It was hard to keep a straight face, but before long, the excuse Chen had come up with in his head was already proving useless.
Because Jerebko still couldn't make a shot over the next few possessions...
Whether it was a pass from Chen Xi, Westbrook, or AD, he couldn't get any of them to fall.
Four straight misses gave the Pacers an opening.
They immediately launched an aggressive counterattack.
So, with eight minutes gone in the first quarter, the score was tied again at 26.
The Thunder then called a timeout.
His response had been a little slow, but Donovan had at least made an adjustment.
He sent in Batum, Bane, and Gafford for Little Jordan, Green, and Davis.
Making all three frontcourt substitutions at once was, generally speaking, pretty unusual.
But Donovan had considered two things. First, AD's usual rotation time was nearly up. Second, Green's shooting had been truly awful that night.
Apart from the first ball Chen Xi had passed him at the start of the game, he hadn't made another outside shot.
That had suddenly shrunk the team's floor spacing considerably.
So, with no other choice, he brought in Batum and Bane early to help Chen Xi and Westbrook open up the floor.
Fortunately, the changes worked out pretty well.
With Chen Xi still drawing double teams, Westbrook took control of the offense again and used his explosiveness to create chances for his teammates.
The newly subbed-in Bane and Pajamis also came through. In the final few minutes of the first quarter, they went a combined 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, helping the team regain the lead.
When the first quarter ended, the score stood at 36–32, with the Thunder up by four.
Then the game moved into the Second Quarter.
While Chen Xi was