Coach Carlisle made these remarks, America media outlets were overjoyed, finally, new headlines!
Starting from the evening of the 20th, media reporters and sports commentators enthusiastically discussed the officiating issues. Even the Thunder's second victory over the San Antonio Spurs couldn't shift this hot topic.
After all, everyone had already come to accept that the Thunder was an excellent strong team, so winning wasn't much of a bombshell.
With G2 over, Oklahoma City media celebrated wildly, while San Antonio's beat reporters also joined the hot topic of officiating standards, once again complaining about Durant's excessive free throws.
After the game on the evening of the 21st, they were scheduled to depart for San Antonio the next morning. Coach Brooks had his players go home early to rest and recuperate, as road games in the playoffs would not be a pleasant experience.
While the players rested, the coaching staff continued to work diligently. Coach Brooks, looking at the statistics in his hand, frowned. Although they won G2, he was actually not satisfied with the process.
"Scott, the opponent's defensive coverage on Kayce is getting wider and wider, forcing him to pass the ball. Should we have Kayce increase some individual strong drives, since his efficiency is very high!"
Coach Brooks naturally understood what his Assistant Coach meant. Everyone was worried that the role players would struggle on the road.
Although Jeff Green scored 14 points in this game, his 4-of-14 shooting and 1-of-4 from three-point range were truly concerning. On the road, he might not get the calls.
Jeff Green and Kostić both showed signs of missing easy shots in this game. If it weren't for Serge Ibaka's 5-of-5, Kayce's assists wouldn't have reached 9.
"Let's continue with this game strategy. Kevin is in good form. Although I'm a bit worried about Russell, we are currently leading 2-0. According to the plan, we only need one road victory. We shouldn't put too much pressure on the young guys next game."
Durant also performed well in G2, shooting 9-of-19 from the field, including 1-of-3 from three-point range, and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, for 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, and 1 steal. Coach Brooks was very satisfied with this; Kayce and Durant were the Thunder's two main pillars.
"Russell also played very well in this game, scoring on every transition offense. If only the team had another consistent three-point shooter."
The Assistant Coach, looking at Russell's stats of 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, also offered a word of praise.
But thinking about the three-point problem, he also felt a headache. If Jeff Green and Russell couldn't respond from beyond the arc, then in the upcoming games, the San Antonio Spurs defense would also collapse. This trend was already evident in G2.
"Still, according to the previous game plan, we can have Kostić move higher up the court more often to be a receiving option. Kayce can dictate the ball, so we don't need to worry about that."
"But I don't think the San Antonio Spurs will continue to insist on shooting three-pointers. Next, we need to make sure the young guys pay attention to this."
Coach Brooks said, drawing on the tactics board. Thinking about rebounds, he couldn't help but feel envy. If the team had a Tim Duncan, all the interior problems would be solved.
Duncan had another 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists in G2. Most importantly, he had no turnovers. In just one game, Duncan had completely adapted to the Thunder's double-team defense.
"Rookie Byron can't keep up with the team's pace. In the offseason, do we have a chance to add a big man? Sigh..."
Hearing the Assistant Coach's sigh, Coach Brooks also thought helplessly:
"The team's growth rate is too fast, which isn't necessarily a good thing. After all, ambitious interior players won't be content to be blue-collar bigs."
On April 22nd, the Thunder traveled to San Antonio. The first-round showdown had reached its most crucial point; G3 and G4 would determine the series' momentum.
At the same time, the NBA announced the winners of the COY (Coach of the Year) and MIP (Most Improved Player) awards on this day.
Thunder Head Coach Brooks, with an overwhelming 480 points, defeated Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Scott Skiles, unequivocally winning the 09-10 season's Coach of the Year award.
Russell Westbrook, with 35.8% of the votes, narrowly beat Aaron Brooks of the Rockets to win the 09-10 season's Most Improved Player award.
With double good news for the Thunder, upon arriving in San Antonio, everyone held a simple celebration for Coach Brooks and Russell at the hotel.
"Well-deserved. Honestly, this award was never in doubt. I just saw the coach's voting results: 71 first-place votes, 39 second-place votes, 8 third-place votes, completely crushing the second-place finisher!"
Kayce initiated his mode of mutual praise, continuously complimenting his Head Coach.
"From 23 wins to 61 wins, Coach Brooks has led us forward. Congratulations, the NBA really should have announced this award earlier, so we could have had a big party in Oklahoma City."
Durant also joined in the praise, with flattering words flowing freely.
Coach Brooks, hearing the players' elaborate praises, was also in a very joyful mood. Noticing the cheerful Russell, he immediately clapped his hands and said earnestly:
"To win this award, it's all thanks to everyone's support. This is also the NBA's affirmation of us. This season, we endured a lot of hardship. We were almost the team with the heaviest training load in the NBA."
"But we achieved success: second in the Western Conference, third in the NBA, Most Improved Player award, Rookie of the Year, and this season's scoring leader. These are all incredible achievements!"
"Congratulations, Russell, you've made huge improvements on both ends of the court. Your progress this season has been evident to all of us. Maintain this momentum, and I believe in the future, the Thunder will also produce MVPs and FMVPs. The future definitely belongs to you!"
"Awoo!" "Clap clap clap"
The Thunder players howled with excitement, immediately drank this motivational speech, and simultaneously gave warm applause to Brooks and Russell.
"Great job! Russell, I knew you could win an award. We're second in the Western Conference after all!"
"Russell, can I touch your trophy? That's so cool!"
"Quickly call Nina, she must be overjoyed!"
Kayce, seeing the beaming Russell, also patted him on the shoulder and offered his blessings:
"MIP is just the beginning, Bro. Next season, you will definitely be an All-Star. You will definitely have a legendary career!"
The Thunder were full of laughter, while the San Antonio Spurs were in a more serious situation, trailing 0-2.
The first game back at home was a must-win; if the series score fell to 0-3, then the series could be declared over early.
Coach Popovich and the coaching staff had discussed many solutions back and forth these two days, but the disadvantage in matchups was already difficult to compensate for with tactical systems.
His beloved disciple, George Hill, would struggle to perform as expected in this series.
Moreover, after Manu Ginobili moved into the starting lineup, he would also need to continue playing during rotation periods, and the longer the game dragged on, the more his physical issues would gradually become apparent.
"Gregg, I think someone on the team needs to make a sacrifice now. We can't lose this game, and we can't keep hoping for a sudden surge in our three-point shooting percentage. We must admit that we are completely at a disadvantage in terms of matchups."
After hearing the Assistant Coach's words, Popovich thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"I'll talk to Richard. We must win tomorrow night's game. I'll take responsibility for the first two losses, but now, we can only trust our own players."
The so-called sacrifice meant distributing Richard Jefferson's shooting opportunities.
Jefferson had struggled to respond with outside shooting in the first two games, taking an average of 13 shots but only making 3.
Therefore, the San Antonio Spurs the coaching staff decided to concentrate the ball-handling completely in the hands of the GDP, with everyone else focusing on defense.
As for three-pointers? They weren't important for this game; they planned to stifle the Thunder at home with strong defense.
Coach Popovich also thought about the Thunder's roster structure, and he increasingly felt that abandoning three-pointers might be the correct choice.
After all, this season's San Antonio Spurs were not a team known for their three-point shooting, and he believed the Thunder's zone defense could not withstand Duncan's impact.
"I hope this isn't a wrong choice. Perhaps next season, the team should trade for a defensive ace."
On the evening of the 23rd, at the AT&T Center, San Antonio Spurs fans had already started arriving early.
Although their regular season performance was average and they were down 0-2 to the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, the fans still supported their home team wholeheartedly.
Kayce still chose to warm up half an hour early, feeling the atmosphere of the arena, he felt that San Antonio's fans were far inferior to those in Oklahoma City.
However, considering that the San Antonio Spurs had already won a championship and had consistently been in the playoffs for many years, it was understandable that the local fans enthusiasm might have waned a bit.
"Your physical condition is good, Kayce, but playing on the road, you also need to be careful of the opponent's actions. Everyone knows the San Antonio Spurs style in that regard."
Trainer Meg briefly reminded Kayce; she didn't want her big client to be harmed by underhanded tactics.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Manu Ginobili's playing style is fine, and I'm not a small guard like Steve Nash. These muscles aren't just for show."
Meg thought about Kayce's playing style and nodded in agreement, then added another reminder:
"The San Antonio Spurs will definitely go all out to win this game. If you fall far behind, don't push yourself too hard."
"Don't worry, I know when to exert myself."
Playing on the road, the Thunder wore their blue away jerseys.
After the San Antonio Spurs' live DJ went wild, the players completed their entrance, and during the final pre-game warm-up, the Thunder players naturally noticed the San Antonio Spurs' lineup changes.
"Tony Parker is back in the starting lineup, Russell, you might miss George Hill's defense."
Durant chuckled, teasing Russell next to him.
"Whatever, he was a fake starter before anyway. The San Antonio Spurs almost have a 7-man rotation, I'm already used to their defense."
Russell said confidently.
"Russell, you need to pay attention to the officiating, after all, this is the San Antonio Spurs' home court, some actions might be called by the referees."
Although the NBA cancelled the hand check, sometimes some borderline small fouls, whether they are called or not is entirely up to the referee.
Kayce didn't want to see Russell get into foul trouble.
"Don't, after all, we're playing a zone defense!"
When the referee signaled both teams to the center of the court, the players exchanged quick greetings, and Kostić and Antonio stood at the center circle, ready for the jump ball.
Antonio successfully tipped the ball to the San Antonio Spurs.
Manu Ginobili dribbled the ball across half-court and immediately passed it to Duncan at the free-throw line.
The San Antonio Spurs' opening offense was unusually simple; they didn't use outside ball movement to dissect the Thunder's zone defense, but instead chose to have Tony Parker use his speed to attack the basket.
When Parker came to the top of the key to receive the ball, he suddenly made a counter-run.
After receiving the pass from Duncan, facing Durant's collapsing defense, he suddenly made a crossover dribble to his left while moving, then quickly spun and gathered the ball with his right hand to drive to the basket, finishing with a left-handed scoop layup.
"Whoop!"
The AT&T Center crowd immediately erupted in huge cheers for Parker, then, led by the live DJ, began to shout for the home team's defense.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Coach Brooks stood by, clapping, signaling that the defense was perfectly fine, and at the same time, he gave the Thunder players a gesture, indicating that they must play steadily at the start.
On the Thunder's offense, Russell quickly dribbled across half-court.
Kayce, using an off-ball screen from Kostić in the paint, quickly popped out to the top of the arc to receive the ball.
As soon as Kayce received the pass from Russell, Manu Ginobili's defense was already tight on him.
Noticing that Manu Ginobili was primarily defending his left side, Kayce drove with the ball in his right hand, accelerating.
After driving into the paint, he suddenly gathered the ball, then pivoted on his right foot, turned backward, and released a fadeaway.
"Swish" The two-point shot went in steadily.
"Boo!"
Seeing Kayce hit a shot right at the start, the AT&T Center crowd immediately let out a huge boo.
San Antonio Spurs fans knew that a large part of the reason for their losses in the first two games was Kayce's outstanding performance.
The San Antonio Spurs quickly inbounded the ball, and after Parker dribbled across half-court, Duncan again came to the free-throw line to receive the ball.
Manu Ginobili quickly came to the top of the key and executed a handoff with Duncan.
Facing Kayce's defense, he made a crossover dribble with his right hand, then accelerated with the ball in his left hand, driving through.
Kayce maintained a very good defensive position, and Manu Ginobili was unable to completely shake off the defense.
However, Manu Ginobili also suddenly made a spin move while driving, instantly getting to the basket, and attempted a right-handed scoop shot, but it was blocked by Kayce.
"Thwack!"
"Whistle!"
The referee called a foul on Kayce for hitting the hand, which left Kayce with a questioning look.
Although he hit the hand, he touched the ball first.
"That was clearly a clean block, you should have seen it clearly from the baseline, sir!
You can go look at the replay!"
Coach Brooks expressed his dissatisfaction to the side referee from the sideline.
Getting a foul so quickly would definitely affect Kayce's defensive intensity, but unfortunately, the referee had no intention of overturning the call, signaling two free throws for Manu Ginobili.
"Oh!!!"
The crowd began to cheer, they loved seeing the opposing Head Coach frustrated.
Manu Ginobili stood at the free-throw line, adjusted his breathing, and calmly made both free throws.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball, and Russell dribbled across half-court, immediately executing a high pick-and-roll with Kostić.
Noticing that Antonio's defense was sagging inside, Russell didn't hesitate, pulling up for a jump shot from the free-throw line.
"Clank!" He clanked it off the rim.
After Duncan secured the rebound, he immediately passed it to Parker.
The San Antonio Spurs wanted to initiate a fast-break, but the Thunder's retreat defense was also unusually quick.
Noticing this, Parker gave his teammates an offensive signal, then slowly dribbled across half-court. Duncan immediately moved up to the three-point line to set a screen for Parker. The high-quality screen easily shook off Russell's entanglement.
Facing Jeff Green who switched onto him, Parker faked a drive with the ball in his left hand, then suddenly pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The long two-pointer went in.
Jeff Green somewhat annoyed, signaled to his teammates that the play was his fault.
After Parker drove into the paint at the start of the game, it made him somewhat wary of the opponent's drive, and he subconsciously retreated a step, only for the opponent to shoot directly.
When it was the Thunder's offense, Russell signaled to set a double screen for Durant.
Because Jefferson was defending Durant very aggressively in this game, always sticking close, Jeff Green's screen quality was not high to begin with, and feeling it wasn't effective, he couldn't help but quietly shift a small step.
The experienced Jefferson immediately leaned his body and fell directly to the ground.
"Whistle!"
The side referee signaled a moving screen on Jeff Green, and Jefferson, on the ground, immediately pumped his fist and roared.
"Ah!"
Kayce noticed this situation and could only sigh helplessly in his heart.
Playing on the opponent's home court, the referees would definitely be very strict with small fouls.
Halfway through the first quarter, the score was 10-12, and the game had completely fallen into the San Antonio Spurs' rhythm.
Coach Brooks also noticed the problem from the sideline: the San Antonio Spurs weren't even shooting open three-pointers anymore, just driving to the basket with the ball.
It didn't matter if they missed the shot; the two big men, Duncan and Antonio, would stir things up inside, and with the referee's whistle blowing intermittently, the Thunder's offensive rhythm was completely disrupted.
During the official timeout, Coach Brooks immediately subbed in Serge Ibaka, while also cheering on his players:
"Guys, we had a great start. We need to be patient on offense. We've controlled our turnovers very well, and we need to keep that up. Hang in there; the Spurs won't maintain this defensive intensity for the entire game."
After the timeout, the Spurs continued to maintain their offensive rhythm. Jefferson was now completely clashing with Durant, desperately giving Durant physical resistance on defense.
On a Thunder possession, Kayce came to the right side of the three-point line to receive the ball. At this moment, Durant suddenly made a back cut, using Kostić's screen to cut into the paint.
After receiving Kayce's pass, he had only dribbled once when Jefferson cleanly stripped the ball away. Jefferson, successful on defense, applauded himself while also egging on the crowd.
"Awooo!!"
The San Antonio Spurs fans, seeing this, immediately cheered happily. This was the home atmosphere; sometimes, the fans are the team's best sixth man.
For the remaining few minutes, the San Antonio Spurs maintained high-pressure defense on Kayce and Durant. At the same time, their defense on Russell also became very targeted. Antonio and Duncan no longer easily defended outside, and Tony also took a step back appropriately.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 22:24, with the visiting Thunder temporarily trailing by two points.
During the break between quarters, Kayce and Durant felt depressed. The offensive space couldn't be opened up, and the San Antonio Spurs' defense finally began to collapse. Jeff Green and Serge Ibaka both failed to seize their opportunities, and Kostić's finishing inside also softened.
Every time they received the ball from mid-range, there was one defender beside them and another on the driving lane. This layered defense indeed limited the performance of Kayce and Durant.
However, Russell played well in the first quarter, making 4 of 6 shots and capitalizing on all the opportunities the San Antonio Spurs gave him.
The remaining three quarters were almost identical to the first. The San Antonio Spurs used their relentless drives and extreme defensive rotations to completely stifle the Thunder at home.
With a score of 88:94, the San Antonio Spurs, returning to their home court, successfully won a game.
After the game, Coach Popovich, with a slight smile, shook hands with Coach Brooks and offered his blessings:
"Scott, congratulations on being named Coach of the Year. You are the youngest team in the NBA, and you've led these young men to create a miracle. Keep it up; the future is yours. But in the next game, we won't hold back either."
Coach Brooks had also calmed down. Losing for the first time in the playoffs was naturally a bit disappointing. Hearing Coach Popovich's words, he immediately smiled and said:
"Thank you for your blessings, but we still have a lot to learn. Tonight, the San Antonio Spurs indeed taught us a lesson, but we will also go all out to win the next game!"
The two looked at each other, then both smiled and said:
"Good luck."
After the game, in the Thunder locker room, everyone's mood was still good. After all, they were still leading in the series. If they could win just one road game, they could return to Oklahoma City with a 3:1 advantage.
"F***! Jefferson and Antonio, those two had 5 fouls in the 4th quarter and still lasted until the end of the game, damn referees!"
Kayce heard Durant's complaint and also chimed in with a retort:
"I almost fouled out with 6 fouls. Manu turned into a foul-drawing master back at home."
"Haha, Kayce, luckily you controlled your emotions in the end. I feel like the referee's whistle suddenly became stricter. This game was my fault. In Oklahoma City, such a screen would never have been called a foul."
Jeff Green, who had a terrible game, took the blame. He was called for two moving screens by the referee, but it couldn't really be blamed on him. Being smaller, he had to use some tricks to improve screen quality, but the current version simply didn't support moving screens.
"Next game, we will definitely play better. Honestly, it wasn't until the second half that I fully adapted to the San Antonio Spurs offense."
Russell also had an unhappy game. Without a fast break, without transition offense, and facing the overwhelming boos from the San Antonio Spurs fans in his first road game, his emotions never quite lifted.
Coach Brooks entered the locker room and immediately comforted his players:
"Remember that saying? The playoffs start with winning on the road. We completed our task well, and so did the San Antonio Spurs. But in the next game, we still have a chance. Forget this loss!"
"Go back to the hotel and get some good rest! Remember to read fewer news reports. Don't pay attention to all that nonsense. In the next game, we will definitely win!"
Although Coach Brooks was full of confidence in front of his players, he became downcast after returning to the hotel. The worst-case scenario had indeed happened: the Thunder's three-point shooting started to go cold.
"Scott, relax. After this game, the young men will surely adapt to the road atmosphere. Our perimeter shooting will definitely bounce back next game. Don't worry, and you should get some rest too!"
Coach Brooks heard the Assistant Coach's comfort and responded in a low voice:
"I'm not just worried about the three-point shooting. In the last two games, we've lost our transition offense, and in this game, the San Antonio Spurs completely disrupted our offensive rhythm. And their shooting percentage is rising, which is not a good sign."
"We also can't expect the San Antonio Spurs to continuously shoot below their regular-season percentage. We have two days to adjust the players' game status. I believe the young men will successfully bounce back."
Thinking that they were still leading 2:1, Coach Brooks also breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of the cluttered thoughts in his mind, comforting himself:
"Everything will be fine; we're still ahead of them."
After Kayce returned to the hotel, he took a quick bath and then began replying to the messages of condolences from his friends. He was actually prepared for a road loss.
According to regular season patterns, Jeff Green, who had been terrible for two consecutive games, should return to normal performance next game, and Kostić, who had a soft game, should also become tougher next game. Fluctuations on the road are a completely normal phenomenon.
After finally replying to the congratulatory messages, he logged into Twitter and Facebook and saw a pile of messages. Kayce simply tossed his phone aside, lay on the big bed, and went straight to sleep.
In the Dream Training Space, Kayce was pleasantly surprised to find that the control panel had a new notification. He thought about the recent games and realized he hadn't made any special moves, so he curiously entered the Achievement Room.
Seeing the new bronze badge, Kayce lightly touched it:
Achievement Badge [Death Coil]: 4/50
Enhances a player's ability to defend an opposing offensive player face-to-face on the perimeter.
Kayce scratched his head after seeing the properties of this badge. It was a defensive badge, and the bonus effect wasn't very obvious, feeling not very helpful. However, a thought suddenly popped into his mind:
"I have [Death Coil]. If I could also get a strip badge, maybe the effect would be very good!"
Looking at the silver badges in front of him, Kayce also let go of some of the worries he had after the loss. Thinking about the game two days later, he confidently thought:
"Worst case, I'll just go all out. The Mamba mentality supports me!"