Chapter Summaries

Chen Xi's post-up scoring and passing powered the Thunder's offense against the Nets. The first quarter ended with the Thunder leading 37–31.

• Chen Xi scored a turnaround fadeaway over Paul George after the timeout.
• Chen Xi used a Dream Shake and floater to score over Kevin Durant on the next possession.
• Atkinson instructed the Nets to double-team Chen Xi and force him to pass.
• Chen Xi drew a double-team and passed to Jeff Green, who scored a layup.
• The Thunder repeatedly used Chen Xi's post-up threat to create scoring chances, and they finished the first quarter ahead 37–31.

Chen Xi’s strong first quarter helped the Thunder take control, and Alexander and Westbrook extended their lead while Chen rested. Chen checked in again six minutes into the second quarter.

• Chen Xi scored 15 points and added two rebounds and six assists in the first quarter, then rested while staff treated his knees and shoulders.
• Alexander led the Thunder’s reserves on a 10–3 run, forcing Durant to return early for the Nets.
• The Nets cut into the deficit with an 8–2 run behind Durant, prompting Donovan to send Westbrook back into the game.
• Westbrook steadied the Thunder, assisted Carter on a three, and helped Alexander score a reverse layup as the Thunder went on a 5–0 run.
• Donovan sent Chen Xi back to the scorer’s table six minutes into the second quarter.

Chen Xi helped Alexander create scoring chances as the Thunder built a 16-point halftime lead over the Nets. After the Nets cut into the deficit by trapping Chen Xi, Donovan brought in Desmond Bane, whose corner three ended the Thunder’s scoring drought and steadied their offense.

• Chen Xi set up favorable matchups for Alexander, who attacked the Nets’ defense with drives and post moves.
• The Nets struggled to score in the Second Quarter and went into halftime trailing the Thunder by 16 points.
• Atkinson made motivational and tactical adjustments, and Paul George opened the Third Quarter by making his first three shots as the Nets tightened their defense.
• The Nets trapped Chen Xi to force the Thunder to rely on Green and Westbrook, and their missed threes helped the Nets cut the deficit to single digits.
• Donovan replaced Marc Gasol with Desmond Bane to improve the Thunder’s spacing.
• Bane used a screen to reach the opposite corner, caught Green’s pass, and hit a three that ended the Thunder’s scoring drought.

The Thunder’s three-point shooting helped them withstand the Nets’ traps, but LaMarcus Aldridge’s scoring burst brought Brooklyn back into the game. Chen Xi opened the Fourth Quarter with a difficult layup over Aldridge, leaving the Thunder ahead as the final quarter began.

• Bane and Green hit three-pointers off Westbrook’s passes, easing the Thunder’s spacing problems and allowing Chen Xi to create scoring chances for AD and Westbrook.
• After AD’s basket restored a 13-point lead, both teams rested their stars, and LaMarcus Aldridge exploited the Thunder’s weakened interior with a series of post-up scores.
• Aldridge’s run helped the Nets cut the deficit, and the Third Quarter ended with the Thunder leading 99–94.
• Chen Xi returned to start the Fourth Quarter and drove past Paul George with a crossover and acceleration into the paint.
• Chen Xi evaded Aldridge with a windmill-style wraparound layup and scored off the backboard.

The Thunder extended their lead over the Nets as Chen Xi set up a basket for Little Jordan and then challenged a defensive-foul call. The review overturned the call and gave possession to the Thunder.

• Korver hit a three-pointer, then Little Jordan was called for an illegal screen while helping Alexander advance the ball.
• Aldridge missed a post-up fadeaway, and Alexander answered with a reverse layup after faking him out twice.
• Aldridge drew Chen Xi's help and passed to George, whose swing pass led to Shamet missing an open three.
• Chen Xi found Little Jordan rolling to the basket with a through pass, and Little Jordan scored to put the Thunder ahead 105–97.
• After Chen Xi was called for a defensive foul on George's drive, Donovan challenged the call at Chen Xi's urging.
• The replay showed Aldridge moved his hips during the screen, and the officials overturned the call, ruling an offensive foul and awarding possession to the Thunder.

The Thunder extended their lead against the Nets as Carmelo Anthony hit a three, then Kevin Durant answered with a basket against Chen Xi. After DeAndre Jordan grabbed an offensive rebound and had his putback blocked, Donovan brought Westbrook and Davis into the game and kept Jordan on the court.

• The Thunder retained possession after a successful challenge, and the Nets returned Walker, George, Kevin Durant, Aldridge, and Allen to the lineup.
• Alexander drew help defense and passed to Carmelo Anthony, who made a semi-open three to put the Thunder ahead by 11.
• Durant faced Chen Xi, backed him down, and scored his first basket after returning to the game.
• Alexander missed a long two, but DeAndre Jordan grabbed the offensive rebound before Allen blocked his putback out of bounds.
• Donovan sent Westbrook and Davis in for Anthony and Batum, leaving DeAndre Jordan on the court with Westbrook, Alexander, Chen Xi, and Davis.

Chen Xi and the Thunder held their lead over the Nets as Westbrook scored on a cut and the teams traded baskets in the closing minutes. The Nets narrowed the gap with George’s free throws, and the chapter ended with Westbrook passing to Davis on a pick-and-roll.

• Chen Xi inbounded to Westbrook, who cut off a screen and dunked the ball.
• The chapter explained that Westbrook had slimmed down on Chen Xi’s advice, adjusted his game, and improved his efficiency.
• Walker and Aldridge scored with a high pick-and-roll as the Nets relied on Aldridge’s hot shooting.
• With 3:40 left and the Thunder leading 127–120, George drew a defensive foul on Chen Xi and made both free throws.
• Westbrook drove off a screen and bounced a pass to Davis rolling toward the basket.

Chen Xi and Kevin Durant traded clutch baskets as the Thunder and Nets battled through the closing minutes. The Nets focused their defense on Chen Xi, and the chapter ended with Davis drawing a shooting foul and heading to the free-throw line.

• Chen Xi cut past George and dunked off Marc Gasol's pass.
• Durant hit a deep three, but Chen Xi answered with a step-back three over George.
• Durant scored a mid-range jumper, and Chen Xi followed with another three over Allen.
• Durant drew Davis to help and passed to Prince, who made a corner three for the Nets.
• The Nets denied Chen Xi the ball, so Westbrook passed to Davis, whose missed layup led to an offensive rebound and a shooting foul by Allen.

The Thunder shut down the Nets’ late comeback attempt and won 139–129, avenging their previous defeat. Chen Xi led the Thunder with 46 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.

• Davis missed his first free throw but made the second, and George missed a contested three after Durant passed him the ball.
• Westbrook ran down the clock before the Thunder worked the ball through Green to Davis, who scored and restored an eight-point lead.
• Atkinson used his final timeout, but the Thunder fouled Walker before the Nets could begin their play, and Walker made both free throws.
• Donovan called a timeout to get Chen Xi the ball, and Chen Xi drew Durant’s foul before making both free throws.
• Green and Jerebko pressured Durant into a missed three, and Westbrook made two free throws after the Thunder secured the rebound.
• The Thunder defeated the Nets 139–129 as Chen Xi scored 46 points, while Durant and George finished with 41 and 36 points, respectively.

The Thunder routed an injury-depleted Lakers team, then moved back into fifth place in the Western Conference after the Rockets lost. They held onto fifth by beating the Kings in a tougher game, with Chen Xi leading the way.

• On February 23, the Lakers sat out Blake Griffin and Old Zhang, and the Thunder beat them 127–91 as Chen Xi scored 23 points and Westbrook and Davis also dominated.
• The Rockets lost 99–112 to the Magic on February 24, allowing the Thunder to overtake them and return to fifth in the Western Conference.
• On February 25, Fox scored 35 points and Haliburton added 15 assists as the Kings built a 15-point lead over the Thunder in the first half.
• Chen Xi scored 33 points as the Thunder rallied to beat the Kings and kept fifth place in the Western Conference.

Chen Xi led the Thunder to a win over the Raptors, then returned to Los Angeles to wait with Talan for their child’s birth. Without him, Oklahoma lost to the Jazz as its offense struggled, leaving the team’s reliance on Chen Xi exposed.

• Chen Xi scored 49 points and recorded 10 assists as the Thunder beat the Raptors 116–102, extending their winning streak to 11 games.
• Chen Xi returned to Los Angeles on February 27 to stay with Talan ahead of their child’s birth, and he planned to miss the Thunder’s games until All-Star Weekend.
• The Thunder lost 117–112 to Mitchell and the Jazz as Oklahoma’s role players struggled to score without Chen Xi drawing defensive attention.
• Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points, while Davis scored 23 and Alexander scored 19 in the loss.

The Thunder ended their brief slump by beating the Clippers and Rockets before All-Star Weekend, with DeMarcus Cousins’s ejection helping decide the Houston game. Meanwhile, Chen Xi stayed at a private hospital with Talan after she gave birth safely, and he became a father for the first time.

• Anthony Davis scored 39 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as the Thunder beat the Clippers 113–95 on March 3.
• The Rockets faced the Thunder without injured starting center Clint Capela, and Cousins took his place in the starting lineup.
• Cousins fouled out and was ejected after arguing with a referee late in the game, giving the Thunder a free throw and possession.
• Westbrook, Davis, and Alexander led the Thunder to a 119–115 win over the Rockets, despite James Harden’s 45-point performance.
• Chen Xi accompanied Talan through the delivery, cut the umbilical cord, and learned that both mother and child were safe.

Chen Xi brought his newborn son, Chen Jin Xiao, home and left for Atlanta to attend the 2021 All-Star Weekend. He skipped the Slam Dunk Contest, joined the All-Star festivities, and entered the game as LeBron James’s first pick on Team James.

• Chen Xi brought Talan and their newborn son home from the hospital, then prepared to leave Los Angeles for Atlanta two days later.
• Chen Xi named his son Chen Jin Xiao in Chinese and Klein in English, hoping he would live calmly and resiliently without pressure to follow his father’s path.
• Chen Xi declined the Slam Dunk Contest invitation and flew to Atlanta for commercial appearances, a charity visit, and the All-Star Game.
• Chen Xi joined Team James as its first pick after LeBron James selected him, while Trae Young missed the All-Star roster and Blake Griffin earned a selection.

At the crowd-free All-Star Game, Chen Xi warmed up with Team James and chatted with Little Sabonis and LeBron James about his newborn son and his wish for a daughter. The players continued preparing for the game, with Chen joking that Kobe could make him Capri's godfather.

• The pandemic left the All-Star arena mostly empty, so the League used video screens to try to create an atmosphere.
• Chen Xi joined Team James's warmups and sank an ultra-deep three after James passed him the ball.
• Little Sabonis greeted Chen Xi, and they joked about Chen's new baby and their hopes for daughters.
• LeBron James congratulated Chen Xi on his newborn son and suggested he could have another child.
• Chen Xi joked that he could ask Kobe to make him Capri's godfather if he wanted a daughter.

Chen Xi and the NBA stars began the All-Star Game, trading missed shots and flashy plays. He finished the chapter by setting up a spectacular 360-degree alley-oop dunk for The Greek Freak, prompting talk of how formidable they would be as teammates.

• Team Durant scored first when Oladipo caught Butler's long pass and dunked past Lillard.
• Chen Xi missed a deep three, then watched as Curry copied his Violin Crossover and made a three.
• The Greek Freak grabbed Lillard's missed three and dunked for Team James's first points.
• Durant drove past James and dunked while Jokic declined to defend the rim.
• Chen Xi passed to The Greek Freak, who spun through the air for a 360-degree alley-oop dunk.

The All-Star Game continued as both teams traded fast-break dunks and three-pointers, with Team Durant holding a four-point lead after the first quarter. Chen Xi returned in the second quarter and scored over Jaylen Brown, who then called for the ball to answer him.

• Butler missed a deep three while he and Chen Xi distracted each other, allowing James to complete a fast-break counterattack.
• Lillard found Old Zhang for a fast-break dunk, and Team James narrowed the score to 6–7.
• Jokic scored for Team Durant, then Lillard and Giannis answered with a pick-and-roll three.
• At the end of the first quarter, Team Durant led 49–45, with Giannis scoring 14 points for Team James and Beal adding 12 points for Team Durant.
• Chen Xi returned in the second quarter, drove past Brown, and made a mid-range pull-up.
• Brown asked Doncic for the ball after Chen Xi scored, determined to get a basket back.

Chen Xi helped Team James defeat Team Durant in the All-Star Game, then left for a packed business itinerary before returning to Oklahoma City and heading straight to team fitness testing. The chapter ended with him back at work after the break.

• Chen Xi set up Blake Griffin for an alley-oop dunk and spent the rest of the game facilitating for his teammates.
• Team James beat Team Durant 166–159, and Giannis Antetokounmpo won the All-Star MVP award with 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
• Chen Xi took the final team photo, declined invitations to party, and returned to the hotel to sleep.
• Chen Xi flew to New York with Moon on March 9 for shoots, interviews, and business matters, then returned to Oklahoma City on March 11.
• Chen Xi went straight from home to the team for fitness testing.

The Thunder hosted the Nuggets in a marquee matchup between two streaking Western Conference contenders. After Jamal Murray opened the scoring, Chen Xi answered with a fadeaway to put the Thunder on the board.

• The Nuggets started Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter, and Aaron Gordon, while DeAndre Jordan replaced the injured Marc Gasol in the Thunder lineup.
• Jokic won the opening tip, and Murray scored over Anthony Davis with a mid-range fadeaway.
• The Thunder ran an Iverson Cut to get Chen Xi the ball at the right elbow.
• Chen Xi drove past Caldwell-Pope and scored an easy fadeaway near the rim.

Chen Xi returned from his two-week absence and helped the Thunder take an early lead against the Nuggets, while Jokic and Murray repeatedly used their pick-and-roll to score. The chapter left both teams testing their strategies against each other, with Jokic’s inside scoring proving difficult for the Thunder to stop.

• Chen Xi opened his first regular-season game back with a smooth basket that activated Green Machine.
• Murray missed a mid-range shot, and Westbrook grabbed the rebound and pushed a fast break, but the referee did not call a foul when Gordon contested Westbrook’s layup.
• Jokic faked a handoff and passed to Aaron Gordon, who cut behind the Thunder’s defense and dunked.
• Chen Xi used a shot fake to create space against Pope and hit a quick jumper, putting the Thunder ahead 5–4.
• Jokic and Murray ran another two-man play, and Jokic scored on a rolling runner over Little Jordan.

Mike Malone called a timeout and told the Nuggets to slow the game down, pressure Westbrook, and trap Chen Xi. The Nuggets tried to follow his plan, but Chen Xi broke through their defense and scored, leaving the Thunder still attacking with ease.

• Green cut to the basket and dunked after Chen Xi drew the defense and passed to him.
• Mike Malone called a timeout and instructed the Nuggets to control the pace, pressure Westbrook, and double Chen Xi.
• The Nuggets ran a Jokic-Murray pick-and-roll, but Pope missed a three while Chen Xi contested it.
• Chen Xi used a Triple Threat fake to get past Pope, then evaded Little Porter with an in-and-out move and Euro Step before scoring a finger roll.