In Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, after 2 minutes and 42 seconds of play between the Thunder and the Mavericks, Head Coach Carlisle immediately called a timeout. The situation on the court was very unfavorable!
It wasn't just about Kayce's individual defense; Russell also continued his playstyle from the end of the last game, aggressively attacking the Mavericks' interior. This significantly increased the defensive pressure on Dampier, and the 35-year-old veteran felt like he couldn't hold on from the start.
The 4:10 start also sent the Ford Center crowd into a frenzy. The blue and white ocean began to surge, and with the players showing flashes of brilliance, the fans already felt victory beckoning the home team!
During the timeout, on the Mavericks' bench, the players looked serious. If the Thunder were truly going to have everyone explode, this game might be over very quickly, and no one wanted to go back to Dallas trailing 0:2.
Coaching Staff had naturally prepared a plan before the game, but what was happening in this game was exactly what they wanted to avoid. Head Coach Carlisle kept raising his voice, trying to make sure his players could hear him more clearly:
"2-3 zone, guys. We need to strictly guard the Thunder's two wings. Kidd, Butler, pay attention to defending Kayce. Don't shrink too much. Marion, if they continue to drive, you need to quickly help out!"
"Communicate well on the court. We'll try to defend for a few possessions. Make sure to protect the rebounds, Kidd, seize the opportunity for fast breaks!"
The Assistant Coach next to him quickly pulled out the pre-prepared tactics board, constantly coordinating with Rick Carlisle's explanation to help everyone better understand the defensive changes.
"Buzz"
As soon as the timeout ended, Head Coach Carlisle also began to encourage his players:
"There's still a lot of time left in the game. Play good defense, and be patient on offense!"
On the Mavericks' first possession after the timeout, after several passes on the perimeter, the ball was immediately given to Nowitzki on the left block. Nowitzki, facing Jeff Green's defense, used a triple threat before quickly putting the ball down with his left hand, using his body to shield Jeff Green, and drove directly to the basket.
Noticing the Thunder's defensive rotation quickly collapsing inwards, Nowitzki immediately gathered the ball for a pump fake, faking Jeff Green into the air, then adjusted his posture and shot a mid-range jumper from near the baseline.
"Swish" The mid-range shot went in steadily.
The Thunder players were not affected by Nowitzki's offense and quickly inbounded the ball. After Russell brought the ball across half-court, he immediately noticed the Mavericks were playing a 2-3 zone, which truly surprised him.
Kostić again came to the three-point line for a screen. Russell wanted to continue his strategy from the previous two possessions, driving left with acceleration. This time, Dampier's defense rotated quickly, and Kidd on the side was also constantly watching Kostić's movements.
At this point, the Mavericks were collapsing very tightly, so Russell didn't force an attack and passed the ball back to Jeff Green at the top of the arc. Kayce noticed the Mavericks' zone defense and immediately signaled his teammates to move the ball around.
However, with the Mavericks strictly guarding the two wings, neither Kayce nor Durant got an opportunity. After the ball went around once, it eventually found Jeff Green at the top of the arc, who got an open look and shot a three-pointer.
"Bang" It clanked off the rim.
The Mavericks were very focused on protecting the rebounds. Everyone boxed out early, and Dampier successfully secured the rebound.
Coach Brooks on the sidelines noticed the Mavericks' defensive change and couldn't help but feel a little worried. Missing open shots had happened during the regular season, and the Thunder's outside three-point shooting was actually very inconsistent.
After Kidd quickly brought the ball across half-court, Marion immediately came up to make a simple pass, giving the ball back to Nowitzki on the right block. Before Kostić could come up to double-team, Nowitzki quickly released a fadeaway mid-range shot.
"Swish" Another two-pointer went in.
Jeff Green was numb. He had been completely outplayed by his opponent in the last game, and tonight he felt like Nowitzki was shooting even more accurately.
On defense at the power forward position, Serge Ibaka also couldn't completely limit Nowitzki. With that exaggerated shooting, it was useless for anyone on the Thunder to guard him.
On the Thunder's possession, Russell, who had brought the ball across half-court, didn't call for a screen this time. The quickest way to break a 2-3 zone was with continuous, rapid ball movement on the perimeter.
After Russell faked a drive, he immediately passed the ball to Jeff Green in the corner. Noticing that the Mavericks' defense had all shifted to the left side, Jeff Green quickly passed the ball to Kayce.
Without stopping the ball, they continued to pass it, quickly moving it from the left side to the right. Durant got an open look from beyond the three-point line, but he didn't choose to shoot directly. Instead, he took a dribble, intending for a mid-range shot, but this gave the Mavericks' defense an opportunity to rotate.
Marion's defense quickly rotated into position, and at the same time, Kidd abandoned Russell at the top of the arc and immediately double-teamed Durant. Dampier in the paint also quickly came up to defend. Durant instantly felt surrounded by people, with a pile of arms all around him.
Durant naturally noticed Kostić, who was completely open at the time. Just as he was about to pass the ball, Kidd anticipated it perfectly, easily stealing the ball, and the Mavericks quickly launched a fast break.
"Oh!!"
The Ford Center crowd immediately let out a gasp. No one expected the situation on the court to reverse after a few possessions.
After Kidd took two dribbles, he immediately passed the ball to Marion up ahead. The latter, after receiving the ball, strode across half-court, accelerating with the ball in his right hand, shouldering past Jeff Green, and scored a layup.
On this Thunder possession, Kayce gave his teammates an offensive signal, and at the same time, signaled Jeff Green to go to the right corner first. Russell, beyond the three-point line, used Kostić's screen and drove with acceleration with the ball in his right hand.
Noticing the Mavericks' defense collapsing, he immediately passed the ball to Jeff Green in the corner. The Mavericks' defense was all shifting to the right at this point, and the Thunder's perimeter players began to move the ball quickly.
The ball quickly moved from the right side to the left. As soon as Kayce received the ball, Caron Butler quickly rushed towards him, but Kayce ignored the defender's close-out and quickly shot from beyond the three-point line.
"Swish" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Ah!!"
Seeing Kayce break the team's scoring drought, the Ford Center crowd once again erupted in huge cheers.
Coach Brooks on the sidelines immediately breathed a sigh of relief. In crucial moments, star players needed to step up, and Kayce responded very well.
Kayce retreated on defense, loudly reminding his teammates:
"Shoot decisively! Retreat quickly, don't worry about missing!"
Kayce knew that once the score became stagnant, Kostić would become inconsistent, and even open looks in the paint might not be converted. At this time, the perimeter players had to respond.
For the remainder of the first quarter, the Thunder's outside shooting was a bit off. The Mavericks' two wings defended very high, which gave both Russell and Jeff Green many opportunities, but the conversion to points was not ideal.
In addition, Head Coach Carlisle brought Haywood into the rotation early, replacing Dampier, whose defensive footwork was a bit slow. This also made Kostić's finishes at the rim even more difficult.
When the first quarter ended, the score was 26:28, with the Thunder temporarily leading by two points. Kayce was 5-for-5 shooting, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, scoring 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He played the entire first quarter without rest.
Coach Brooks was very cautious. Kayce's presence was too important. With Durant's outside shooting off, Coach Brooks felt at ease only when Kayce was on the court.
During the break between quarters, the Thunder made a temporary adjustment to their rotation, letting Kayce, who had played the entire first quarter, rest first. Russell, Thabo Sefolosha, Durant, Serge Ibaka, and Collison came onto the court.
"We need to move the ball quickly. When an outside opportunity arises, shoot immediately. Russell, pay attention to passing lanes and control turnovers. Kevin, keep shooting. There's still a lot of time in the game, get your rhythm back!"
Durant immediately nodded upon hearing this. He had played too poorly in the first quarter, shooting 1-for-5 from outside and only scoring from free throws. Such a performance was unacceptable.
Kayce, sitting on the bench, felt a bit helpless. The opponent's 2-3 zone gave the Thunder many outside opportunities. Head Coach Carlisle was completely gambling that the Thunder's role players would miss open shots, and it seemed he was right so far.
In the early stages of the second quarter, Nowitzki and Marion continued to play for the Mavericks. Barea and Jason Terry formed the Mavericks' backcourt, along with center Haywood. The Mavericks used their regular rotation, and the peculiar four-guard lineup did not appear.
However, after just over two minutes of play, the Ford Center crowd gasped repeatedly. Jason Terry seemed to be on fire, hitting all three of his pull-up jumpers after three in-and-out dribbles, despite Thabo Sefolosha's defense.
Coupled with Barea's step-back three-pointer after a screen, the Mavericks went on a 9:2 run, which prompted Coach Brooks to immediately call a timeout.
The atmosphere in the Ford Center was a bit subdued at this moment. Coach Brooks naturally knew the team's problems. Although Kayce had only rested for just over two minutes, he had to go in directly now.
"Kayce, when you go in, pay attention to the opponent's defensive positions. If you get double-teamed, pass the ball quickly. Serge Ibaka, you need to stand more at the free-throw line. If a shooting opportunity arises, be decisive!"
"We also need to be intense on defense, Russell. If they continue to expand their dribbling range, follow them directly. We need to wear them down on defense. Their shooting percentage will definitely drop slowly. Pay attention to boxing out for rebounds."
The Assistant Coach next to him also reminded Durant:
"Kevin, you need to speed up your offensive rhythm. Shoot quickly after receiving the ball, and try not to call for screens!"
The quality of the Thunder's screens was a bit concerning. Every time Durant called for a screen, there was a high probability of him being completely double-teamed by two Mavericks players.
After the timeout, Kayce replaced Thabo Sefolosha. The Ford Center crowd, seeing Kayce enter the game, immediately erupted in cheers and began to loudly root for the home team:
"OKC! OKC! OKC!"
Russell quickly brought the ball across half-court. Serge Ibaka immediately came up to screen. At this point, Haywood's defense immediately followed, and Barea was also tightly trailing on his side.
Before the double-team could form, Russell immediately passed the ball to Serge Ibaka. Kayce quickly moved to the top of the arc, while Russell popped out to the left beyond the three-point line to create space. At this point, the Mavericks had almost transformed into a 3-2 zone.
Jason Terry lowered his center of gravity, while tightly guarding Kayce. Kayce noticed the opponent's parallel stance defense, drove with acceleration with the ball in his right hand, took two big dribbles, then suddenly dribbled behind his back, while pushing off with his feet, and shot a step-back jumper.
"Swish" The long two-pointer went in steadily.
"Oh ah!!"
The live audience immediately cheered for Kayce's basket. The Thunder had finally scored again, and led by the arena DJ, they began to loudly cheer for the home team's defense:
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
After the Mavericks' two guards exploded for a bit, they immediately started giving the ball to Nowitzki in the low post. Serge Ibaka, seeing him get the ball, immediately became fully focused. Nowitzki took two consecutive jab steps, finally forcing Serge Ibaka to shift his weight.
He drove along the baseline with the ball in his left hand. Collison's help defense immediately rotated into position, but Nowitzki was more experienced. He first sought physical contact, then casually tossed the ball towards the rim, letting out a cry:
"Ah!!"
"Whistle"
The referee blew his whistle, signaling a foul on Collison, and Nowitzki was awarded two free throws.
"Boo"
The fans in the Ford Center were very dissatisfied with the referee's call, and a huge boo immediately erupted throughout the arena. Coach Brooks also pressured the referee from the sidelines, expressing his displeasure.
Nowitzki remained calm, completely unaffected by the atmosphere, stood at the free-throw line, adjusted his breathing, and made both free throws steadily.
Head Coach Carlisle seized the opportunity to substitute Kidd and Caron Butler. The small guard was at too much of a disadvantage on defense, so Coach Brooks also brought in Jeff Green and Kostić. Both teams' starters were back on the court.
For the rest of the 2nd quarter, the Mavericks once again implemented targeted defense. When Kayce received the ball on the left side, Caron Butler on the perimeter and Nowitzki on the baseline would quickly double-team him, forcing Kayce to pass the ball.
Durant on the right side frequently faced triple-teams, with Marion holding him, Haywood quickly following, and then Kidd also joining the double-team.
This forced Durant to quickly complete his offense every time he received the ball, but his three-pointers were off tonight, which made the Mavericks' defense even more aggressive.
Fortunately, Russell made timely response shots, not only hitting three-pointers from beyond the arc but also consistently making long two-pointers from mid-range, preventing the deficit from widening further.
At 57:52, the Thunder were temporarily trailing by 5 points. The Ford Center audience was a bit frustrated; in the first half, the team had many opportunities from beyond the arc but couldn't convert them, coupled with the Mavericks' sudden surge, the team fell behind in just a few minutes.
In the Thunder's locker room, everyone was in low spirits. Although the deficit wasn't large, a cold shooting streak really hurt morale. Jeff Green even said self-reproachfully:
"Sorry, Bro, I should have made all those open three-pointers. If I had, we would have been leading by a large margin already!"
Durant, of course, had to support his teammate at this time and immediately said:
"Green, you've been expending too much energy on defense, so it's normal not to make shots. I will definitely respond in the second half!"
"Our ball handling is still too rushed. The Mavericks' zone defense is well-coordinated. I think we should pass the ball more, thoroughly move their defense, instead of trying to finish the offense after two or three passes."
Kayce played very frustrated in the first half. Although he knew that not every teammate could observe the defense and calmly pass the ball, many times after he passed the ball, it was like throwing meat to a dog, it was gone forever. This made him very frustrated; it was only a 5-point difference, and everyone was playing too impatiently.
Russell had the best performance in the first half, having already efficiently scored 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 turnover. He basically capitalized on every opportunity. Seeing everyone in low spirits, he immediately spoke up to comfort them:
"Don't worry, the old guys don't have our stamina. Their defensive intensity will definitely drop in the second half!"
After Coach Brooks entered the locker room, he immediately offered words of encouragement to everyone:
"We're only down at halftime. We haven't even really started. There are still two quarters left in the game, and we can easily catch up. Our offense in the first half wasn't bad either. Trust me, the Mavericks' shooting percentage will also come down."
"In the second half, we need to play full-court defense, just like in Game 1. We need to pressure their ball-handlers. We need to play more patiently. Serge Ibaka, Kostić, in the second half, both of you need to stand more in the two elbow areas."
"We can play more hand-offs, move their defense more, and also open up the offensive space on the court, adding more drives. Don't forget, we are the younger team."
After saying these words, Coach Brooks began to draw tactical diagrams on the whiteboard, and the Assistant Coach also reminded them:
"The Mavericks' defense on our two wings is very tight, but some long two-pointers can sometimes solve many problems. Also, Russell, once you drive into their paint, you need to pay attention to Marion's defense. If they collapse, you can pass the ball to Kevin."
"They are very focused on protecting the rim, so when driving, you must observe their defensive positioning, find those fleeting opportunities, and when you receive a pass on the perimeter, shoot decisively!"
Kayce nodded subconsciously after hearing the Assistant Coach's words. He rarely took long two-pointers; it was only one step away, and a three-pointer was more cost-effective. For mid-range shots, shooting from around the free-throw line would have a higher success rate.
But in this game, the Mavericks were almost defending him right on the three-point line, and once he drove to the free-throw line area, they would quickly double-team. He had to admit that at this time, long two-pointers could indeed solve the problem. Thinking about the defense he was facing, he secretly thought to himself:
"Perhaps, it's time to change the offensive strategy."
After the 3rd quarter began, the Ford Center audience also adjusted their mood. It was only a 5-point deficit, and they believed their home team would quickly take the lead. In the first possession, they began to loudly cheer for the home team's defense:
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The Mavericks were also prepared for the Thunder's pressing defense. Dampier immediately came up to set a screen, using his large body to temporarily free Kidd from Russell's entanglement. After the screen, he received a pass from Kidd and immediately rolled down.
After using his body to push away Kostić, he was about to lay it in but was interfered with by Serge Ibaka, who came over to help on defense, failing to finish at the rim. In the second half, the Thunder made the first adjustment, with Serge Ibaka directly entering the game.
The Mavericks quickly retreated on defense. Russell noticed there was no opportunity for a fast break, slowly dribbled the ball past half-court, and seeing that the opponent was still in a 2-3 zone, he immediately signaled Serge Ibaka to come to the free-throw line area to set a screen. Seeing Nowitzki's defense also follow, Russell immediately passed the ball to Kayce on the left side.
After receiving the ball, Kayce quickly took a probing step to the right, then suddenly accelerated with his feet, drove with a cross-over dribble with his left hand, and immediately pulled up for a jump shot just past the three-point line.
"Swish!" The long two-pointer went in easily.
Caron Butler couldn't catch up and could only watch Kayce shoot in front of him.
"Ha!!"
Although it wasn't a three-pointer, the audience immediately cheered for the basket. The deficit was only three points! Everyone wildly waved their white handkerchiefs.
After scoring, Kayce looked at the stunned Caron Butler and immediately laughed loudly, saying:
"Next offensive possession, I'll shoot here again! Come on, buddy!"
When Caron Butler heard Kayce's boastful words, a small flame of anger flared up in his heart. Did he think he was Larry Bird?
With the score closer, the Thunder's defense also intensified. When Nowitzki received the ball in the low post again, Durant immediately stepped up to double-team. Nowitzki quickly passed the ball to Marion, who was cutting in from the perimeter. The latter was about to go up, but Serge Ibaka, reacting quickly, jumped up again to interfere.
"Bang!" The interfered layup directly hit the side of the rim.
Durant vigorously secured the defensive rebound. At this point, the Mavericks had already quickly retreated on defense, losing the opportunity for a fast break. Russell, who dribbled the ball past half-court, once again gave an offensive signal to his teammates and then directly passed the ball to Durant.
At this moment, Kostić quickly came up to fake a screen. Noticing that Dampier also followed, Durant immediately passed the ball back to Russell at the top of the arc. The Mavericks' defensive rotation also changed accordingly. Russell didn't stop the ball and passed it back to Kayce.
At the same time, Serge Ibaka also came over to fake a screen. After receiving the ball, Kayce quickly put the ball down, executed an In and Out dribble with his right hand, a sudden change of direction in front of his body, again shaking off Caron Butler's defense, and from the same spot, pulled up for a long two-point jump shot.
"Swish!" The two-pointer went cleanly through the net.
"Ah!!"
Kayce's shot ignited the emotions of the live audience. With this basket, the deficit was only one point, and everyone was fully expressing their excitement, constantly shouting loudly.
Head Coach Carlisle on the sidelines could only shake his head helplessly as he watched Kayce continuously make such long two-pointers. He couldn't ask his players to do more; the team's defense was not the problem, Kayce just made the shots.
Caron Butler felt humiliated at this moment, and his anger surged. During the Mavericks' offensive possession, Kayce didn't press him tightly. Noticing Caron Butler receiving a pass from Kidd on the perimeter, he even deliberately gave him a small step of space.
This defensive action completely got to Caron Butler. He quickly put the ball down with his right hand, dribbled between his legs and changed direction in front of his body, accelerated with the ball in his left hand to drive, and suddenly crashed hard into Kayce while moving, only to find that his own movement was also a bit out of control.
But the enraged Caron Butler still insisted on completing this offense, taking a step-back jump shot under Kayce's interference.
"Bang!" A furious brick.
The rebound was secured by Kostić, who passed it to Russell. The Thunder quickly pushed for a fast break. Noticing that Durant had already crossed half-court, Russell quickly threw a long pass to him.
After receiving the ball, Durant accelerated like crazy, a 1-on-0 situation in the frontcourt, he took big strides and threw down a powerful one-handed dunk!
"Slam!" The transition dunk was successful.
The Thunder took the lead, and the audience in the Ford Center started cheering wildly! It's here, it's here, the fast break finally came through!
For the next few minutes, Kayce kept muttering to Caron Butler while defending him:
"I'm going to keep shooting here, so you better defend well!"
"Buddy, good job. God might have finally taken pity on your tragic situation and let me miss a shot here."
"Cool! You almost defended me this time!"
Caron Butler was so angered by Kayce's incessant trash talk that he almost ascended to heaven, but he could only roar in impotent rage:
"Shut up, rookie!"
After shouting this, two or three possessions later, Kayce continued to make a long two-pointer in front of him. In this Thunder possession, after Kayce received the ball, he quickly drove with a cross-over, quickly pulled back with his left hand, adjusted his footwork, and directly executed a double step-back jump shot.
"Swish!" "Clap!"
"Screech!"
The referee's whistle blew, and it was a made shot plus a free throw. Kayce got a 3+1. Caron Butler was furious when he heard the whistle and yelled at the referee:
"He traveled! That was definitely a travel! You should watch the replay!"
Seeing Kayce even arrogantly shrugging at him, Caron Butler completely lost it and started a furious tirade at Kayce and the referee:
"Damn rookie! Blind referee! F***! This is the Western Conference Semifinals! You've ruined this game!"
After spewing trash talk, he still felt it wasn't enough to vent his anger, so he stepped forward and pushed Kayce down. Just as he was about to continue, players from both sides quickly swarmed in, and the two teams immediately started to scuffle, the scene becoming extremely chaotic.
The Ford Center audience, seeing the scene descend into chaos, immediately started cheering excitedly. The referee, seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, quickly stepped forward to separate the two sides.
Kayce, returning to the bench, chuckled. Such actions from the opponent, coupled with insulting the referee, would likely lead to an early exit. Sure enough, after the head referee repeatedly reviewed the replay, he immediately made a ruling.
"After repeated confirmation by the scorer's table, Dallas Mavericks player number 4, Caron Butler, has committed a Flagrant Foul 1, provoked the referee, and is ejected from the game!"
Head Coach Carlisle was immediately very displeased. He knew that once they lost Caron Butler, their perimeter defensive ace, the Mavericks' defensive system would instantly collapse.
But unfortunately, the head referee had no intention of changing the call, and this ruling completely decided the outcome of the game.
When the game reached the 4th quarter, Jason Terry, who reluctantly came onto the court, was almost ineffective on defense against the Thunder's perimeter attack. The Thunder ultimately, relying on the excellent performance of their Big Three, managed to narrowly secure the home win.
At 94:100, the Ford Center audience began to frantically celebrate this hard-fought victory. Kayce, sitting on the bench, silently sighed:
"Winning at home is this difficult? What should we do for the road games..."