Pacers

The good news is Westbrook's injury isn't too serious and he won't need too much time to recover. The bad news is the next two weeks are looking grim for our record, especially the games against the Warriors on the 9th and 11th, which we're almost guaranteed to lose.

Furthermore, getting injured before the All-Star game means Westbrook might miss it, which is worrying.

The next day, the whole team flew to Indiana to face the Pacers in an away game.

Westbrook didn't travel with the team to focus on his recovery, so Butler and Chen Xi were leading the team in his absence.

It's worth noting that both teams fielded somewhat unconventional lineups.

Thunder Starters: Jimmy Butler Andre Roberson Domantas Sabonis Steven Adams

With two centers and two forwards, the highest playmaking ability on the court likely belonged to Butler and Sabonis.

And the Pacers' starters: Jeff Teague Paul George C.J. Miles Lavoy Allen E'Twaun Moore

A lineup of one center and three forwards, maximizing their physical presence.

Nate McMillan and Donovan could be seen as Crouching Dragon facing Fledgling Phoenix.

The game began with Adams winning the tip. Chen Xi, forced to play point guard, received the ball and slowly dribbled it upcourt before handing it off to Little Sabonis via a give-and-go, then started moving off-ball.

Butler came up to receive the pass, turned to face the Pacers' star player, Paul George, hesitated, then opted for Roberson's screen. He switched onto Miles, accelerated for a breakthrough, drove hard to the basket, and finished through contact for the score.

When talent isn't enough, muscle will do. He'd built up a physique for moments like this, playing against someone shorter and lighter!

Turning back, it was the Pacers' offense. Teague dribbled to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Paul George.

As one of the top three small forwards in the East, George held the ball low, facing Roberson, and began his rhythm dribble.

He repeatedly crossed over, probing Roberson's defensive stance. The moment Roberson let his guard down, George drove to the basket, but then immediately pulled back after one step, before sprinting to the other side. He easily created a step of separation on Roberson and then hit a pull-up jumper.

Standing at 2.06 meters with a 2.11-meter wingspan, George's greatest strength as a lighter small forward was his all-around game. His skill set was incredibly versatile.

George possessed excellent ball-handling and dribbling skills, combined with strong off-ball movement and shooting. His layup efficiency was slightly lower, but still very good. He also had a great physical build, allowing him to play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward, and his defense was outstanding.

In summary, he was exceptional.

Presti had been coveting him for a while, but unfortunately, the Pacers' asking price was too high for the Thunder. They also demanded Little Sabonis, Odie, and Chen Xi – their demands were even more outrageous than a mother-in-law's in Jiangxi.

The Pacers didn't have much hope for that trade either. They were still aiming for a second-round appearance or even the Eastern Conference Finals this year. Without sufficient assets, there was no way they'd trade away their current star player.

Of course, if Presti was willing to be the big spender, the Pacers would gladly accept, profiting immensely by getting three rising stars in return.

Unfortunately, Presti wasn't under much pressure at the time and had other options. He wasn't in a hurry to find help for Westbrook, as Chen Xi, Westbrook, and Odie were playing well together. He had plenty of time to find a quality forward.

So, the trade ultimately fell through.

Back to the game, the Thunder had possession again. Chen Xi brought the ball upcourt, facing Teague. He faked a shot, then drove to the basket. He absorbed some contact during his drive, deliberately used the momentum for a pull-up jumper, but unfortunately, it missed.

Chen Xi's mid-range game still needed work.

The Pacers attacked again, it was Paul George once more, single-handedly against Roberson. The same rhythmic dribble, after probing forward, he successfully made Roberson step back. Seeing this, George pulled up for the shot.

Swish~~

Three-pointer made, 5-2.

Back on offense, Chen Xi once again had the ball, facing Teague.

"Damn it! I can't handle a 191cm point guard like you?"

Without any extra moves, a huge crossover created immediate space. Chen Xi quickly drove to the left, stopped at the mid-range, faked a shot to get Turner off his feet, and then tossed the ball gently into the air.

BOOM!!!!!

An explosive alley-oop dunk from Adams!

Although his passing wasn't exceptional, his basketball IQ was online.

Donovan, watching from the sidelines, nodded slightly. He was increasingly satisfied with Chen Xi. His passing skills could be honed over time, but basketball IQ was rare and precious.

You know, like Wiseman.

After Westbrook's injury, Donovan had deliberately put out a four-forward lineup, hoping to try and develop Chen Xi's playmaking ability.

It seemed his decision was paying off. Chen Xi had proven his potential for developing playmaking and facilitating; all he needed was time.

And next year, Chen Xi's contract has a team option. In his third year, without Bird Rights, the team could sign him to a relatively smaller contract to manage their salary cap.

This meant that if Chen Xi continued to improve at this pace, the Thunder would be strong contenders for the championship within the next three to four years.

The Pacers attacked again. Because Butler had switched to guard George, he didn't try to force a shot. Instead, he passed the ball to Miles, and the finishing play was taken over by Jeff Teague, who drove to the basket after a handoff. Adams interfered, and the ball bounced off the rim and out.

Seeing Little Sabonis instinctively set a screen, Chen Xi couldn't help but chuckle. He then grabbed the rebound and turned to push the ball upcourt.

On the Tactical Literacy of a Thunder Guard Rebounding and Pushing the Ball

Arriving at the frontcourt, he passed the ball to Little Sabonis, who had come up to set a screen. Chen Xi quickly ran towards the baseline, deliberately running past Miles to draw defensive attention. On the other side, Roberson took the opportunity to cut to the basket. Little Sabonis's pass arrived immediately, and Roberson easily finished with a reverse layup.

5-6

Chen Xi's three-point shooting percentage remained at 46.5% for the season, posing a constant and significant threat that always drew the opponent's attention. Especially since he excelled at both on-ball and off-ball play, able to switch between the two modes seamlessly for finishes.

For the Thunder, if they could utilize this well, it could completely revitalize their team's offense.

They could even take a page out of the Warriors' playbook and create a knock-off version of Curry Gravity.