NBA: Rising Superstar!

Galinarli's originally decent three-point shots seem less stable in such a tense atmosphere.

"Oh, what a pity." Yu Jia said with a hint of regret, "It was a good three-point opportunity, and Xingyang's pass was just right. In such a high-intensity game, the psychological pressure on the players is also great, which could have affected his touch."

Zhang Weiping said, "Pope's absence continues to have a growing impact on the Nuggets."

Duncan grabbed the rebound and quickly launched a fast break, passing it to Parker.

Parker dribbled forward at lightning speed.

Zeng Xingyang quickly returned on defense, trying to stop Parker's fast break.

Parker's offense was blocked, but Leonard followed up.

Parker, stepping on the three-point line, made a bounce pass to Leonard.

Leonard showcased his big hands, grabbing the ball with one hand firmly, then maneuvered against Galinarli who followed him to the basket and scored easily.

9 to 11.

The AT&T Center erupted in cheers.

"Beautiful! The fast-break cooperation between Tony and Kowai was so seamless! The Spurs took advantage of the Nuggets' offensive misstep and quickly executed an efficient fast-break counterattack." The local San Antonio commentator shouted.

The defensive intensity on both sides continued to rise, making such transitions very difficult.

Nuggets on offense, Zeng Xingyang dribbled to the frontcourt again.

Dribbling to the right, he continued to observe the situation on the court; the Spurs' defensive focus was on him and Jokic.

So, Zeng Xingyang passed the ball to Galinarli and then looked to cooperate with Jokic off the ball.

Jokic blocked Leonard, who was defending Zeng Xingyang, and Zeng Xingyang took the chance to cut to the basket as Galinarli timely passed the ball back to him.

After receiving the ball, Zeng Xingyang faced Duncan's defense, stopped abruptly, and shot from close range.

The jump on this shot was very high.

Duncan tried hard to jump, but he couldn't match Zeng Xingyang's height.

Zeng Xingyang's core strength was solid.

"Bang!"

"Swish!"

The basketball hit the inner rim and fell in.

11 to 11.

The Nuggets tied the score once again.

The Spurs' offense came again.

After a continuous ball movement, they couldn't find Aldridge; Grant had fronted him.

Grant knew that defending against Aldridge's offense was tough, so guarding his receiving was crucial.

The ball quickly went to Leonard, who held it at a 45-degree angle on the right side, backing down against Zeng Xingyang.

He was looking for a breakthrough opportunity through body contact.

With a spin, he accelerated to break through to the left side.

Zeng Xingyang stuck closely to him, doing his best to disrupt his offensive action.

Leonard, when breaking through near the free-throw line, also stopped abruptly and shot.

Zeng Xingyang quickly jumped to block, the basketball brushed his fingertips as it flew toward the hoop.

The ball bounced high off the rim.

Jokic, overpowering Duncan, secured the rebound.

After grabbing the ball, Jokic didn't pass it to Zeng Xingyang; instead, he advanced the ball quickly himself.

He handed it to Zeng Xingyang on the right side when he crossed the three-point line.

Zeng Xingyang continued his explosive run but was held back by Danny Green, resulting in another Spurs foul.

The Spurs were very firm on committing transition fouls against the Nuggets.

Inbounding again, Zeng Xingyang received Galinarli's pass.

Dribbling to the right, he initiated a pick-and-roll with Jokic.

Leonard was blocked again, and Zeng Xingyang moved laterally with the ball, drawing Duncan and Leonard's defense.

Jokic rolled down, and Zeng Xingyang made a bounce pass to Jokic.

Jokic, while advancing with the ball, countered Aldridge with a floater.

"Swish!"

The basketball continued into the net.

13 to 11.

"Timeout!!"

Popovich couldn't hold back and called a timeout.

...

...

The first quarter quickly ended, with the score at 31 to 31.

Both sides showed high offensive efficiency when they had enough stamina.

"What an incredible game! This quarter was simply a battle of offense and defense!"

"Both teams displayed a very high competitive level, with the score leading alternately multiple times. Zeng Xingyang performed excellently in this quarter, not only scoring himself but also facilitating his teammates with his passes."

"Jokic's steady performance also became Zeng Xingyang's best ally."

As the first quarter ended, the atmosphere in the arena reached a new high.

The efficiency of the Western Conference finals was very high.

CCTV studio.

At this time, the TV screen began playing Zeng Xingyang's highlight clips.

Zhang Weiping said, "The numbers don't lie — 15 points, 5 assists, a 50% three-point shooting rate. More importantly, the maturity he showed on the court is astounding. Facing the Spurs' intense double-team defense, he always finds the best passing routes."

Yu Jia said, "Yes, the game is exciting; let's look forward to the next quarter."

On the bench, Zeng Xingyang and Jokic sat sweating profusely.

Both played the full first quarter again, and Pope's absence was more impactful than anticipated.

When Pope is present, he can sweep the perimeter, something Galinarli couldn't achieve.

Galinarli was also less stable in crucial finishes than Pope.

At the start of the second quarter, Zeng Xingyang rested while Jokic stayed on the court to lead the team.

Mike Malone didn't dare let both rest simultaneously.

After Zeng Xingyang came off, the offensive firepower of the Nuggets immediately dropped, and the Spurs' defense was very aggressive, continuously double-teaming Jokic.

The Spurs' situation was driven by Ginobili's offense.

When the game reached the 8 minutes and 11 seconds mark, the score was 36 to 41.

The Spurs gradually widened the score gap.

After calling a timeout, Mike Malone put Zeng Xingyang back in the game.

The Nuggets' offense started again.

Jokic dribbled to the frontcourt.

The Spurs' defense remained strong.

In this round, Zeng Xingyang backed down Leonard in the low position on the right side.

Jokic lobbed the ball over.

Zeng Xingyang didn't break his rhythm; instead, he slowed down abruptly, turning and shooting directly.

The shot seemed a bit forced, as Leonard stretched out his arm in Zeng Xingyang's face.

But he couldn't disrupt Zeng Xingyang's rhythm.

"Swish!"

Bullseye!

38 to 41.

Leonard's face remained expressionless, almost like a robot.

But in the next Spurs attack, Leonard decisively asked for the ball.

Leonard received the ball in the left low post and, almost in the same way, made a turnaround jumper.

Zeng Xingyang's defense didn't lose position either.

"Swish!"

Bullseye!!

38 to 43.

Leonard didn't respond in words but with actions.

Nuggets on offense again.

Zeng Xingyang quickly dribbled to the frontcourt.

Passed to Jokic in the low post.

Then Grant came up for a screen.

Zeng Xingyang cut in, and Jokic distributed the ball.

After drawing the defense, Zeng Xingyang tossed the ball skywards to the middle.

Grant stepped up, caught the ball with both hands, and slammed it down.

"Bang!"

40 to 43