30 Minutes Within Reach?

Even if he couldn't defend at all, life went on, the game went on—there was no time for him to wallow on the court. Throwing himself back into offense, Powell moved actively, using the backup small forward Patterson's screen to pop out to forty-five degrees and receive the ball.

Before he could even release the shot, Chen Xi was already in front of him. So he put the ball down, drove, and changed direction...

A crisp sound rang out, and the ball in Powell's hands was gone.

Turning back, Chen Xi, already on the fast break, tossed a little floater. Westbrook, understanding perfectly, took off immediately for a two-handed, pull-up, rim-rocking dunk. After landing, he followed it up with a loud roar and a Flame Charge (strikethrough).

After roaring and interacting with the fans, he high-fived Chen Xi again as they retreated on defense.

"Great defense, Chris! That's it! Destroy them!!"

"Easy for you to say, it actually hurts, Turtle Turtle."

Chen Xi showed a pair of dead fish eyes, looking at his slightly reddened palm.

If this happened a few more times in one game, his hand might be ruined. This guy put the same force into high-fives as he did into dunks. Being teammates with Turtle Turtle meant suffering +1...

Doesn't anyone care about my feelings???

Powell stood at mid-court, practically shattered.

In two possessions, the opponent had thrown down two dunks, both fast breaks off steals. Both times, he couldn't catch up no matter how hard he tried...

Lowry noticed Powell's dejection. After dribbling over, he offered him some whispered comfort.

"It's okay, it's only 4 points. We'll get them back."

The experienced little cannon knew exactly how Powell felt. Those years when he had to guard Rose and Paul were the same—pure talent gap getting blown to pieces. That was the hardest thing for a young player to accept.

Because it meant they had to admit they were weaker than others, and much weaker at that. Helpless, but real.

The best method was to redirect his attention, then use tactics to score a few back. Ideally, a team victory would wash away the frustration in his heart, easing that painful, unwilling feeling.

Of course, it was only a temporary relief. In the end, everything had to be left to him. As time passed and the rookie matured, he would naturally make peace with himself.

Life doesn't stop because someone is down. The game continued, and Lowry kept organizing the offense.

If the perimeter was tough to handle, take it inside!

Lowry called for Patterson's screen, then rolled down from the mid-court area. When Little Sabonis rotated over to help, he delivered an angled bounce pass to Nogueira, who finished the dunk easily.

"The Raptors aren't rattled by one or two plays. Kyle Lowry stays calm, spots the hole in the Thunder's defense, and exploits it immediately. That's what an experienced veteran should do! He knows what to do to suppress the opponent's momentum when they're building steam."

Although on offense, they'd found the weakness in the Thunder's interior caused by their five-out formation, Little Sabonis's height was still a factor, and Nogueira had no self-created offense. Lowry could only rely on his own driving threat to try and free up Nogueira for shots under the basket.

But at the same time, the Raptors couldn't effectively limit the Thunder's perimeter threat.

Westbrook and Chen Xi's excellent chemistry had become a poison of two cups. Add in Sabonis's inherited playmaking ability from his father, and the Thunder's offense was still rolling.

For a time, neither side could stop the other.

The stalemate lasted until DeRozan came back on the court.

Facing Chen Xi's tight defense, DeRozan was extremely patient.

A jab step, drive to the low post, back to the basket, feeling the defender's position, shoulder fake, turnaround jumper.

Like a technique honed through a thousand repetitions, it made it hard for Chen Xi to contain him. Even with the boost from his Defensive Badge, he barely got his arms up for some interference, but the ball still slid smoothly through the net.

The helpless expression didn't disappear; it just transferred to Chen Xi's face.

His vertical leap was still a bit lacking. Even if he predicted the direction, he couldn't get there in time to block. For a player like this, his Fadeaway Jumper relied entirely on feel. Even if you covered his eyes, it probably wouldn't help. To stop it, you had to touch the ball.

DeRozan, on fire in the second quarter, scored consecutive buckets. But the Thunder's offense stalled a bit with Westbrook off the floor.

Oladipo's one-on-one play was good, but his finishing was different from the two-man game with Westbrook and Chen Xi. At the same time, his passing was a step behind, which dragged down the Offensive Efficiency of Chen Xi and Grant as well.

Donovan was a bit helpless on the sidelines. Now, the player the team had high hopes for in the trade, Oladipo, seemed a bit out of sync with the system.

On defense, Roberson's absence forced Chen Xi to face the opponent's strongest offensive weapon. DeRozan's hot hand today had him losing consecutive battles in the post.

The Thunder had fallen into a tough fight. The team relied too much on Westbrook.

Fortunately, it didn't last long. After surviving the difficult Transition Period, Westbrook stepped back onto the court and led the team in sounding the charge for a counterattack.

Chen Xi sat on the bench, panting heavily.

The high-frequency investment on both ends of the floor was wearing him out.

"Damn system, giving so few points. One upgrade takes half a year. When the hell am I supposed to train myself to get anywhere? Tch!"

After chugging a big gulp of Gatorade, Chen Xi slumped back in his chair and asked about his stats.

"6 for 4, as efficient as always, Chris. With your free throws, you've already scored 15 points," said Davis, a member of the coaching staff beside him, with a smile.

"Truly impressive. Your shooting percentage from the left forty-five-degree angle is 73% so far! That's amazing!"

"Keep it low-key, basic moves, don't six me."

After a little flex, Chen Xi glanced at the series of quests the system provided.

It was only the end of the second quarter. If the Raptors still didn't change their Defensive strategy, did he have a chance to break the 30-point record?

The thought of making further progress immediately woke him up. He sat up and gently massaged his leg muscles.

Off-Ball Pest was damn exhausting. A guy like the Masked Man was a monster!

Time came to the start of the third quarter. Chen Xi went back on the court. First, he ran a ghost cut off Grant's screen and finished an easy layup.

The Raptors' defense had stretched out a bit, and a gap appeared inside. The two rookies still lacked experience.

Then, after seeing Siakam miss a mid-range shot, Chen Xi immediately sprinted full speed to the frontcourt. Westbrook's pass came fast. Without hesitation, he pulled up for a Chasedown Three-pointer.

Swish~~~~

The sound of the ball swishing through the net was so beautiful.