Chapter 408: Chapter 320, Strong Offensive!
The atmosphere in the locker room was heavy and tense.
Coach Mike Malone was focused, the sound of his tactical board tapping was particularly clear in the quiet space.
He looked intently at Zeng Xingyang and said seriously, "Zeng, in the second half you must continue to strengthen the offense, your firepower is the key to us winning. Before the opponent double-teams you, you must decisively break through, forcing their defense to change and creating opportunities for our outside shooters."
Then, he shifted his tone to emphasize defense: "On the defensive end, make sure to switch properly, never let them get open. Focus on guarding Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, their three-pointers can change the game at any moment."
He glanced at each player and continued, "We are leading by 10 points now, they are the ones who should be anxious, keep your mindset steady and play according to the strategy!"
As Mike Malone reorganized the strategy, Jokic slightly furrowed his brows, gently wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel. He was well aware that the Warriors would surely strengthen their defense against Zeng Xingyang in the second half, and continuing to let Zeng Xingyang attack aggressively would not be easy.
Despite knowing the road ahead was tough, Zeng Xingyang had no intention of retreating.
This battle with the Warriors was a tough fight, and if he did not face the challenge, the opponent could make a comeback at any moment.
At this moment, what he needed to do was to seize every second, close his eyes in the corner of the locker room, and rest as much as possible to conserve his energy.
The second half of the game quickly commenced, and the atmosphere at the venue was instantly ignited.
The cheers and shouts at Oracle Arena intertwined, seemingly about to overturn the entire venue.
In the opening exchanges, players on both sides appeared shackled, with the intensity of defense suddenly heightened.
The basketball was rapidly passed among the players but never managed to smoothly fall into the basket, keeping the score deadlocked.
The Warriors deployed their fearsome death lineup.
Compared to last season, they were sharper this season, making multiple comebacks in games, and the third quarter was often their crucial period for striking back.
With Barnes replaced by Durant, the absolute combat power of this lineup achieved a quantum leap, becoming impeccable.
As soon as Iguodala came on, he was like a hungry leopard, fiercely pressing Zeng Xingyang the entire court.
He stuck close to Zeng Xingyang, continuously disrupting the basketball with his hands, while constantly spewing trash talk: "Hey, Zeng, don’t think you’ll score easily in the second half! If I get serious, you’ll be in trouble!"
He attempted to distract Zeng Xingyang’s focus with words.
Zeng Xingyang remained unmoved, relying on his strong physique to forcefully push against Iguodala as he advanced.
Crossing the midcourt, near the three-point line, Zeng Xingyang suddenly paused, his shoulder hitting Iguodala abruptly, followed by a tug.
This was like a heavy hammer, causing Iguodala’s feet to instantly lose balance, stumbling and falling to the ground.
"Zeng Xingyang shook off Iguodala, breaking through to the inside!"
The audience was also surprised by this sudden scene, not expecting Iguodala to be shaken off.
Zeng Xingyang seized the moment before Durant and Thompson could complete their defense, accelerating again like a black lightning bolt charging toward the basket.
Facing Green’s defense, he fearlessly leaped high, going for a layup!
After scoring, Zeng Xingyang turned back to the fallen Iguodala and shouted, "What did you just say? The wind was too loud, I didn’t catch that."
These words were like a sharp sword, piercing Iguodala’s heart.
Iguodala’s face turned livid, full of resentment in his heart. He had been harshly humiliated by Zeng Xingyang.
On the sideline, Coach Cole was frowning; he had keenly realized that no matter how strong the other Warriors players were, Zeng Xingyang was the biggest obstacle to their victory.
When it was the Warriors’ turn to attack, the Nuggets adopted a man-to-man defensive strategy.
Aside from Jokic guarding the inside, other players spread out, forming a tight defensive line.
The Nuggets had a luxurious man-to-man defense lineup. Zeng Xingyang, Butler, Pope, and Gordon were all defensive experts who could switch seamlessly from the 1st to the 4th position, meaning they had the ability to switch defensively on any Warriors player.
Even someone as strong as Durant would find it difficult to score easily against them.
Curry dribbled to the frontcourt, with Butler instantly sticking to him like a shadow, exerting immense pressure.
Curry attempted to shake off Butler’s defense, coordinating with Iguodala for a pick-and-roll.
After the switch, Pope became the one defending Curry.
Curry quickly changed direction, trying to break through Pope’s defense, but Pope was experienced and nimble, maintaining a perfect distance to disrupt every one of Curry’s attempts to break through.
Unlike other superstars, Curry’s individual isolation skills were relatively weak. Once trapped in a defensive quagmire, it was difficult for him to solve the problem alone.
Therefore, he quickly passed the ball to Thompson, who then handed it to Green.
Green, with his vast experience on the court, keenly noticed the team’s offense was stuck.
With only a few seconds left on the shot clock, he signaled for teammates to clear out one side and, with only 5 seconds left, passed the ball to Durant in the left low post.
Durant became the center of attention the moment he received the ball.
Time was running out, and without hesitation, he made a strong dribble to the right, then stopped abruptly, leaping high, ready to shoot. Zeng Xingyang reacted quickly, jumping up immediately to contest, his arm raised high, almost touching Durant’s basketball.
Although the contest wasn’t severe, it was enough to disrupt Durant’s shooting rhythm due to the rushed attempt.
"Clang!" The basketball hit the rim heavily, bouncing up high.
Jokic leveraged his outstanding positioning sense, blocking Green behind him, and easily secured the rebound.
This defensive play by the Nuggets was perfect, successfully forcing a duel between Durant and Zeng Xingyang, fully confident in Zeng Xingyang’s defensive prowess.
After grabbing the rebound, Jokic wasted no time, launching a long pass like a cannonball flying towards Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang swiftly sprinted, outpacing the trailing defenders, and caught the basketball steadily.
Now, Iguodala came up again, trying to stop his attack.
"Bang! Bang!" Zeng Xingyang, like a tank, used his strong physique to forcibly break through Iguodala’s defense repeatedly.
Each step forward seemed like a declaration of his resolve to the opponents. Iguodala gritted his teeth, trying to strip the ball, but Zeng Xingyang’s dribbling was skilled, the basketball always out of reach for Iguodala.
At the crucial moment, Zeng Xingyang suddenly gathered the ball under the basket, using all his strength to push Iguodala aside.
Then, he raised the basketball high with one hand, like a ferocious beast, and slammed the basketball fiercely into the basket.
"Clang!" The basket shook violently, and the arena fell silent once again.
to 55
With two consecutive brilliant offensive plays, the Nuggets further extended their lead.