Zeng Xingyang’s relentless offense had Mike Malone applauding on the sidelines.
It’s better now that the score is catching up, otherwise, it’s hard to recover from such a big gap.
The cheers from the live audience grew louder. Nuggets fans were cheering them on.
On the sidelines, Popovich called Leonard and Aldridge and others, preparing for a substitution.
No stoppage in play yet.
This time, David West drew a double-team inside and then passed out to the perimeter.
Danny Green caught the ball at the corner and quickly jumped to shoot.
Danny Green thought this shot wouldn’t be disturbed, but he overlooked Zeng Xingyang’s help defense ability.
Zeng Xingyang swiftly ran over as David West released the ball.
He interfered right at the moment Danny Green took the shot.
The basketball heavily hit the rim and bounced up.
Boban got the offensive rebound.
Boban wanted to go up again with the ball.
But he was a bit slow in movement.
Jokic swiped his big hand, knocking the ball off Boban’s leg and out.
Nuggets ball possession.
With a dead ball, the Spurs took the opportunity to put their starting lineup back in.
Popovich wouldn’t watch as the Spurs’ second-line was toyed around by Zeng Xingyang.
Grant passed the ball to Jokic.
Jokic dribbled past the half court.
Danny Green continued to stick to Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang moved to the right side, Jokic passed the ball over to him.
Danny Green didn’t dare to relax for a moment; he felt Zeng Xingyang had found a way to deal with them.
Zeng Xingyang called for a horns screen.
Jokic and Grant both came up to double-team Danny Green.
Duncan and Aldridge also stepped up to delay Zeng Xingyang.
But it was unsuccessful; Zeng Xingyang used a dragging step combined with a side step, a large stride to dodge the double-team.
At the top of the arc, beyond the three-point line, he found an opening and quickly jumped and shot a three-pointer.
Duncan and Aldridge’s defensive abilities weren’t enough to make a second rush.
Zeng Xingyang’s shot faced little resistance.
The three-pointer traced a beautiful arc.
After being hit by the Spurs with a 12-0 run, the Nuggets quickly responded with a 7-0 run.
Zeng Xingyang led this offensive surge.
The fans in the Pepsi Center in Denver kept howling; they loved seeing this scene.
The home team was improving, getting better as they played.
Faried and the substitutes were also yelling, cheering on the whole team.
The Nuggets have suffered against the Spurs for a long time.
Zhang Weiping said, "Xingyang’s offensive firepower has been fully unleashed during this period; he is gradually targeting the Spurs’ defensive weak spots. If Duncan and Aldridge are pulled out to the perimeter, they find it hard to defend."
Yu Jia said, "Xingyang’s ability to handle single-man attacks is particularly strong now. As long as he doesn’t directly encounter top-tier defenders, his scoring is relatively easy."
Zhang Weiping said, "Yes, the current Xingyang is no ordinary rookie; he’s a legitimate All-Star player."
Popovich on the sidelines didn’t call for a timeout but signaled the team to steady themselves.
At this moment, the intensity of the Nuggets players had risen, and they played with momentum.
After Parker reached the frontcourt, he passed the ball to Leonard.
Zeng Xingyang went straight to defend Leonard.
Leonard held the ball on the perimeter, attempting to change direction to break through, but failed.
Zeng Xingyang kept pressuring Leonard, making it difficult for him to make a play, and he passed the ball to Duncan inside.
Duncan leaned against Jokic, single-hand tackling, and couldn’t move Jokic. Duncan turned left along the baseline for a hook shot.
Jokic applied some pressure to Duncan.
Duncan’s shot bounced off the rim, and Pope went back to secure the rebound.
Popovich was somewhat surprised by the Nuggets’ defense in this round.
The Nuggets’ defense seemed stronger than the last time they met.
Once their defensive momentum arose, breaking through it was also difficult.
If Duncan were a few years younger, that shot would have gone in.
The Nuggets continued their offense again.
The cheers from the live audience grew larger.
The fans were cheering for the home team.
Zeng Xingyang dribbled up the court.
Playing at home felt fantastic, with support backing them up.
After Zeng Xingyang reached the frontcourt, he passed the ball back to Jokic.
Jokic organized the passing, trying to create opportunities for Zeng Xingyang.
After a series of screens, positional plays, and passes, Zeng Xingyang formed a one-on-one situation with Aldridge on the right three-point line.
The advantage of having Jokic was evident: he could organize the Nuggets’ offense well.
Aldridge was pulled out to single-guard Zeng Xingyang.
After a series of dribbling crossovers, Aldridge kept pressing on defense.
Zeng Xingyang faked a turnaround, made a real dash, and broke inside.
Zeng Xingyang charged into the interior, with Leonard and Duncan both coming over to help defend.
Zeng Xingyang’s layup angle was locked; he decisively passed the ball to Jokic, who was following up in the middle.
Jokic caught the ball in stride and easily laid it in.
The Nuggets’ momentum continued.
Parker quickly dribbled past half court and called for a timeout.
Popovich couldn’t hold back any longer.
The Spurs’ performance during this period was unacceptable, after just giving the Nuggets a small surge, they rapidly conceded back.
"Well done." Jokic and Zeng Xingyang high-fived in celebration.
Zeng Xingyang fed that ball beautifully, right to Jokic’s mouth.
Zeng Xingyang had now found a way to deal with the Spurs.
The Spurs’ team defense is indeed excellent, but they fear this kind of 1-on-5 offensive approach.
It’s like the Kobe style of play.