NBA: Rising Superstar!

The Nuggets' offense started.

Zeng Xingyang dribbled to the top of the arc, carefully observing the situation on the court.

Grant and Jokic made a cross screen play inside, Iguodala responsible for defending Jokic.

Zeng Xingyang seized the opportunity and directly passed the ball into the interior, with Jokic steadily holding off Iguodala.

This was an excellent mismatch opportunity.

This is precisely the fatal flaw of the Warriors' death lineup; he decisively drove the ball down, using his strong body to back into Iguodala.

"Bang!" Although Iguodala often defended the inside in the small lineup, he seemed somewhat powerless under Jokic's powerful weight.

Jokic turned around effortlessly, reached the basket, and placed the ball into the basket, changing the score to 68 to 73.

"Oh oh, the Warriors' defense is vulnerable!" A fan in the arena jumped up excitedly.

"Haha, the Warriors' death lineup didn't do well against the Nuggets." Another fan said with a laugh.

"Cole better give up, or the inside will be destroyed again." Another fan teased.

"Nikola Jokic is an underrated player, this guy is amazing!"

"He's the best assistant beside Xingyang." The home fans were full of confidence, chatting away.

Zeng Xingyang and Jokic excitedly high-fived to celebrate.

With Jokic on the inside, Zeng Xingyang felt very assured.

The Warriors' offense unfolded again.

After a fluid series of passes on the outside, Curry initiated a double screen. He used the screen to break into the inside, passing the ball on the move to Green.

Green quickly dashed a step and passed the ball to the cutting Iguodala.

The advantage of the death lineup was evident at this moment, their mobility was stronger, and they were seamless in their passing game. Iguodala charged to the basket, skillfully bypassing Jokic's interference and making a steady shot.

The score changed to 70 to 73.

The Nuggets continued their offense.

Jokic advanced to the front court with the ball, passing it to Zeng Xingyang on the right. Zeng Xingyang quickly established a one-on-one situation with Iguodala, waving to his teammates to create space.

Once the space opened, Zeng Xingyang started dribbling on the left side. The ball hitting the ground made a crisp sound.

He paused briefly, and this subtle move successfully drew Iguodala's attention. He then quickly shifted to the right side, accelerating to the inside.

Zeng Xingyang had mastered the art of pace difference; he often didn't need fancy moves to easily break through the opponent's defense.

Seeing this, Green quickly stepped forward to assist in defense. Without hesitation, Zeng Xingyang sent the ball towering into the middle of the air.

Jokic understood, took the ball high and attacked, spun to the basket, and once again easily scored.

The score changed to 70 to 75. Jokic continued to create problems for the Warriors' defense inside, he was under no pressure at the basket.

Coach Cole was so anxious on the sidelines, yelling constantly, waving his arms, loudly commanding the Warriors to strengthen their inside defense. However, the flaw of their small lineup was too obvious, wanting to rely on normal rotation defense to stop Jokic and Zeng Xingyang's pick-and-roll seemed nearly impossible.

The Warriors' offense unfolded again.

After the pick-and-roll breakthrough between Curry and Green, the ball was given to Barnes. Barnes used Iguodala's screen, stopping abruptly on the right side for a mid-range shot, and the basketball went through the net.

The score changed to 72 to 75.

The Nuggets' offense immediately started again. Zeng Xingyang and Jokic initiated another pick-and-roll, with Pope cutting from outside to inside. On the move, Zeng Xingyang swiftly passed the ball to Jokic, who drew the defense and passed it accurately to Pope. Pope flew for a layup but was hindered by the opponent's interference.

Jokic reacted quickly under the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound.

He confronted Green on the spot, muscles tight, and powered the ball into the basket.

"Beep beep!" The referee's whistle sounded, this play also resulted in Green's foul, it was a three-point play. Jokic stood on the free throw line, steadily made the shot, pushing the score further....

Jokic enjoyed his time inside.

For a long duration thereafter, Zeng Xingyang didn't opt to score himself, but focused on motivating his teammates.

He kept passing and coordinating, with Pope, Harris, Grant, etc., gradually stepping up to score under his leadership. As long as the Warriors didn't produce a super wave of offense, the Nuggets' players played quite comfortably in this positional battle.

The third quarter ended quickly, with the score frozen at 82 to 90, the Nuggets temporarily leading.

The fans at the Pepsi Center in Denver were cheering enthusiastically, seeing the team gaining more and more advantage in the game was thrilling.

As long as they maintained through the final 12 minutes, their beloved team would advance to the Western Conference Finals.

"Zeng Xingyang led Nuggets are terrifying, their comprehensive play is impeccable!" A fan excitedly commented online.

"Awesome! If the Nuggets keep playing like this, the championship is ours!" Another fan shouted with confidence.

"Zeng Xingyang has been playing for a long time now, not sure if he can continue performing so efficiently." Some fans expressed concern.

The fourth quarter started, Zeng Xingyang rested off the court, Jokic led the team on the court.

For the first two minutes of the game, the situation was still controlled by the Nuggets. Just when everyone thought the Warriors had little chance of a comeback, a sudden turn of events occurred on the court. Pope, during a breakthrough, accidentally stepped on Green's foot, twisting his ankle instantly, showing a pained expression as he hobbled back to the locker room with his teammates' support.

On the bench, Zeng Xingyang saw this scene and frowned, revealing urgency and unease in his eyes.

Pope was extremely important to the Nuggets, he was not only the team's defensive ace on the outside, but in many crucial moments, he could undertake the task of completing key plays.

Barkley also sighed: "The long playing time has caused the Nuggets to face injury problems, Coach Mike Malone's troubles are now big."

Smith continued: "This summer, the Nuggets' management's goal is to strengthen the roster, they need more immediate impact players, to minimize the impact of injuries in fierce competitions."

After Pope's exit, the situation on the court began to change suddenly.

Thompson ignited like a firecracker, hitting three consecutive threes, including a four-point play.

Every shot he made felt like a sledgehammer striking the hearts of Nuggets fans.

In just a short period, he directly leveled the score between the two teams.

The sudden burst from the Warriors took Coach Mike Malone somewhat by surprise, he hadn't even gotten the chance to call a timeout. The score was changed to a 94 to 94 tie.

With 8 minutes and 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, both teams returned to the same starting line, the competition escalated to a heated rivalry once again.