The two sides jump for the ball.
Amir Johnson jumps for the ball.
Little Thomas grabs the ball and quickly dribbles past the half-court line.
Little Thomas circulates the ball a few times, but the Nuggets’ defense keeps up, and there’s no good opportunity.
The ball quickly returns to Little Thomas’s hands.
Facing Nelson’s defense, Little Thomas checks the position behind him, sees an opportunity, channels an extreme change in direction, and accelerates to pass Nelson in a single step.
Little Thomas charges straight toward the paint, preparing for a layup.
Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he seems to spot a yellow flash jumping over. It’s Zeng Xingyang.
Little Thomas smiles, retracting his left hand layup and switching to a right hand layup.
Little Thomas believes he can avoid Zeng Xingyang’s defense.
But just as the ball leaves his hand, he hears a "smack!" sound.
Zeng Xingyang’s right hand fiercely swats the ball out of bounds.
Zeng Xingyang completes the block.
Little Thomas lands with a bewildered look, not expecting Zeng Xingyang to block him like that.
Those arms are outrageously long.
Zeng Xingyang shouts to Little Thomas, "Isaiah, you need to jump a bit higher."
Zeng Xingyang also reflects, thinking that Little Thomas’s under-basket attacking style is quite varied; if he weren’t so short, it wouldn’t have been possible to block him.
Little Thomas quickly retorts to Zeng Xingyang, "If I had your height, I could win MVP."
Zeng Xingyang laughs as he says, "Are you jealous of my height?"
Little Thomas replies, "No, I’m just saying you’re too weak."
Zeng Xingyang counters, "The wind’s too strong up here, hey, I can’t hear what you’re saying."
Little Thomas gives Zeng Xingyang a fierce glare.
The Celtics fans on the sidelines are also exclaiming.
"That block was intense, this rookie jumps so high."
"Isaiah’s going to have a tough game tonight, that block shows the difference in talent."
"This Chinese player’s defensive coverage is impressive, Isaiah even adjusted in mid-air and still got blocked."
On the court, the Celtics’ offense resumes.
Little Thomas receives the inbound pass and initiates a pick-and-roll with Amir Johnson.
Nelson gets passed, Jokic comes to help, but Little Thomas stops and takes a mid-range shot.
Jokic can’t leap high, slightly disturb the shot, but it doesn’t break his rhythm.
Little Thomas’s core strength is excellent, ensuring his jump shots and layups are steady.
The arena explodes with huge cheers.
The high pick-and-roll tactic initiated by Little Thomas is also the Celtics’ most frequently used tactic.
After the frontcourt and the inside line provide screens, Little Thomas has many offensive options.
He can attack the inside line, execute a pull-up jumper, and the Celtics’ two forwards can both shoot from long range, allowing passes to them.
The specific operation depends on the opposing defense formation, with Little Thomas leading such attacks.
The Nuggets’ offense.
Nelson dribbles into the frontcourt, facing active defense from Little Thomas, pushes back using his body, and then passes the ball to Pope.
Pope bounces the ball to Jokic, positioned at the right side of the free-throw line.
Jokic holds the ball with his back, scans his surroundings as Grant sets an off-ball screen for Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang runs over to receive Jokic’s hand-off pass.
Crowder gives chase to Zeng Xingyang but is blocked by Jokic.
Amir Johnson attempts to leap out but is a step slow; Zeng Xingyang receives the ball and rapidly launches a three-pointer, ignoring the defensive pressure.
Amir Johnson’s eyes widen as he marvels at Zeng Xingyang’s impressive shooting speed, leaving him no time to react.
The cheers in the arena are momentarily subdued.
"OMG, Zeng Xingyang’s catch-and-shoot is so crisp, his stability is still so high," Barkley shouts.
"Zeng Xingyang is the only perimeter shooter who can challenge Stephen," Reggie Miller says.
"His touch is akin to Stephen’s, it’s historically elite," Smith adds with conviction.
"Stephen and Zeng might compete for the league’s three-point crown over the next decade," O’Neal remarks.
Jokic comes over to give Zeng Xingyang a high-five, "Zeng, your threes are becoming more and more reliable."
"Your screens make it effortless for me," Zeng Xingyang chuckles.
Jokic shrugs his shoulders, feeling quite lucky to play in the NBA from Europe this season, with a sharpshooter like Zeng Xingyang by his side greatly enhancing his court efficiency.
The Celtics’ offense resumes.
Little Thomas dribbles to the front court and continues to move the ball to Crowder.
Facing challenges from Pope, Crowder finds it tough, so he passes it inside to Amir Johnson.
Amir Johnson backs down Jokic.
It’s a clumsy process, but Amir Johnson rotates to the basket, awkwardly managing a shot that somehow goes in.
The cheers in the arena surge again, as the Celtics fight bravely.
Over the next few possessions, the Celtics’ players maintain excellent form, with contributions from multiple positions. Nelson gets obliterated by Little Thomas’s drives, leaving the Nuggets’ defense in a fragile state.
After half a quarter, the score becomes 7 to 17, with the Nuggets trailing by double digits. Little Thomas has scored 8 points, with an impressive performance, while Nelson misses both his shots and struggles tremendously.
Zeng Xingyang faces double-team defenses, attempting fewer shots, with his teammates’ offensive rhythm proving to be quite ordinary, missing several outside shots.
Mike Malone calls for a timeout, readjusting the defensive strategy. Galinari steps in to play small forward, while Zeng Xingyang is moved to point guard.
After the substitution, Zeng Xingyang causes significant trouble for Little Thomas, but the Celtics aren’t fazed, making tough threes and slicing through the Nuggets’ open spots to score.
By the end of the first quarter, the score sits at 20 to 34, with the Nuggets trailing by as much as 14 points.
In the second quarter, the Nuggets players still haven’t regained their form, as Little Thomas exploits pick-and-roll plays against Zeng Xingyang. If it’s not Zeng Xingyang or Pope on defense, Little Thomas seizes the opportunity with his speed and rhythm.
Over at the TNT Studio, Barkley comments, "As expected of the strongest 175, the Nuggets have a hard time containing him."
Smith adds, "With this pattern, he could really tear through the Nuggets’ defense."
Miller notes, "I actually think it’s the whole Celtics team being on fire, making it easy for him. They’re hitting nearly 80% of their threes, it’s outrageous."
O’Neal says, "Playing at home , when your shot is on, it’s unstoppable."
Looks like the Nuggets are on the verge of losing here tonight.
The first half ends with a score of 47 to 65, with the Celtics leading by 18 points at home.
During the halftime break in the locker room.
The atmosphere among the Nuggets is slightly somber.
"I’m sorry, it’s my fault for not containing that little guy," Nelson steps up to take responsibility.
With advancing age, Nelson increasingly struggles against younger guards, wanting to contribute on the court but often finding little success.
"It’s not your fault; I couldn’t stop him either. That guy plays smart," Zeng Xingyang pats Nelson’s shoulder.
Little Thomas’s basketball IQ is high; he rarely forces plays and plays a very sensible game.
"For the second half, let’s play with a switch-everything defense, with everyone switching quicker, moving their feet. Defend not only against Isaiah but also their other points," Mike Malone emphasizes.
As long as there are no glaring defensive holes, Mike Malone believes they can stop the opponent’s offense.
The Nuggets’ biggest issue might be their insufficient focus, having exerting too much in their last game against the Thunder.
Even being 18 points down doesn’t easily break the Nuggets’ spirit anymore.
The Nuggets exhibit formidable resilience.