NBA: Rising Superstar!-Chapter 480 - 392: Defeating the Raptors, Five-Game Winning Streak!

Chapter 480: Chapter 392: Defeating the Raptors, Five-Game Winning Streak!

Young guards these days don’t have the arrogance of the older stars.

The older stars rarely expressed admiration for their opponents, especially after losing a game; they would typically look for excuses.

The reporter then asked, "Zeng, you’ve secured 4 consecutive wins, how many more do you think you’ll need to end it?"

Zeng Xingyang replied, "That depends on our opponents, we’ll try to win every game."

The reporter asked, "Do you think there’s a chance to break last season’s winning streak record you set?"

Zeng Xingyang shrugged, "That might be a bit difficult."

Zeng Xingyang casually dismissed the reporter and left.

The Nuggets’ next opponent is the Raptors, currently ranked first in the East.

.....

Denver.

The Raptors team checked into the hotel a day early.

Lowry, DeRozan, and Powell were watching footage of the Nuggets’ games.

They saw that the Nuggets were full of fighting spirit and wanted to take down such a top-tier team.

But they also knew that winning such a game would be tough, as the Nuggets pose big problems for the entire league.

Lowry had multiple confrontations with Zeng Xingyang in the past two seasons, deeply aware of how strong he was.

Zeng Xingyang’s strength was not just in offense but also in his defense, which put tremendous pressure on every player matched up against him.

Of course, this year’s Raptors are not weak either.

Their backcourt duo’s consistent output

DeRozan (averaging 23.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists) and Kyle Lowry (16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists) formed the core backcourt combo of the team.

DeRozan with his signature mid-range fadeaway as a killer move, while Lowry took on the organization and perimeter defense duties.

The duo initiated attacks through pick and rolls while reducing isolation plays, instead increasing spot-up jumpers and cuts.

The addition of Ibaka significantly enhanced their inside offensive and defensive capabilities, his help defense awareness, and rebounding efforts provided a stable support for the team.

Valanciunas excelled in low-post offense and rebounding protection, becoming a critical rim protector for the Raptors.

Following that was the collective breakout of role players this season.

CJ Miles, Powell, and other perimeter shooters provided the Raptors with steady three-point firepower, while Patrick Patterson’s ability to stretch the floor further enriched their offensive layers.

The Raptors’ average three-point attempts this year ranked among the league leaders, not just taking more but highly accurate as well.

Under Coach Casey’s guidance, they reduced reliance on individual isolations on the court, lowering their isolation rate from sixth in the league to 25th, turning towards split actions after picks, open jumpers, and cuts.

These adjustments made the Raptors’ offense more diverse while improving ball movement efficiency.

Since the new season began, their offensive efficiency ranked in the league’s top five, and their defensive efficiency ranked third.

This is what gave them the confidence to face the Nuggets head-on.

"You guys need to help double-team, or I might not be able to handle Zeng," Lowry said to DeRozan and Powell.

Lowry had always been tough and rarely made such requests.

After thinking for a moment, DeRozan replied, "No problem, I understand, I also believe you can create some trouble for him."

DeRozan always considered Lowry his best brother, believing the two could achieve their championship goal with the Raptors.

Powell said, "Zeng’s passing is not bad, we need to focus on that, and try not to go one-on-one against him when attacking."

The three discussed simple strategies to deal with the Nuggets.

Fans eagerly anticipated the match against the Raptors, and CCTV had early promotions for it.

The game against the Raptors soon began.

The "Trash Brothers" showed decent form on the court, opting not to challenge Zeng Xingyang or Butler from the perimeter.

Instead, they used screens to create mismatches.

Neither Gordon nor Jokic easily stopped them.

Then Zeng Xingyang answered them with various unrestricted isolations.

Valanciunas and Ibaka’s poor defense couldn’t stop him either.

The Achilles’ heel of Lowry and DeRozan’s lineup was their average endurance; they started faltering in the game’s second half.

The Nuggets maintained their intensity from start to finish, and soon the Nuggets took control of the game effortlessly.

After the fourth quarter, the score was 112 to 120, with the Nuggets winning by 8 points at home.

Though the win wasn’t by a large margin, the Raptors didn’t really have any chance to win.

Of course, this was a good outcome for other teams since the Nuggets usually won by 30 or 40-point blowouts, and this was the first time they won by single digits tonight.

DeRozan performed well today, recording 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in 37 minutes of play.

Lowry did okay in the first half but faltered in the second, scoring 18 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and 4 turnovers in 38 minutes.

Powell’s performance was moderate, with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Right now, Powell still doesn’t have the kind of dominance he would show in the future with the Clippers.

Meanwhile, for the Nuggets, Zeng Xingyang had 34 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds, with Jokic adding 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, and both players’ stable performance allowed the Nuggets to control the rhythm of the game.

This allowed the Nuggets’ overall strength to be fully displayed, ultimately securing their fifth consecutive win.

At the post-game press conference.

A reporter asked Zeng Xingyang, "This game marks the first time this season you’ve only won by a single digit; is it because your form is declining?"

Zeng Xingyang shook his head, saying, "Of course not, it’s because the opponent’s overall strength is very strong, and they gave us considerable trouble."

Zeng Xingyang remembered that this Raptors team seemed to have taken first place in the East, but the "Trash Brothers" had the mentality of fearing LeBron, leading them to be unable to surpass the Knights in the playoffs.

Only after acquiring Leonard did they fill their last shortcoming as a super-finisher and won a championship.

You could mock this Raptors team for their playoff shortcomings, but they were not a team anyone wanted to face in the regular season.

Their strength was far beyond their exposure.

If the Nuggets weren’t so strong, they might have also stumbled today.

After attending the post-game press conference, Zeng Xingyang joined his teammates on the bus, heading to the airport en route to Houston.

Next, they will be traveling to face the Houston Rockets on the road.

The Rockets, led by Harden and Paul, have also started the new season with a 5-1 record.

Under D’Antoni’s magic-ball system, the Rockets are executing their most efficient offense to date, with their average three-point attempts reaching a historical high.

Historically, no team has thrown more three-pointers than they have.

Late at night, they landed in Houston, rested and adjusted for a night; the next afternoon, the Nuggets began their training.

Zeng Xingyang practiced three-point shooting with Siakam, Gordon, and others.

At this point, shooting threes was almost a must-have skill for every player, even big men needed to maintain some level of outside shooting touch.