NBA's King of Talking

At the start of the second half, both teams retained their starting lineups from the first half. However, a little over four minutes into the third quarter, the Mavericks suddenly pulled their starters and substituted their reserves.

Seeing that the opponent had done this, the Thunder also pulled their starters and replaced them with their substitutes.

When the third quarter reached its final official timeout, the Mavericks simply benched their lineup.

Coach Brooks finally called out the names of Jia Fei and Reggie.

Jia Fei and Reggie exchanged a glance and smiled sweetly.

It's finally our turn!

此时，第3节比赛距离结束还剩下2分14秒，场上比分为64:68，雷霆领先4分。

Jia Fei took off his coat and pants, jumped around on the sidelines, and moved his arms, preparing to go on the field.

After entering the game, the Thunder's lineup consisted of Cole Aldridge, Lazar Hayward, Roy Ivey, Jafi, and Reggie Jackson.

In this lineup, Jia Fei, the second tallest player on the team, was assigned to play the power forward position.

The Mavericks' roster consists of Jerome Randle, Drew Netzer, Rodrigo Beaubois, Brian Cardinal, and Ian Mahinmi.

The Mavericks' roster is even smaller, with 3 small guards, 1 forward, and 1 center.

Since it's just the preseason, the lineup can be anything.

Jia Fei once saw a coach field an all-center lineup called the "Death Five," and he also saw a "Super Death Five" lineup of all-small players.

Jia Fei and Reggie entered the game, and the fans applauded them. Undoubtedly, as the team's only two rookies, everyone had high expectations for their performance.

The Mavericks are on offense, and Jerome Randle dribbles the ball across half-court.

Jia Fei was matched up against Brian Cardinal, a player he remembered. Cardinal was a veteran; as a white player, to have played 11 seasons in a league like the NBA was quite an achievement. He had always been a role player, but he was diligent and hardworking, and many of his contemporaries had already left the league.

The Mavericks kept driving and passing, but in the end, Beaubois's three-point attempt missed!

Cole Aldridge held his position, and Jia Fei easily grabbed the rebound!

Cole Aldridge, also known as "White Aldridge," is far less capable than "Black Aldridge," but he did win the "2009-10 NCAA Player of the Year" award and was selected 11th overall in the first round of the 2010 NBA draft. Compared to Jia Fei and Reggie Jackson, his starting point was clearly much higher.

Jia Fei passed the ball to Roy Ivey without dribbling it past midfield. After crossing midfield, he immediately moved to the baseline to create space for his teammates.

On Thunder's offense, Roy Ivey's pull-up jumper missed, and Jia Fei quickly cut inside, leaping high to grab the offensive rebound. He then faked a shot and forced his way up, immediately drawing the attention of three defenders. Instead of shooting, he passed the ball to Aldridge under the basket.

White Aldridge dunks with one hand!

Thunder assistant coach Mark Bryant applauded from the sidelines, saying to another assistant coach, Brian Keefe, "Jay made that play calmly, it was a beautiful pass!"

"Well said, Jia!" Aldridge took the initiative to give Jia Fei a high five.

Jia Fei was also very happy. In his previous life, he was a player who liked to pass the ball. Whether he played the whole court or half court, he was not liked by others for being a lone wolf, even if he was really good at scoring.

The Mavericks were on offense, and Mahinmi made a strong attack under the basket, but missed! His skills are still too rough; sometimes he can't even get a hook shot when he's right in front of the basket. It's really inexplicable.

Cardinal suddenly blocked Jia Fei and used his weight advantage to grab the offensive rebound.

Jia Fei reacted quickly, slicing the ball away with a chop!

The ball bounced on the ground, but Jia Fei reacted faster, snatching the ball and passing it to Reggie.

The Thunder launched a counterattack, with Jia Fei making a fast break down the court. Reggie passed the ball, but it was deflected out of bounds by Beaubois.

During the Thunder's offensive possession, Reggie suddenly made a stealthy pass to Jia Fei in the corner!

Jia Fei received the ball and immediately launched a three-pointer—it went in! Cardinal, who was defending him, was too slow; by the time he realized what was happening and tried to block him, it was too late!

Jia Fei made a "3" gesture to Reggie, and the two gave each other a high five.

The Thunder fans in the arena cheered. Jia Fei had just demonstrated his energy in everything from defense to hitting the three-pointer.

The Thunder are now leading by 9 points, 64-73!

Neither side scored for the remainder of the third quarter, and the game ended at the end of the quarter.

贾飞本节比赛在短短的不到3分钟的时间里1投1中，得到3分2个篮板1次助攻1个抢断，差1个盖帽就要填满数据栏，表现极为抢眼。

In the final quarter, both Jia Fei and Reggie played the entire quarter, ultimately helping the Thunder defeat the Mavericks at home and secure their first preseason victory.

贾飞全场上场14分14秒，3投2中，其中3分球2投1中，罚球2罚1中，得到6分6个篮板3次助攻2个抢断1个盖帽，没有出现一次失误，填满了数据栏。

Reggie also performed well, scoring 10 points, grabbing 1 rebound, and dishing out 2 assists, showcasing his offensive capabilities.

The Thunder secured the victory, much to the satisfaction of the fans in attendance, even though it was just a preseason game. It's worth remembering that last season's Western Conference Finals saw this seemingly aging Mavericks team keep their home team out of the NBA Finals.

The Thunder's locker room was still cheerful after the game; they had won, and Westbrook even broke into a dance. Seeing him reminded Jia Fei of the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game he played as a child—a truly iconic and incredibly addictive game. Westbrook not only resembled a turtle, but his optimistic personality and stylish dance moves also reminded him of a kappa (a mythical creature).

Coach Brooks came to the locker room, as is customary for the team's head coach after games. Although this was just a preseason game, he still made a point of speaking in the locker room. He first praised all the players for their performance, stating that winning against the Mavericks was a cause for celebration. He urged everyone to forget last season's Western Conference Finals loss and to start afresh in the new season, aiming for the Western Conference Finals and then the NBA Finals. He also specifically praised Jia Fei and Reggie Jackson, saying that the two rookies showed no stage fright and performed exceptionally well.

Coach Brooks left after speaking. Jia Fei and Reggie went to the bathroom to shower, changed their clothes, had a light meal in the team restaurant, and then went back.

In his previous life, Jia Fei was a mature man. He would only listen to the head coach's words and take them with a grain of salt. His praise didn't mean that he and Reggie would be in the rotation for the new season, nor did it mean that he was already a member of the roster. The key was the final roster. He never believed what people said; he believed more in actions.