NBA: Rising Superstar!

Chapter 492 - 404: Showdown with the Blazers!

After G1, the next three games went exactly as Butler predicted, with the Nuggets not giving the Spurs any chance.

They won three straight games with scores of 132 to 98, 125 to 100, and 124 to 104.

Winning each game by more than 20 points, the Nuggets’ dominance far exceeded outside expectations.

Zeng Xingyang and Jokic seemed to explode at the sight of the Spurs, leaving no opportunity for the opponent.

Aldridge achieved stats of 23 points and 11 rebounds in this series, giving his best individual performance but still posing little trouble for the Nuggets.

After sweeping the Spurs 4-0, the Nuggets waited for their next opponent to emerge.

The next opponent would be the winner between the Blazers and Thunder.

Most were confident that the Thunder would win this series because they had swept the Blazers 4-0 in the regular season.

But the playoffs are always full of surprises.

Lillard and McCollum became unstoppable in the playoffs, delivering highly efficient personal offense, especially Lillard, scoring 42 points and 11 assists in the first game, 37 points and 10 assists in the second, 32 points and 15 assists in the third, and 35 points and 12 assists in the fourth...

Lillard’s stats were nearly comparable to Zeng Xingyang’s, while the Thunder’s biggest problem was exposed: they played individually on the court leading to lower efficiency.

Paul George looked like a pseudo-superstar, averaging only 18 points and 7 rebounds, and Anthony averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds, but his shooting percentage was also low, mostly attacking by probing and shooting directly, reducing the triple threat to just a shooting threat.

The series score was 4-2, with the Blazers emerging victorious.

Although the Blazers won the first round, the general belief was that they could not get past the Nuggets this round.

Fans and media generally thought that if it were the Thunder, this series would offer some excitement, but with the Blazers, there was practically no need to play.

The Nuggets’ guard defense was too strong, and McCollum and Lillard had little way to break through their defense.

However, contrary to what the media and fans predicted before the game, the G1 battle of the Western Conference semifinals was not one-sided.

Instead, the entire Blazers team was on fire, while the Nuggets hit only one of their first fifteen three-point attempts, leading to the Blazers being ahead by double digits in the first three quarters.

It wasn’t until the start of the fourth quarter that the Nuggets began an insane comeback.

With 3 minutes and 22 seconds left in the game, the score was 110 to 110, with both teams tied.

The Nuggets called a timeout.

Jokic received the ball in the backcourt and advanced, with Zeng Xingyang continuing to be double-teamed.

Today’s tactic for the Blazers was to resolutely double-team Zeng Xingyang, while others camped in the paint to encourage the Nuggets’ other players to end with three-point shots.

This defensive strategy worked well, as Gordon, Butler, Jokic, and others had extremely low three-point shooting percentages.

This led to the Nuggets being passive.

The Blazers figured they just needed to contain Zeng Xingyang.

Jokic moved to the top of the arc, and Zeng Xingyang used Butler’s screen to run and receive the pass.

Jokic then set another screen for Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang caught the ball and exploded with speed to the right side.

Ami Nu came to help defend, but Zeng Xingyang bypassed his long arms with a Euro step layup to score.

to 112.

Ami Nu’s defense was good, but it clearly couldn’t stop the current Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang played with great ease on the court!

The next possession belonged to the Blazers.

Lillard dribbled to the frontcourt, and Zeng Xingyang proactively took the defense.

Lillard signaled to spread the space as wide as possible.

Zeng Xingyang indicated no need for a double team.

In the critical moments of a game, it’s the time for star players to shine against each other.

Lillard has long been renowned in the league for his extreme clutch shooting ability and long-range shooting.

His shooting range covers half the court, with quick release and strong resistance to interference, and his step-back threes and off-ball screens transition to jump shots are his trademark weapons, having clinched wins with distance threes multiple times in his career!

His dribbling rhythm is expertly varied, and while his absolute speed isn’t top-notch, his change-of-direction breakthroughs combined with physical confrontation efficiently take him to the basket, excelling at drawing fouls.

His passing has both vision and stealth, skilled at using pick-and-rolls to create opportunities for teammates, and defensively, he compensates for his height disadvantage with active play and has sharp steal awareness.

As the core guard of the Blazers, he combines explosive scoring with leadership qualities, embodying the "clutch player" with his big heart performances, making him a modern guard with comprehensive skills and a highly intimidating style.

Although Lillard knew Zeng Xingyang was tough to play against, he wouldn’t give up.

Once the space was adequately opened, Lillard faced off against Zeng Xingyang and began making large directional changes.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Consecutive big changes of direction tearing up space.

Zeng Xingyang tightly followed Lillard, not giving him a chance to release a shot, as Lillard made a right-side burst of speed.

Lillard’s speed was very fast, but Zeng Xingyang maintained his position.

Lillard rushed into the paint and took a step to attempt a strong finish.

Just as he jumped, Zeng Xingyang also leapt almost simultaneously.

Zeng Xingyang extended his long arm.

"Pow!"

Zeng Xingyang slammed the ball hard against the backboard.

The rebound was grabbed by Jokic.

"Ah!!!" Zeng Xingyang roared at the camera.

The Denver home crowd screamed.

"Hey, what was Lillard thinking, challenging Zeng Xingyang’s defense."

"Zeng Xingyang’s defense is overbearing, leaving Lillard no chance."

"Unexpected, completely unexpected that the showdown would be this spectacular."

"Just keep defending like that, totally freezing Lillard."

"Lillard’s offense is great; he can momentarily keep up with Zeng Xingyang, but defensively he can’t match up."

The fans discussed.

On the court, the fans’ words were once again verified.

Zeng Xingyang dribbled to the left side, and the Blazers stopped double-teaming, with Lillard taking the single defense.

Seeing Lillard gritting his teeth, wanting to defend by himself.

Zeng Xingyang smiled and gestured for his teammates to clear the space.

With the ball on the right side, Zeng Xingyang began posting up Lillard.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Consecutive back-down collisions.

Lillard’s thin body simply couldn’t stop Zeng Xingyang’s consecutive impacts.

Zeng Xingyang collided into position on the left low post, then turned and faded away.

Lillard was suppressed by Zeng Xingyang, unable to even contest the shot.

This advantage in physical confrontation was too apparent; Lillard’s body was extremely frail.

"Bang!"

"Swoosh!"

The basketball bounced off the backboard and fell into the hoop.

to 114.

The atmosphere in the venue surged again; Nuggets fans loved to see this, as Zeng Xingyang consistently dominated opposing point guards, creating a significant mismatch.

Lillard’s defense looked like that of a child.