On November 11, the Thunder remained at home. This time, their challengers were the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom they had just formed a fresh grudge not long ago.
The war of words between Chen Xi and Redick, along with the clash between Westbrook and Griffin, had become a hot topic both on and off the court after the game. Both teams were secretly holding back their frustration, determined to win this game and show the other side what they were made of.
On top of that, Chen Xi's comments from yesterday were quickly released by reporters. Thunder fans and Big Butt's fans immediately began arguing fiercely, with fans of several other rookies joining in as well. For a time, the Rookie of the Year debate exploded across the internet, indirectly boosting the Thunder Team's popularity considerably.
Before the game, Chen Xi was interviewed by reporters again.
"Chris, Embiid made another statement yesterday, saying that in his eyes, you're nothing more than a clown. His only opponents are Jaylen Brown and Ingram. Are you unhappy about that?"
"I've lost interest in listening to his online trash talk. As far as I know, the 76ers are currently 1-7. I think he'd be better off putting that energy into figuring out how to help his team, so people won't call him a stat-padding cancer later on."
"Are you saying Embiid is just a stat-padding team cancer?"
"Of course not. Hey! I'm kindly accepting your interview, so don't take my words out of context! I was only saying, maybe~~"
A clown? My Big Butt, if you really run into the Joker someday, don't chicken out. And whatever you do, don't sit out for rest when you go to Denver!
"Chris, Jaylen Brown spoke up on social media yesterday. He said he highly recognizes your ability, but also told you to watch out—he'll catch back up soon."
After entering the league, Jaylen Brown's performance had remained sluggish. He was averaging only 6.6 points per game and had once been considered a bust Third Overall Pick.
"Of course. Jaylen and I were teammates in the College League. We were inseparable there and had incredible chemistry. Of course I know how strong he is. His recent struggles are only temporary, and he'll break out soon. When that happens, people will know that the strongest players in this class are the two of us!"
"Chen! Do you have confidence in winning tonight against the Clippers? After your grudge with Redick last game, do you want to get some payback in this one?"
"I respect the Clippers, and I respect their players. The Clippers are strong. Paul is strong, and Griffin is strong too. But I believe the Thunder Team is stronger. I have complete confidence in my teammates and coaches. As for Redick? Sorry, after saying those things, he'll never have my respect."
From the very beginning, the game was tense and confrontational. Just two minutes in, Oladipo and Redick clashed over physical contact. Five minutes later, Chen Xi and Grant checked in, and by only their second possession, Grant and Little Jordan were already exchanging insults.
Beep!!!
They had known this game might easily get out of hand, but they hadn't expected the hostility between the two sides to be this intense from the start.
The referees forcefully separated the two men and hurried to stop the conflict, especially after seeing Chen Xi take two steps toward the middle...
Seeing the referees look as though they were facing a great enemy, Chen Xi innocently looked up at the big screen. Honestly, he really wasn't that violent. He had only wanted to go over and pull them apart, but his own teammates stopped him halfway there. What was that supposed to mean...
"Although it's clear that the referees have deliberately tightened their whistle, neither side has managed to keep its emotions under control."
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"No matter what, we still hope these players refocus on the game and don't let outside factors affect their emotions too much."
The game resumed with Thunder possession. It was their usual play: Westbrook handed the ball to Little Sabonis at the Top of the Key, then ran a Pick-and-Roll with Chen Xi. Paul immediately switched onto Chen Xi. Seeing no opening, Little Sabonis didn't force a lob to Westbrook, who was covered by Batumot. Instead, he handed the ball back to Chen Xi at the Top of the Key to reset the offense.
Looking at Paul in front of him, Chen Xi didn't hesitate and swung the ball to Odie on the wing.
Odie caught it and immediately drove straight to the basket. Redick quickly followed, but Odie hit a between-the-legs dribble, stopped sharply, then lightly pulled the ball with his off hand. Redick flew past him, and Odie calmly knocked down a Mid-range jumper for two.
On the other end, Paul used his signature Pick-and-Roll to create a small-on-big matchup against the center. With two simple crossovers, he sent Little Sabonis completely the wrong way. Grant came over to help immediately, which allowed Griffin to wreak havoc at the Basket.
Even now, CP3 still deserved to be called the League First point guard.
The Thunder had no time to regret the defensive breakdown. Chen Xi quickly inbounded from the Baseline, Westbrook pushed the Fast Break, and Odie caught the ball on the wing and attacked the rim again. After getting past Batumot, he drew Little Jordan's help defense near the paint and immediately kicked it out to Westbrook at the Top of the Key. Without pausing, Westbrook swung it to Chen Xi at the forty-five-degree angle.
Chen Xi pump-faked and sent the rotating Redick flying, then exploded toward the basket. With the speed provided by First Step Master, Chen Xi reached the Clippers' paint in the blink of an eye. He gathered, took three steps, folded himself in midair and double-clutched around Griffin's block attempt before tossing the ball up. Basketball hit the backboard, rattled around the rim a few times, then dropped through the net.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!"
"My God! What did I just see? Was that Chris's move?!!!" The commentator stared at the big screen in disbelief as the replay rolled.
"My God!! A gliding double-clutch in midair!!! The elevation wasn't especially high, but this was clearly beyond what we expected from Chen! He's surprised us once again."
Paul glanced at Chen Xi in surprise.
He could do that too? Why had he never used it before?
Chen Xi clenched his fist. With Dodge Finisher paired with the silver First Step Master, he had barely made up for his lacking base attributes. Now, he could finally be considered a legitimate driving threat.
The game continued. Paul again used the Pick-and-Roll to hunt the small-on-big matchup. Seeing Westbrook trying to use Chase Defense and Little Sabonis dropping back, he pulled up without hesitation from long Mid-range, but Basketball bounced off the rim.
Little Sabonis grabbed the rebound and immediately threw it to Westbrook. After looking up at his teammate sprinting ahead, Westbrook fired a long pass to Grant, who was about to reach the basket.
Grant rose as soon as he caught the ball, looking to throw down a powerful dunk, but Little Jordan caught up and swatted Basketball.
Bang!!
Basketball hit the backboard and bounced out. Chen Xi quickly grabbed it and went right back up, using the moment Little Jordan had just landed to put it back in.
Beep!!
Rivers called a timeout, intending to break the Thunder's rhythm. They couldn't keep getting dragged along by their Fast Break.
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