On April 24th, in the G3 games that had already concluded, most of the lower-seeded teams playing at home managed to win a game back. In the Western Conference, the most notable game was between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers.
Brandon Roy, after only 8 days of recovery from surgery, returned directly to the court when his team was down 2-0. He successfully led the Portland Trail Blazers to a win against the Los Angeles Lakers at home, bravely narrowing the series to 1-2.
The Trail Blazers fans were ecstatic; a superhero was right there beside them! America's media also began to highly praise Brandon Roy's mental fortitude, hailing Roy as the toughest man in history!
The Mavericks also lost in Denver. Throughout the Western Conference, lower-seeded teams were putting up a tenacious fight. This is the home-court advantage of the playoffs; all conditions lean towards the home team, which is why teams fought so hard to secure a top-4 spot in the regular season.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, a 3-0 situation emerged. In the series between the Magic and the Hornets, Howard once again displayed his dominance, easily defeating the Charlotte Hornets on the road.
The Heat, back on their home court, also failed to withstand the Big Three's offense. The two teams battled fiercely until the 4th quarter, where the Boston Celtics, thanks to Paul Pierce's performance in the final moments, came back to win the game 100-98 on the road against the Miami Heat, securing match point in the series.
In G3, Wade scored an impressive 34 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Although he had 5 turnovers, his performance was still very nearly perfect, but unfortunately, his team still lost.
Facing the prospect of being swept, on the 24th, Dwyane Wade, when interviewed by media reporters, once again mentioned the free market and his good friend LeBron James. He believed that if he and James were teammates, they could definitely cooperate very well.
Especially when a reporter asked if he would team up with James or Bosh, Dwyane Wade's answer was somewhat intriguing:
"I'm not thinking about it, and I'm not worried about it, but I'm sure they (LeBron, Bosh) have heard a lot about this topic too. I'll wait until the offseason to make a decision."
America's media reporters, hearing this answer, immediately felt that something big was brewing! Wade might be leaving, and there was a strong possibility he would team up with James or Bosh. This news instantly ignited all social media platforms.
However, for the Thunder players, there was no time to pay attention to such news and gossip. Playing on the road, they could only practice in the mornings.
While the players adjusted their form, the coaching staff was also working very hard. They used the morning to edit the G3 game footage. The Spurs had adjusted their defensive strategy, making the afternoon's video session extremely important.
After lunch, Coach Brooks looked at the edited defensive clips with a solemn expression. The Spurs had indeed found their weakness.
The Thunder's screen quality was not high, allowing the Spurs defense to squeeze through every time. This greatly affected Durant. Jefferson almost completely abandoned offense in G3, focusing entirely on chasing Durant. The bald tough guy showed his defensive aggressiveness, and Durant was actually feeling a bit sluggish.
In the hotel conference room, the coaching staff began to explain the Spurs' defensive system to the players. After listening once, Kayce understood that the Spurs had also played a similar 3-2 zone defense in the second half, except that their interior defense quality was much stronger than the Thunder's.
"Kevin, on offense, you must pay attention to the defensive positions of Duncan and Antonio. Jefferson will pressure your right hand. When you drive left, the Spurs help defense will quickly come over. At this point, you need to pass the ball out as much as possible."
Durant nodded immediately, indicating that he understood Coach Brooks's words, but he felt a bit troubled in his heart. After all, this season he had completely given up on ball-handling, and if he really had to pass the ball, Durant always felt he would commit a turnover.
"Kayce, you need to come up higher to receive the ball more often. In the fourth quarter, you posted up too deep several times. Pay attention to Duncan's defensive position. When you receive the ball, Manu Ginobili is the first line of defense; he will guard your left hand."
"At the same time, Duncan has also been watching your position. Your shooting percentage is very high in the low post, and you pass the ball very timely, but the space is compressed too small, which sometimes allows Duncan to easily defend two players."
"After Kostić receives your pass, Duncan only needs to move a few steps to complete the defense again."
Coach Brooks specifically paused this possession, telling Kayce to watch it several times. Hearing the Head Coach's words, Kayce nodded thoughtfully and said:
"I understand. Next game, I will try my best to receive the ball near the two elbow areas."
The Assistant Coach suddenly interjected at this point:
"Kayce, many times you can even receive the ball beyond the three-point line. Unlike Kevin, your ball-handling skills are better, and we believe you can handle the Spurs' defense. Of course, continuous drives will rapidly deplete your stamina, so you need to manage that yourself."
Durant's mouth twitched uncontrollably when he heard this. His pride was hurt!
But he also admitted that if he really had to face up and play one-on-one with the ball, under the intense defense of the playoffs, his ball-handling was not as good as Kayce's, and his center of gravity was still too high.
Next, the coaching staff talked a lot about the Spurs' defensive positioning and the Thunder's offensive problems, making everyone a bit dizzy. Coach Brooks noticed that everyone was getting a little confused, so he immediately said:
"Alright, everyone must pay attention to rest. We must give our all to win tomorrow night's game. At 3-1, returning to Oklahoma City with the help of our fans, we will definitely end this series!"
At dinner, Russell looked at the relaxed Kayce beside him and couldn't help but ask:
"Kayce, aren't you nervous? If we lose tomorrow night's game, we'll have to play a Game 5. God, just thinking about that makes me so nervous."
After the loss, Russell had clearly shaken off his previous overconfidence, but now he had a clear burden on his mind. Kayce looked at the nervous Russell and confidently said:
"Don't worry, we will definitely win. At worst, we'll use our strongest tactic: just give me the ball!"
Durant, who was nearby, almost spat out his juice when he heard Kayce's words. He didn't know the Thunder even had such a tactic.
"..."
On the evening of April 25th, at the AT&T Center, Spurs fans arrived early. The G3 victory had also made the fans very enthusiastic.
If they won this game tonight, the series would be tied at 2-2. If it truly came down to a Game 5, the fans believed the GDP would surely teach the young Thunder a lesson. They were a championship team with incredibly rich playoffs experience.
Coach Popovich did not overly emphasize tactical arrangements for this game. After three games, both teams already understood each other's strategies. Now it was about raw strength. It was time for a pep talk!
In the home locker room, Coach Popovich looked at his players and spoke with great confidence:
"We have endured the toughest game. Tonight is our home court. Win this game, go to Oklahoma City, and we will turn the tide of the series. No one knows how to play a Game 5 better than us!"
"But don't underestimate our opponents. Although they are very young, in basketball, anything is possible. Some people in the team might sacrifice some stats, but this will allow us to go further. We are a family!"
"Richard, according to the game plan, continue to chase Durant tonight. We need to completely freeze him. Manu, I believe you will limit Kayce. We need to secure the win in the first half. Go for it, guys."
"Oh!!"
At the AT&T Center, the atmosphere became exceptionally noisy. Many fans in the front row were provoking the Thunder players, making all sorts of comical gestures, and many people around were also shouting insults.
"Hey! Hey! Unweaned little boys, you're going to lose very badly tonight!"
"You'll keep losing! The next time you come to San Antonio, you'll cry all the way home!"
"Kayce, stop playing basketball, go sing properly. Look at your handsome face, you should go find a job in Hollywood! Manu will surely destroy you tonight, you'll foul out!"
During the final warm-up phase before the game, Kayce heard the noisy trash talk around him and said to Durant beside him, completely unfazed:
"These guys don't actually think a few insults will affect us, do they?"
"But I actually am getting nervous. I don't like this atmosphere!"
Before Durant could respond, Russell himself blurted out his true feelings. Durant glanced at the bald Jefferson, who was maliciously eyeing him, and said with a feigned indifferent expression:
"Don't worry, Russell, the Spurs are the team under more pressure. We are the team in the lead. We will definitely win tonight."
"Ah! Ha!!"
Amidst the roar of the crowd, the referee signaled both players to come to the center of the court. Kostić and Tim Duncan stood at the center circle, ready for the jump ball.
"Clap"
Duncan easily tipped the ball to his team's half. After Parker gained possession, he first gave his teammates a hand signal, then quickly moved past half-court.
"Go Spurs Go! Go Spurs Go! Go Spurs Go!"
The audience at the AT&T Center began to rhythmically cheer for the home team, creating a huge wave of sound, accompanied by the live drum beats.
Facing the Thunder's 3-2 zone defense, Duncan immediately came to the top of the arc to set a screen. Parker drove left, shaking off Russell's defense. Jeff Green immediately stepped up, and Russell's defense also quickly followed.
A quick bounce pass tore through the defense. Duncan received the ball and drove towards the paint. The Thunder's defense instantly began to rotate; Kostić came over to help, and Durant also started to collapse inside. Noticing this situation, Duncan immediately threw the ball back out to Jefferson on the perimeter.
The latter, receiving the ball, didn't shoot. He held the ball in his right hand, accelerated, and drove inside. Antonio at this moment screened out a space for his teammate. Jefferson, who had rushed into the paint, scored with a right-handed layup.
"Ah!!"
The AT&T Center immediately erupted in huge cheers, applauding Jefferson's basket.
After the Thunder inbounded the ball, Russell dribbled past half-court. Jeff Green tried to set an off-ball screen for Durant in the right elbow area near the free-throw line, but Jefferson's defense on Durant was exceptionally fierce.
One hand was on Jeff Green, while the other remained constantly on Durant's waist area. With a burst of force from his feet, he squeezed past, still tightly sticking to Durant.
When Durant received the ball, he was bumped again. As soon as he released the ball with his left hand, Jefferson's arm started to churn underneath, forcing Durant to stop his dribble.
Kayce saw that the situation was not right and quickly moved up. Feeling Manu Ginobili still subtly pulling at him, he faked a move, then suddenly cut back. Durant noticed an opportunity with Kayce and immediately passed the ball over.
Kayce, after receiving the ball, was a bit far from the three-point line. Seeing Manu Ginobili chasing back to defend him, he held the ball in his right hand and executed a crossover step, driving through. Feeling the defensive pressure at his side, after one dribble, he suddenly went behind the back, instantly changed direction with a left-hand between-the-legs dribble, then accelerated with full force.
This sudden shake instantly got rid of Manu Ginobili, and when he reached the paint, Duncan's help defense came up again.
Kayce quickly passed the ball directly to Jeff Green, who was left open in the corner, and the latter caught the ball and shot a three-pointer from beyond the arc.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Boo!"
The home fans immediately booed the Thunder's offense.
Jeff Green was exceptionally excited after making the shot, clenching his fist and roaring.
He knew that the Spurs sometimes left him open, and as long as he could respond, the Thunder's offensive space would completely change.
Coach Popovich saw Jeff Green hit the three-pointer from the sideline and immediately gave Tony a look, while also signaling to his players.
This time on the Spurs offense, Duncan and Antonio executed a cross screen on the baseline.
After arriving at the left block, Duncan immediately called for the ball, and after receiving Tony's pass, the others quickly spread out, allowing Duncan to post up.
Manu Ginobili was standing at the top of the arc at this time.
Kayce kept a close eye on his movements while occasionally bothering Duncan, but Duncan's offense this time was exceptionally determined.
After two hard backdowns, he suddenly turned, drove along the baseline with the ball in his left hand, used his body to push Jeff Green away, and easily put the ball into the basket.
"Ha ah!!"
Such a strong offensive performance also got the home crowd excited, and they began to cheer for the team on the defensive end.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
On the Thunder's offense, Durant was once again restricted by Jefferson's tough defense after receiving the ball.
This time, Russell went over to assist, and after receiving the pass, he used a right-handed crossover to accelerate and break through Tony's defense.
Noticing the Spurs' defense instantly collapsing, he immediately swung the ball to Jeff Green on the right 45-degree angle beyond the three-point line.
The latter caught the ball and shot another open three-pointer.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in steadily.
Coach Brooks let out a long sigh from the sideline, the outside shooting was finally not cold, this was the Thunder's offensive rhythm.
Although the first two possessions went smoothly, Kayce quickly felt that something was wrong.
On the Spurs' offense, Manu Ginobili and Duncan's high pick-and-roll, Kayce couldn't easily squeeze through, and his defense was half a beat late, which forced Jeff Green to follow up.
When Kayce caught up with Manu Ginobili on his side, Manu Ginobili again passed the ball to Duncan with a bounce pass.
Noticing the Thunder's defense collapsing, Duncan passed the ball back out to Tony on the perimeter.
The latter caught the ball, drove forward, shook off Russell's defense, and pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The long two-pointer went in.
Kayce somewhat understood.
The Spurs were compressing the Thunder's defense, and at the same time, constantly attacking Jeff Green, trying to wear him down on the defensive end.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball.
Just past half court, Kayce received a pass from Russell at the top of the arc after a screen from Kostić.
Manu Ginobili's defense instantly tightened up again.
Kayce glanced at Duncan's defensive position, then dribbled the ball with his right hand in a cross-step and pulled back.
Noticing that Manu Ginobili was still overplaying his left hand, he instantly used a between-the-legs crossover, accelerated with the ball in his right hand, and used his physical advantage to successfully drive into the paint.
He suddenly pulled the ball back with his right hand, faking a spin, and at the same time twisted his body, quickly gathered the ball, faked a shot, elevated Manu Ginobili, then used a nimble up-and-under move, and scored with a right-handed scoop shot.
"Oh!!"
The AT&T Center crowd first let out a gasp of admiration, as the footwork on that play was truly beautiful, but then came an overwhelming chorus of boos and various complaints.
"Boo!"
"F*ck! He was in the paint for three seconds!"
"That was definitely a travel!"
Kayce ignored the noise in his ears and calmly rushed back on defense.
He had to put in more effort on the defensive end, otherwise Jeff Green definitely wouldn't be able to hold up for the entire game.
In the first six minutes of the game, the Spurs began to relentlessly attack the paint.
Tim Duncan played with full aggression, confronting Jeff Green on every possession.
But Jeff Green also played his part on offense, responding with accurate perimeter three-pointers after consecutive drive-and-kick passes from Kayce and Russell.
He started 4-for-4, forcing the Spurs' defense to spread out.
The offensive space in the paint was no longer crowded, and Russell also began to constantly drive and attack the rim, both achieving good results, while Durant was completely caught in Jefferson's physical entanglement, missing both of his shots.
During the official timeout, both teams took a breather.
The intensity was high from the start, and the shooting percentage was extremely high, 18:18.
This also made the AT&T Center crowd even more restless, as the Thunder actually matched the Spurs' intensity.
"Guys, keep up this offensive rhythm, keep driving and kicking. The Spurs defense can't keep up with our rotations, Kevin, be patient, trust your teammates."
The venue was too noisy, so Coach Brooks had to shout loudly to deliver his pep talk.
After the timeout, the Spurs' offense continued to target Jeff Green. Manu Ginobili again set a pick-and-roll with Duncan.
This time, Kayce agilely got through the screen, constantly making physical contact with Manu Ginobili on his side.
Manu Ginobili suddenly dribbled behind his back, attempting a crossover in front, but with the added boost from his Ankle Guard badge, Kayce didn't lose his defensive balance at all.
He anticipated Manu Ginobili's move and quickly went for a steal. Manu Ginobili let out a cry of pain.
"Ah!"
"Squeak!"
The referee's whistle blew, calling a defensive foul on Kayce.
This time, Kayce smiled and didn't complain.
While the Spurs were inbounding the ball, he whispered to Manu Ginobili:
"Maybe you don't have to act so dramatically, the referee would still blow the whistle."
"The more painfully you scream, the faster the whistle blows. That's home-court advantage. Actually, you guys do pretty well in Oklahoma City too, but tonight you're definitely going home with a loss."
The Spurs quickly inbounded the ball.
Tony immediately threw a high lob pass to Duncan in the low post.
After a triple threat, he drove left, bumped Jeff Green away, and then executed a soft left-handed floater.
"Swish!" Another two points in the paint.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball. This time, Kayce directly dribbled the ball past half court.
Seeing Manu Ginobili's defense stick to him again, he suddenly executed an In-and-Out dribble with his left hand, faking a drive to the left, then quickly crossed over between his legs, and accelerated with the ball in his right hand.
Because they had to account for Jeff Green's three-point shooting, the Spurs paint was empty at this time.
Antonio noticed that Manu Ginobili was easily beaten by Kayce, and just as he was about to help defend, he saw Kayce take off directly a step past the free-throw line, executing a powerful tomahawk dunk!
"Slam!" The drive and dunk were successful.
"Oh!!"
The AT&T Center crowd let out a huge gasp of amazement; such a dunk was indeed spectacular.
Kayce's dunk instantly lifted his teammates' spirits, and they played with extra effort on defense.
However, the Spurs seemed to be determined to attack Jeff Green, finding him with two pick-and-rolls, and finally, Duncan finished at the rim.
With 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the first quarter, Kayce was substituted out for Thabo Sefolosha.
His continuous perimeter attacks had taken a toll on Kayce's stamina, and Coach Brooks quickly took his star player out to rest.
"Good job, Kayce. Keep up this offensive rhythm in the second quarter."
As soon as Kayce sat on the bench, the Assistant Coach next to him praised him.
Although he only took two shots in the first quarter, his consecutive drives and passes successfully helped the team, with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Kostić also didn't miss any easy shots.
Coach Popovich also knew the importance of this game, only bringing in his rotation players with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.
By the end of the first quarter, it was 26:28, with the Spurs leading by two points.
In the second quarter, the Thunder again put out a five-forward lineup: Kayce, Thabo Sefolosha, Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, and Collison.
The Spurs also used a short rotation.
After a brief rest, Manu Ginobili, Jefferson, and Antonio continued to play, joined by George Hill and DeJuan Blair, a seven-man rotation, gritting their teeth and holding on.
Learning from the previous game's lesson, Kayce quickly switched to individual offense mode in the second quarter.
In the first possession, just after crossing half court, Jefferson's defense quickly stuck to him.
Kayce dribbled between his legs repeatedly, then suddenly pushed the ball forward with his right hand, adjusted his footwork, quickly pulled the ball back with his left hand, executed a wide Shammgod move, completely shook off Jefferson, and accelerated with the ball in his left hand.
While driving, he suddenly faked a pass, which made Antonio slightly pause.
When he reacted, he saw Kayce execute a delicate left-handed scoop shot.
"Swish!" Two points went in.
The Spurs' offense, on the other hand, continued with their previous strategy: after a pick-and-roll, they would drive inside, and if there was no opportunity, they would kick it out.
George Hill, who had been struggling in the previous three games, became even more determined on offense in this game.
After a series of perimeter passes by the Spurs, George Hill and Antonio executed a high pick-and-roll, briefly shaking off Kayce's defense.
An opportunity opened up beyond the three-point line, and he immediately pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Ah!!"
The home crowd erupted in huge cheers; George Hill finally delivered the offense everyone had been waiting for.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball.
Kayce dribbled past half court and immediately passed the ball to Thabo Sefolosha on the right side of the three-point line.
Collison came up for a screen. Kayce used the screen to suddenly cut inside.
After receiving the pass from Thabo Sefolosha, Manu Ginobili's chase-down defense also quickly arrived.
Kayce dribbled behind his back while driving, changed rhythm, then quickly executed a crossover in front, faking a baseline drive with the ball in his right hand, suddenly twisted his body backward, faked a spin, and then accelerated with full force, driving along the baseline.
Manu Ginobili was already frozen like a wooden stake.
Blair saw Kayce's drive and immediately focused his attention on Kayce.
However, Kayce flicked his wrist and passed the ball directly to the unguarded Jeff Green in the corner, who caught the ball and shot a jump shot.
"Bang!" It bricked hard.
Antonio secured the rebound.
This time, the Thunder had already quickly retreated on defense.
The home crowd, seeing the three-pointer miss, immediately began to loudly cheer for the home team:
"Go Spurs Go! Go Spurs Go! Go Spurs Go!!"
The Spurs executed an up-screen double screen play.
Through two screens from Blair and Antonio, George Hill received the pass at the left 45-degree angle beyond the three-point line.
Facing the closing defense of Jeff Green, he didn't hesitate and immediately pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in steadily.
"Ha!!"
George Hill roared excitedly after hitting that three-pointer, and the AT&T Center crowd cheered happily.
The Thunder's offense was not affected by George Hill's three-pointer.
Thabo Sefolosha used Serge Ibaka's screen to make a backdoor cut without the ball.
Noticing the Spurs' defensive rotation quickly following, Kayce didn't pass the ball immediately.
At this moment, Serge Ibaka quickly came up for a pick-and-roll.
Jefferson, while bracing his arm on Serge Ibaka, kept a close eye on Kayce's movements.
He saw Kayce lower his center of gravity, suddenly execute an In-and-Out dribble with his right hand, and quickly squeeze to the right.
Kayce naturally noticed Jefferson's defensive movement, instantly executed a crossover in front, easily shook off the defense, and pulled up for a jump shot from the left side of the three-point line.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Oh!!" "Wow!"
The Spurs fans' good mood was immediately ruined.
On the Thunder's bench, the hype squad cheered excitedly; this response shot was truly tough!
Manu Ginobili and Jefferson were utterly frustrated seeing Kayce raise both hands arrogantly after scoring.
These extremely deceptive In-and-Out fakes with both hands had them utterly bewildered.
Turning back, the Spurs' offense finally broke down. Jefferson missed a mid-range shot badly. Serge Ibaka grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to Kayce. Just as he was about to initiate a fast break, Blair committed a clear tactical foul.
Coach Popovich was very pleased, giving Blair a thumbs-up from the sideline.
When the rotation players are on the court, that's how it has to be done.
Kayce was a bit depressed. He naturally knew that the Spurs wanted to slow down the pace. While inbounding the ball, he made a tactical gesture to Collison in front of him and raised his eyebrows, signaling to run a fake screen on this offensive possession.
Kayce dribbled past half-court and once again passed the ball to Thabo Sefolosha. The Spurs players thought the Thunder would run another UCLA cut. Kayce cut inside quickly and then popped out, while Collison darted directly to the basket, received the pass from Thabo Sefolosha, and easily scored a layup.
More than three minutes into the second quarter, the Spurs players on the court realized that the Thunder always managed to respond. Manu Ginobili was getting a bit anxious; according to the game plan, they should have widened the score gap in the second quarter, but instead,
Manu Ginobili, with a high-quality screen from Antonio, shook off Thabo Sefolosha's tenacious defense. He held the ball in his left hand, faked a drive, causing the help defender Collison to retreat a large step, and then stepped back behind the three-point line for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in again.
"Awooo!!!"
The home crowd roared with excitement again. Manu Ginobili's three-pointer was incredibly invigorating!
On the Thunder's possession, Thabo Sefolosha and Jeff Green, using screens, both cut in twice but couldn't find an open look. With half the shot clock remaining, Serge Ibaka passed the ball directly to Kayce beyond the three-point line.
With 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Kayce signaled for no screen. From the top of the arc, facing Manu Ginobili's defense, he dribbled twice between his legs, then used a right-hand crossover dribble to pull back, simultaneously twisting his body to adjust his footwork, and quickly changed direction with a left-hand between-the-legs dribble.
Manu Ginobili had already anticipated Kayce's move and immediately adjusted his center of gravity, continuing to play tight defense. But he didn't expect Kayce, after one dribble, to suddenly tap the ball quickly twice in place with his right hand, instantly changing the dribbling rhythm, then quickly dribble behind his back, step back, and shoot a jump shot.
"Swish!" A tough three-pointer went in.
"Oh!!" "..."
After Kayce sank that three-pointer, the home fans' emotions instantly returned to square one, completely speechless. How did that even go in?
Coach Popovich immediately called a timeout. He had naturally noticed that Manu Ginobili's stamina might be an issue; the continuous high-intensity offense and defense were becoming too much for him.
Kayce, sitting on the bench, was also panting heavily. The continuous face-up attacks had taken a huge toll on his stamina. However, Jeff Green was already showing signs of completely falling apart; he absolutely couldn't be allowed to shoot when the team was struggling.
Coach Brooks also broke out in a cold sweat. If they failed to respond to these few offensive possessions and the score gap widened, the Thunder could very likely suddenly lose power. Seeing Kayce panting heavily, he quickly sent Durant and Russell onto the court; the main players needed a two-minute break.
"Hang in there, guys, the Spurs' defensive intensity has dropped. Kevin, increase your drives to the basket; they're almost in the bonus!"
For the remainder of the second quarter, both teams' starting lineups gradually returned, and the score went back and forth. Russell and Durant were also giving their all, constantly attacking the paint. With 3 minutes and 16 seconds left, both teams entered the bonus.
Kayce also re-entered the game at this point. Popovich also substituted Manu Ginobili, bringing in Keith Bogans for three minutes to act as a defensive cannon fodder against Kayce.
By the time halftime ended, the score was 56:54, with the Thunder once again holding a two-point lead. The audience at the AT&T Center already felt that something was amiss; with such a high shooting percentage, they were still trailing by two points.
In the Spurs locker room, Manu Ginobili and Jefferson were still breathing heavily. In the first half, to contain Kayce and Durant, they had paid a huge physical price.
Especially Kayce, he was simply a beast. He was an offensive machine, and on defense, he was a tenacious shadow. Manu Ginobili felt for the first time that he might be getting old. Is this really a rookie?
Coach Popovich had just finished discussing the tactical arrangements for the second half. Seeing the players' solemn expressions, he immediately offered words of comfort:
"The Thunder's game intensity will also drop. They can't maintain this offensive and defensive rhythm indefinitely. Hold on through the third quarter, and we will win this game in the fourth quarter!"
After the second half began, to prevent Duncan's strong low-post offense, Serge Ibaka came on first to act as a meat shield. After all, if Jeff Green continued to defend, he would definitely be completely ineffective in the fourth quarter.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Amidst the frenzied shouts of the Spurs home fans, the Thunder inbounded the ball. Russell dribbled past half-court. Jefferson, who had caught his breath during halftime, continued to hound Durant, and the screen play failed again.
Russell had an opportunity on a high pick-and-roll but hesitated and didn't shoot, passing the ball to Kostić at the high post, while loudly reminding Kayce in the left corner:
"Up top, Kayce!"
The play didn't work out, so Kayce quickly moved to the three-point line to receive the ball. All his teammates spread out. Noticing there were 8 seconds left on the shot clock, he held the ball in his right hand, faced Manu Ginobili's defense, and executed a quick between-the-legs dribble followed by a front-crossover.
The sudden acceleration of his dribble caught Manu Ginobili off guard, and Kayce easily broke through by half a step. While moving, he dribbled behind his back with his right hand, faked a 'prayer' move, causing Manu Ginobili's weight to shift forward. Instantly, he quickly changed direction with a left-hand front-crossover and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot.
"Swish!" The long two-pointer went in steadily.
"Boo!"
The Spurs home fans were starting to lose it. What kind of monster was this? 100% shooting in the first half, and now in the second half too?
Tony Parker quickly dribbled past half-court. Duncan immediately came up for a screen. Parker drove to the left, unafraid of Serge Ibaka's defense. After a left-hand front-crossover, he executed a spin move. Kostić's help defense was already in position, easily disrupting Parker's shot, which hit the rim and bounced out. Kostić then secured the defensive rebound.
"Oh! Defense! Defense! Defense!!"
The home fans let out a regretful gasp, then vigorously cheered for their team's defense.
On this Thunder possession, Kayce, using an off-ball screen from Serge Ibaka, successfully received the ball on the left wing. Manu Ginobili was tightly guarding him from behind, and at the same time, Duncan began to sag inside.
Kayce naturally noticed the Spurs' defensive movement, leaned back forcefully, quickly put the ball down, and after a shoulder-shake fake, directly turned over for a fadeaway.
"Swish!" The two-pointer found its mark steadily.
Kayce, enduring the home crowd's boos, quickly transitioned to defense. At this point, he had completely abandoned the idea of passing. He could feel Manu Ginobili's defensive intensity had dropped, and now was the time to strike hard!
Trailing by 6 points, the Spurs were getting anxious. Two pick-and-rolls failed to create good opportunities. Seeing only 8 seconds left on the shot clock, Duncan immediately called for the ball in the low post. Facing Serge Ibaka's tight defense, Duncan backed him down twice, then turned and shot a hook shot.
"Clang!" It clanked off the rim, which was Duncan's first missed shot of the game.
Serge Ibaka secured the rebound. The Spurs' transition defense was very quick, leaving no opportunity for a fast break. Russell immediately passed the ball to the hot-handed Kayce.
Manu Ginobili felt a tingling sensation on his scalp as he watched Kayce dribble past half-court. He was being completely dominated by his opponent this game. Kayce, two steps beyond the three-point line on the left, quickly executed an In-and-out dribble, then accelerated for a drive.
Manu Ginobili quickly closed in. Kayce suddenly executed a series of behind-the-back dribbles with his left hand, then pushed off his feet, stepped back beyond the three-point line, and quickly released a shot over Manu Ginobili's defense.
"Swish!" Adding insult to injury, the three-pointer went cleanly through the net.
"Boo!!!"
Seeing Kayce sink such a three-pointer, the boos at the AT&T Center quieted significantly. Even the Spurs fans were stunned by Kayce's performance.
Coach Popovich quickly called a timeout. It had been less than three minutes since the start of the second half, and they were already struggling.
As soon as Kayce returned to the bench, his teammates were screaming with excitement. Durant looked at Kayce with an expression of disbelief, shouting loudly:
"How did you make that?! My God! I thought you were blocked by Manu Ginobili, that was so cool!"
"Michael Jordan didn't even have shots like that, did he? We're definitely winning this game!"
Russell also shouted excitedly, and everyone's emotions instantly surged. A 9-point difference! This was already a very significant lead.
Kayce had no time to entertain everyone's praise; at this moment, he started panting heavily again. After just three possessions, he felt his stamina might be running on empty.
The various chaotic sounds in the arena no longer affected Coach Brooks. At this moment, he loudly urged his players:
"Hold on for a few possessions, we're going to win on the road! Kayce, hang in there. Kevin, Russell, play aggressively on offense. We're leading by so much, don't worry about missing shots!"
Leading by 9 points, Durant's mindset also stabilized significantly. Coupled with Jefferson's severe stamina decline, the Thunder players all struck hard.
Especially Jeff Green, who came on at the end of the third quarter, driving to the basket and shooting from outside, playing with incredible freedom!
By the fourth quarter, Kayce was completely out of gas. Coupled with the Spurs increasing their defense on him, he completely turned into a bricklayer for the remainder of the game.
The Spurs stamina, in the end, couldn't withstand the Thunder's onslaught. In the fourth quarter, Manu Ginobili, almost like Kayce, also started missing shots wildly.
With three minutes left in the game, the Spurs trailed by ten points, and the home fans realized that they might actually lose this game.
Popovich initially shouted loudly from the sidelines, but noticing his players defensive rotations getting slower and slower, he understood that everyone truly couldn't hold on any longer.
102:92, the Thunder, with their abundant stamina, managed to win this game. With 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, and 2 steals, Kayce showcased all his offensive skills in this game and was the biggest contributor to the team's victory!
Kayce, who played 44 minutes, was now slumped on the bench. At this moment, he had only one thought:
"I should probably use the strongest tactic less often in the future; my stamina can't handle it."
Coach Brooks, enduring the incessant boos from the Spurs fans, shook hands with Coach Popovich with a smile. The old man didn't say any pleasantries at this point, just patted Brooks on the shoulder and immediately turned to leave.
The Thunder players didn't care about the away environment; everyone was celebrating wildly on the bench. The series score was now 3:1, and the next game would return to Oklahoma City. Russell screamed with excitement:
"We're going to break through the first round! We'll definitely win back in Oklahoma City!"
Upon hearing this, Kayce also shouted happily:
"No suspense! It's over! We're going to eliminate the Spurs in Oklahoma City!"