NBA: Rising Superstar!

In Zeng Xingyang's impression, this was the case when Paul later joined the Rockets and the Suns.

The Rockets had Harden, and the Suns had Booker, both of whom could compensate for Paul's lack of firepower.

Now, the Clippers' Redick obviously couldn't help Paul much; he was just a catch-and-shoot scorer.

And Crawford was the type of player who, when given the ball, could take on five opponents by himself, completely independent of Paul.

Clippers' offense.

Paul passed the ball to Crawford on the right side.

Crawford made a crossover and broke through for a one-on-two.

He went for a flying layup but was disrupted, and Jokic secured the rebound.

Nuggets' offense.

Jokic dribbled to the front court and passed to Zeng Xingyang on the right side.

After just taking advantage of a mismatch with Paul, Jokic chose not to attack again.

Zeng Xingyang received the ball and faced Paul.

Decisively started backing him down.

Backed him down from beyond the three-point line into the paint.

Paul's defense was very tough; he often made the All-Defensive First Team.

But he couldn't withstand Zeng Xingyang's physical dominance; at the free-throw line, Zeng Xingyang made a nimble spin to release pressure, then completed the spin to get past.

Turnaround jump shot, the ball had a beautifully picturesque fadeaway effect.

Paul jumped with all his might but couldn't block it.

The basketball drew a beautiful arc.

"Swish!"

75 to 93.

Paul had become a mere backdrop.

This caused continuous cheers from the home fans.

Many fans had shouted themselves hoarse but were still cheering wildly.

Tonight, the Nuggets' performance brought them to multiple climaxes.

Next up.

Paul was continuously targeted by Zeng Xingyang and Jokic.

Finally, Paul couldn't take it anymore; after trying to draw an offensive foul against Jokic's backing down, he angrily lashed out at the referee with American expletives.

As a result, Paul was called for a technical foul, and Rivers had no choice but to substitute him.

Tonight, Paul's offensive performance was decent, but on defense, he became a liability for the Clippers.

It's not that Paul's defense was poor, but that Zeng Xingyang and Jokic's mismatch against smaller players was too strong.

This forced other Clippers players to frequently cover for Paul, leading to some dissatisfaction with Paul.

Tonight, there wasn't much of a home court whistle from the referees, but they weren't going to favor the visiting team, so some calls Paul thought were fouls weren't made.

Paul sat on the bench and threw his towel down hard, feeling like he was mentally falling apart.

Paul's benching further crushed the Clippers' chances of closing the gap.

Crawford was alternately defended by Harris, Zeng Xingyang, and Pope, with occasional double-teams.

No matter how excellent his individual skills were, facing such top-level defense, his offensive firepower was immediately suppressed.

The Nuggets' offense didn't explode in the fourth quarter; Jokic organized the offense one possession at a time.

Zeng Xingyang was substituted with 5 minutes left in the game by Mike Malone, and the 20-point disparity meant he wouldn't be returning.

Rivers stood on the sideline with hands on his hips, looking calm.

Rivers had clearly accepted the outcome of this first away game loss.

Paul was subdued, Crawford was contained, and Griffin and Little Jordan couldn't change the game.

The Clippers' positions seemed functionally well-equipped, but they also exposed a lot of issues, which collectively led to their loss.

Rivers gave a big wave, calling in the Clippers' substitutes.

The game officially entered garbage time.

Beep beep!!

The referee's whistle marked the end of the game.

The final score was set at 91 to 111.

The Nuggets easily won Game 1 at home by 20 points.

Zeng Xingyang made a grand statement in his playoff debut with 42 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, and 2 turnovers.

In just one game, Zeng Xingyang forcefully proved that he was not just a regular-season superstar; he remained tough in the playoffs.

This game, the Nuggets won decisively, leaving the Clippers with none of their pre-game veterans' expressions.

Several other Nuggets players also performed well, with Jokic achieving a triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming Zeng Xingyang's best helper.

Pope had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Harris had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists; Galinari had 12 points; Grant had 10 points.

The best display in this game by the Nuggets remained their defense, which fragmented the Clippers' offense on the court.

On the Clippers' side, Paul had 22 points, 13 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals; Griffin had 13 points, 11 rebounds; Crawford had 27 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist; Little Jordan had 14 points, 8 rebounds.

Griffin and Little Jordan did not show standards matching their salaries; facing the Nuggets' defense, their impact was far from sufficient.

This allowed the Nuggets to surround their perimeter without worries.

"This was an exciting playoff offense-defense showdown; although the game lost suspense early in the fourth quarter, the first three quarters displayed strong tactical levels from both teams."

"The Nuggets didn't show any playoff inexperience; on the contrary, their players were full of energy, while the Clippers' players looked somewhat too old."

"Especially Zeng Xingyang's performance, which once again refreshed the outside world's perception of him—he became the most dazzling superstar of the Nuggets on the court."

"At the start of the season, Zeng Xingyang was thought to be a 3D player, but now, he has become a qualified primary ball handler."

"Of course, the Nuggets' easy win in this game was also due to Nikola Jokic's team play. This Serbian giant, who hides behind Zeng Xingyang's spotlight, showcased a unique performance at the center position."

"Nikola Jokic, this guy is an underrated rookie; he's very smart on the court and always very rational. As long as he's on the field, the Nuggets' offense won't fall apart."

"Zeng Xingyang is the Nuggets' explosive point, and Nikola Jokic is the Nuggets' foundation."

Barkley and Smith remarked.

Both watched Zeng Xingyang grow up firsthand; in their eyes, Zeng Xingyang was already a star!

They didn't know where Zeng Xingyang's potential lay.

The playoffs' test was perfectly passed by him.

Fans loved watching Barkley and Smith commentate on Nuggets games; they always managed to nail the key points.

Domestically, the fans were also very excited.

"Tonight, the Nuggets won so easily."

"The Clippers' era is over."

"Judging by the first game, the Nuggets will have the last laugh in this series."

"Can score, can pass; Xingyang's performance is getting better and better."

"Xingyang's output is really stable; today's shooting percentage was as high as 60%, each shot looked like it was going in."

Domestic fans hadn't seen such thrilling playoffs for a long time.

During Da Yao's era, every first round was very tough.

Even teams like the Jazz, which seemed unremarkable, always became the Rockets' nemesis.

After tonight's game, the entire Clippers team turned and walked back to the locker room.

Tonight's game was absolute suppression in terms of skill; this young Nuggets team seemed like the Clippers' nightmare.

The Clippers were somewhat desperate.

The next game is still at the Nuggets' home court; how will they play?

Post-game interviews.

The Nuggets' interview hall was packed with people.

It's the playoffs; NBA games have more concentrated attention.

The media's coverage of the games was also more robust.

"Ka-ka-ka!"

When Zeng Xingyang and Jokic appeared here, the flashlights lit up brightly.

Almost all media now recognized that Zeng Xingyang and Jokic would become a powerful duo in the West.

Several interviewees took their seats.

"Zeng, getting a 40+10 in your playoff debut and defeating your opponent, what kind of feeling is that?" a reporter eagerly asked.

"To be honest, although I feel good, I know it's a series, we just won the opener; there will be many more tests ahead," Zeng Xingyang displayed maturity: "We won because everyone worked hard on defense, actively moved and passed the ball; we all enjoyed playing this way."

Zeng Xingyang's tone gave reporters a sense of steadiness.

Mike Malone also said on the sidelines: "Tonight, we played real basketball; we executed our pre-game plans well, and we will win this series!"