When there were 2.3 seconds left in the game, the world of Slam Dunk would definitely give the audience a flashback, refusing to stop until 20 minutes had passed. In the world of Kuroko's Basketball, everyone could enter the Zone together and battle for 300 rounds in 2.3 seconds.
And in an NBA game, 2.3 seconds was enough for the Mavericks to complete a game-winning shot. When Kayce hit that three-pointer just before the buzzer, Coach Brooks on the sidelines and the hype men on the bench were celebrating wildly. This script was beyond everyone's expectations.
Head Coach Rick Carlisle called the last timeout of the game. The Mavericks still had a glimmer of hope. Whether it was a two-pointer or a three-pointer, as long as they put the ball in the basket, tonight's victory would still be theirs.
The head referee had already come to the scorer's table. Everyone was constantly watching replays to see if the clock needed to be reset, as the moment just now was too chaotic. The court was in a mess, and then the three-pointer suddenly went in.
The fans at the American Airlines Center were all praying with clasped hands, hoping a miracle would befall the Mavericks. Mark Cuban, the team owner, who was under the basketball hoop, also stood up. Two seconds would determine the team's fate, and he couldn't sit still anymore.
On the Mavericks' bench, Head Coach Rick Carlisle quickly drew up the inbound play he had already prepared. The Assistant Coach also reminded everyone to stay calm:
"Dampier, Haywood, you two set a double screen for Dirk in the right paint. Butler, you're at the top of the arc, pull Kayce out beyond the three-point line. Screen and cut, guys! Be aggressive with your screens, the referees won't call a foul. We have enough time to shoot!"
In the final moments, Head Coach Rick Carlisle still chose to trust the veterans, once again substituting Dampier for Marion. They used two centers to set simple and rough screens for Nowitzki. In the final seconds, the home-playing Mavericks certainly wouldn't be called for a foul by the referees. Aggressive screening was the way to go.
Meanwhile, on the Thunder's side, Coach Brooks finally calmed his excited emotions and repeatedly shouted reminders to his players:
"No fouling, guys! Russell, you interfere with the inbound pass at the front. Kevin, Green, Serge Ibaka, stick to your defensive assignments. Kayce, you need to watch Butler's movement to prevent him from suddenly cutting to the basket. Stay focused, we are only 2.3 seconds away from victory!"
Although the Mavericks' timeout was only 20 seconds, due to the head referee reviewing the on-court situation, this timeout was longer than expected. The Thunder's coaching staff had already started to pressure the scorer's table, signaling that the timeout had expired!
The Mavericks fans in attendance all stood up to watch the game, hoping for a miracle. At this moment, the venue suddenly became quiet, and almost all the noisy sounds disappeared.
Kayce's only thought at this moment was to tightly guard his counterpart, Caron Butler. In the final stages of the game, he was playing purely on instinct. Such a rollercoaster game truly didn't allow him to think too much.
"Screech!"
The whistle blew. Kidd, standing on the sideline, took the basketball from the referee's hand. Russell was in front of him, raising his hands high, constantly bouncing and jumping, trying to interfere with the inbound pass, while the players on the other end of the court were already huddled together.
Dampier and Haywood played their part. Under their almost moving screen and pull, Nowitzki instantly broke free from the entanglement of Jeff Green and Serge Ibaka.
When Nowitzki reached the left low post and received the pass from Kidd, Durant's defense also caught up. With a slight pump fake, he completely shook off the defense, then quickly shot from mid-range.
While the ball was in the air, the final buzzer light had already lit up. Everyone in the American Airlines Center stared intently at the basketball in the air. For the first time, Kayce felt that two seconds could be so long.
"Bonbon."
When the ball hit the back of the rim, it seemed to be falling into the basket again, but ultimately, the basketball bounced out. The next second, two different sounds erupted from the American Airlines Center.
"Ah!!" "Oh!!"
At this moment, the Thunder players once again rushed towards Kayce excitedly. The joy of victory surged in their hearts. They hugged each other, yelling wildly, while the audience on site let out a huge gasp, then began to curse:
"F*ck you! That rebound was a foul, you shitty referee!"
"Sh*t! You stole Dallas's victory!"
"Wuwuwu, we lost, we can't make it to the Western Conference Finals..."
A blonde boy of about 10 years old on the sidelines hugged his father and burst into tears. Everyone knew what a 0:3 deficit meant; as for the miracle of winning 4 straight games, that might only happen in dreams.
Kayce originally wanted to show off properly, but he was tackled by Russell again. This guy completely ignored his cues. Kayce, lying on the ground, was a big man at this moment. Although the joy of victory surged in his heart, he still silently complained in his mind:
"I just want to show off quietly, why is it so hard..."
During the May Day holiday, the Western Conference Semifinals, the game between the Thunder and the Mavericks received more attention than usual, and Kayce's near-game-winner made all the fans in front of their TVs shout out loud.
In the visiting team's locker room after the game, all the Thunder players were beaming with joy. They were about to make it to the Western Conference Finals, and Durant was so excited he didn't know what to do.
His agent Kleiman had told him that if they really made it to the Western Conference Finals, the Nike 10-year, $300 million contract would pretty much be a sure thing, and the Additional Terms (additional clauses) would be even easier. That was three hundred million! As soon as Durant thought of all that green America money, he got so excited that he started doing a goofy dance with Russell.
Everyone on the Thunder came over to high-five Kayce excitedly. When Coach Brooks arrived in the locker room and saw everyone's excitement, he also smiled and said loudly:
"Guys, we have a day off tomorrow, but everyone should also manage their time. We still have G4 to play the day after tomorrow. This was an incredible game, enjoy the victory to the fullest!"
"Oh oh!!"
When Kayce returned to the hotel to rest, he finally snapped out of his excited mood. Seeing hundreds of unread messages on his phone, he scratched his head helplessly. It seemed he would have to spend a lot of time replying to messages before going to bed.
After all the text messages were replied to, it was almost midnight. Thinking that he didn't have to train tomorrow, Kayce happily browsed Twitter for a while, read some crazy praise from Oklahoma City fans, and then contentedly fell asleep.
In the Dream Training Space, after calling up the control panel, Kayce immediately saw the prompt on the achievement room. This game tonight indeed produced new badges again.
Achievement Badge [Clutch Shooter]: 1 / 50
Increases the ability to make clutch shots in critical moments.
Achievement Badge [Catch & Shoot Specialist]: 2 / 50
Expands the player's effective range for stationary three-point shooting.
Kayce, upon entering the Achievement Room, immediately checked the two bronze badges. The [Clutch Shooter] bonus effect was simple and direct, while [Catch & Shoot Specialist] was very practical. Appropriately increasing some long-range shooting would help him shake off defenders better.
However, thinking about the badge upgrade issue, Kayce could only helplessly complain:
"How do I upgrade badges in games where I check out after three quarters? After all, there might only be two or three clutch moments in a season."
On May 8th, America's media collectively hyped up the performances of Kayce and LeBron James. In the semifinal games that ended last night, both played exceptionally well and led their teams to victory. No need for formalities, just start the hype!
On TNT's NBA 24-hour program, Kayce's near-game-winning shot was repeatedly played. Last night, TNT's ace commentary duo, Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller, were also on site as commentators.
"Can you imagine the Dallas Mavericks being swept out by the Thunder? This is incredible. This game truly exceeded our expectations, guys. I think this matchup has no suspense left."
After watching the replay, Ernie Johnson immediately said to Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley beside him with a firm tone.
"This was truly a crazy game. I think after this game, Head Coachs of all NBA teams will definitely not choose to engage in a shootout with the Thunder. Perhaps we should start taking three-point shooting seriously!"
After the game ended last night, Kenny Smith began to lavish praise on Kayce's performance, especially those 5 three-pointers, which he almost praised to the heavens.
"This game truly went beyond our understanding. The Mavericks didn't continuously attack in the low post, but rather shot more from the outside. Although Nowitzki scored 36 points again, they lost the game. I think Head Coach Rick Carlisle's strategy had some problems; the Mavericks played too softly."
Charles Barkley still adhered to his theory of tough-guy basketball. He always believed that the Mavericks should aggressively attack the paint.
"Come on, man, you need to look at the Thunder's outside firepower. Kayce scored 34 points, Durant also had 28 points, plus Russell's 22 points. If the Mavericks hadn't responded with continuous outside shooting, the game might have ended much earlier. The Thunder have really created a new style of play."
Ernie Johnson immediately refuted Barkley's point of view.
"OK! We'll discuss that issue later. There was another game last night, G3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 124:95 on the road. LeBron James was even more impressive with 14-of-22 shooting, scoring 38 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. We must also commend James's performance!"
Kenny Smith once again steered the conversation to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. James was also a big hot topic last night!
"LeBron James showed his dominance. It's said that the North Shore Garden was silent last night. After this game, the Cavaliers have regained the initiative. If it goes to a Game 5, they will return to Cleveland, which is definitely good news for the Cavaliers!"
Charles Barkley immediately praised James. Winning on the road is not an easy feat.
"Guys, out of the two games last night, who do you think played better, Kayce or LeBron James? Many fans are discussing this question now, what do you have to say about it?"
Ernie Johnson once again posed a provocative question.
"Kayce is a rookie, and comparing him to LeBron James right now is unfair, but just based on last night's game, I'd choose Kayce. He helped the Thunder win against the Mavericks with a buzzer-beater, which almost completely changed the momentum of the entire series. He was the superstar last night!"
Kenny Smith continued to relentlessly praise Kayce, having almost evolved into a mindless fan of Kayce.
"I would choose LeBron James. I don't mean to disrespect Dallas, but the Boston Celtics are clearly a stronger opponent. To perform like that against the Big Three, LeBron James played better, saving the Cavaliers by himself!"
"But if you watched the game, you'd know that the Celtics started slow in the first quarter, scoring only 17 points, and that's why they lost. James was excellent, but in last night's game, the Celtics only had themselves to blame for the loss."
Ernie Johnson smiled slightly as he watched Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith argue again. He had the show's entertainment value perfectly under control.
That night, the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals resumed. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Magic vs. Hawks matchup remained a foregone conclusion. The Magic, playing away, defeated the Hawks by 30 points, 105:75.
Al Horford was completely stifled by Howard, and Joe Johnson was completely shut down by the Magic's team defense. The Hawks scored a total of 33 points in the first half, a scoring ability that naturally couldn't lead to victory.
In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Phoenix Suns, back at home, won a game. Head Coach Gentry, facing the Lakers' twin-tower lineup, directly switched the team's defense to a zone. Although Kobe Bryant scored 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists, his 5 turnovers also showed that the Suns' defense was effective.
With a score of 109:118, the united Phoenix Suns defended their home court, keeping the suspense of the series alive.
The resting Thunder players naturally watched this game. The Suns' zone defense greatly inspired Coach Brooks and coaching staff, as they already had one foot on the Western Conference Finals floor, and it was time to consider their next opponent.
"Kobe Bryant is still in his prime, playing so efficiently even against the Suns' double-team defense."
Russell couldn't help but exclaim when he saw Kobe's performance. Those unreasonable shots would definitely destroy a defender's psyche.
"But the Suns still won. Pau Gasol is also very good. Bynum was completely contained. This guy usually arrogantly boasts about being the best center in the West, but look at his garbage performance in this game, haha, I really want to mock him on Twitter!"
Durant had always disliked the arrogance of some Lakers players, and he was very happy that the Suns won.
"Artest on the perimeter was key. The Suns' zone defense also gave the Lakers a lot of three-point opportunities, but 9 of 32 shooting, around 28% three-point percentage, couldn't support the Lakers in winning. This is very similar to our last game."
Kayce looked at the post-game statistics and immediately understood the Suns' defensive strategy. While strictly guarding Kobe, they reduced their defense on the wings. Clearly, Head Coach Gentry made the right gamble; the Lakers' perimeter couldn't respond.
"Don't worry, Kayce! In tomorrow night's game, I'll respond. We will completely kill the Mavericks from beyond the arc, haha, we're going to the Western Conference Finals!"
Leading 3:0 in the series, Jeff Green was already letting loose, completely stress-free. In such a favorable situation, Kayce also believed his teammates would play better and better, as the Thunder players were all natural-born warriors in good conditions.
"Get some good rest, boys! We need to go all out for the win in tomorrow night's game. If we can end this series early, we'll get plenty of rest. Just stay calm, we've already completed our road trip mission."
Coach Brooks immediately reassured his players. The team's primary goal now was to keep the starters healthy. coaching staff didn't want to see players suddenly get injured before the Western Conference Finals.
"Don't worry, Coach!"
"No problem, we'll sweep the Mavericks!"
"Oklahoma City fans will love us, I can't wait to go home!"
On May 9th, G4 of the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals was about to begin. For all Oklahoma City fans, everyone was already fantasizing about sweeping their opponent and entering the Western Conference Finals.
Mavericks fans, however, were feeling exceptionally pained. Losing G3 on a buzzer-beater, and possibly facing a sweep tonight, left the attending fans feeling somewhat down. Trailing 0:3, tonight's game was more likely to be a battle for honor.
Head Coach Rick Carlisle only briefly comforted his players during the afternoon practice. At this point, motivational speeches were useless. Everyone had been in the NBA for many years and knew very well what trailing 0:3 meant.
Dirk Nowitzki continued his shooting practice silently. In this series, he had given his all, but missing the buzzer-beater in the last game still left him feeling guilty. He had clearly shaken off the defender, yet missed from his favorite spot.
Jason Kidd, on the other hand, only did some simple recovery training. He knew the series was already decided. Nearing the end of his career, he only wanted to chase a championship, but currently, the path to the championship still seemed fraught with obstacles. The West was truly becoming more and more competitive.
Caron Butler looked dejected and lacked enthusiasm in practice. The NBA is actually very cruel; a poor performance in the playoffs will definitely affect the next contract. Clearly, in his matchup against Kayce, Caron Butler had depreciated his own value.
This was similar to George Hill's situation in the Spurs series; whenever someone matched up against Kayce, they usually didn't fare well. Caron Butler was already thinking about where he would go next season; he knew very well that the Mavericks most likely wouldn't keep him.
Time flew by. At the American Airlines Center, despite the team's impending elimination, Dallas fans still chose to come and support the team. After all, they were a team that had experienced an 8th seed upset, so the fans' resilience was quite strong.
However, compared to the atmosphere of the last game, the arena was much quieter. Although everyone was wearing white cheering T-shirts, they all understood in their hearts that tonight was a battle for honor.
In the player tunnel, the Thunder players could clearly feel that the atmosphere at the American Airlines Center was far worse than in the last game. The audience was no longer enthusiastically shouting. Although the live DJ was working hard to energize the crowd, being far behind in the series still left the fans feeling uninspired.
"Perhaps tonight we will advance. Sweeping our opponent in the Semifinals is a good achievement. The Western Conference Finals will bring even more attention. Maybe next season we'll have more national broadcasts!"
Durant had always hoped to receive more attention, and the thought of soon standing on the Western Conference Finals stage made him exceptionally excited.
"I'm going to call all my relatives and friends and tell them to come watch my Western Conference Finals. I feel like I can brag about this season's experience for a lifetime. My son will definitely be proud of me!"
Many NBA players never have such an experience in their entire careers. Jeff Green felt lightheaded with excitement.
"Bro, you haven't even settled down with a girlfriend yet, and you're already thinking about a son? We're all still young, a championship is our goal! The Western Conference Finals is just the beginning, trust me!"
Kayce played it cool with a calm demeanor. The Thunder players were speechless after hearing his words, but they couldn't refute him. After all, given Kayce's abilities, contending for a championship was not out of the question.
"Yes, we will definitely win the championship. We are the youngest team in the entire NBA, and the future is definitely ours! Tonight, I'm going to sweep the Mavericks. I want to go back to Oklahoma City early to enjoy the victory. We can have another baking Party, Nina will definitely love it!"
The absent-minded Russell didn't notice Kayce's bragging and even followed Kayce's words to fantasize about the future. Everyone's spirits lifted when they heard about another Party back in Oklahoma City. Although the activities organized by Russell were relatively simple, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing.
"Cool! Sweep the Mavericks! Go home and Party!"
"Aww!!!"
After all the players entered the court, both sides conducted their final pre-game warm ups. Kayce keenly noticed that Caron Butler was no longer confronting him directly. It seemed the opponent had indeed been subdued by him.
During the warm-up, everyone on the Thunder team had relaxed and happy expressions, while the Mavericks players all looked serious. The battle for honor at home was not easy either; if they lost again, Dallas fans would definitely be furious!
When the head referee signaled for both teams' players to come to center court, they exchanged simple greetings. Kostić and Dampier stood at the center circle, ready for the jump ball, and the live DJ began to lead the crowd in cheering for the home team.
"Let's go Mavs! Let's go Mavs! Let's go Mavs!"
Kostić, spurred on by the cheers, performed exceptionally well, easily tipping the ball to the Thunder's side. After Russell gained control of the ball, he immediately gave his teammates an offensive signal, then unhurriedly dribbled past half-court.
The Mavericks did not opt for a zone defense at the start. After all, in the last game, they were just torched by the Thunder's perimeter shooting. Kayce, standing near the baseline in the paint, noticed Russell and Kostić execute a pick-and-roll in the distance, and immediately started moving.
Jeff Green then set a down screen for Kayce, successfully delaying Caron Butler's pursuit. When Kayce received the pass from Russell, Kostić set another down screen near the free-throw line, while Russell moved to the left to create space.
The two consecutive screens successfully created an opportunity for Kayce beyond the three-point line. Noticing that the Mavericks' defense failed to follow him in time, he didn't hesitate and took a pull-up jump shot from beyond the arc.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in without touching the rim.
"Boo!"
The American Airlines Center crowd immediately let out a huge boo. It was that damned three-pointer from Kayce again!
The Mavericks quickly inbounded the ball, and after Kidd brought it past half-court, he quickly passed it to Dampier at the free-throw line.
Dampier caught the ball and passed it again to Nowitzki in the right low post.
Facing Jeff Green's defense, he backed him down twice before immediately turning around and taking a Fade Away.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in smoothly.
The Thunder's offensive pace was also very fast.
Durant used Kostić's screen to receive a pass from Russell at the right elbow of the free-throw line.
After catching the ball, he drove forward, feeling Marion's defense at his side, then dribbled behind his back with his left hand and quickly stepped back for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The two-point shot went in easily.
Kayce had keenly noticed that the Mavericks' aggressiveness on defense had significantly decreased.
It seemed that Game 3 had a big impact on them. However, the Thunder's defense would not slacken.
The smooth-sailing warriors would certainly become more energized as they played. At this moment, the Thunder simply played a 2-3 zone defense.
After the Mavericks made several quick passes on the perimeter, Caron Butler got an open look on the left side beyond the three-point line.
Caron Butler ignored Kayce's close-out and quickly shot from beyond the arc.
"Bang!" He bricked it.
The long rebound bounced right into Kayce's hands.
After securing the rebound, he noticed that Russell was already running downcourt, so he immediately threw a powerful pass directly to the frontcourt.
After Russell crossed half-court and caught the ball, he accelerated madly, quickly took off, and threw down a powerful tomahawk dunk!
"Slam!" The fast-break dunk was successful.
Caron Butler was furious at this moment. It was clearly a good outside shooting opportunity, but he bricked it again. Especially seeing Kayce's curious expression, the anger in his heart intensified.
The Mavericks attacked again, this time no longer trying anything fancy. They honestly passed the ball to Nowitzki at the left elbow of the free-throw line. Marion again cut around to draw away Durant's defense.
Nowitzki quickly put the ball down with his left hand this time, accelerating to drive. Noticing Kostić's help defense coming up, he immediately passed inside to Dampier, who caught the ball and scored with a layup.
"Oh!"
The fans at the American Airlines Center immediately cheered for the home team's score, and the atmosphere in the arena finally recovered a bit.
Head Coach Carlisle on the sidelines made a gesture to his players, indicating that this defensive possession they should play a zone defense.
After Russell dribbled past half-court, he naturally noticed the change in the Mavericks' defense. After giving Jeff Green a signal, the latter immediately ran towards the right baseline. At the same time, Kostić moved towards Kayce.
Caron Butler noticed the Thunder players' movement, and a bad premonition came over him again. Sure enough, after seeing Kayce receive the ball, Kostić moved to Kayce's right side again.
At this moment, Kayce noticed Caron Butler's defense quickly closing in. He held the ball with his right hand, faking a drive to the right for a pick-and-roll.
Noticing Dampier's help defense also moving, he suddenly dribbled behind his back, and then quickly used an In-and-Out with his left hand, leaving Caron Butler frozen in place.
Then he accelerated at full speed, took one step past the three-point line, and immediately pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The long two-pointer went in smoothly.
"...Boo!"
The boos at the American Airlines Center had become weak and powerless. Such a scene was simply a nightmare for the fans.
When the nightmare happened again before their eyes, all the fans and Caron Butler had the same thought in their minds:
"I'm tired... just let it be over!"
However, in the following few minutes, Kayce did not choose to shoot a lot. In a game where they were leading comfortably, his primary task was, of course, to get his teammates involved.
Kostić was noticeably tougher in this game, so it was important to feed him the ball quickly.
Facing the Thunder's zone defense, after continuous passes on the perimeter, Kidd unexpectedly hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc.
After quickly inbounding the ball, facing the Mavericks' man-to-man defense, Russell easily shook off Kidd with a simple crossover right after crossing half-court.
He accelerated straight to the inside, noticed Nowitzki's collapsing defense, and quickly passed the ball to Jeff Green on the perimeter.
The Mavericks' defense rotated quickly, while the Thunder continued to pass the ball on the perimeter.
When Kayce received the ball on the left side beyond the three-point line, he pushed off, and his crossover dribble directly beat Caron Butler's defense.
Dampier was forced to help defend again, but then saw Kayce flick his left wrist while on the move, delivering an accurate bounce pass to Kostić cutting to the basket.
After catching the ball, Kostić played exceptionally tough, taking two big steps to rise up and, with all his might, threw down a powerful one-handed dunk!
"Slam!" The easy dunk at the basket was successful.
Coach Brooks also seemed a bit excited on the sidelines.
In the new season, he led a team that won 23 games last season into the Western Conference Finals. He never dreamed it would be this dramatic.
Seeing the Thunder's role players also starting to perform, he felt that this game was already in the bag.
On the court, Kayce was already enjoying the game, constantly dissecting the Mavericks' defense. No matter who the defender in front of him was, no matter what kind of defense the opponent used, he could accurately find their weak points.
This intuition fascinated him, and Kayce felt like he had entered the Zone.
Under Kayce's constant ball distribution, the Thunder played a fluid offense, which completely drained the energy of the fans at the American Airlines Center.
"Is this really the playoffs?"
When there were 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Kayce was substituted out for Thabo Sefolosha.
In the first quarter, he easily scored 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, and the Thunder were now leading by 5 points.
As soon as Kayce sat down on the bench, Serge Ibaka quickly handed him a water bottle, Menor, the water cooler guardian, offered a towel, and Byron, from the atmosphere crew, handed him a jacket.
His excellent performance in the playoffs had once again elevated Kayce's status in the locker room.
"Thanks, guys. Maybe we're really going to advance in this game. The Mavericks' defensive intensity is clearly not as good as in the previous games."
Kayce took a quick sip of water, wiping sweat as he spoke casually.
"I hope Coach can also let us play and experience the Western Conference Semifinals. This is really cool! We're going to the Western Conference Finals!"
The big man Byron, always a member of the team's atmosphere crew, really wanted to get on the court and feel the atmosphere of the Western Conference Semifinals.
"Let's see how the 4th quarter goes. I think we have a chance to go on a run and seal the win directly. You can get ready early, go for it!"
Byron was also a bit excited to hear Kayce's words. If he could get on the court, he'd have more bragging rights in the future.
By the end of the 1st quarter, the score was 36:30, with the visiting Thunder leading by 6 points. Head Coach Carlisle saw the situation on the court and felt that the tide had turned.
During the rotation phase of the 2nd quarter, he directly gave up and once again put out a lineup of 4 guards and Nowitzki.
The Thunder still had 5 forwards.
When Kayce saw the Mavericks' 4 guards, he immediately knew that Head Coach Carlisle was getting desperate.
If they couldn't make shots, their defense would definitely be torn apart by the Thunder.
Jason Terry also came on and immediately started shooting freely.
On the first possession of the 2nd quarter, he ran a high pick-and-roll with Nowitzki a bit beyond the three-point line.
Facing Collison, who switched onto him, he held the ball with his left hand, faked a drive, then quickly pulled back and stepped back for a jump shot from beyond the arc.
"Bang!" He bricked it.
The long rebound was again picked up by Kayce.
The Mavericks quickly retreated on defense.
Kayce slowly dribbled past half-court, seeing the Mavericks' 4 small guards, he was a bit speechless. He signaled Serge Ibaka to come up for a pick-and-roll, then drove with the ball in his left hand.
Kidd and Caron Butler quickly double-teamed him, one in front and one behind.
Kayce noticed their defensive movement, and before the double-team could fully form, he made a hidden bounce pass directly to Serge Ibaka at the free-throw line.
Serge Ibaka caught the ball and took a mid-range jump shot.
"Swish!" The two-point shot went in smoothly.
"...Boo!"
The fans at the American Airlines Center no longer wanted to boo. The home team was completely dominated by the Thunder. There would be no miracle!
Kayce also realized Head Coach Carlisle's strategy: don't give him shooting opportunities, let the Thunder's role players score.
Perhaps this strategy had worked well before, but tonight, the Thunder showed their strength!
Pick-and-roll shots, backdoor cuts to the basket, with Kayce's playmaking, Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha, Jeff Green, and Collison all scored.
The chaotic backdoor cuts left the Mavericks' 4 guards helpless, as the height difference was quite significant.
After playing for more than two minutes, Head Coach Carlisle immediately called a timeout.
They were down by 10 points, and he had to bring his starters back in early.
For the remainder of the 2nd quarter, Kayce still firmly controlled the pace of the game, frequently assisting Durant and Russell for scores.
Facing the Mavericks' man-to-man defense, Kayce and Durant's localized 2-on-2 made Marion and Caron Butler feel extremely frustrated; they couldn't defend them.
At halftime, the score was 70:58.
The fans at the American Airlines Center had completely lost their passion at this point. Everyone even hoped the game would end soon; it was simply too painful!
During halftime, Kayce saw his stat sheet and couldn't help but be slightly stunned: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists.
Hmm, he suddenly had a bold idea.
Looking at Russell, who was grinning from ear to ear, Kayce immediately handed him the stat sheet, while also winking at Russell.
Then everyone passed it around, and they all chuckled, indicating that they were on board with the plan!
After the second half began, Kostić, the power forward, first went to the high post to help Kayce get enough rebounds.
Then, the in-form Jeff Green again hit an outside shot.
After that, Durant's off-ball cut successfully brought Kayce's assists to 9.
It was at this point that the Mavericks' players finally reacted: "What a travesty!"
"Are you seriously trying to get a triple-double in the Western Conference Semifinals?"
However, by this time it was too late.
Kayce, facing Caron Butler's defense, used a left-handed In-and-Out beyond the three-point line, quickly changing direction.
He then accelerated with the ball in his right hand, successfully shaking off the defender.
As Dampier's defense moved, Kayce, in motion, smoothly threw the ball up.
Kostić, under the basket, caught the ball and scored with a powerful two-handed dunk, getting his 10th assist!
Kayce achieved a triple-double and immediately gave his teammates a thumbs-up.
At this point, the score difference on the court had already reached 16 points.
After that, Kayce scored 4 more points and was then substituted out by Coach Brooks.
The coaching staff wanted to protect Kayce.
14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, with no turnovers, these were Kayce's stats in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Head Coach Carlisle also slowly substituted out his starters.
When Nowitzki left the court, the fans at the American Airlines Center immediately gave their superstar the warmest applause.
Being swept out of the Western Conference Semifinals was an unacceptable result for Nowitzki.
Sitting on the bench, he covered his head with a towel, appearing unusually silent.
The Thunder's water cooler guardians and atmosphere crew, however, were extremely happy.
Everyone could finally experience the Western Conference Semifinals!
In the 4th quarter, both teams' bench units played with exceptional effort, and the game was very lively.
But the fans at the American Airlines Center were no longer interested in watching the game; they just wanted it to end quickly.
The game time quickly ran out, and in the end, 118:104, the Thunder won Game 4 on the road, sweeping the Mavericks 4:0!
The humiliating sweep led the Mavericks players to quickly shake hands and then walk back to the player tunnel, while the Thunder players began to celebrate loudly.
"Cool!
We're in the Western Conference Finals!"
"I want to go back to Oklahoma City right now!
The fans must be thrilled!"
"We definitely need to have a few more parties when we get back.
This has truly been a dream season!"
Kayce was also very happy at this time, constantly hugging and greeting his teammates.
Although he felt a bit sorry for Nowitzki, there could only be one winner, and he didn't want to be the loser.
Thinking of their opponent in the Western Conference Finals, he silently wished them well:
"Go, Phoenix Suns!"