NBA: Rising Superstar!-Chapter 479 - 391: Continuing to Intimidate the League!

Chapter 479: Chapter 391: Continuing to Intimidate the League!

Zeng Xingyang delivered a solid performance today, recording a triple-double with 32 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds.

This marks Zeng Xingyang’s first triple-double of the new season.

Jokic quietly put up stats of 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Butler filled the stat sheet with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

Butler’s low scoring was primarily because the team didn’t need him to score much.

When he’s on the court with Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, those two are the main scorers, and when he’s playing with the bench, he’s the main facilitator.

His scoring opportunities mostly come from fast breaks or occasionally stepping up to the free-throw line, as the Nuggets don’t really need him to hold the ball and create scoring chances through contact.

Three consecutive wins, all of which were landslide victories.

The Nuggets’ point differential is extremely intimidating.

Although the Nuggets didn’t defeat any powerhouse teams, their explosive offensive and defensive abilities still alarmed many competitors.

Facing a variety of guards from around the league consecutively, Zeng Xingyang consistently outperformed his opponents on the court.

From the attitudes of Mitchell, Fox, and Wall, it’s evident that they were somewhat mentally shattered by Zeng Xingyang’s defense.

This season, Zeng Xingyang’s improvement isn’t in offense but in defense.

Looking at his average stats, it’s noticeable that both his scoring and assists have decreased compared to last season.

Of course, nobody thinks Zeng Xingyang has weakened; instead, he’s playing fewer minutes per game and has become more efficient.

There’s a reason for Zeng Xingyang’s strength. As his physical condition reaches its peak, his experience has grown richer, and he’s better able to exploit his opponents’ weaknesses during matchups on the court.

The players he’s faced in these games lack comprehensive skills. When their advantages are targeted and limited, they’re left without solutions.

Wall and Bill retreated from Denver feeling disheartened.

They came into this season with high confidence, having secured two consecutive wins and hoping to make their presence felt in the league.

However, the matchup with the Nuggets completely knocked them back to reality.

In the fourth game, the Nuggets traveled to Charlotte in the East to challenge the Hornets.

Since the Bobcats changed their name to the Hornets, it hasn’t altered their awkward standing in the league; they remain quite weak in strength.

Of course, owner Michael hasn’t resigned to this fate and has been striving to make changes.

During the offseason, they brought in Dwight Howard, who had been struggling with the Hawks.

They’ve gathered a mix of promising young players, including Kemba Walker, Marvin Williams, Kidd-Gilchrist, Lamb, and Monk.

Combining this roster of veterans, mid-career players, and youth, they hope to become a strong team.

Facing the visiting Nuggets, owner Michael personally attended courtside to oversee the game.

At the start of the game, the Hornets played excellently, capitalizing on poor shooting from Zeng Xingyang and Jokic to launch a 20-6 run, forcing the Nuggets to call two timeouts.

Mike Malone made timely adjustments, sending Butler and the rookies to take charge.

The Nuggets’ deep bench is terrifying, providing Zeng Xingyang and Jokic opportunities to regroup.

Dejounte Murray and Brogdon exploded tonight, penetrating and breaking down the Hornets’ defense.

The two weren’t driving into the paint but rather succeeding with various mid-range shots and floaters.

Howard’s current defensive coverage pales compared to his peak years; he can only contest attempts at the rim within the paint.

Against mid-range finishes, he’s left quite powerless.

When Zeng Xingyang and Jokic returned in the second quarter, they found their rhythm again, causing problems for the Hornets.

Zeng Xingyang went after Kemba Walker on the perimeter, transitioning to post-up plays when his shooting touch was off.

Kemba Walker, being a lightweight guard, couldn’t withstand Zeng Xingyang’s physicality in the post.

Typically, after backing Walker down to the basket, Zeng Xingyang would execute a turnaround fadeaway or use a jump step to create space.

Sometimes, he used fakes to draw Walker into fouling.

Soon, Walker accumulated his fourth personal foul before taking a rest in the second quarter.

Kemba Walker felt extremely frustrated, thinking that a player like Zeng Xingyang, with his build, should be playing small forward instead of picking on guards from the outside.

While Zeng was picking on Kemba, Jokic was drawing Howard out to play, but his efficiency wasn’t high either.

Indeed, Howard proves to be Jokic’s nemesis; with Howard’s frame, Jokic couldn’t back him down in the low post and had to settle for shooting from outside or providing assists for teammates.

It’s fair to say that Zeng Xingyang carried the team today.

In the second half, Zeng Xingyang remained hot while the Nuggets’ second-unit faltered, forcing Zeng Xingyang to increase his offensive efforts, which paid off with his perimeter shooting touch returning in time.

The final score settled at 120-101, with the Nuggets completing a comeback but winning by only 19 points.

Excluding his underwhelming performance in the first quarter with just 6 points, Zeng Xingyang heated up through the second, third, and fourth quarters, delivering his first 50+ game of the season. He finished with 57 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists for the entire game.

Barkley couldn’t help but exclaim, "Zeng’s performance tonight started slow and then soared, punishing the Hornets’ defense and darkening Michael’s face, haha."

Smith stated, "The scary aspect of Zeng Xingyang is his exceptional in-game adjustment ability; he rarely stays off for a full game and finds his way to play to win."

O’Neal shrugged, "Zeng is still the leading MVP contender this season; for now, I haven’t seen anyone with dominance surpassing him."

Miller commented, "That’s the frightening aspect of the Nuggets now. They started on the back foot, but their bench rotation provided relief for Zeng Xingyang, giving him time to make adjustments. After that, he becomes an invincible war god."

During post-game interviews.

Wiping his sweat, Jokic said to the camera, "I greatly admire Zeng now; he plays exceptionally well on the court and always makes the right choices."

Kemba Walker, interviewed on the other side, said, "No point guard wants to match up with Zeng Xingyang; he’s frightening."

Kemba Walker scored 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists, a decent showing, but considering he scored 10 points in the first quarter alone, it means he only got 4 points in the subsequent three quarters.

He spent most of his time on the bench and was fouled out late in the third quarter, which is unusually for a point guard to finish with six fouls.

Zeng Xingyang accounted for four of his fouls...

Displaying high efficiency across four consecutive games, leading his team to significant victories against opponents, Zeng Xingyang once again demonstrated to the entire league that the player who nearly swept all the accolades last season remains just as dominant in the new season.