"Yes. So far, aside from Chris, who's shooting four-for-seven from three, the rest of the Thunder have combined for an absurd four-for-nineteen! A 21% success rate! Even including Chris's better-than-50% shooting, they're still only at 30% from three tonight, while the Golden State Warriors are shooting 39%, nearly 40%. They're taking more shots and making more of them, too. The difference is plain to see."
"The enormous pressure is still hanging over Oklahoma. Let's see if Coach Donovan can come up with a solution. Oh?! He's called a timeout! That came after Andrew Wiggins knocked down another mid-range jumper."
"We don't know if this adjustment will be enough to change the course of the game. Let's wait and see."
Donovan called another timeout. Watching his players walk off the court, and Chen Xi slump onto the bench, gasping for breath, he thought it over carefully before deciding to make a change.
Of course, his decision wasn't to give up on tonight's game.
He decided to take Chen Xi out!
That would let him rest early, conserve his energy, and prepare for the Fourth Quarter Game.
He'd save his biggest weapon for the end. The rest of the Third Quarter would be left to the team's other trump card—Russell Westbrook.
It was undoubtedly a risky decision.
Throughout Westbrook's career, he had never managed to shake the label of a "double-edged sword."
He had unparalleled explosiveness, and on the court, he was always brimming with energy and fighting spirit. That was one of the main reasons he could lead his team out of tough situations.
At the same time, his stubborn nature, his arrogance and unwillingness to change, and a skill set that seemed increasingly out of place in the modern game often led him—and the team—astray.
That meant every team