Wiggins’ dunk ignited the emotions of the fans in the arena, as deafening chants for defense enveloped the space.
At this moment, it was evident just how special Cleveland’s fans were. When Hansen had initially returned to Cleveland as a Grizzlies player, they had cheered for him all night long, even bestowing him with his most iconic catchphrase: "Who is your daddy."
But in Memphis, the home of Hansen’s Dynasty, such an event had not occurred again.
Hansen began to handle the ball.
As he caught the ball, the shouts in the arena instinctively quieted down.
No one knew Hansen’s prowess better than Memphis fans.
Wiggins, who had attended Hansen’s summer training camp, knew it too.
He got into a defensive stance, bringing forth his utmost concentration.
But quickly, Hansen bypassed him with a crossover in front of his body.
Over the past two seasons, Hansen had often employed post-up plays,
but old fans would know that upon his arrival at the Grizzlies, it was his face-up skills that helped him overthrow the Thunders in a seven-game battle during the playoffs, ultimately defeating them with Durant’s help.
Wiggins’ talent was definitely strong, and after being overtaken by Hansen, he chased him to the basket from the side. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙
At that moment, TT learned from his previous lessons and demonstrated his boxing out ability, successfully keeping Randolph on the weak side low post.
Hansen, a meter away from the basket, soared into the air, Wiggins almost jumping simultaneously, reaching out desperately to block the shot.
The successful dunk earlier had filled him with confidence.
But soon, he was hit by reality.
Hansen jumped much higher than he had anticipated; Wiggins’ blocking hand only reached as far as Hansen’s elbow.
Hansen slammed the ball into the basket over Wiggins.
The cheering in the arena stopped abruptly.
After landing, Hansen glanced at Wiggins, his piercing gaze seeming to say, "Welcome to the NBA."
The Cavaliers’ bench was already boiling over.
"This is daddy!" Conningham shouted excitedly.
Even Irving and Thompson on the court couldn’t contain their excitement as they ran over to Hansen, shouting and screaming.
Before, when faced with a start like tonight’s, they might as well have given up; they truly lacked the ability to make a comeback against the wind.
But with just that one shot, Hansen had given them a completely different sense of feeling.
Back on the defensive side, the Cavaliers’ enthusiasm for defense significantly increased.
Hawes fiercely defended against Little Gasol’s strong low-post play and secured the defensive rebound.
Irving fast-broke with the ball, but the Grizzlies’ quick retreat gave him no chance before he regrouped and passed the ball out to Hansen on the perimeter.
This time, Hansen directly called for a high-screen pick-and-roll with TT.
He also displayed more pick-and-roll intricacies, accelerating inside immediately after the screen, delaying the Grizzlies’ double-teaming opportunity.
By the time the double-team came, they were already within the free-throw line.
Then, just before the double-team solidified, Hansen tossed the ball towards the space above the basket.
Thompson was led by the ball into the air, dunking the ball over Guy, who had collapsed from the weak side.
Since it was a dunk following a confrontation, Thompson hung on the rim, swinging his arms, the visual impact at its peak.
The referee’s whistle blew at that moment, signaling an and-one.
Hawes ran over to Thompson for a passionate chest bump.
Irving, looking at Hansen, recalled all the details of the pick-and-roll in his mind.
After a while, as if he had an epiphany, he excitedly ran over to Hansen to exchange thoughts.
At that moment, it was as if a bright light beamed down from the sky, piercing through the gloom that had shrouded Cleveland for four long years!