Chapter 407: Chapter 319, Zeng Xingyang and Curry’s LOGO Showdown!
"Ah!!" Durant gestures at the referee, but the referee ignores him.
Zeng Xingyang touched both the hand and the ball, but the referee couldn’t tell in the heat of the moment.
After controlling the ball, Zeng Xingyang quickly advanced to the frontcourt counterattack.
On the right side, the Warriors’ defensive attention was all on Zeng Xingyang.
Jokic made a move through the middle, and Zeng Xingyang passed the ball to him.
Jokic was defended by Thompson after getting the ball.
Jokic started backing down Thompson from the free-throw line area.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Continuous back collisions, Thompson couldn’t hold him off.
Jokic quickly bulldozed into the paint, spun smoothly, and scored with a hook!
Jokic’s agility brought him to the other side for a hooking score.
to 42.
The atmosphere in the arena quieted down again.
Warriors fans realized why the Nuggets’ winning streak was so scary.
The Warriors have resilience, but so do the Nuggets.
When the team encounters trouble, someone will step up to solve it.
Warriors’ offense.
Curry dribbles to the frontcourt and passes to Durant at the right free-throw line.
Zeng Xingyang sticks closely to Durant, not giving him any room to handle the ball easily.
Durant struggles to dribble and tries to shake off Zeng Xingyang with a crossover.
But Durant doesn’t have enough space to explode, so he can’t shake free.
Durant can only pass the ball to Green.
Gordon, knowing Green’s three-point shooting is average, steps back in defense.
Green wants to find Curry and Thompson, but the Nuggets’ defense is already in place.
Whether it’s Butler or Pope, they always stick to the Splash Brothers, not giving them a chance to catch and shoot.
Hesitating, Green decides to take the shot himself.
It looks stiff the moment it leaves his hands.
"Clank!"
The ball bounces out as a long rebound, but Durant tries to grab it, only for Zeng Xingyang to snatch it first with quicker reflexes.
After getting the rebound, Zeng Xingyang pushes the fast break quickly.
Zeng Xingyang’s speed is tremendous, and Durant is tirelessly keeping up on defense.
Durant’s defense didn’t lose position, but the other Nuggets followed up as well.
Butler positions himself against Curry on the other side as Zeng Xingyang throws a high lob inside.
Butler against Curry is a mismatch, and it’s an easy play for him.
Butler dribbles to the three-second area, fakes, Curry jumps, and Butler changes rhythm for a layup.
The basketball banks in off the glass.
to 42.
The atmosphere in the arena drops again.
Butler waves to Zeng Xingyang in acknowledgment.
Butler enjoys playing against such Warriors because such teams are challenging.
The Warriors are not only their potential playoff opponents but also a strong contender for the championship this season.
With Zeng Xingyang and Jokic leading the team, Butler is full of confidence.
Zeng Xingyang nods to Butler.
The most noticeable difference this season compared to last is that he has fewer forced offensive plays; those forced shots have turned into reasonable attacks.
This indicates that the Nuggets’ overall strength has significantly improved.
Zhang Weiping said, "The Nuggets are becoming more composed on the court now. The Warriors’ explosive offense is not something they can’t withstand."
Yu Jia said, "Now, as long as the Warriors can score, the Nuggets can respond."
As the commentators spoke excitedly,
On the court, Curry dribbles past half-court, and Green sets a screen for him near the LOGO.
Curry, without hesitation, decisively shoots a three-pointer from outside the LOGO.
It’s a typical Curry three-point attempt.
The fans in the arena start cheering.
Pope and Gordon, who were defending, didn’t expect Curry to shoot so decisively, a bit slow in reacting.
The ball arcs perfectly through the air.
"Swish!"
A direct hit!!
to 45
Curry’s LOGO three-pointer hits cleanly, and these kinds of shots are very impactful.
Green pumps his fist and roars.
Zeng Xingyang says to Durant beside him, "You have a good eye, this thigh you’re clinging to is pretty thick."
Hearing the praise seemingly directed at Curry, Durant doesn’t feel happy at all.
Zeng Xingyang continues, "Don’t be unconvinced; Stephen’s ability to stretch the defense is historically rare. Without him, you guys would be easily crushed by us."
The Warriors haven’t been crushed yet, but Durant is mentally close to breaking down.
Durant replies, "F*ck, stop babbling!"
Zeng Xingyang retorts, "That’s my freedom."
As they talk on the court, Zeng Xingyang receives Butler’s inbound pass and quickly dribbles past half-court.
Like Green earlier, Jokic quickly sets a screen for Zeng Xingyang.
From almost the same position as Curry, Zeng Xingyang takes a deep three-point shot.
Green and Durant’s eyes widen.
Zeng Xingyang clearly intends to respond to Curry.
The basketball spins and shoots forward.
"Swish!"
It pierces the net.
to 45.
A LOGO three-point response shot.
"Beautifully done!!"
The fans watching TV shouted.
Zeng Xingyang’s on-court three-point response was so decisive.
"D*mn, that’s awesome, not just challenging Durant, now responding to Curry."
"How many points has Zeng Xingyang scored this quarter?"
"This is insane!!"
"Love watching this kind of matchup."
The fans are going wild online too.
The fans witnessed the superstars’ head-to-head battle they wanted to see.
Whether it’s Zeng Xingyang, Curry, or Durant, they’ve each shown their unique qualities.
The Nuggets players on the sidelines were shouting.
Jokic high-fives Zeng Xingyang in celebration.
The Warriors go back on offense.
This possession sees Green holding the ball at the free-throw line.
Durant keeps Zeng Xingyang occupied, and Thompson makes a back cut, pretending to head outside but actually cutting inside.
This cut leaves Butler behind.
Green passes the ball to Thompson.
Thompson soars for a layup.
"Whap!"
Gordon jumps up for the block.
But the ball lands in Curry’s hands outside.
Curry, stopping quickly and shooting from the top of the key.
Pope works hard to contest.
"Swish!"
A direct hit!!
to 47.
Curry’s shot was incredibly tough, with Pope’s defense right in his face.
The fans in Oracle Arena suddenly burst into cheers.
Nuggets on offense now.
Zeng Xingyang dribbles to the frontcourt.
Passes to Jokic.
The Nuggets’ positioning starts moving around as well.
Gordon and Pope simultaneously cut inside.
Soon, Curry switches to defend Gordon.
Jokic quickly passes to Gordon, Gordon spins with the ball and lays it up against Curry after the contact.
Curry put in a lot of effort, but he couldn’t defend it.
Gordon’s layup is nearly level with the rim.
to 47.
The rhythm of both teams remains tense.
The defensive intensity is high, but the offensive intensity is even higher.
The first half ends quickly, with the score frozen at 65 to 55, the Nuggets leading by ten on the road.
The Nuggets’ lead looks different from other teams; it seems more secure.