NBA: Rising Superstar!-Chapter 118 - 105, Zeng Xingyang: Damian, it’s up to you; no one else will do!

Chapter 118: Chapter 105, Zeng Xingyang: Damian, it’s up to you; no one else will do!

The Blazers did not substitute Lillard during this timeout but made some tactical readjustments.

They reiterated the strategy of initiating the pick and roll through CJ and advised against switching big men for defending Zeng Xingyang.

The primary purpose of this timeout was to slow down the Nuggets’ offensive momentum.

After the timeout, it’s the Blazers’ turn for offense.

CJ McCollum dribbled to the right side, and after several consecutive passes on the outside, he got the ball back, then initiated a pick and roll.

Ami Nu came up to block Harris, who was following, and CJ McCollum observed Zeng Xingyang’s position, realizing he was not near him. So, he changed his pace, misaligning Galinari’s rhythm, and moved to the right low-post for a close-range stop-and-shoot with a fadeaway.

Galinari’s defense lunged forward, but it didn’t put much pressure on CJ McCollum.

"Swish!"

The basketball pierced through the net.

to 37.

When the team was in trouble, CJ McCollum stepped up just in time to stabilize the situation for the team.

Here comes the Nuggets’ offense again.

Nelson dribbled to the front court and made a bounce pass to Jokic.

Zeng Xingyang ran from the baseline to the left side, and Jokic passed the ball over.

Then Jokic moved over to provide him with a screen.

Harkless was blocked, Plumlee tried to switch with McCollum’s defense, but couldn’t make it in time.

Jokic’s screen was timely, preventing CJ McCollum from defending Zeng Xingyang. If they insisted on switching, it might give Zeng Xingyang a momentary opening.

Plumlee dared not gamble, lowered his center of gravity, and raised his arms, ready to defend.

Plumlee has always been a diligent player; he worked hard to try and block Zeng Xingyang’s shot, thus positioning himself very forward.

But this positioning gave Zeng Xingyang a very easy opportunity to break through.

Zeng Xingyang didn’t need to change direction; he directly found the opening on the right side and accelerated to penetrate.

Ami Nu was in position on the inside, Harkless was rushing over from the side, Zeng Xingyang didn’t hesitate and instead slowed down for a quick stop. Before the defense could arrive, he made a mid-range jumper from the free-throw line.

The basketball softly left his palm.

Smooth touch.

"Swish!"

The precise shot went straight through the net.

to 37.

Zeng Xingyang’s shooting felt very stable; his hand positioning remained excellent.

"Passing him is easier than crossing the street."

"Quick, get someone else to defend; he can’t stop him."

"Before you come up, I’m going to turn the score around."

Zeng Xingyang continued to taunt and provoke the Blazers’ Lillard.

Zeng Xingyang urgently wanted to vent the frustration of the team’s falling behind on the opponent.

This emotional catharsis was very important to him.

Plumlee was infuriated; he had become Zeng Xingyang’s ATM but found himself helpless.

Zeng Xingyang was faster than him, and his ball-handling breakthrough ability was much more than expected. With the space opened up, he really couldn’t defend against him.

If he didn’t move forward a bit to defend, Zeng Xingyang might just shoot a three-pointer.

The home camera spotted Zeng Xingyang’s provocations and focused the lens on Lillard at the sideline.

"Damian!"

"Damian!"

"Damian!"

Blazers’ fans were all shouting Lillard’s name.

Zeng Xingyang was leading the Nuggets’ offensive momentum on the court, contributing to a 10 to 2 run by the Nuggets. In this situation, the Blazers were in some danger.

Lillard also stood up, took off his sportswear, preparing himself even though the coach hadn’t called him in yet.

Stotts didn’t hesitate to send Lillard to the scorer’s table, ready to substitute him in at the next dead ball.

"Hey, Zeng Xingyang forced Damian Lillard back into the game."

"The Blazers’ second lineup is as bad as the Nuggets’ starters."

"Zeng’s scoring explosiveness is terrifying; he can easily score 8 or 10 points in a row."

"Zeng might be a strong contender for Rookie of the Year this season."

"I can see now that Zeng is not just a 3D player; his ball-handling offensive skills are improving as well."

"The Nuggets are just crazily giving Zeng the ball rights, letting him shoot, accelerating his growth."

On international basketball forums, discussions about the game also focused on the standout performance of Zeng Xingyang during this period.

At this moment, Zeng Xingyang was undoubtedly shining brightly.

Nuggets fans and Chinese fans wished the Nuggets would announce the team’s complete rebuild around Zeng Xingyang right now.

Zeng Xingyang was playing excellently, and his impact on the game was evident.

On the court.

Zeng Xingyang proactively swapped defenses with Harris, taking on the task of guarding CJ McCollum.

Harris gladly obliged, as defending CJ McCollum was no easy task.

CJ McCollum quickly felt Zeng Xingyang’s dominance, as he was about to dribble past mid-court when Zeng Xingyang stretched his long arm to interfere with the dribble and slapped the ball.

Luckily, CJ McCollum had a low center of gravity and reacted quickly, swiftly regaining control of the ball.

Zeng Xingyang stepped up again to press, CJ McCollum was forced out of bounds while dribbling by Zeng Xingyang.

However, this play had a lot of physical confrontation, and the referee called a foul on Zeng Xingyang.

Lillard was substituted in during this dead ball situation.

"Zeng, guard Damian’s shooting, don’t let his three-pointers open up," shouted coach Mike Malone from the sidelines.

Mike Malone knows very well that the main trigger for the Blazers is Lillard. As long as Lillard’s touch isn’t explosive like it was in the first quarter, the Nuggets won’t be trailing by so much.

"OK!" Zeng Xingyang continued switching defense and actively matched up against Lillard.

Lillard received the ball on the court.

Lillard dribbled while glaring coldly at Zeng Xingyang, saying, "Rookie, you’ll regret your provocative moves."

"Before you came on, your team was getting battered. After you come on, your team will still be battered," Zeng Xingyang spread his arms, lowered his center of gravity, and countered Lillard.

Since playing in the NBA, Zeng Xingyang has often matched up against major offensive players like Harden, Durant, and Hayward. Zeng Xingyang never fears such confrontations.

During this time, he also studied quite a bit of trash talk to mess with opponents’ mindset.

Chinese players using language to attack these foreigners definitely have an advantage.

Lillard’s appearance won’t make Zeng Xingyang fearful; instead, it will spark his competitive spirit in defense.

Zeng Xingyang pressed Lillard, but it didn’t have much effect as Lillard’s dribbling skills were excellent, easily dodging.

"Bang!"

Lillard tried to change directions past Zeng Xingyang, but Zeng Xingyang’s defense coverage with his open arms was extensive, and Lillard couldn’t break through, leading to a physical confrontation.

Lillard was pushed back.

At this time, Plumlee came up for a pick-and-roll.

Zeng Xingyang anticipated the pick-and-roll, and went around ahead of time.

However, Lillard still found a breakthrough opportunity, got around it.

Lillard stopped at the free-throw line and shot from mid-range, while Zeng Xingyang sidewise made an effort to interfere.

To avoid being called for a foul, Zeng Xingyang was somewhat wary.

If it were an average player, encountering this kind of interference usually leads to a miss.

But Lillard evidently showcased his difference from typical players, maintaining his rhythm amidst such strong interference.

"Swish!"

The mid-range shot was good too.

to 39.

After making the basket, Lillard gestured at Zeng Xingyang indicating he was too short, then shouted, "Rookie, you’re too short. Welcome to the NBA!"

Lillard’s words only fueled Zeng Xingyang’s fighting spirit further.

He plans to respond to this guy soon.

Time to act.

Nuggets’ offensive play.

Nelson dribbled to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Jokic at the free-throw line.

Jokic, after surveying, passed the ball to the right-wing where Zeng Xingyang stood.

Jokic was just about to set a screen, but Zeng Xingyang waved Jokic away.

Zeng Xingyang was signaling for Nelson to come over for the pick-and-roll.

The experienced Nelson knew what Zeng Xingyang wanted.

He hurried over for the screen.

A screen and roll, with Harkless taken out, left Lillard as Zeng Xingyang’s defender.

Lillard’s defense is inversely proportional to his offense.

His official height is 1.92 meters, but Zeng Xingyang estimates he’s at most 185.

Being bold in prediction, maybe not even 185.

Many NBA players inflate their height stats, unlike the straightforward nature of Zeng Xingyang, who always reports barefoot height.

An undersized height, coupled with a slender build, and not-so-great defensive awareness.

Such a Lillard’s defense is basically a loophole.

Lillard didn’t defend Zeng Xingyang too tightly, posing as if ready to guard against a breakthrough.

Zeng Xingyang saw this and didn’t hold back.

Side-dribbled one step, then gathered and took a step-back.

Lillard watched as Zeng Xingyang used gathering and stepping back to create space between them; his eyes widened.

Is this a horizontal three-step layup?

Looks an awful lot like traveling.

But the referee didn’t blow the whistle.

After gaining space, Zeng Xingyang makes a three-pointer shot.

His height and the space mean Lillard couldn’t interfere with his shot.

The basketball released with a gentle flick.

The basketball traced a beautiful arc.

to 39

Zeng Xingyang continued to hit threes, closing the gap.

His touch also ignited explosively at this moment.

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