As CJ McCollum stepped onto the court, the arena erupted in thunderous applause. Sacramento's loyal fans hadn't forgotten their hero from last season. The warmth and passion from the crowd overwhelmed him, and for a fleeting moment, his vision blurred with emotion.
"I'm finally back," CJ murmured to himself, his voice barely audible over the deafening cheers.
"Hey, snap out of it! Catch the ball!" Rudy Gay barked from the baseline, glaring as the referee's count ticked dangerously close to a violation.
CJ jolted back to reality. "Oh, right, right!" He quickly received the inbound pass, moving up the court with a renewed focus.
Crossing half-court, CJ instinctively looked to hand the ball to Butler. But Butler waved him off, stepping forward to set a solid screen.
"Your shot," Butler said curtly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
CJ hesitated for only a second before nodding, his gratitude shining through. Using the screen, he darted to the weak side, where Gay had already drawn the defense away. With the basket wide open, CJ pulled up and released a clean mid-range jumper.
Swish!
The ball slid through the net without touching the rim. The arena roared in approval.
"Welcome back," Gay whispered as they jogged back on defense. "We've all been waiting for this."
The sincerity in Gay's voice struck a chord in CJ's heart. He had worried endlessly during his recovery—would the team move on without him? Would his breakout season be forgotten in the face of new talent? But the Kings had stood by him, closing trade discussions and assuring him of his place on the roster.
"Good shot!" Butler shouted, an unusual gesture of praise that caught CJ off guard. The stories about Butler's tough-love leadership seemed less daunting now. CJ flashed a smile as they regrouped on defense.
Meanwhile, on the Thunder bench, Coach Billy Donovan surveyed the court with a grim expression. Kevin Durant was still recovering from the relentless defense earlier, and Westbrook's solo efforts were being neutralized.
"How many players do the Kings have? It's like they've cloned their roster!" Donovan muttered. The Kings' depth seemed endless, with CJ's return only adding another dimension to their attack.
Behind him, Thunder GM Sam Presti overheard the remark. His cold stare made Donovan regret his choice of words immediately.
"Uh…not you, Sam! I didn't mean the Spurs—uh, I mean Kings—I mean..." Donovan stammered, trailing off as Presti's icy glare bored into him.
The exchange didn't go unnoticed. At the far end of the Kings' bench, Miller nudged Jake, who was engrossed in his phone.
"Hey, what's going on over there?"
Jake glanced up, watching Donovan awkwardly apologize to Presti. "Huh. Coach and GM drama? Rare entertainment!"
Back on the court, CJ was on fire. The months of pent-up energy and frustration erupted in a scoring spree. His teammates fed him the ball, eager to see their star regain his rhythm. In just a few minutes, CJ racked up 9 points, his confidence visibly growing with each possession.
"Timeout!" Donovan called, desperate to halt the Kings' momentum. As Durant prepared to re-enter the game, Donovan adjusted the Thunder's defense, moving Durant to the top of the arc to stifle the Kings' ball movement.
But Kings Coach Mike Malone was a step ahead. Anticipating Durant's return, he deployed a five-out lineup, spreading the floor with shooters and playmakers. Jokic and Porter returned to stretch the Thunder's defense to its breaking point.
Durant's individual brilliance briefly steadied the Thunder. His isolation scoring and defensive presence kept the game within reach. But the Kings' relentless depth and team-oriented play wore him down once more. The Thunder had no answer for the Kings' war machine.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings' arena erupted into cheers. Sacramento had dismantled a Western Conference powerhouse, announcing their dominance with authority.
In the TNT studio, Charles Barkley leaned back, shaking his head in awe.
"This Kings team is something else," Barkley said. "No superstars, but they're scarier than some so-called superteams. They just keep coming at you, like a relentless wave."
Shaquille O'Neal nodded. "They've got this energy, this cohesion that's rare. Watching them feels like seeing a perfectly tuned machine. And with CJ back, they're even scarier."
"The West is about to get wild," Barkley added, grinning. "This Kings team just put everyone on notice."