NBA: Rising Superstar!

The arena was as bright as day, the game between the Thunder and the Nuggets had just ended.

The Thunder fans left behind wore faces of despair, their eyes blank, unwilling to leave for a long time, muttering unwillingly with dissatisfaction.

Leading by 23 points in the fourth quarter and still losing to such a buzzer-beater, any fan supporting the Thunder would feel frustrated.

They once thought the Thunder would end the Nuggets' super winning streak, yet who would have thought that in the end, it was all for naught.

At the commentary desk, Barkley suddenly slammed the table, stood up with a "whoosh," his facial muscles trembling slightly with excitement, and shouted loudly, "A long-range three for the win! Right in front of Westbrook, completed the kill! In the final moments, Zeng Xingyang dominated the game and snatched away the Thunder's almost secured victory."

"This was a classic fourth-quarter comeback match, the Nuggets showed their resilience as a strong team."

Smith was also extremely excited, shouting hoarsely, "The great 7th pick conquered every fan watching him play with an unbeatable stance!"

In the passionate shouts of the commentators, Westbrook stood in place, helplessly shaking his head, his eyes full of regret. If he could have defended that last ball, maybe everything would have been different.

But in the end, there was no "if."

Unknowingly, what Westbrook once thought was no big deal—rookie Zeng Xingyang and the Nuggets—had now become a mountain difficult for them to surpass.

From now on, it will be very difficult for the Thunder to gain a 23-point advantage against the Nuggets again, as the Nuggets will no longer easily give them such a lead.

Oladipo stepped forward, patted Westbrook on the shoulder, and comforted, "Let's go back, it's not your fault."

Since joining the Thunder, Oladipo hasn't felt integrated and constantly feels somewhat outside the system.

This is related to Westbrook's ball-holding play style.

But Oladipo has always had a good relationship with Westbrook, who is a very good teammate privately.

...

Zeng Xingyang's long-range three-pointer that clinched the game seemed to define the Thunder's season.

The Thunder worked hard in the regular season, and Westbrook might post impressive stats, but in matchups with top teams, the Thunder would still lose the final game.

Without Kevin Durant, the Thunder has lost the qualification to stand shoulder to shoulder with top teams.

On the other side, Zeng Xingyang put his hands to his ears, made a goodnight gesture, and jogged back to the locker room with his teammates, shouting, "Goodnight!"

This celebratory gesture was unfriendly to Oklahoma City fans.

Oklahoma City fans on-site were full of anger, some fiercely threw their drink bottles to the ground, some stomped their feet in rage, cursing, but to no avail.

Without Durant, who knows when they'll defeat the Nuggets next time.

The atmosphere was lively in the Nuggets' locker room.

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

All the players and staff of the Nuggets shouted loudly at Zeng Xingyang, the sound was deafening.

Mike Malone beamed with a big smile, placing the big gold chain once again around Zeng Xingyang's neck.

Tonight, Zeng Xingyang achieved an impressive stat line of 63 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 blocks, completely surpassing Westbrook's incredible triple-double of 52 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

The matchup between the two on the court made teammates watching from the side boil with excitement.

Westbrook is an extremely strong and dominant player in the No. 1 position, but ever since Zeng Xingyang entered the league, in direct competition with him, Westbrook has been at a disadvantage.

Last season, Zeng Xingyang might have just been the best rookie, but this season, he already qualifies to compete for the best player. This is not only the consensus of the teammates but also the view of fans and media throughout the league.

Of course, his teammates feel it more deeply, as they can clearly sense Zeng Xingyang's dominance in the game on the court.

Every time the team fell into hardship, Zeng Xingyang would stand up to score.

Although the Nuggets have many capable players, they all respect Zeng Xingyang.

"In terms of personal ability, Zeng Xingyang is definitely the best player active today, even stronger than Jordan in his time," a passionate fan posted on a forum.

"James and Durant don't provide as much shock on the court as Zeng Xingyang does," another fan chimed in.

"That's amazing, 63 points and 12 assists! Although the stats aren't particularly outstanding compared to last season, it's evidently harder to achieve this season," a domestic fan sighed.

"One must consider the players around Zeng Xingyang last season and those around him this season," a fan analyzed rationally.

"When the overall strength of the Nuggets is strong, Zeng Xingyang doesn't need to score high points for the team to win. But when it's truly needed, he can always deliver."

"Now, Zeng Xingyang is more like the general leading the Nuggets, strategizing and never hesitating when it's time to exert his strength."

"The game-winning shot was astonishing!"

Fans were discussing fervently online, and in their hearts, although Zeng Xingyang had fewer crazy stats this season, it felt like he had become stronger.

As if a remarkably outstanding ruler.

At the press conference after the game, lights flashed, and reporters had long been ready.

Mike Malone appeared at the interview table with Zeng Xingyang, Jokic, and Butler.

The Nuggets were building the momentum of the "Big Three," so Butler's involvement was also throughout, as a sign of respect.

Butler was in an exceptionally good mood today, remembering the days of fighting alongside Rose with the Bulls, back when they often turned games around against other teams.

Unfortunately, since Rose got injured, the Bulls only had him struggling with the team.

After coming to the Nuggets, the strength of the team made him feel like he was carried.

Playing alongside Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, he wasn't as exhausted as before.

At the press conference, Butler and Jokic just sat quietly on the side, watching the reporters interview Zeng Xingyang.

The media was clearly uninterested in Butler and Jokic.

"With a single-game performance of over 60 points and 10 assists and scoring the game-winner, Zeng, how do you feel now?" a reporter couldn't wait to ask.

"Do you think the Thunder's strength is declining and they are no longer eligible to be considered for the championship?" another reporter followed up.

"You've matched a 22-game winning streak record, are you looking to chase the Heat's winning streak record next?" yet another reporter posed a question.

"Zeng, do you think you have a chance to win the MVP this season?" The questions kept coming.

Zeng Xingyang responded with a smile, following standard protocol for responses.