Chapter 386: Chapter 298: Double Slam Dunk Over James to Seal the Game!
The fans at the Pepsi Center in Denver erupted instantly, their shouts like a tidal wave crashing in.
"Well done!!"
"Nice one!"
"Keep playing like that."
The cheers of the fans rose and fell, and they went crazy for Zeng Xingyang’s brilliant performance. At this moment, the entire arena was shrouded in the glory of Zeng Xingyang.
James looked at the celebrating Zeng Xingyang and felt quite helpless. He tried his best, but he failed.
Brogdon and Siakam quickly ran over, excitedly high-fiving Zeng Xingyang in celebration.
They showed expressions of excitement on their faces. At this moment, their admiration for Zeng Xingyang reached its peak.
Zeng Xingyang’s dunk not only boosted the team’s morale but also gave them hope for victory.
The domestic fans watching the broadcast were also very excited.
"Jokic timed that pass perfectly, allowing Zeng Xingyang to fully exert his force and take off," a fan wrote excitedly in the comments.
"James wanted to block it, but he couldn’t catch up and became a backdrop," another fan joked.
"That was awesome, this dunk was right over James."
"So satisfying, really satisfying! Tonight, the short-handed Nuggets can beat the Knights."
"I love you, Zeng Xingyang."
"I love seeing this kind of offense, the James fans are humbled."
The fans online expressed their opinions one after another, with a flood of comments and messages pouring in. The fans were all shocked by Zeng Xingyang’s spectacular dunk.
In the CCTV studio, the key play replay continued to play on the TV screen.
Zeng Xingyang’s dunk over James whipped the audience’s emotions to a peak.
Who is James? Last season’s Finals MVP, one of the faces of the NBA. But at this moment, he fell under Zeng Xingyang.
Coach Zhang excitedly said, "Jokic’s pass was very well-timed, and Xingyang’s cut was very timely too. He precisely exploited the defensive gap of the Knights. The Knights’ defense gave Xingyang too much acceleration space."
Yu Jia also added, "To some extent, James took the blame for this defense, but Xingyang should have been guarded by Owen."
Coach Zhang continued the analysis, "This dunk greatly boosted the Nuggets’ morale. The Nuggets are missing several players tonight, affecting their rotation setup."
During the timeout, Jokic directly grabbed Mike Malone’s tactical board to start planning tactics.
There are two people in the Nuggets who can take Mike Malone’s tactical board without making him angry; one is Zeng Xingyang, and the other is Jokic.
Mainly because these two are too smart. Often, Malone doesn’t need to say too much during timeouts; the two of them can make adjustments on their own.
In the case where the Nuggets’ head coach gets ejected, these two would be the ones to explain the tactics on the sidelines.
Jokic, with a serious face, calmly and orderly arranged, "I’ll block their breakthroughs inside. You chase Kyrie’s holdings on the outside. If LeBron holds the ball, focus on his passing. If it’s Kyrie, switch defense timely, and if he screens, double-team him..."
"Most importantly, don’t let them make a three-pointer; two-pointers won’t be too much of a problem. Encourage them to shoot mid-range..." Jokic’s voice was firm and clear, and his eyes revealed control over the game situation and desire for victory.
Brogdon, Siakam, and Grant nodded, listening carefully to Jokic’s tactical arrangement, their eyes filled with determination.
Despite facing a short-handed situation, they remained confident that they could win this game because they believed they were not weaker than the team’s starting lineup.
The timeout ended quickly.
On the Knights’ side, James dribbled to the frontcourt, a hint of anxiety in his eyes.
He passed the ball to Owen. Owen caught the ball, clutching it tightly, his eyes firmly fixed ahead.
Zeng Xingyang quickly rushed over, going directly to guard Owen one-on-one. Now only he had the confidence to defend Owen.
A one-on-one duel formed at the top of the arc. Zeng Xingyang spread his arms, closely following Owen.
Owen began to continuously shift direction, his dribbling skills polished. The basketball in his hands seemed to have been given life, weaving nimbly. He tried to find breakthrough space, but Zeng Xingyang’s defense was airtight, always online, accurately predicting and blocking Owen’s every shift.
Love saw the unfavorable situation and quickly came up for a screen.
Zeng Xingyang was blocked, and Owen took the opportunity to move horizontally swiftly.
Grant quickly switched defense as Zeng Xingyang bypassed Love and pursued Owen like a cheetah.
The two double-teamed Owen, and Owen was forced to pass the ball to Love at the free-throw line.
Love was left open, but he didn’t shoot, choosing to drive inside instead. He hoped to at least draw a foul.
However, Love overlooked that this was the Nugget’s home field, and he wasn’t a superstar, lacking the whistle protection.
Jokic stood under the basket, watching Love’s basketball intently, arms raised high.
"Bang!" Love drove to the basket, engaging in intense contact with Jokic.
"Slap!" Relying on his strong body and excellent defensive awareness, Jokic successfully blocked the shot.
The basketball was swatted high, and exclamations erupted in the audience.
However, JR rushed over quickly, grabbed the rebound, and promptly made a second-chance layup.
Tied again.
There were 8 seconds left. The atmosphere on-site became tense again, and players from both sides gave their all, attempting to seize this last opportunity.
While everyone thought the Nuggets would call a timeout, Jokic reacted swiftly, passing the inbound from the baseline.
Grabbing the basketball, he looked firmly towards the frontcourt. Then, with force, he threw a long pass to Zeng Xingyang, running fast ahead.
Seeing this, Owen desperately tried to defend Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang, facing Owen’s defense, executed an exquisite behind-the-back dribble. The basketball quickly passed behind him, easily bypassing Owen. At this time, the Knights’ defense hadn’t returned yet. They never expected Jokic to dare to throw the ball so boldly.
Zeng Xingyang dashed inside the three-point line, his eyes filled with determination and confidence.
He pushed off forcefully, soared into the air, aiming for a slam dunk.
James, just having sprinted over from afar, attempted to chase and block.
However, everything was too late, and James did not succeed.
"Boom!" The basketball struck heavily inside the hoop again, producing a crisp sound.
to 104, the Nuggets expanded their lead once more.
seconds remaining!
The Nuggets left the Knights with the last 4 seconds.
The Knights had no timeouts left, and their players showed expressions of anxiety on their faces.
As Owen’s desperation three from beyond missed, the Nuggets clinched the victory once again.
Zeng Xingyang’s consecutive dunks on James to complete a near-decisive kill instantly shocked the league, becoming the hot topic of the day in the NBA.