Was the Magic Gone?

"New Lin Crazy? The 56th Pick scored 22 points in his debut!"

"An astonishing scoring burst—five straight three-pointers in a single quarter!"

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

With just one game, Chen Xi had won over Oklahoma City's media. Some of them had already started making wild claims.

"Durant, you can regret leaving now! We have a new hope! Chris is better than you!"

Of course, only the Oklahoma City media were going this crazy. Other teams clearly scoffed at the idea.

"After just one game, how could a player the defense deliberately left open earn this kind of praise? It's laughable. Just look at how Chris performed over the next three quarters after the 76ers changed their defensive strategy. In the end, he's just a Yellow race player with a bit of a shot! He's nowhere near Jeremy, let alone Durant. Oklahoma City's media must have lost their minds to publish such embarrassing nonsense."

Philadelphia's media weren't about to let that slide. They embraced the spirit of "our team lost, but we didn't," and traded barbs from afar.

As several media outlets traded insults and the flames of the feud spread, a day passed in the blink of an eye.

October 29.

At Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder hosted the Phoenix Suns.

The 13th pick in the 2015 draft, Devin Booker had become the hope of this rebuilding team. He was already the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 1,000 points, behind LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant.

Last season, Earl Watson had taken over as Interim Head Coach in a time of crisis. This season, he had earned the front office's support and become the Suns' New Head Coach.

The Suns had also drafted two 19-year-old forwards in the top ten of this year's first round, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. Along with other young players like Ryan, whom the team was making a priority to develop, the roster was brimming with talent. In the new season, Watson hoped Bledsoe and Knight could put their injury troubles behind them and stay on the court. He also hoped veterans Dudley and Chandler would draw on their experience to support the rookies and help the team's young forwards continue to grow.

As the arena DJ gave an energetic introduction, the Thunder players took the court one by one.

As a reserve, Chen Xi didn't get that kind of treatment. He stood quietly to the side, watching Turtle Turtle ham it up as he came out, giving the crowd his trademark roar.

He couldn't help marveling at the team's incredible unity. Oklahoma City might have been a small market, but this was only the regular season. He couldn't imagine how spectacular that sea of blue would be in the Playoffs.

Chesapeake Energy Arena might just qualify as one of the league's Devil's Home Courts.

Suns starters: Devin Booker

T.J. Warren

Eric Bledsoe

Jared Dudley

Tyson Chandler

At the moment, this starting lineup was merely decent. Booker and Warren were young, while The Boxer, at 34, was nearing the end of his career and no longer the force he'd once been.

The whistle blew, and the game began. The Boxer might have been old, but he could still eat three jin of meat and draw the Five-Stone Bow!

He easily outjumped Adams to win possession. Bledsoe brought the ball up and set up the offense, but his careless pass nearly got stolen by Westbrook. Fortunately, he managed to keep hold of it, then passed to Booker, who had found an opening when Westbrook lost his man. Booker finished with a three-pointer.

At the other end, Westbrook missed at the rim. The Suns counterattacked, and Booker hit a pull-up mid-range jumper.

Luckily, Oladipo drew a foul from Warren on the ensuing Fast Break and steadied things by making both free throws.

The Suns went on offense. Bledsoe once again lobbed the ball down low to Booker, who backed Westbrook down with his back to the basket. After two bumps, Westbrook muscled him out of position, forcing Booker to pass in frustration to Chandler near midcourt, where Roberson stole the ball.

A Fast Break opportunity!

Roberson and Adams rushed down the court. With a two-on-one advantage, Roberson put up his trademark shot at the rim and missed. Another lost possession—practically a nightly Thunder tradition.

Both teams tried to establish their game early, but neither was having much success. The Thunder weren't posing enough of a threat at the rim, and Booker couldn't handle the strong Westbrook down low.

But the Suns quickly found a way to break through. T.J. Warren took one step past Roberson, drove to the basket, and made a layup through contact.

Warren was so quick that Roberson struggled to keep up.

After another Thunder miss, Dudley sank a three from the top of the key while Sabonis failed to close out. The score was now 10–2.

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

Odie didn't let him down, quickly sinking a turnaround mid-range jumper. But Warren answered with a jumper of his own.

The team's offense stalled. Westbrook tried to organize and involve his teammates, but no one responded except Oladipo. Seven minutes into the game, the Thunder were down 25–12.

Donovan called a timeout.

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

After a brief reminder, Donovan sent Chen Xi in for Westbrook to play alongside Oladipo, hoping to try a different combination.

But the Suns weren't the 76ers. Their defense wasn't extreme, and Oladipo's threat as a driver was clearly nowhere near Westbrook's. Chen Xi couldn't find a comfortable opportunity throughout the entire first quarter. He managed just one rushed shot, taken with the 24-second clock about to expire, and missed.

"The 56th Pick, who dazzled in his last game, hasn't been able to keep the magic going tonight," Kenny Smith said to Mike Fratello beside him at the commentary desk.

"That's right. The Suns clearly watched the Thunder's last game. They assigned Bledsoe to shadow Chen closely. He has no good looks at the basket and no other way to handle the ball. At the end of the day, his skill set is just too limited. Donovan may be putting too much faith in this Chinese American rookie. His presence hasn't changed the game."

The second quarter began, and Chen Xi returned to the court alongside Westbrook. It was good that Donovan hadn't lost faith in him after one setback, but he also knew he had to make some adjustments.

"You're back out there, kid."

Booker was in a good mood with his team holding a commanding lead. As Chen Xi walked toward him, Booker taunted him.

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

"Don't be a sourpuss."

A little trash talk was all part of the fun.

Chen Xi couldn't be bothered to say more. He shot back with an American curse.

Booker's expression visibly darkened.

"Your mouth's just as bad as your game."