However, Hansen didn’t go straight at Carter with the ball like he did in the first quarter; instead, he called Hawes out for a pick-and-roll.
And he didn’t immediately drive to the basket after the screen, but waited until Hawes had completely blocked Carter off, creating a mismatch. Then he launched his attack against Noel.
Crossover, step over, accelerate, penetrate.
Hansen found it even easier to get past Noel than it had been to blow by Wiggins.
But Noel’s mobility was undoubtedly outstanding. Even though Hansen had shaken him off, Noel relentlessly chased from behind.
Both players dashed into the paint, Hansen took off, and Noel also leapt high, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
If he could block Hansen, it would be like Iverson shaking Jordan back in the day, instantly making a name for himself.
But once airborne, he quickly realized something was wrong. He had anticipated Hansen would go for a straightforward lay-up, but Hansen was gliding through the air, spinning for a reverse lay-up.
Moreover, Hansen’s explosive power and leaping ability were fully on display at this moment. He didn’t go for a reverse lay-up, but rather for a direct reverse two-handed slam dunk!
Anyone who has played basketball knows how difficult it is for an outside player to execute a reverse two-handed dunk.
What’s more important is, this move swapped the momentum between offense and defense.
In front of the incredulous eyes of the live audience, Hansen smashed the ball through the hoop over Noel!
Noel’s eyes widened in disbelief.
A reverse block was more remarkable than a straightforward one, and Hansen’s move dealt a critical hit to his fragile spirit.
Wiggins, sitting on the sideline, watched it all and let out a sigh of relief.
Someone else was sharing in his misery, which suddenly made him feel a little better.
Hansen’s dunk greatly boosted team morale; the Cavaliers successfully defended against the Grizzlies’ offense.
Turning back, Hansen continued with the pick-and-roll, targeting Noel again.
He chose to push forward again, and this time Noel’s defense was clearly hesitant. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽
Taking advantage of his state of mind, Hansen slowed down after the break to look for contact, then shot a lay-up.
Noel, reacting instinctively, went for the block but ended up smacking Hansen’s arm and was called for a defensive foul.
And crucially, despite the foul, Hansen still managed to get the ball in.
After being dominated for two consecutive plays, Noel, captured on camera, had lost his earlier confidence, replaced by the same confusion that had afflicted Wiggins before.
Heisley, unable to sit still after witnessing this, rose from his VIP box and left early.
He now fully understood what Hansen had said before the game.
Young players are the hope for the Grizzlies’ increase in value? Hansen had shattered their confidence!
The scene was captured by photographers and displayed on the LED big screen, causing another stir in the arena.
Although they disliked Heisley, him leaving before halftime was even worse than what Ferry had done in the past.
In the end, the Cavaliers defeated the Grizzlies 112 to 106 on the road, starting the season with a win.
But it was Hansen, the architect of the Grizzlies Dynasty, who personally destroyed the Grizzlies’ night of celebration, which inevitably stirred emotions.
However, Hansen’s performance tonight was explosive, achieving a staggering line of 36 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks.
Under his command, the Cavaliers shot nearly fifty percent from the three-point line tonight, making 13 of 28 attempts.
In the post-game press conference, Hansen and Irving appeared together, and Hansen became the focus of the journalists.
"You dished out 13 assists, which is an incredible number for a shooting guard. How did you do it?" asked the TNT reporter.
"I just had a lot of ball-handling opportunities," Hansen replied, succinctly yet truthfully.
The so-called "Organizing Forward" means grabbing the point guard’s responsibilities and letting the point guard do what forwards usually do—defense and shooting.
Because forwards are generally taller than point guards, they have a better passing vision and a stronger attacking ability; they can create simple opportunities for scoring without relying on the team’s tactics.
Of course, Hansen wasn’t just posturing with his answer, he genuinely had areas to improve.
He also had 5 turnovers tonight. Although not a high assist-to-turnover rate, it’s definitely not acceptable for a team aiming to be champions.
"You said before the game you wanted to score 100 points tonight, but you didn’t seem to have a high scoring desire." Hansen’s previous answer didn’t sit well with the ESPN reporter, who couldn’t hold back: that’s clearly denigrating LeBron!
"It’s a game strategy," Hansen replied nonchalantly.
The principle behind One Star and Four Shooters is to rely on a superstar to attract double teams and distribute the ball to initiate team offense.
And do you really believe I would score 100 points? Why didn’t you believe me when I said I would lead the Cavaliers to a championship?
"Kyrie didn’t perform well tonight, are you worried about that?" asked the reporter from WHBQ, a local sports media in Memphis.
Irving only scored 14 points on 15 shots with 3 assists tonight, which was why the Cavaliers still struggled against the Grizzlies despite Hansen’s outstanding performance.
The question was directed at Hansen, but Irving sitting beside him was the one who felt awkward.
"We all know Kyrie’s strength, and that’s what we’re going to work on. We need to make him feel more comfortable," Hansen answered warmly, a departure from his previous brevity.
Irving has a unique personality, which made Hansen use a special approach in dealing with him.