NBA: Rising Superstar!

Commentator Barkley said: "The Warriors' defense is already quite good, but they haven't managed to make the Nuggets suffer on the court. The main reason is that they can't completely lock down Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, whose performance has had a huge impact on the game."

Another commentator, Smith, continued: "The Warriors' offense finds it difficult to completely dismantle the Nuggets' defense. The key is that they lack that superstar who can aggressively attack; there's no one who can break through in critical moments. The styles of both teams are very clear — the Nuggets have strong pick-and-roll abilities, while the Warriors rely on teamwork and precise shooting."

Barkley nodded in agreement: "Exactly, the Nuggets can score a lot of tough points, which is their advantage, but the Warriors are entirely different."

Smith said: "If the Warriors bring in an ISO player in the summer, it would further enhance their roster strength."

The Warriors players on the court once again witnessed the immense power of Zeng Xingyang and Jokic's pick-and-roll; their cooperation is always so seamless, making it difficult to defend.

The Warriors' offense unfolds once more.

This time, it's Curry and Green's pick-and-roll again.

After the pick-and-roll, Curry is tightly locked by the Nuggets' players, while Green takes advantage of the situation.

Curry quickly passes the ball to Green, who swiftly drives to the basket and draws a blocking foul from Jokic.

Jokic's rim protection is very strong on defense, and it's not easy for the Warriors to escape his defense; Green managing to draw this foul was quite difficult.

Green stands at the free-throw line.

He takes a deep breath, preparing to shoot. The first free throw, the basketball bounces off the rim, missing the mark!

The Nuggets fans in the stands cheer loudly.

For the second free throw, Green adjusts his state, steadies his hand, and makes the shot!

The score is now 92 to 86.

On the sidelines, Mike Malone shouted loudly: "Don't rush, slow it down. Play for efficiency, we're not in a hurry!"

He knows well that rushing at this time is inadvisable; once the Warriors pull off a wave of offense, it'll be extremely difficult to catch up again. Only by playing steadily and gradually clawing back can there be hope for a comeback.

The Nuggets team starts their attack.

Zeng Xingyang dribbles to the front court, and Jokic comes up to set a screen.

As the Warriors' defense continues to closely watch Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, Pope swiftly runs over from the other side, creating a brief gap.

Zeng Xingyang opts to directly feed the ball to Pope.

Pope receives the ball and quickly makes a jump shot.

The basketball traces a beautiful arc in the air.

Swishes through the net.

"Swish!"

The score moves to 92 to 89.

The Warriors continue their offense. Curry dribbles to the front court.

Inside the Denver Pepsi Center, the booing from fans grows increasingly louder, with the atmosphere reaching its peak of tension.

Curry calls Green for a screen, Green comes up too quickly, and in an instant, directly knocks over Zeng Xingyang.

"Beep beep!!"

The referee's whistle sounds, indicating Green's offensive foul, and possession goes to the Nuggets.

Curry and Green show discontent and quickly approach the referee to appeal; their faces full of urgency. However, the referee ignores them and maintains the original call.

The Nuggets launch another attack, and the momentum in the arena grows even stronger.

Zeng Xingyang dribbles to the front court and passes the ball to Jokic, who holds the ball, observing the court situation. Zeng Xingyang quickly starts his positioning. Grant and Pope try to cut into the lane.

The Warriors' defense quickly shrinks, not giving the Nuggets players easy opportunities to break through.

Jokic passes the ball to Zeng Xingyang, who moves to the right side.

Zeng Xingyang faces Barnes' defense, first with a fake-out move, lightly lifting Barnes' center of gravity.

Then Zeng Xingyang dribbles himself, crossing a step inward.

Reaching the right side of the free-throw line, Zeng Xingyang makes a quick stop and jumps to shoot.

The basketball traces a beautiful arc in the air.

Swishes through the net, "Swish!" It's a bullseye!

The score becomes 92 to 91.

The scores between the two teams have become tight again.

The Warriors' rhythm in the third quarter is gradually being figured out by the Nuggets.

They didn't use the small lineup, clearly intent on competing with the Nuggets in positional warfare.

However, in competing with the Nuggets in positional warfare, the Warriors reveal a fatal flaw — they lack the ability for decisive action from a superstar.

When Curry faces intense confrontation without enough shooting space, it's difficult to get an opportunity to shoot. Barnes' ability to isolate is somewhat overwhelmed and passive against the solid defense of the Nuggets.

The third quarter quickly ends. The score stands at 100 to 103, with the Nuggets taking a 3-point lead.

The Warriors fans feel very frustrated after watching the third quarter.

They always believed that the third quarter is where the Warriors excel, typically gaining advantage and expanding the score.

However, every time they face the Nuggets, they are suppressed in the third quarter.

They know that the Nuggets players aren't top-tier in talent, but they play very smart, execute tactics well, and can always effectively compress the shooting space needed by the Warriors players.

The Warriors players are also helpless, fully aware that if the team had a core player like Zeng Xingyang capable of one-on-one aggressive play, their offense would be much more formidable. Unfortunately, they lack such a player, keeping them at a disadvantage in the game.

The fight continues to be tight in the fourth quarter.

Although the Warriors have lineup flaws and are continuously limited on the offensive end, they maintain high shooting accuracy. Any slight opening from the Nuggets, and they can seize it, sinking a quick shot.

The scores between the two teams alternate in a lead-and-chase battle.

The Nuggets' advantage lies in their home-court setting, with the cheering and support from fans greatly boosting the players, who continually strive in offense and defense.

Moreover, after the previous game, Zeng Xingyang and Jokic have slightly recovered in stamina, ensuring the Nuggets' fundamental base remains intact.

Regulation time quickly ends.

The score is tied at 124 to 124. The game moves into overtime.

"Oh, into overtime again, this match is so intense!" a fan expressed.

"Yeah, it's fierce! The clash between these two teams is always electrifying, so exciting!" another fan eagerly responded.

"Awesome, awesome, this game has got my blood boiling!"

Commentator Barkley said: "Zeng and Nikola are indeed affected by a little on their stamina, as the Nuggets rely too heavily on them, which led to some issues in finishing at the final moments."

Smith chuckled, saying: "The Warriors lack a strong single-attack point. If KD joined them, they could absolutely crush the current Nuggets." Barkley glanced at Smith and said: "What are you imagining? This wouldn't even be a contest if KD joined the Warriors; the whole league would be over."

Although everyone knows that Durant joining the Warriors is just a thought, it can't possibly happen for real.