Chapter 421: Chapter 333, End of G1, Crazy Slaughter!
When he returned to the bench, he high-fived Jokic in celebration, wearing a confident smile.
The third quarter started quickly.
Little Gasol struggled under the basket, still impacted.
With 7 minutes and 11 seconds left in the third quarter, he received his fifth personal foul and had no choice but to step off the court for a rest.
If there was hope of retrieving the score, he would have to wait until the fourth quarter to play again— but in reality, he didn’t need to come back.
The Nuggets continued their three-point rain in the third quarter.
Brogdon, Pope, Jokic, and Zeng Xingyang combined to hit 10 three-pointers, directly collapsing the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies’ coach held his head and sighed on the sidelines.
After three quarters, Zeng Xingyang, Butler, and Jokic sat on the bench to rest.
They chatted and laughed, watching the rookies finish the last quarter.
The Grizzlies’ bench initially thought it would be easier against the Nuggets’ rookies.
Unexpectedly, Brogdon pierced through like a sharp knife, stealthily reaching the basket every time.
Siakam was anxious but had a gentle mid-range shooting touch, prompting Barkley and Smith on the sidelines to marvel: "This big guy has such a good mid-range touch..."
Old Carter stood dazed on the court.....
Finally, the game ended with a score fixed at 89 to 129.
In the first game of the G1 battle, the Nuggets frantically slaughtered the Grizzlies by 40 points at home, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Zeng Xingyang played for 30 minutes, posting a stat line of 33 points, 16 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Although the stats were great for many stars, for Zeng Xingyang, he nearly didn’t meet his average standards.
Jokic habitually recorded a standard triple-double of 20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 blocks, while Butler had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
The Nuggets’ big three demonstrated their expected performance levels.
Nuggets fans had a blast tonight, with fans in bars holding their beer mugs excitedly clinking them to celebrate.
Yet the only dissatisfaction stemmed from the game ending suspense too quickly.
The Grizzlies barely caused any trouble for the Nuggets from start to finish, leading many fans to shake their heads and mutter: "This playoff isn’t as thrilling as some regular seasons."
From just the first game, Nuggets fans have concluded that the Grizzlies cannot pose significant problems for them.
"The Grizzlies are too weak!" someone shouted, garnering agreement across the room.
Fans can only hope for the first round to pass quickly and for slightly stronger opponents in the second round.
"It’s not that the Grizzlies are weak, it’s that the Nuggets are freakishly strong."
Barkley stated in the TNT Studio.
"Indeed, the Nuggets’ strength lies in their strong overall lineup," Smith said.
The Grizzlies were already bewildered early in this game.
They initially planned to double-team to restrict Zeng Xingyang but didn’t expect that it was the Nuggets’ strong overall prowess that completely subdued them, not just Zeng Xingyang.
The Nuggets were too aggressive tonight, forcing Chandler Parsons and Zach Randolph to foul out, and Little Gasol avoided fouling out simply because he had no need to return to the game.
Conley managed just 8 points and 5 assists, a significant drop compared to the regular season.
He sat on the locker room bench with empty eyes, unable to comprehend how strong the Nuggets defense was.
Facing the successive defenses of Zeng Xingyang, Pope, and Butler, even finding attacking opportunities became exceedingly rare.
The Grizzlies’ highest scorer was surprisingly Vince Carter from the bench, who had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
However, most of his points came in the fourth quarter while dueling with the rookies.
Even Coach Zhang got excited seeing Carter perform, shouting: "Old soldiers never die!"
Yet, such a performance from Carter clearly couldn’t rally the Grizzlies.
Tonight’s game was a comprehensive crush.
At the post-game press conference.
Carter sat at the table, eyes showing a hint of fatigue yet still respectful: "Zeng is an MVP-level player; he played exceptionally well tonight, leaving us helpless. Our defense had many holes, failing to limit their offense, but I believe we will adjust in the next game."
A journalist asked: "In your long career, who do you think Zeng resembles the most?"
Carter laughed: "Long, indeed my career has been lengthy. He doesn’t resemble anyone; he is Zeng Xingyang."
Zeng Xingyang actually received a call from Carter mid-season when Carter hoped to join the Nuggets to chase a championship together, but Zeng Xingyang politely declined.
Carter didn’t serve much purpose for the Nuggets; if he joined, one person on the roster would have to be removed, and no one on the current list could be replaced by Old Carter.
Zeng Xingyang was cautious for a reason, primarily because he hadn’t won a championship yet, so what right did he have to claim he could lead Carter to win one?
Had he already won one or two championships, he wouldn’t mind letting Carter join for one.
Old Carter didn’t blame Zeng Xingyang but expressed understanding; he knew that his dream of winning a championship was becoming increasingly difficult to realize as he aged.
A journalist queried Little Gasol: "Mark, what do you think was the cause of your loss?"
Little Gasol helplessly shook his head: "This question is tough to answer; there were many areas we didn’t execute well, but I still hold hope for the games ahead, and we will find a way to solve the issues."
The journalist continued: "How would you rate Zeng Xingyang’s playoff performance?"
Little Gasol said: "Without a doubt, he’s at an MVP level; he’s elevated them to a frightening level, and no one wants to face him."
And on the Nuggets’ side of the interview.
A journalist held the microphone up to Zeng Xingyang: "Zeng, what’s your take on the G1 game?"
Zeng Xingyang replied earnestly: "We played very hard, the opponents did too, but we were the better team."
The journalist continued: "How many games do you think you need to advance?"
Zeng Xingyang smiled confidently: "However many you think it takes, it will be that many; in any case, we will advance."
The journalist asked: "Four games?"
Zeng Xingyang said: "We are aiming for that goal."
The journalist posed a gossip question: "Scarlett said she’s willing to have a child for you; any thoughts?"
Zeng Xingyang shook his head helplessly, his tone calm: "Next question....."
The journalist then turned to Butler.
Butler sat upright, eyes steadfast: "You know, my brother Zeng Xingyang is MVP-level, I love him and Nikola; I enjoy playing on the court with them, they are so smart."
...
Overall, the Nuggets won G1 relatively easily.