With Wang Yi's reassurance, the coach finally felt a little more at ease.
The game continued.
The Spurs stopped leaving Westbrook open.
When Little Danny passed the ball to Westbrook, the defender immediately rushed up to contest his three-point shot.
Westbrook wasn't the same hotheaded kid he'd been back then, and he didn't just shoot threes.
Seeing the defender charge at him, he faked a three, got the defender in the air, then dribbled right past him.
He reached mid-range and launched his signature Zombie Jump Shot.
When Westbrook took that shot, his body went straight up and down like a stick. His legs seemed not to bend at all, which was why Chinese fans affectionately called it the Zombie Jump Shot.
In the early and middle parts of his career, the Zombie Jump Shot had been reasonably accurate.
But in the later part of his career, his Zombie Jump Shot had become less and less reliable.
So when he made that jumper, both his teammates and opponents were a little surprised.
His teammates mostly clapped to encourage him, while his opponents looked down on him—especially Kenny, who was guarding Westbrook.
Seeing Westbrook make a mid-range shot, Kenny followed close behind him and chuckled:
"Wow, old man, you actually made a mid-range shot. Not bad!"
For an NBA player to be praised as "not bad" for making a mid-range shot wasn't a compliment. It was a blatant insult.
Westbrook glanced back at Kenny.
"I've got more going for me than that, kid. Take notes."
When Kenny came back down the court, he faced Westbrook, made a simple crossover, and blew right past him.
Fortunately, the Kings collapsed on defense, packing the paint and keeping Kenny from driving inside.
Kenny had no choice but to pull back outside. Facing Westbrook again,