CHAPTER 443: CHAPTER 355: THE CLIPPERS’ NIGHTMARE BEGINS!

Nuggets bench.

Mike Malone didn’t criticize the players; he looked at his exhausted team, his eyes full of understanding.

The whole team looked really tired tonight, the continuous high-intensity confrontation kept them under immense pressure.

Even if they lose tonight’s game, it’s acceptable to him.

For him, eliminating the opponent 4-0 isn’t much different from 4-1.

In fact, playing one more game is even more beneficial to maintain the team’s condition.

As for being beaten by the Clippers by a large margin, that’s simply impossible.

Mike Malone didn’t mind losing tonight, but Zeng Xingyang did not want to lose; he wanted to fight to the end.

Zeng Xingyang’s eyes burned with fighting spirit, he clenched his teeth, sweat dripping down from his forehead.

Entering the fourth quarter, he started attacking aggressively with the ball, choosing to finish strong even in the face of double-teaming.

The Clippers players also kept pushing, knocking Zeng Xingyang down repeatedly, with the referees frequently blowing the whistle.

Zeng Xingyang stood on the free throw line time after time, slowly leading the team to catch up.

The Nuggets’ rookies didn’t want to lose; they played harder on defense than the starters.

Siakam, Brogdon, and Dejounte Murray were determined, working tirelessly to stop the Clippers’ offense, knowing this was their chance.

The gap between the two teams gradually closed.

With 6 minutes and 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 91 to 100, with the Clippers leading by only 9 points, prompting them to urgently call for a timeout.

Rivers nearly smashed the tactical board: "How can you not stop him with two people double-teaming?"

"Then use three people!" he continued to shout, "Stop him at all costs."

Zeng Xingyang’s impact on the Clippers’ defense was tremendous in the fourth quarter, exposing numerous gaps in their defense.

Once the timeout ended and the game resumed, Zeng Xingyang found that whenever he made a breakthrough, five Clippers players would shrink back simultaneously; they weren’t willing to give him any chance to attack the basket.

However, there was a rookie on the outside who was pretty steady today.

Brogdon.

Brogdon had had relatively few opportunities to play and was very energetic.

Thus, the Nuggets’ strategy was very simple.

Zeng Xingyang used a screen to break into the paint, and then in the next few possessions, Zeng Xingyang deliberately sought out Brogdon. Brogdon lived up to expectations, draining clutch three-pointers again and again.

The Nuggets, who struggled from the field all night, managed to find the most accurate shooter within their deep roster tonight.

Brogdon’s consecutive threes energized the Nuggets’ defense even more.

The hearts of the Clippers’ fans began to waver, knowing trouble was on the horizon.

The once lively atmosphere in the arena gradually cooled, with worry written all over the fans’ faces.

Barkley said, "The Nuggets don’t seem to plan on switching back to their starters in the fourth quarter. Are they planning to have Zeng Xingyang finish the quarter with four rookies?"

Smith said, "It doesn’t seem a bad idea; the Nuggets’ rookies have displayed excellent mental resilience."

He acknowledged the Nuggets’ rookies’ performance.

Time quickly approached the last 1 minute and 42 seconds, at which point the Clippers were leading by 4 points. Paul attempted a mismatch play against Zubac, but his right-side close-range jumper was contested by Zubac.

Zubac grabbed the rebound. He passed the ball to Zeng Xingyang, who quickly advanced to the front court, and Redick decided to boldly double-team Zeng Xingyang with Paul.

But Zeng Xingyang didn’t plan to pass; he stepped back a bit to create some space, then decisively exploded with a change of direction.

Brogdon’s threes had opened up the space once more.

Zeng Xingyang moved extremely fast; Paul and Redick, both relatively small, couldn’t hold him, allowing Zeng Xingyang to break through seamlessly.

With the ball in hand, Zeng Xingyang smoothly took a Eurostep, stepping with his right foot to the right side and sweeping past Griffin with his left leg.

Upon reaching the basket, Zeng Xingyang stretched out his left hand for a fierce dunk. A Eurostep dunk.

"Bam!!"

to 106.

After landing, Zeng Xingyang roared.

Little Jordan arrived too late.

The atmosphere at Staples Center died down, as Clippers fans felt the immense pressure, facing their biggest fear. The Nuggets were about to tie the score.

Clippers’ offense.

Paul dribbled to the front court. Paul tried to use his teammates, passing the ball to Griffin on the inside, but Griffin was pushed far out by Siakam, making it tough to handle the ball.

Griffin passed the ball to the perimeter Pierce. Pierce received the ball and faced Zeng Xingyang’s defense. Pierce used a jab step, attempting a drive to the right.

But Zeng Xingyang was fully unafraid of his confrontation.

"Bang!"

The two collided, muscle against muscle, with Pierce unable to push Zeng Xingyang back. He wanted to forcefully regroup and charge in with a strong dunk, but failed to control the ball. As he retreated, Zeng Xingyang extended his long arm to strip the ball.

"Snap!"

Zeng Xingyang neatly stripped the ball away. In the moment he gained control, Paul rushed in attempting to steal.

Zeng Xingyang swiftly performed a behind-the-back dribble to the left, avoiding Paul’s steal. Redick reacted quickly, swiftly embracing Zeng Xingyang.

Beep, beep!! Nuggets’ ball possession. Fans stood up, unable to tear their eyes away.

"Damn, amazing defense."

"As expected of the best defensive player."

"That’s how you defend."

"An outright steal, one-on-one; Pierce really has aged."

"The Clippers really ran out of options, relying on a near-retirement veteran for crucial plays."

Pendant Sports chat was lively, with fans commenting on Zeng Xingyang’s defense.

Smith asked, "Charles, why do you think Zeng was named the best defensive player this season?"

After thinking for a while, Barkley said, "In terms of stats, he leads the league in steals, and his block count is in the top ten, which is incredible for a guard. Effectively, Zeng is fast, has quick reactions, is tall, strong, and doesn’t lag behind any position. Even centers can’t easily take advantage of mismatches against him, which is why he was named the best defensive player."

Smith nodded, saying, "From what I understand, many players fear matching up against Zeng Xingyang because they believe their efficiency drops drastically when facing him."

Barkley replied, "That’s why Zeng’s selection as the best defensive player isn’t very controversial."

The game resumed quickly.

Zeng Xingyang dribbled to the front court. He wasn’t in a hurry, signaling before passing the ball to Zubac, who came out to support.

Zubac received the ball, exchanging a handoff with Siakam.

Siakam dribbled on the right side, while Zeng Xingyang kept Griffin at bay.

Siakam decisively passed the ball to Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang caught the ball deep inside, choosing to dribble into Griffin, then with a follow-through bounce, turned and shot a fadeaway. Zeng Xingyang displayed formidable core strength, staying airborne as Griffin launched himself to contest but couldn’t keep up.

Released the shot. The basketball drew a small arc.

"Swoosh!"

Swished through the net.

to 106.

The score leveled, and the Clippers fans’ nightmare began.