Chen took the pass and dribbled straight into the frontcourt. Facing the forward-sized Timothée Luwawu-Cabarrot, he never broke stride, accelerating past him in a single burst.
Luwawu-Cabarrot immediately chased after him, trying to body Chen Xi, but Chen Xi turned sideways and used his backside to pin him behind him.
With his backside pressed against Luwawu-Cabarrot, Chen Xi spotted Okafor in the paint. Instead of going straight up for a layup, he took another step forward and released a short floater.
The ball traced a high arc and dropped cleanly through the net.
"Yesss! When number 77 enters the league someday, he'll have to say he learned that from me!!!!"
Chen Xi pumped his fist, thoroughly pleased with his new Silver Badge.
Donovan's eyes lit up on the sideline. Using his backside to seal off a defender, creating space in the mid-range area, then reading the defense to choose between a shot and a pass—now that was interesting. Hadn't Chen Xi used it once or twice before?
After successfully testing the Floating Shot Master Badge in a game for the first time, Chen Xi finally stopped fixating on that one skill. He returned to his usual style, working seamlessly with Westbrook to cruise to a win.
After the game against the Philadelphia 76ers, they had another three-day break to get themselves into shape. For their next game, the team would attack at full strength, with all three prongs of their trident taking on the Houston Rockets.
Of their remaining opponents, only the Rockets and Spurs were particularly strong, which put the Thunder in a favorable position to hold their place in the standings. The Rockets, meanwhile, had to face the Thunder, Warriors, and Clippers in succession, including two straight games against the Warriors.
That made the next game especially important.