The Divine is Absent?

"New Lin Crazy? The 56th Pick's Debut Scores 22 Points!"

"Breathtaking scoring explosion, five straight threes in a single quarter!"

"Presti's incredible eye! The last time a gem was found this low in the draft was in San Antonio!"

After just one game, Chen Xi had conquered the Oklahoma media, to the point where some were already running their mouths.

"Regret it, KD! We have a new hope! Chris is better than you!"

Of course, only the Oklahoma City media was this crazy. Other teams clearly scoffed at it.

"Just one game, a player left open by the defense, and he gets this kind of hype? Laughable. Look at Chris's performance in the last three quarters after Philly adjusted their defense. He's just a yellow guy who can shoot a bit! Nowhere near Jeremy, let alone KD. The Oklahoma media must have lost their minds to spout such embarrassing nonsense."

The Philadelphia media naturally wouldn't indulge them, carrying the spirit of "our team lost, but we didn't," and fired back from afar.

In the smoke-filled war of words between multiple media outlets, a day passed in the blink of an eye.

October 29

Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder hosted the Phoenix Suns.

The 13th pick of the 2015 draft, the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 1000 points, behind LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant—Devin Booker had become the hope of this rebuilding team.

Last season, Earl Watson took over as interim head coach under pressure, and this season he gained management support to become the Suns' new head coach.

Add in the Suns' two top-ten first-round picks from this year's draft, 19-year-old forwards Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, plus key cultivated big man Len and other young players, and the current roster was brimming with talent. In the new season, Watson hoped not only that Bledsoe and Knight could shake off their injury troubles and stay on the court, but also that veterans Dudley and Chandler could bring their experience to support the young players and help the team's young forwards continue to grow and thrive.

As the arena DJ's passionate introductions rang out, the Thunder players took the court one by one.

Of course, as a bench player, Chen Xi didn't get that treatment. He stood quietly to the side, watching Turtle Turtle goof off, letting out his signature roar at the crowd.

He couldn't help but marvel. Although Oklahoma City was a small market, the team's cohesion was truly insane. This was just the regular season; he couldn't imagine how spectacular that blue ocean would be in the playoffs.

Chesapeake Energy Arena might well deserve to be called one of the devil's home courts.

Suns starters: Devin Booker

T.J. Warren

Eric Bledsoe

Jared Dudley

Tyson Chandler

A starting lineup that was, for now, just average. Booker and Warren were too young, and the 34-year-old Boxer had entered the late stages of his career, no longer the force he once was.

As the whistle blew, the game officially began. The Boxer might be old, but he could still eat three jin of meat and draw a five-stone bow!

He easily out-jumped Adams to win the tip. Bledsoe brought the ball up and ran a simple set, but a careless pass nearly got stolen by Westbrook. Fortunately, he managed to protect it, then passed to Booker, who had gotten open due to Westbrook's defensive lapse, for a three-pointer.

On the other end, Westbrook missed a drive, and the Suns countered again. Booker hit a mid-range pull-up.

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Fortunately, on the next possession, Oladipo's fast break drew a foul from Warren. He made both free throws to stabilize things.

Suns offense. Bledsoe again chose to feed the ball to Booker in the post. Booker backed down Westbrook, took two bumps, then lost his position and had to kick it out to Chandler at the free-throw line, where Roberson stole it.

Fast break opportunity!

Roberson and Adams pushed the break, a two-on-one up front. Roberson missed his classic drive to the rim, losing the ball again. A nightly staple for the Thunder.

Early on, both sides tried to establish their game, but neither succeeded. The Thunder's drives lacked threat, and Booker couldn't back down the strong Westbrook in the post.

But the Suns quickly found a way to break through. T.J. Warren blew past Roberson in one step, drove to the basket, and finished through contact.

Warren's speed was too much for Roberson to keep up with.

After another Thunder miss, Dudley hit a three from the top of the arc with Sabonis not closing out, making the score 10-2.

A familiar start, but this time Coach Donovan didn't call for Chen Xi. He chose to keep trusting Oladipo.

Odie didn't let him down, immediately hitting a turnaround mid-range jumper. But Warren answered right back with a mid-range shot of his own.

The team's offense stalled. Westbrook tried to organize and facilitate, but aside from Oladipo, no one could respond. Seven minutes into the game, they were down 25-12, trailing by 13.

Donovan called a timeout.

"Guys, be patient. We have plenty of time, so don't rush your shots. Look for the right opportunities."

After a brief reminder to his players, Donovan subbed Chen Xi in for Westbrook, pairing him with Oladipo to try a different combination.

But the Suns weren't the 76ers. Their defense wasn't extreme, and Oladipo's driving threat was clearly far below Westbrook's. Chen Xi couldn't get a comfortable look for the entire first quarter, only managing a rushed, missed shot as the 24-second clock was about to expire.

"The 56th pick who shined last game couldn't keep the magic going this time," Kenny Smith said from the commentary booth to Mike Fratello beside him.

"Yeah, it's obvious the Suns watched the Thunder's last game. They specifically had Bledsoe stick tight on Chen. He doesn't have enough room to shoot, and he doesn't have other playmaking skills. At the end of the day, his role is too one-dimensional. Donovan might be trusting this Chinese-American rookie a bit too much. His presence didn't change the game."

The second quarter began, and Chen Xi took the court again alongside Westbrook. Donovan hadn't lost faith in him after one setback, which was good, but Chen Xi knew he had to make a change.

"You're still on the court, kid?"

Booker, in a good mood with his team leading big, taunted Chen Xi as he walked toward him.

"If I were your coach, I'd keep you glued to the bench. Who counts on a guard who can only hit open threes?"

"Sour radish, don't eat."

Simple trash talk, pure enjoyment.

Chen Xi couldn't be bothered to argue. He fired back with a classic American insult.

Booker's face visibly darkened.

"Your mouth is as bad as your game."