Chapter 426: Chapter 338, G4 Fierce Battle?
Randolph and Little Gasol combined to score 60 points, the highest for the black and white bears in this series so far.
But unfortunately, such a performance was just in vain.
After the game, public opinion generally believed that the Grizzlies would be swept.
Randolph, unwilling to accept it, said to the media, "We will definitely not be swept, absolutely not. We will find our rhythm on the court."
Randolph emphasized forcefully.
April 24th.
The fourth game of the Nuggets vs. Grizzlies series.
This game was more intense than the last, and the Grizzlies showed their resilience. They did not want to be swept.
Conley, Carter, Chandler Parsons, and Randolph all stepped up one after another.
Zeng Xingyang encountered foul trouble in the first quarter, sitting down early to rest, which was a key factor in the Nuggets’ problems.
Zeng Xingyang’s absence led to the Nuggets trailing the Grizzlies by halftime.
The score was 50 to 55, with the Grizzlies leading by 5 points.
In the third quarter, Mike Malone chose to have the Nuggets’ second lineup face the Grizzlies’ starting lineup.
Brogdon, Zeng Xingyang, Butler, Siakam, Zubac.
Mike Malone preferred the energy of this Nuggets lineup.
The third quarter began with the Nuggets on offense.
Brogdon brought the ball to the frontcourt.
Though just a rookie, Brogdon played with extreme calmness and reason.
After reaching the frontcourt, he signaled his teammates to spread out and then passed the ball to Zeng Xingyang, who had run to the right three-point line.
Defending Zeng Xingyang was still Tony Allen.
Tony Allen’s role on the court was defense. His offensive attempts were very few, rarely even shooting threes.
The Grizzlies put him on to hound Zeng Xingyang.
His defense was good, but Siakam came up in time to set a pick.
Siakam blocked Tony Allen, and Randolph came up in time for a switch.
Seeing this mismatch, Zeng Xingyang decisively began dribbling.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Continuous crossover dribbles.
Zeng Xingyang’s crossover dribbles were accompanied by rhythm changes. Randolph adjusted his steps continuously, tried hard, but couldn’t keep up.
Zeng Xingyang dangled the ball to the right, then bounced it to his left hand, combining a behind-the-back dribble with a step-back move.
Randolph’s defense was easily left behind by Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang, out of sync with Randolph, decisively made a three-point jump shot.
Randolph made a strong attempt at a block, but it didn’t have much effect.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc.
"Swish!"
Net pierced.
to 55
"Good job." Mike Malone punched the air heavily at the sideline, as this was the three-pointer he hoped to see.
The idea of playing the second lineup was to let Zeng Xingyang go for a strong offense, and Mike Malone never doubted Zeng Xingyang’s capacity for strong plays, as Zeng Xingyang could always seize the opportunity once it arose.
The momentum of the fans in the arena died down markedly.
The fans realized that the Nuggets’ second lineup was built around Zeng Xingyang, which somewhat worried them.
Zeng Xingyang’s ability to capitalize on mismatches was formidable.
Randolph looked displeased, as this play was specifically targeting him.
However, the defensive gaps in the Nuggets’ second lineup also gave the Grizzlies a few opportunities.
Randolph called for the ball under the basket, pinning Siakam behind him.
Conley passed the ball to Randolph with a bounce pass.
Randolph hit Siakam with a backdown.
Consecutive bumps.
Siakam was at a weight disadvantage and lacked Randolph’s extensive experience.
Randolph spun through the three-second area for a layup.
Zubac couldn’t interfere in time.
"Swish!"
to 57.
The Nuggets’ interior defense today was also weak.
Nuggets on the attack.
Butler dribbled to the frontcourt. This time, the Nuggets recreated the same mismatch offensive strategy as before.
But instead of having Randolph on the mismatch against Zeng Xingyang, it was Parsons defending him.
Parsons’ footwork and mobility were stronger than Randolph’s, but he lacked the same pressure, and seemed to play with more self-preservation.
Zeng Xingyang made a low-handed crossover to the left, then pushed off explosively and sprinted past Parsons’ left side.
Parsons quickly turned to chase, but Zeng Xingyang stepped back and created space with a push.
Then Zeng Xingyang took a quick jump shot.
Parsons, turning back for the block, was already too late.
The basketball made a rainbow arc.
"Swish!"
to 57.
Zeng Xingyang’s consecutive threes made the gap between the teams just one point.
The cheers of the crowd were once again silenced.
Jokic led the bench roster in cheering on the sidelines.
Butler was also on the court hyping Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang’s expression remained calm; hitting such threes wasn’t difficult for him.
"Close out on defense," Randolph shouted loudly at Parsons.
Parsons frowned, pretending not to hear the shouts.
The Grizzlies attacked once more.
Conley dribbling to the frontcourt.
Conley moved very fast, slightly uplifting the Grizzlies’ tempo.
But the Grizzlies were ultimately not a high-paced team.
Conley passed the ball to Parsons. Parsons, in a hurry, passed to Tony Allen, who didn’t have position for a cut.
As a result,
"Slap!"
Butler darted out and intercepted the ball.
Butler quickly pushed the ball to the frontcourt.
"So fast!!"
Zeng Xingyang fast-broke down the other side.
Conley and Tony Allen instinctively pursued Butler.
Butler charged into the lane, then made a no-look pass back to Zeng Xingyang coming down the middle.
Zeng Xingyang caught the ball at the top of the arc, feinted once, faking out the incoming Conley, then feinted once more, and quickly shot a three.
This shot had a great arc, undisturbed by Conley.
"Swish!"
Net pierced.
to 57
Grizzlies’ coach Fizdale finally called for a timeout.
Zeng Xingyang’s consecutive threes silenced the venue.
No one could have anticipated Zeng Xingyang’s explosive scoring power today.
Zeng Xingyang waved three fingers, swaying in celebration as he returned to the bench and chest-bumped with his teammates in celebration.
Even leading the second lineup, Zeng Xingyang was still full of confidence.
"Impressive."
"Keep playing like this."
Jokic and Pope both patted Zeng Xingyang on the backside.
NBA players express emotions in relatively straightforward ways.
Mike Malone looked at Zeng Xingyang with a beaming smile.
Letting Zeng Xingyang lead the second lineup was just incredibly effective.
After the timeout, Old Carter replaced Chandler Parsons, and the Grizzlies quickly solved their offensive issues.
The ball reached Little Gasol in the low post.
Little Gasol posted up Zubac in the low post.
After a few bumps, he spun and shot.
Zubac couldn’t resist, fouling with a hand slap.
Little Gasol got the chance to go to the free-throw line.
Little Gasol hit both free throws.
to 59