"Not bad at all," Scarlett Johnson nodded.
"Want to take a picture with him after the game?"
Scarlett waved down a male staff member from the Nuggets and conveyed her and Taylor Swift’s idea.
The male staff member from the Nuggets quickly patted his chest and said no problem.
It’s customary for celebrities from the entertainment world to meet NBA stars in the player tunnel, and both sides usually give each other some face.
For stars like Taylor Swift and Scarlett, this was too easy.
The players returned to the locker room for the player introduction ceremony.
The starting players for both teams took the court.
Clippers starters: Paul, Redick, Wesley Johnson, Griffin, Little Jordan.
The Clippers have a luxurious lineup, with strong players like Crawford, Pierce, and Matt Barnes on the bench.
Last season, this lineup made it to the Western Conference semifinals, just one quarter away from the finals.
Unfortunately, Coach Doug Rivers’ tendency to be reversed and Paul’s Conference Finals curse were too strong when combined.
The Rockets managed to rely on a bunch of substitutes to produce a 40-15 point differential in the fourth quarter of Game 6 to reverse the situation against the Clippers.
Eventually, in the Game 7 showdown, the Rockets took out the Clippers and eliminated them.
Why this Clippers team didn’t make it to the Conference Finals is more about the players’ and coach’s mental issues than a matter of strength.
Nuggets starters: Zeng Xingyang, Harris, Pope, Grant, Jokic.
As usual, the Nuggets’ starting lineup emphasized defense.
Defense has already become one of the Nuggets’ characteristics, with their defensive efficiency ranking among the top in the league.
Jokic and Little Jordan for the jump ball.
Little Jordan jumped too late, and the ball was tapped by Jokic to Harris.
Zeng Xingyang quickly sprinted forward.
Harris passed the ball to Jokic, who didn’t stop but quickly handed the ball to Zeng Xingyang stationed beyond the right-side three-point line.
The Clippers’ retreat to defense was very fast, and Paul was trailing Zeng Xingyang, giving him no opportunity for an open three-pointer.
But Zeng Xingyang just glanced down at Paul, without any hesitation, dribbled to his right, pulled up, and shot a three.
Paul tried to swipe the ball but missed; Zeng Xingyang’s release point was very high.
The 183 cm tall Paul didn’t cause much interference to the 203 cm tall Zeng Xingyang.
The basketball followed a beautiful arc.
The ball went through the net cleanly.
In an instant, the cheers from the scene erupted.
The audience in the front row clapped in celebration.
Zeng Xingyang spread his arms, signaling for even louder cheers from the fans.
Is defense in place effective?
Even against defense, with such a height and wingspan advantage, as long as Paul doesn’t disrupt the rhythm, Zeng Xingyang can maintain a stable shooting percentage.
"Wow, Xingyang just nailed a three-pointer over Paul’s head."
"The game’s just starting, and the pace is very good."
"The Clippers’ defense was in place, putting a lot of pressure on Xingyang, but it didn’t work; Paul is still too short."
Wang Meng exclaimed excitedly.
Wang Meng was now broadcasting live from Denver and had become a dedicated fan of Zeng Xingyang ever since he entered the league.
He genuinely felt proud for Zeng Xingyang.
The Clippers’ offense came again.
Playing on the Denver Plateau, even if the Nuggets are in a back-to-back, they still appear full of energy.
Paul passed the ball to Griffin, who wanted to back down Grant in the low post, only to encounter a sudden double-team from Pope.
Griffin couldn’t protect the ball.
Pope completed the steal.
After gaining control of the ball, Pope passed it directly to Zeng Xingyang in the frontcourt.
Zeng Xingyang pretended to wait for teammates, but suddenly accelerated, blew by Redick, and reached the left perimeter.
He slowed down, stopped abruptly; Paul rushed to catch up, but it was too late.
Zeng Xingyang launched another three-pointer.
Paul’s rhythm was off, and he couldn’t jump to contest.
Once more venturing through the net.
"Wow, Xingyang makes a fierce start, two explosive three-pointers."
"This kind of opening with such a hand feel is invincible."
"Xingyang gives me the feeling that once he shoots, the ball will go in; it’s like robotic consistency."
"This must be the shooting talent that ranks Xingyang alongside Curry."
"Hey, I think if Xingyang is given time, he can surpass Curry; his talent is much better than Curry’s."
"With shooting like that, calling Xingyang and Curry incredible understates it; their three-pointers are second nature, success every time, which in martial arts would be a grandmaster level."
"Xingyang’s waving to us over here..."
Wang Meng continued his excited commentary at the broadcasting table.
Seated on the other side, Song Xue felt a little speechless.
Zeng Xingyang’s celebratory gesture on the court in her direction was clearly telling her he didn’t have weak legs.
His energy seemed endless.
The opening game played very intensely.
In the first four minutes of the match.
The score was 4 to 12.
Zeng Xingyang had scored 8 out of those points, while the Clippers’ offense was frozen by the Nuggets’ relentless defense.
Rivers decided to call a timeout to make adjustments; the high-altitude away-game pressure was immense.