NBA: Rising Superstar!

Little Jordan clenched his fist and charged toward Zeng Xingyang, who did not back down.

Zeng Xingyang was very rational; he wouldn't start a fight, but he wouldn't show weakness either.

The distance between them wasn't short, and players and referees quickly intervened on both sides.

The Nuggets' players guarded Zeng Xingyang behind them, while Mike Malone kept signaling to separate Zeng Xingyang, ensuring he wouldn't get involved.

If Zeng Xingyang were to be provoked into throwing a punch, the Nuggets would be finished.

The referee had no intention of protecting Little Jordan, and gave him a technical foul.

Zeng Xingyang got the chance to stand on the free-throw line, and both foul and technical free throws were accurately made.

Zeng Xingyang never feared underhanded tactics because he knew when the opponent played like this, his approach was right.

They were already anxious.

Unlike the Nuggets who had a few match points, the Clippers couldn't afford any mistakes.

If they lose one game, it would mark the end of their season.

After Zeng Xingyang made three free throws, Rivers called another time-out.

"Tonight we witnessed the versatile Zeng Xingyang, dominating on both offense and defense."

"Every Nuggets' possession had Zeng Xingyang launching the attack, yet I don't find him selfish."

"Zeng Xingyang is performing more efficiently tonight than in the previous two games."

"It's enjoyable to watch Nuggets play like this; Zeng Xingyang should have been playing this way all along, it simplifies the game."

"You can visibly see the Clippers have been driven to desperation, trying to provoke Xingyang."

"Xingyang won't fall for it; words won't rile him up, few can out-trash-talk him."

Fans kept expressing their thoughts online.

Nuggets' bench.

Mike Malone leaned down proactively to give Zeng Xingyang a tactical briefing.

Mike Malone never anticipated Zeng Xingyang would erupt so explosively right from the start of the game tonight.

If Zeng Xingyang played like this every day, the games would be easy.

"Zeng, do you need a break?"

"No, I'm fine." Zeng Xingyang said after taking a sip of water.

He expended a lot in the first quarter, but in the second, he focused more on passing, using his presence to create opportunities for his teammates, so he didn't exhaust himself too much.

"Nikola, get out there and relieve some pressure, remember to control your fouls."

"OK!" Jokic nodded.

Jokic hadn't had much playing time today; the Clippers targeted him on offense, causing some trouble.

Mike Malone didn't have Zeng Xingyang carry the offense and organization tasks throughout, and Jokic had rested enough.

Clippers' bench.

Rivers angrily cursed, emphasizing defense.

The Clippers failed to stop Zeng Xingyang's offense in the first quarter, and then couldn't halt his organization in the second, pushing them into a passive situation.

"Pressure him, grasp the timing of double-teams, don't just double-team randomly."

"Confront him, exhaust him!"

"Don't relax on defense, keep your footwork quicker."

Rivers arranged a new defensive strategy.

Clearly, the Clippers now just wanted to win; their streak made them see the hope of seizing the series.

The game swiftly resumed.

Zeng Xingyang continued to face double-team defense; the Clippers' defensive harassment reached its peak.

Fortunately, Jokic stepped up timely to keep some firepower for the Nuggets.

Under Zeng Xingyang and Jokic's leadership, the Nuggets regained their confidence in winning.

Zeng Xingyang also reduced defensive pressure on other spots.

The Nuggets were inherently strong; now that they were recovering, it would be tough for the Clippers to counterattack easily.

The half-time ended quickly.

The score reached 65 to 55, with the Nuggets leading by double digits.

Zeng Xingyang's personal stats escalated to 37 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Such individual performance in the first half astonished many fans.

"Zeng Xingyang is scoring like he's ascending to heaven."

"Awesome, awesome, another playoff 50+ double-double incoming?"

"Tonight Zeng Xingyang went crazy, if not for the Clippers' second-quarter adjustment, 60+ wouldn't be a problem."

"Clippers strengthened defenses against Zeng Xingyang; his offensive opportunities decreased in the second quarter, they won't give him easy points."

"Clippers employed double even triple-team defenses against him."

"Zeng Xingyang is too strong; they can only defend this way."

"The Nuggets are bound to win tonight."

Fans passionately commented online.

The Clippers walked back to the locker room in low spirits, having been suppressive from the onset tonight.

They never imagined Zeng Xingyang would score so much in the first half.

CCTV studio.

Coach Zhang said, "Xingyang totally unleashed his firepower in the first half, attacking with all he had each possession; his performance was impeccable, stepping up when everyone thought Nuggets would be at a disadvantage on the Clippers' home turf."

Yu Jia said, "Let's look forward to the second half; the Clippers will strive to counter in their home ground, and we'll see if the Nuggets can hold their advantage."

The two commentators never expected Zeng Xingyang would press the Clippers so hard with high scores.

Not just them, but TV viewers never expected it either; it's been a while since seeing Zeng Xingyang erupt so intensely in games.

Scoring 37 in the first half— such numbers are often achieved by superstars in whole games.

Forums buzzed with Zeng Xingyang's first-half performance discussions.

"Zeng Xingyang goes all out against the Clippers."

"Too fierce, no one can stop him."

"Awesome, awesome, just keep playing like this."

"Zeng Xingyang's scoring ability is now on par with Durant and Curry."

"The Nuggets must win against the Clippers tonight."

....

The second half began swiftly.

The Clippers made their first possession count with Redick's three-pointer, starting their furious chase.

Jokic continued to be plagued by fouls and went out early, leaving Zeng Xingyang somewhat stranded on the court.

Though Zeng Xingyang's offense was strong, he couldn't quite reach the point of single-handedly outmaneuvering five in the playoffs.

The other Nuggets players' touch began to decline, while Crawford and Redick led a comprehensive perimeter explosion on the Clippers' side.

This quarter saw the Clippers make up some scores.

The score closed to 88 to 85.

After an adjustment, the fourth quarter resumed.

In the first minute, both sides contested defensively, yielding no points.

Then the Clippers organized and passed the ball to Redick at the corner.

Redick caught the ball and nailed a corner three-pointer.

88 to 88.

The teams tied, and the live momentum peaked.

Today's pressure from the Nuggets on the Clippers was immense; now, having caught up, they gained confidence.

Mike Malone was a bit anxious courtside; the situation wasn't favorable for the Nuggets.

Since his initial outburst, Zeng Xingyang had been significantly limited in the second and third quarters; despite other players not being too off-form, it affected the Nuggets' firepower.

Could the team withstand the pressure? Mike Malone wasn't sure.

Zeng Xingyang on the court remained composed, signaling his teammates not to panic; Jokic currently had 4 fouls and should manage the finale when he returned.

Nelson brought the ball past halftime, passing it to Zeng Xingyang.

The Clippers still opted to double-team Zeng Xingyang, with Paul and Bamot involved.

They savored the benefits of double-teaming Zeng Xingyang; as long as he didn't attack, others couldn't strike successfully.

This time, facing the double-team, Zeng Xingyang didn't pass but moved back first, then after securing space, dribbled behind and burst forward, penetrating quickly with a low-hand dribble.

The Clippers lacked coordination in their offensive defense, leaving no inside defense to guard Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang didn't penetrate further but decelerated abruptly.

He got up for a jump shot, launching a long-range two-pointer.

"Swish!"

90 to 88.

This shot was determinedly taken, showcasing Zeng Xingyang's readiness to seize scoring chances, showing his exceptionally great touch.