Chapter Summaries

After the Thunder lost to the Pelicans, Chen Xi and Butler caught up over drinks, and the Thunder later beat the Knicks to end their losing streak. Russell Westbrook recorded his 200th career triple-double, leaving him to celebrate another historic milestone.

• The Thunder lost 97–116 to the Pelicans despite Westbrook scoring 37 points, while Holiday held Alexander to 15 points.
• Butler invited Chen Xi and Westbrook to his home for a relaxed get-together after the game.
• The Thunder returned to Oklahoma City to face the struggling Knicks while still dealing with injuries and adjusting to playing without Chen Xi.
• Westbrook recorded 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists as the Thunder beat the Knicks 120–112 and snapped their three-game losing streak.
• Jerebko gave Westbrook the game ball after he reached his 200th career triple-double, and Westbrook thanked his teammates, coaches, and the team in an interview.

After a rough January exposed the Thunder’s lack of shooting, Presti signed Carmelo Anthony to a veteran minimum contract. Melo reported to Oklahoma City on February 1 and was warmly welcomed by Chen Xi, who showed that he supported him.

• The Thunder went 2–3 in their final five January games as opponents exploited their poor spacing after Chen Xi’s injury.
• Presti signed Carmelo Anthony to a one-year, $2.6 million veteran minimum contract on January 31.
• Anthony arrived at the Oklahoma City arena on February 1 to report and complete his physical tests.
• Chen Xi stayed in Oklahoma City to greet Anthony, welcomed him to the Thunder, and invited him to dinner.
• Anthony thanked Chen Xi and felt hopeful about his future with the team.

Carmelo Anthony returned to the Thunder, but his debut could not stop the team from losing to the Pacers as its offense struggled without Chen Xi. After being cleared to play, Chen Xi said he would return next game and help silence the critics.

• Chen Xi and Carmelo Anthony talked over dinner, and Chen Xi posted a photo of them on social media.
• Carmelo Anthony made his Thunder debut against the Pacers, missing two three-pointers and making one long two as Oklahoma City struggled against the zone defense.
• The Thunder lost 107–99, prompting A. Smith to blame the team's roster and urge Chen Xi to leave for the Knicks.
• Chen Xi watched A. Smith's criticism with trainer Ryan, who agreed that the roster had problems.
• The medical staff cleared Chen Xi to return, and he said he would play in the next game while asking for patience with Anthony.

Chen Xi returned to the Thunder lineup against the Bucks, who were exploring trades for several guards while relying on Giannis to lead their unchanged roster. The game opened with Giannis scoring over the Thunder’s small lineup, and the chapter ended as Westbrook brought the ball up for the Thunder’s next possession.

• Anthony struggled in his first game with the Thunder and was called into a meeting with Presti and Donovan.
• The Bucks pursued trade targets Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and John Wall as they remained fourth in the Eastern Conference.
• Chen Xi suited up for his first game back as the Thunder hosted the Bucks.
• Giannis scored over Green with a close-range fadeaway to give the Bucks the opening basket.
• Chen Xi drew the Bucks’ defense and passed to Westbrook, who cut to the basket and scored a layup.
• Giannis drew help defense and passed to Brook Lopez, who made a corner three; Westbrook then brought the ball up for the Thunder’s next possession.

Chen Xi returned from injury and helped the Thunder stay close to the Bucks before Donovan pulled him to limit his minutes. The Thunder’s experimental three-wing lineup hit some shots but struggled against Giannis and the Bucks’ perimeter attack, and Little Gasol soon needed a rest.

• Green’s layup was blocked by Giannis, and Chen Xi answered with a reverse layup that drew a foul before making the free throw.
• DiVincenzo hit a three, and the Bucks continued scoring from beyond the arc while Chen Xi kept the Thunder within reach.
• Six and a half minutes into the first quarter, Donovan replaced Chen Xi and Alexander with Batum and Anthony to try a three-wing lineup.
• Batum and Little Gasol each made a three off Westbrook’s passes, but the Thunder’s lineup struggled to contain Giannis, Middleton, and DiVincenzo.
• Donovan prepared to take Little Gasol out as the veteran center’s workload and physical strain became a concern.

Chen Xi led the Thunder's second-quarter offense against the Bucks, using a screen to set up a DeAndre Jordan dunk before scoring and drawing a charge himself. He hit a pull-up three after taunting Craig, putting the Thunder ahead and leaving the game in their favor.

• The Thunder switched to a more defensive lineup, and the first quarter ended with them trailing the Bucks 28–34.
• Chen Xi returned in the second quarter and passed to Little Jordan, who dunked over Portis off a screen.
• Portis answered with a turnaround fadeaway, and Chen Xi beat Craig off the dribble for a jumper.
• Chen Xi rotated over to draw a charge on DiVincenzo's drive.
• Chen Xi taunted Craig, then made a pull-up three to put the Thunder ahead.

Chen Xi disrupted the Bucks’ offense and sparked a Thunder run, prompting Buden to bring Giannis and Middleton back into the game. Giannis answered with a powerful reverse dunk, and the chapter ended as the Bucks returned to him in the low post.

• Chen Xi shut down Craig’s layup attempt, and Bane and Gafford finished a fast break with a dunk.
• After Connaughton missed a three, Chen Xi beat Craig and DiVincenzo off the dribble and set up Bane for a three-pointer.
• Buden called a timeout and brought Giannis and Middleton back in, while the Thunder added Anthony and Alexander.
• Giannis drove past Little Jordan and scored a reverse dunk on his first possession back.
• Alexander used Chen Xi’s screen to make a mid-range jumper for the Thunder.
• DiVincenzo brought the ball up, and the Bucks sent Giannis to the low post again.

Chen Xi’s late-game scoring helped the Thunder seize control against the Bucks, and his fast-break dunk extended their lead. The Bucks called timeout, where Buden scolded Brook for taking a risky three and outlined a better play.

• Middleton hit a three, and Chen Xi answered with a drive-and-kick that set up Melo’s corner three as both teams traded baskets.
• The Thunder led 61–60 at halftime, but Brook Lopez helped the Bucks move ahead 94–90 by the end of the third quarter before Westbrook led a Thunder rally.
• With two and a half minutes left and the Thunder up 125–124, Chen Xi drove past Giannis and made a difficult fadeaway to extend the lead to three.
• Chen Xi pressured Brook’s three-point attempt into a miss, then caught Little Gasol’s long outlet pass and finished the fast break with a 360-degree dunk.
• The Bucks called timeout, and Buden rebuked Brook for taking a three against Chen Xi instead of following the play to get the ball to Giannis.

Chen Xi returned from injury to lead the Thunder past the Bucks, then prepared to face the Mavericks on the road. The chapter ended as the teams introduced their starting lineups, with Marc Gasol resting and Little Jordan starting at center.

• Jerebko hit a clutch three, and the Thunder closed out a 134-127 win over the Bucks.
• Chen Xi finished with 37 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists, then credited his teammates and expressed confidence in the Thunder’s prospects during a postgame interview.
• The Thunder moved into seventh place in the Western Conference and began pursuing the Mavericks and other top teams.
• Chen Xi exchanged greetings with Doncic before the Thunder’s February 7 road game against Dallas.
• The Thunder started Westbrook, Alexander, Chen Xi, Green, and Little Jordan, while Marc Gasol sat out with leg-muscle discomfort.

The Thunder and Mavericks traded baskets early as Luka Doncic scored two quick three-pointers and Chen Xi answered with a layup and a spectacular fast-break dunk. After Chen Xi’s defense helped force a Mavericks miss, Carlisle called timeout and reprimanded Doncic for failing to run back on defense.

• Porzingis won the opening tip, and Doncic opened the scoring with a three-pointer over Little Jordan’s drop coverage.
• Westbrook set up Chen Xi for a cutting layup, and Doncic answered with another three-pointer after isolating Little Jordan.
• SGA used Westbrook’s screen to drive and sink a mid-to-long-range jumper for the Thunder.
• Chen Xi switched onto Doncic, fought through Porzingis’s screen, and helped force Kleber into a missed corner three that Westbrook rebounded.
• Westbrook launched a fast break, and Chen Xi finished it with a 360-degree reverse dunk before Carlisle called timeout and scolded Doncic for his transition defense.

The Mavericks built an early lead over the Thunder as Luka Doncic excelled on offense despite his growing conflict with Head Coach Carlisle over defense. The Thunder ended the first quarter down 13, but remained calm with Anthony Davis set to return in their next game.

• Carlisle criticized Doncic for neglecting his defensive responsibilities, deepening their simmering conflict.
• Doncic passed to Porzingis for a mid-range basket, while Westbrook set up Little Jordan, who missed both free throws.
• Doncic helped the Mavericks pull ahead, and Finney Smith added a three-pointer to make the score 11-6.
• Doncic scored 15 points with four rebounds and five assists in the first seven minutes as the Mavericks stretched their lead to 27-16.
• Chen Xi checked out at the six-minute mark, and the Mavericks took advantage of the Thunder's cramped spacing to lead 40-27 at the end of the first quarter.
• The Thunder stayed relaxed on the bench after learning Anthony Davis would return against the Timberwolves in their next game.

With AD’s return easing pressure on the Thunder, Chen Xi led the team’s attack early in the second quarter against the Mavericks. He scored through contact, blocked Jalen Brunson, and finished a fast-break dunk through Dwight Powell’s foul, leaving him with a free throw to come.

• Chen Xi drove past Derrick Jones and made a one-handed layup, but the referees did not call a foul.
• Chen Xi rushed over to block Brunson’s shot and knocked the ball out of bounds.
• Brunson used Dwight Powell’s screen to take a mid-range jumper, but missed.
• Bane drove into the paint for a layup, but Powell blocked his shot.
• Chen Xi collected the loose ball and dunked over Powell, drawing a foul and earning a free throw.

Chen Xi sparked a Thunder comeback by disrupting the Mavericks on defense and scoring in transition and from three-point range. After Luka Doncic returned and helped the Mavericks score, Chen directed the Thunder’s defense and confronted Doncic at the free-throw line.

• Chen Xi encouraged Bane after the play, made his free throw, then stole the ball from Tim Hardaway Jr. and finished a self-lob dunk on the fast break.
• Chen celebrated with his Thunder teammates as his impact helped the team mount a 7–0 run and cut the Mavericks’ lead to six.
• Carlisle called a timeout and brought Luka Doncic back early; Doncic assisted Hardaway Jr. on a basket on his first possession.
• Chen Xi hit a pull-up three over Little Jones, then instructed his teammates on how to defend Doncic and the Mavericks’ screens.
• Doncic drove off Powell’s screen, and Chen stepped up to help, meeting him near the free-throw line.

Chen Xi led the Thunder’s defensive turnaround and explosive fourth-quarter offense to a 129–113 win over the Mavericks, though the team remained half a game behind them in the standings. After flying back to Oklahoma City overnight, Chen rested and made breakfast ahead of the next night’s back-to-back game.

• Chen Xi’s defensive adjustment helped the Thunder shut down the Mavericks’ supporting players, and Bane hit a fast-break three after Gafford secured a rebound.
• The Thunder outscored the Mavericks 37–19 in the second quarter and took a 64–59 halftime lead as Doncic struggled under pressure.
• Richardson made four consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter, but the Thunder ended the period ahead 94–87.
• Chen Xi, Westbrook, and Alexander combined for 27 fourth-quarter points as the Thunder defeated the Mavericks 129–113.
• Chen Xi scored 48 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and made eight assists before the Thunder flew back to Oklahoma City.
• Chen Xi woke at noon, made himself breakfast, and prepared to rest before the next night’s game.

The Thunder hosted the Timberwolves as Anthony Davis returned from nearly a month away, while rookie Anthony Edwards tried to regain his early-season form. Davis struggled with his shot in the first half, and the Thunder raised their intensity after halftime as SGA began attacking Minnesota’s weak bench.

• Chen Xi promoted himself on social media as All-Star voting continued and set his sights on becoming the vote leader.
• The chapter described how Anthony Edwards’s early breakout was slowed by opposing defenses and the rookie wall before his form began recovering in February.
• Anthony Davis returned for the Thunder against the Timberwolves and missed all five mid-range shots he attempted in the first half.
• Westbrook and Chen Xi created chances for Davis, who recorded 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 17 first-half minutes.
• The Thunder increased their intensity after halftime, and SGA began tearing apart the Timberwolves’ weak bench.

The Thunder beat the Timberwolves as Anthony Davis, Chen Xi, and Russell Westbrook reunited, and Chen Xi invited Anthony Edwards to join his summer training camp. The Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a major trade, reshaping the Eastern Conference while the Thunder focused on their own season.

• The Thunder outscored the Timberwolves in the third quarter and won 124–109, with AD recording 24 points and 11 rebounds, Chen Xi scoring 30 points with 11 assists, and Westbrook posting 24 points and 13 assists.
• Edwards asked Chen Xi about joining his summer training camp, and Chen Xi welcomed him while noting that plans depended on the season and pandemic.
• The Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Bucks for Eric Bledsoe, DJ Wilson, and draft picks, while the Bucks also acquired Joe Ingles from the Jazz and sent Bryn Forbes and a future second-round pick to Utah.
• The Trail Blazers planned to sell off more of their core and rebuild, while the Jazz faced uncertainty about their roster after Randle's season-ending ankle injury.
• The Thunder regarded the Bucks' move as a threat to Eastern Conference teams but resolved to fight any opponent they might face in the Finals.

The Oklahoma Thunder hosted the Golden State Warriors in a nationally televised game between two teams climbing the Western Conference standings. The Warriors struck first, but the Thunder answered through Davis as the opening possessions highlighted both teams’ pick-and-roll attacks.

• Before the game, Chen Xi and Curry chatted at midcourt, and Curry showed confidence in the Warriors’ season after their recent winning streak.
• Little Gasol won the opening tip, and Westbrook began the Thunder’s first possession with a Spanish pick and roll that ended in Davis missing at the rim.
• Curry led the Warriors into a pick and roll, and Klay Thompson made a three-pointer after Green drew Chen Xi’s help defense.
• Chen Xi drew Green toward the perimeter, then passed to Davis, who caught the ball inside and banked in a basket over Klay Thompson.
• Curry brought the ball up for the Warriors’ next possession, passed to Green, and began moving off the ball.

The Thunder and Warriors traded early baskets as Curry and Wiggins hit threes, while Chen Xi set up Davis with a sharp pass. The chapter left the Thunder ahead after Marc Gasol tipped in a rebound following two missed shots by the Thunder big men.

• Curry used a screen to get open and sank a three after Westbrook lost track of him.
• Chen Xi drove past Wiggins, then threaded a bounce pass to Davis for a dunk.
• Wiggins shook Jeff Green with a shot fake and made an open three for the Warriors.
• Westbrook drove into the paint and passed to Marc Gasol, whose shot missed.
• Davis grabbed the rebound and missed a putback, but Marc Gasol tipped the ball in.

The Thunder struggled against the Warriors’ size and shooting, but Chen Xi helped keep them in the game as they adjusted around Davis’s poor shooting. After Jordan Poole widened the gap early in the fourth quarter, Chen Xi returned and cut it to four with a mid-range jumper.

• The Warriors used their perimeter shooting and offensive rebounds to take a 36–27 first-quarter lead while Davis struggled for the Thunder.
• Jordan Poole scored and assisted off the bench to nearly push the Warriors’ lead to fifteen, but Alexander steadied the Thunder and helped them respond.
• Chen Xi hit a difficult fadeaway before halftime, leaving the Thunder trailing 64–59.
• The Thunder cut the Warriors’ lead to three by the end of the third quarter as Klay missed four consecutive three-pointers.
• Poole scored seven points early in the fourth quarter, prompting Donovan to call a timeout and bring Chen Xi back into the game.
• Chen Xi beat the Warriors’ defense with a mid-range jumper, cutting the deficit to four.

The Thunder and Warriors traded baskets as Kerr returned Curry and deployed a three-guard lineup, while Donovan brought Westbrook back for Oklahoma City. The Warriors answered Davis’s low-post score with a fast-break Curry-to-Klay three, keeping their lead alive.

• Poole missed a deep three, Green drew a foul on the putback, and he made one of his two free throws.
• Klay stole Alexander’s pass and started a fast break, then passed to Poole, who faked out Alexander and hit a floater.
• Chen Xi drove past Klay and lobbed an alley-oop to Davis, who dunked to make the score 107–102.
• Kerr sent Curry back in and kept Poole on the floor, forming a three-guard lineup as Donovan brought Westbrook, Little Gasol, and Jerebko back.
• Green’s fake handoff set up Pascal’s drive, but Little Jordan blocked his shot and the referee called a foul; Pascal made his second free throw.
• Westbrook fed Davis for a low-post layup, then Curry led a fast break and passed to Klay, who made an open corner three.