In the NBA, different Head Coaches have different coaching styles, which also shapes the different playing styles of each team. In the Western Conference Semifinals, challenging the Thunder on the road, during the rotation phase, less than two minutes into the start of Game 2, the point difference had already been extended to 9 points.
Facing this situation, Coach Popovich of the Spurs would choose to put a rotation player on Kayce to relentlessly hound him, aiming to stop his performance. Head Coach Carlisle, however, prefers offense, and his choices are even bolder!
Influenced by the Thunder's excellent performance this season, the Mavericks had gradually adjusted their tactical play in the latter half of the regular season. They began to pursue offensive space on the court and rely more on three-point shooting, which can be considered a butterfly effect brought by Kayce.
Falling behind during the rotation phase, coaching staff of the Mavericks were actually well-prepared, though they hadn't anticipated falling behind so quickly.
At this moment, the fans at Ford Center were ecstatic, all cheering wildly. In previous games, whenever the Thunder made a run, they would quickly seal the victory.
It was difficult for the Mavericks' bench players to clearly hear Head Coach Carlisle's specific instructions; the arena was simply too noisy. At this point, the team's pre-planned strategies became especially important.
The Assistant Coach immediately called Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki over, signaling them to enter the game immediately. At the same time, Head Coach Carlisle quickly drew up a play on the whiteboard and loudly told Kidd:
"Jason, expand your dribbling range, run off screens, run an 8-cut, keep moving! Guys, you must keep moving, we need to move their defense!"
When Kayce returned to the court and saw the opposing lineup, he was immediately dumbfounded. How obsessed with guards must they be to put four small players on the court? But then he thought, each of them can handle the ball and run a pick-and-roll, which is also a problem. Before he could ponder it further, Barea had already quickly dribbled past half-court.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The Ford Center crowd began to loudly cheer for the home team's defense. They were already leading by close to double digits, and such a great situation made everyone incredibly excited.
The Thunder players quickly noticed that the Mavericks were continuously making hand-offs far beyond the three-point line. Nowitzki stood at the three-point line, and the four guards, organized by Kidd, continuously ran 8-cuts on the perimeter.
The ball moved quickly, and the Thunder also switched defenders continuously. When Barea faced Collison's defense, he suddenly changed direction with a crossover, accelerating to drive with his left hand. Collison was completely beaten, and the Thunder's defense instantly collapsed inward, while Barea passed the ball back out to Kidd on the perimeter.
The Mavericks' ball movement was incredibly fast. When Jason Terry received the pass from Butler, he didn't hesitate, quickly rising for a three-point jump shot from beyond the arc.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in clean, and the Mavericks successfully narrowed the deficit.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball. After Kayce dribbled past half-court, Serge Ibaka came up for a pick-and-roll. As Kayce started to drive left, Nowitzki and Kidd immediately double-teamed him, one in front and one behind.
Kayce noticed this and immediately quickly passed the ball to Serge Ibaka near the free-throw line. The Mavericks' defense continued to rotate, and Caron Butler came over to help. Serge Ibaka didn't stop the ball, passing it again to Jeff Green on the perimeter.
Noticing that the Mavericks' defense had caught up again, Jeff Green passed the ball once more to Thabo Sefolosha in the right corner. The latter received the ball, adjusted, and took an open three-point jump shot.
"Bang!" A loud clang, a missed shot.
The long rebound was collected by Caron Butler, who immediately passed it to Jason Kidd. The Mavericks launched another fast break. Kayce quickly closed in on Kidd, delaying his advance. At this point, all the Thunder players had retreated on defense.
Just past half-court, Nowitzki immediately came over to set a screen for Kidd. Kayce quickly squeezed through. Noticing Nowitzki moving quickly to the right, Kidd didn't hesitate and immediately passed the ball to Nowitzki.
The latter received the ball, faked a shot, directly made Serge Ibaka jump, then adjusted his rhythm and took a jump shot from beyond the three-point line.
"Swish!" Another three-pointer went in.
"Oh!!"
The Oklahoma City fans all let out a loud gasp. What was happening? The point difference instantly went back down?
Kayce naturally noticed this situation. He estimated that the opponent would continue to double-team, and immediately shouted to his teammates:
"Cut hard, get the ball inside, don't float outside for three-pointers. They are all small guys, score inside and then crash the boards!"
The players on the court immediately understood. When Kayce dribbled past half-court and was double-teamed again, the Thunder continuously moved the ball. This time, Thabo Sefolosha made a baseline cut. After driving into the paint, he was pulled down by Barea.
"Whistle!"
The referee blew his whistle, signaling a shooting foul on Barea. Thabo Sefolosha was awarded two free throws. At this point, Head Coach Carlisle was also preparing for a substitution, interrupting the Thunder's offensive momentum and narrowing the deficit. These two possessions had been very successful.
After Thabo Sefolosha made one of two free throws, Marion replaced Barea, bringing in a player who could defend. The Mavericks completely abandoned Dampier and Haywood, their two somewhat cumbersome centers.
Head Coach Brooks was a bit confused on the sidelines. He naturally understood that the Mavericks were tightly guarding Kayce and intentionally giving up on Thabo Sefolosha. The opponent was exploiting the Thunder's weakness in perimeter shooting, which also showed the Mavericks' great confidence in their offense.
In the following few minutes, Kidd intentionally slowed down the pace of the offense, and Nowitzki also began to frequently demand the ball in the low post. Facing Serge Ibaka's defense, Nowitzki showcased his rich arsenal of moves.
Drives after triple-threats, fadeaway jump shots after receiving the ball with his back to the basket, leaving Serge Ibaka unable to exert his strength.
On Kayce's side, after crossing half-court, he immediately passed the ball and started to move more off-ball to shake off the Mavericks' double-team. On one offensive possession, Kayce first used Collison's screen in the right elbow area of the free-throw line for a back-cut.
Marion relentlessly chased Kayce, denying him an opportunity to cut to the basket. Kayce quickly ran towards the three-point line, while Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green set a closing screen for him, allowing him to shake off Marion's entanglement.
Thabo Sefolosha's pass quickly reached Kayce. Caron Butler immediately rushed over, and Nowitzki's attention was completely drawn to Kayce. Before the opponent could complete their defense, Kayce suddenly delivered a through pass to Collison, who had cut to the basket, and Collison easily laid the ball into the hoop after receiving it.
The entire offense was completed again within 14 seconds. Head Coach Carlisle could only shake his head helplessly on the sidelines, seeing such a situation. Kayce fully read the Mavericks' defense and found a way to break it after a few possessions. Is this a rookie?
By the time 6 minutes had passed in the 2nd quarter, the Thunder's rotation lineup, orchestrated by Kayce, no longer took easy shots from beyond the three-point line, continuously getting the ball to the basket, maintaining a 4-point lead.
Head Coach Brooks also completely relaxed. He immediately substituted Kayce, Jeff Green, and Collison, bringing back a well-rested Russell, Durant, and Kostić. To use his strongest tactics in the 3rd quarter, he had to give his starters ample rest in the first half.
Head Coach Carlisle, noticing Kostić entering the game, also brought Dampier back in, replacing Jason Terry. The offensive pace of both teams gradually slowed down in the latter half of the 2nd quarter.
Durant, who re-entered the game, gradually adapted to Marion's harassing defense, and with Serge Ibaka's screens being much better quality than Jeff Green's, he finally delivered the offense Oklahoma City fans had been hoping for.
Durant faked a cut to the inside, used Serge Ibaka's screen in the left elbow area of the free-throw line, quickly popped out, received the pass from Russell, took one dribble, and pulled up for a jump shot from the free-throw line.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
"Ha!!"
The Ford Center crowd immediately cheered for Durant. He had finally started hitting shots, and fans were already anticipating the Thunder's explosion in the 3rd quarter.
In the latter half of the 2nd quarter, the Mavericks, relying on Kidd's perimeter three-pointers and Nowitzki's efficient performance, still kept the score close. At 58:64, the Thunder entered the second half with a 6-point lead.
At this moment, in the Thunder's locker room, the Thunder players all recalled the fear of being dominated by the Mavericks' three-pointers in the regular season. Durant also knew he was a jinx, so he didn't mention it at all, only praising Marion's defense:
"At 32, he still hasn't completely declined. Why did the Phoenix Suns trade Marion back then?"
"Perhaps it was because his perimeter shooting was really bad. Thank God, fortunately, Marion isn't a good three-point shooter. It was crazy; they actually put four guards on the court in the 2nd quarter."
Jeff Green had become a bit timid in the 2nd quarter; the Mavericks' momentum in catching up was too fierce for a while, plus he was completely outplayed by Nowitzki, so he mumbled a low-spirited complaint.
"We will definitely win. I don't believe Kidd can continue to hit three-pointers in the second half."
Before Kayce could finish speaking, everyone in the locker room immediately interrupted him.
"God, Kayce, don't ever mention such things!"
"Did Kevin infect you with his jinx? Don't say it, I never want to see the opponent make another three-pointer from the perimeter!"
Head Coach Brooks walked into the locker room and noticed that everyone's spirits were still good, feeling a bit relieved. The team had indeed grown a lot. He tapped the whiteboard and then spoke:
"Alright, guys, we played very well in the first half, but in the 3rd quarter, we need to change our offensive strategy. On every possession, we need to pay more attention to the opponent's defensive positions."
"Whether it's the starters Dampier, Nowitzki, or the bench player Haywood, the opponent's rim protection ability is much weaker than we expected. The Mavericks don't want to expend too much of Nowitzki's energy on defense, so, in the third quarter, we need to get the ball to the basket more."
"Observe the defense, pay attention to the defensive positioning of their interior players. I believe you will handle the offense well, Kayce. Control the pace of the game, and be careful not to make turnovers. We can slow down the offensive rhythm a bit."
The Assistant Coach also reminded them at this time:
"No team can maintain a shooting percentage of over 40% from beyond the three-point line. This is our home court, guys. In the first half, we controlled our fouls very well. In the third quarter, be aggressive on defense. The referees' calls tonight are much more lenient than you might think."
Kayce heard the Assistant Coach's words and immediately realized that he had accumulated two fouls in the first half, which was a huge advantage! Thinking about the lenient officiating, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself:
"It's time to add some more physicality!"
As the third quarter began, Kayce looked at Westbrook, who was standing next to him with a serious expression, and immediately whispered:
"Russell, don't forget we've changed our defensive strategy. Stick to Kidd. We both need to pressure their backcourt, just like we played at UCLA!"
"Don't worry, man. My specialty is man-to-man defense. I'll lock that old guy down!"
Westbrook immediately fist-bumped Kayce, indicating that he had no problem at all. Kayce also felt relieved. As long as they suppressed the Mavericks' ball-handlers and went on a scoring run, the momentum of the game would instantly shift towards the Thunder.
On the first possession after the second half began, Kidd slowly dribbled the ball across half-court. Since the Thunder usually managed a scoring run in the third quarter, the Ford Center crowd was particularly hyped up at this moment, shouting loudly:
"Defense!! Defense!! Defense!!"
As soon as Kidd crossed half-court, he immediately noticed a change in the Thunder's defense. Westbrook had quickly closed in, constantly using his body to pressure Kidd, forcing Kidd to back down and protect the ball, and quickly signal an offensive play to his teammates.
Caron Butler immediately came up to the top to receive the ball. Kayce's defense didn't immediately follow him, but instead maintained a half-step distance, giving the opponent space to initiate.
Sure enough, Caron Butler noticed that Kayce wasn't pressuring him, quickly put the ball down with his left hand, changed direction in front of his body, and then accelerated to drive with his right hand. This entire sequence of moves was completely anticipated by Kayce. The opponent attacked his front pivot foot, but Caron Butler still underestimated Kayce's physical conditioning.
At this moment, Kayce quickly slid his feet, pushed off the ground, and directly stuck to him, while also applying strong physical contact to his side. With a forceful bump, Caron Butler's dribbling rhythm was completely disrupted.
Kayce seized the opportunity, quickly swiped the ball with his left hand, snatched it away, and after gaining possession, he directly threw the ball to the frontcourt. Westbrook, who was fast-breaking, received the ball, first used his body to fend off Kidd on his side, then accelerated with all his might, and smoothly laid the ball into the basket with a low-hand layup.
"Ah!!"
The crowd at the Ford Center instantly erupted in a huge cheer. Everyone was excitedly shouting and yelling, "Is it starting? A scoring run!"
"That was definitely a fouling defensive move! He almost knocked my player down! Defensive foul!"
Head Coach Carlisle on the sidelines was very dissatisfied with the referee's non-call at this moment, constantly pressuring the sideline referee. He knew that if the referee allowed such a defense, the Mavericks' perimeter players would be in huge trouble.
But the referee was unmoved, only signaling Carlisle to quickly return to his position.
The Mavericks quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline. As soon as Kidd crossed half-court, Westbrook started to stick close and harass him again. Noticing that Caron Butler was also being tightly guarded by Kayce, Marion stepped up at this moment, actively coming to the top to transition the ball, and then immediately passed it to Nowitzki in the low post.
The latter received the ball, faced Jeff Green's defense, executed a triple threat, and then rose for a pull-up jump shot.
"Swish." The mid-range shot went in steadily.
The Thunder didn't mind and immediately inbounded the ball. Westbrook dribbled across half-court and immediately signaled Jeff Green to set a screen for Kayce. After quickly passing the ball to Kayce, Jeff Green also moved to the 45-degree spot beyond the three-point line.
Caron Butler didn't dare to stick too close on defense, fearing that Kayce would suddenly accelerate and blow past him. Noticing Jeff Green coming over, he wanted to close in to defend, but then he noticed that Kayce seemed to want to drive to his right, and his defensive center of gravity instantly shifted.
Noticing Caron Butler's bit on the fake, Kayce now crossed over, driving with his left hand at full speed, instantly blowing past Caron Butler's defense. Dampier realized that his recovery defense was too late, so he didn't bother to be a background player anymore, and watched as Kayce delivered a powerful tomahawk dunk!
"Clang." The driving dunk was successful.
"Oh!!"
Kayce's driving dunk ignited the enthusiasm of the live audience. Everyone once again waved their white towels and shouted in unison:
"OKC! OKC! OKC!"
Meanwhile, the Mavericks' offense became increasingly difficult. The Thunder's suffocating defense, of course, couldn't be maintained for an entire game, but they could certainly apply sudden pressure for one quarter. Coupled with the home-court whistle, Kidd had to protect the ball with his backside every time he crossed half-court.
And Caron Butler was also a bit dejected at this point. Kayce and he were similar in build, but there was a gap in their athletic abilities. Furthermore, Kayce rarely fell for fakes, and under intense physical confrontation, Caron Butler's offense went cold.
The Mavericks began to frequently pass the ball to Nowitzki. Facing the Thunder's interior defense, Nowitzki displayed his dominance, not only scoring himself but also frequently feeding Dampier easy baskets.
However, when the third quarter reached 5 minutes and 42 seconds, Coach Brooks substituted Kostić with Serge Ibaka, enhancing the interior's mobility. Dampier then also became dejected. Facing Serge Ibaka's help defense, the 35-year-old Dampier couldn't hold up and started to miss easy shots repeatedly.
Kayce seized the opportunity, immediately turned off the passing button, and started continuously demanding the ball in the low post. On the Thunder's offense, Kayce received the ball with his back to the basket on the left block. Noticing Kidd moving towards him from the top, he quickly shook his shoulders, then rapidly put the ball down with his right hand, easily getting past Caron Butler's defense.
Dribbling with his right hand, he accelerated along the baseline. Facing Dampier, who came over for help defense, he took off from a distance, evaded the block in mid-air, executed a nimble reverse layup, and easily put the ball in on the other side of the rim.
After the Mavericks crossed half-court, Marion immediately came to the top to transition the ball, quickly passing it to Nowitzki in the low post. As soon as Nowitzki took one step towards the top, Serge Ibaka immediately went over to double-team him.
When Nowitzki passed the ball inside to Dampier, Serge Ibaka quickly rotated back for help defense. Under defensive interference, Dampier failed to put the ball in the basket, and Serge Ibaka successfully secured the defensive rebound.
The Mavericks had already retreated quickly at this point. This time, Kayce dribbled the ball directly across half-court, while signaling to his teammates not to set screens. Caron Butler saw Kayce's gesture and immediately felt his scalp tingle, wondering if someone else could take him.
Kayce, on the left three-point line, facing Caron Butler's defense, lowered his center of gravity, performed an in-and-out dribble with his left hand, then quickly dribbled behind his back, feigning a drive with his right hand, which caused Caron Butler's defensive weight to shift backward.
At this moment, Kayce suddenly sped up his dribbling rhythm, quickly pulled the ball back with his right hand, executed a lightning-fast crossover between his legs with his left hand, and at the same time pushed off the ground, stepping back for a jump shot from beyond the three-point line.
"Swish." The three-pointer swished through the net.
Caron Butler stood there dumbfounded. The fans in Oklahoma City were ecstatic, shouting and yelling. Many fans on the sidelines even started to taunt Caron Butler:
"Go home, man! Tell your agent to find a team early, the Mavericks definitely won't sign you next season!"
"How many points did you get, Bro? How does it feel to get blown out by a superstar?"
"Just give up! Kayce is destroying you on both ends of the court, you don't want to be out of a job next season, do you!"
Head Coach Carlisle on the sidelines looked at Kayce, who was quickly retreating on defense, feeling helpless. On the guard line, Caron Butler was already their best defender. Seeing the score difference had reached 12 points, he called another timeout.
But unfortunately, as soon as the score difference reached over 10 points, the Thunder's role players slowly started to play more freely. Jeff Green also began to hit three-pointers. With Serge Ibaka relieving pressure on defense, his shooting percentage finally started to climb.
The Mavericks on their side didn't give up. Jason Terry and Barea also took turns playing, and whenever an opportunity arose on the perimeter, they would shoot. Although they did make a few three-pointers, the Thunder always responded quickly on offense.
Coach Brooks also deployed his strongest tactic: the Thunder's trio played the entire second half, not sitting out for a single minute.
Head Coach Carlisle was also exceptionally stubborn, refusing to put in his bench players, and persisted until the end of the game. With a score of 104:116, the Thunder successfully defeated the Mavericks at home, securing an opening victory in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Kayce shot 11-for-19 in this game, including 4-for-6 from three-point range and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, tallying 29 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 turnovers, and 3 steals. Coupled with Durant's 27 points and Westbrook's 22 points, the Thunder's trio combined for 78 points, a terrifying display of their strongest tactic.
After the game, Caron Butler quickly walked back to the locker room after a simple handshake. He only managed 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers in this game, having been thoroughly outplayed by a rookie, which was a blow to his pride.
Nowitzki, on the other hand, was very friendly. He scored 34 points in this game, including 10 free throws. Generally, the referees did allow him some star treatment. Seeing Kayce's joyful expression, he immediately stepped forward and said:
"It seems you guys have truly adapted to the playoffs, but in the next game, we'll bounce back strong!"
"We'll protect our home court, so be careful, man, I really won't hold back."
After a brief hug with Nowitzki, Kayce joined his teammates in thanking the Oklahoma City fans who attended. Everyone was incredibly enthusiastic tonight, cheering on the team every single possession.
"Kayce! Kayce! Here! Ah! I'm here!"
Hearing the heartbreaking shouts, Kayce noticed a curly-haired little boy, who looked about eleven or twelve, frantically waving at him. Kayce immediately walked over. He did have some impression of this young fan. He first fist-bumped the boy, then asked:
"Where are your parents? It's so chaotic here, don't get lost from your family. Autograph? No problem."
"I'm already an adult, I can take care of myself, Kayce, you're so cool! When I grow up, I'll drive like you, shoot threes like you, I'm definitely going to the NBA!"
While signing the autograph for the young fan, Kayce asked:
"I believe you can do it, keep it up! What's your name?"
"Trae Young!"
Upon hearing that name, Kayce's mouth twitched slightly, and his expression became a bit strange. He still wrote on the jersey:
"To the future superstar — Trae Young"
Walking through the player's tunnel, the strange feeling in Kayce's heart lingered, especially the future memories that flashed in his mind, making him unable to help but mutter to himself:
"I haven't developed the flopping style of play yet, I hope the future really changes."
On May 3rd, with the Thunder successfully defeating the Mavericks, all the games for the day concluded. Tonight, Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals was also underway, and to everyone's surprise, the Cavaliers lost by a large margin at home today.
104:86, the Boston Celtics decisively defeated the Cavaliers on the road. This loss was somewhat inexplicable. In the third quarter, the Cavaliers suddenly went cold on both offense and defense, scoring only 12 points in the quarter, while the Boston Celtics exploded for 31 points, instantly sealing the victory.
Fans in the Celestial Empire across the ocean naturally paid attention to these two games. Kayce's win and LeBron James's loss made many fans cheer, as James had just won the regular season MVP, and Komi had been eagerly waiting for an opportunity.
Kayce, who had returned home early, had no idea that LeBron James was currently in the midst of a losing storm. Winning at home, with every teammate performing well, also made him breathe a sigh of relief.
After a refreshing bath, Kayce saw a pile of text messages on his phone and immediately shook his head helplessly. But he still had to reply to the congratulatory messages; superficial friendships still needed to be maintained.
When Kayce saw the message from Shakira, he couldn't help but curl his lips. It was hard to guess a rich woman's thoughts.
"Received your gift, I love it. Someone's been pursuing me lately, Pretty Boy, you need to step up your game!"
On April 29th, FIFA and Sony Music Entertainment jointly announced that the song "Waka Waka," performed and written by Shakira, had been chosen as the sole official theme song for the 2010 South Africa World Cup.
Kayce, having received the news in advance, had naturally prepared a gift early, a bracelet customized by Chapman, commemorating his and Shakira's first meeting at the All-Star game.
Recalling Shakira's happy expression every time they video chatted, Kayce still edited a text message and replied:
"Miss Shakira, a charming and enthusiastic Knight is willing to help you get rid of any trouble and entanglement."
"Thank that enthusiastic little knight for me, and tell him I love him very much."
Seeing the instant reply, Kayce couldn't help but curl his lips again. This woman was playing hard to get; he had to increase the intensity of the game in the future!
"My one-on-one skills are getting more mature; it's time to add some confrontation for her."
On May 4th, the Eastern Conference Semifinals game between the Magic and the Hawks officially began. As expected before the game, the home team Magic completely blew out the Hawks, winning 114-71. If the bench had been a bit stronger, they might have even surpassed the 58-point massacre!
At the same time, in the Western Conference Semifinals, the home team Lakers once again easily defeated the Phoenix Suns, 124-112. Kobe Bryant, facing the Suns' double-teams, easily scored 21 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, and 2 steals, with the Lakers' offense firing on all cylinders.
After the game, all the America media praised Kobe wildly. Many troublemaking reporters and commentators even shouted that Kobe was the player who should have won the regular season MVP, and that LeBron James had stolen Kobe's honor.
On May 5th, another piece of news about LeBron James began to circulate repeatedly on social media and in news reports. With the Eastern Conference Semifinals tied 1-1, LeBron James accepted an interview with Chris Cuomo of ABC television.
When asked about James's April Fool's Day comment that "he would stay in Cleveland," LeBron James's answer was unexpected, and his attitude became ambiguous:
"Cleveland is a great city, and the fans are incredible. They watched me grow up and gave me a lot. Now that I've reached this point, I just want to focus on bringing a championship to this city. When the time comes, I will make The Decision!"
As soon as this news broke, Cavaliers fans nearly exploded. What was happening? After just one loss, was their The Chosen One going to leave the city?
All NBA media reporters and commentators were frantically discussing this matter, but most still believed that LeBron James would stay with the Cavaliers. They thought his statement was merely to pressure management into strengthening the team during the offseason.
The Thunder players didn't pay much attention to all the news about LeBron James. Tonight, Game 2 was about to begin. With only one day's rest, this was no small challenge for the Thunder, especially since the starters had played for a long time in the last game.
During the afternoon recovery training session, Coach Brooks and coaching staff were very concerned about Kayce's physical condition.
"Kayce, how's your body recovering? Do we need to adjust your rotation time tonight?"
"My body has recovered to its best state, don't worry, Coach. I feel like I can play all 48 minutes!"
Kayce showed a cheerful smile. Physical recovery was never an issue for him. Meanwhile, Durant, who appeared relaxed, secretly felt a pang of envy. Such talent made him incredibly jealous.
"Stamina is not an issue, Coach, I'm completely ready!"
Durant immediately spoke up to express his attitude, indicating that they could continue with the same rotation strategy as the last game tonight.
"I'm fine too, Coach! No need to reduce my rotation time!"
As a well-known iron man on the team, Russell also stated that he was well-rested. coaching staff, seeing that the Thunder's core trio had no issues, immediately felt relieved. Coach Brooks then spoke:
"We need to continue our game strategy from the last game. In the first quarter, we'll test the referees' officiating standards. Once on the court, we need to be flexible and switch defensive modes at any time. We must limit their outside shooting. Tonight, we must protect our home court!"
"Oh! !"
After the Mavericks finished their morning training session, in the afternoon, Head Coach Carlisle and his Assistant Coaches discussed the defensive strategy for Game 2. The result of Game 1 showed that with single coverage, the Mavericks would find it very difficult to limit the Thunder's offense.
"Rick, we really don't have many good options. If we want to limit Kayce and Durant, we can only increase double-teams appropriately, but the Thunder's outside players can sometimes put on amazing performances."
"Let's stick to single coverage. If their shooting is off tonight, we'll have a great chance to win this game. The Thunder's interior players aren't strong finishers, so we can take a gamble."
Head Coach Carlisle listened to his Assistant Coach's suggestion, pondered for a moment, and then, thinking of only Jason Terry and Barea being reliable on the bench, and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois being unable to play in such a game, he sighed softly and said firmly:
"We won't change our defensive strategy. Just let the players adjust their state. Even if we lose both road games, we'll still have a chance when we return home. Shooting teams' performance can fluctuate."
"That's right! Back in Dallas, we can also increase our defensive intensity. Their outside shooting won't stay hot forever!"
"Exactly! With Dirk, we can score consistently. No need to worry too much."
Head Coach Carlisle heard his Assistant Coach's self-consolation and silently grumbled in his mind:
"If you guys were as good as you say, we would have won a road game already."
In the evening, the Ford Center once again transformed into a sea of blue. In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Thunder had won their opening game, which excited all Oklahoma City fans. If they won again tonight, they would head to Dallas with a 2-0 advantage.
Even if they lost both road games, in the pivotal Game 5, the Thunder could return to Oklahoma City, greatly increasing the team's margin for error. Some overly optimistic fans had even started discussing the championship.
In Game 2, the Thunder players also relaxed a lot. This is a characteristic of young teams: as long as they're leading, everyone can perform well; everyone charges forward when things are going their way!
As the arena DJ began introducing the home team, Oklahoma City fans erupted in huge cheers. Durant, feeling the passionate atmosphere, couldn't help but think of the MVP award he had lost. If he could have received the award at home, the arena would surely have gone wild!
As the two teams warmed up for the last time, Kayce noticed that Durant beside him seemed a bit distracted and immediately spoke to remind him:
"Kevin, your mother is here to watch the game tonight. Concentrate. You haven't been reading those gossip news again these past two days, have you? You'll definitely get an MVP in the future!"
Durant was somewhat shocked by Kayce's words, as he had been guessed correctly. Recently, the media had been calling for Kobe to be the more deserving recipient of the award, completely ignoring him, which made him a bit annoyed. Why was he always overlooked?
"I'm fine, Kayce. I'm just thinking about how to get rid of Marion's entanglement. That guy's defense is tough to deal with."
"Perhaps you need to add some localized 2-on-2 plays. If there's an opportunity, pay attention to my cuts. The two of us can set some screens appropriately, and we'll definitely be able to easily tear apart their defense."
Durant's eyes lit up after hearing Kayce's words, and he immediately said:
"That's actually a good suggestion. I've always wanted to suggest to coaching staff to add some offensive plays for the two of us. I think Coach Brooks is still a bit too conservative!"
"Cool! A simple UCLA screen will do!"
Kayce also wanted to get his teammates into "smooth sailing" mode as soon as possible, so the game could be easier.
When the head referee signaled both players to come to center court, Kostić and Dampier stood in the center circle ready for the tip-off.
"OKC! OKC! OKC!"
"Slap!"
Amidst the cheers from the Ford Center crowd, Kostić tipped the ball to the Thunder. Russell quickly dribbled across half-court and passed the ball directly to Kayce.
Kostić immediately came up for a pick-and-roll. The screen quality was good, instantly shaking off Caron Butler's entanglement. Kayce drove left, accelerating to break through.
Noticing that Dampier on defense hadn't stepped up too far, Kayce took one dribble, then pulled up for a jump shot from the top of the arc beyond the three-point line.
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
"Ah! ! !"
Head Coach Carlisle, on the sidelines, heard the huge roar erupting from the Ford Center crowd and thought helplessly:
"Hoping their shooting would be off?"