Of course, Jokic had no objections, and Harden and Thompson also nodded one after another. Although they’re opponents on the court, they have a lot of respect for Hansen in their hearts, and they have no reason to refuse Hansen’s small request.
Finally, everyone turned their eyes to Davis.
To say Davis is probably the most special one, after all, he’s teammates with James, and being picked by Hansen could be considered as a "surprise."
Moreover, Davis has a mild temperament, even historically, he’s been the guy who could always be James’s sidekick without complaints.
However, Davis also nodded afterward.
When the picks were happening, James didn’t choose him in the first and second spots, so it’s impossible for him not to have any feelings about it.
Even though those feelings don’t affect his relationship with James, taking the next 8 minutes as a "protest" isn’t out of the question.
After getting everyone’s agreement, Hansen also extended his hand and clenched his fist, and the others followed suit, touching their fists together above their heads.
This is a common cheer-up method in sports competitions and also represents a sort of agreement they’ve reached.
At this moment, the players from the James Team have already walked onto the court.
After seeing what happened on the sidelines, a few of them turned their heads one after another, looking at each other in confusion, not knowing what was going on.
After the substitutions, the Hansen Team took the offense first.
Since it’s the All-Star game, the head coach is more of a placeholder, so even if there were some simple strategies trained before the game, when the game really starts, it’s all up to the players’ performance.
At this moment, the Hansen Team is executing a pick-and-roll tactic, the pick-and-roll between Hansen and Davis.
The reason for choosing Davis and not Jokic is that Davis is the only player in the lineup with poor perimeter shooting ability.
Moreover, it’s James who’s defending Davis.
The James Team clearly didn’t understand the change in the Hansen Team, and with just a simple pick-and-roll, Davis had already screened Curry and quickly cut into the basket.
Hansen’s alley-oop pass came directly.
Davis practically leaped into the air, with the ball arriving at the most suitable position.
Then, it was a gliding alley-oop slam dunk full of tension.
The scene instantly erupted with thunderous cheers.
The Cleveland fans have seen plenty of Hansen’s and Jokic’s pick-and-roll plays, but Davis’s style is a complete twist.
After landing, Davis exuberantly pounded his chest.
It might sound a bit incredible, but that was the most comfortable alley-oop pass he has received in his career so far.
Hansen also displayed his playful side, standing still and waiting for Davis to come over before reaching out to give him a high five.
When James’s gaze swept over, it felt strangely like an NTR moment.
If that previous offense didn’t make the James Team realize anything, then when the offense-defensive transition happened, they realized the change in the Hansen Team.
The defensive intensity on the court increased by more than one level.
Since they’re all All-Stars, the James Team understood what was going on in an instant.
Irving almost didn’t hesitate and called for Antetokounmpo to start a pick-and-roll cooperation.
Antetokounmpo rolled to the basket after the pick, and Jokic, knowing he couldn’t defend Irving and that Antetokounmpo didn’t have shooting ability, chose to back off early.
Harden’s ability to navigate screens is poor, and Irving seized this opportunity for a step-back jumper after the pick.
But as soon as the ball left his hand, someone slapped it directly out of bounds.
Davis, who had let James go for the double-team, came from the side and directly completed the block! ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
This defensive coverage left Cleveland fans astonished.
If the Cavaliers’ power forward were Davis instead of TT, the scenario would be unimaginably beautiful.
For the James Team’s sideline play, James passed the ball to Durant, who came out using Antetokounmpo’s pick, but when Durant took the shot, Hansen had already maneuvered around using the Little Dog Steps and flew over to disrupt the shot.
On the Hansen Team’s end, despite having Jokic inside and Harden outside, the overall defensive ability isn’t considered strong, but with Hansen and Davis, they managed to support the entire team’s defensive coverage.
Durant ultimately failed to defuse the bomb, and the rebound was secured by Jokic.
At the same time, the Hansen Team quickly initiated a defensive counter-attack, with Harden receiving the ball on a fast break, and Hansen following from the other sideline.
At this point, the defensive issues exposed by the James Team were much larger than those of the Hansen Team.
They have Irving and James, whose fast-break abilities are impressive, but their transition defense falls short by a lot.
Harden pushed into the frontcourt paint area and directly pulled off an alley-oop play with Hansen.
The pass receiver from the last play, Hansen, this time caught Harden’s pass to execute a powerful alley-oop.
The Cleveland fans were thoroughly enjoying themselves tonight.
to 116, the point difference suddenly reduced to just 2 points.
It was at this moment that the defensive chants unexpectedly started to echo in the arena.
On the Hansen Team’s side, with Hansen and Jokic, it could be said that this was an enhanced version of the Cavaliers.
James tried to be the hero, considering he is, after all, the captain.
But Davis was genuinely defending him, and even with a pick-and-roll with Antetokounmpo, the final shot was heavily contested by Davis, resulting in an airball without hitting the rim.
Fans on the scene couldn’t hold back and started whistling.
It appears that regardless of whether it’s an official match or an All-Star game, as long as it’s a high-level game, James’s role is quite limited on the court.
The good news is, since it was an airball that directly went out of bounds, the James Team didn’t have to worry about a fast-break from the Hansen Team this time.
Hansen dribbled the ball up to the frontcourt, and this time the James Team concentrated their defensive focus on Hansen’s side.
Hansen didn’t opt for a forced attack but instead passed the ball to Harden on the other side.
Harden received the ball, and Jokic immediately set up a pick.
After the pick-and-roll, Harden’s penetration effectively drew Antetokounmpo’s defensive switch. As he quickly darted outside, he delivered a bounce pass to Jokic.
Because Hansen was keeping the other defenders occupied, Jokic basically faced Irving one-on-one after receiving the ball, easily overpowering him to score a layup.
After the main players returned, the Hansen Team launched a 6-0 run to tie the score!
The James Team couldn’t stop the Hansen Team’s offense at all!
"James-Curry-Durant," sounds nice, but in reality, it’s just a forcibly bound term.
Having watched the Paris Olympics, Hansen knew that when it came to high-intensity games, James truly disappears, and it still comes down to Curry and Durant’s performance.
But James doesn’t seem to realize this, or maybe he knows but is unwilling to admit or act on it.
After all, he is the captain!
In crucial moments, the captain should have the ball in his hands.
When James attempted a straightforward drive to the basket to draw a foul, the referee refrained from blowing the whistle.
This segment of the game was so intense that the referee didn’t want to interrupt it.
The Hansen Team executed another fast-break play, this time Hansen broke through and then passed the ball to Thompson, who was trailing on the sideline, and Thompson’s three-pointer dropped in.
to 121, and the Hansen Team directly took the lead!
On the James Team’s side, Coach Antony extended his hand for a timeout.
If they didn’t call a stop now, the James Team was about to get completely crushed.
The camera then switched to show the Hansen Team players stepping off the court to massive applause and cheers from the audience.
This Hansen Team, or rather, this enhanced version of the Cavaliers, strengthened every necessary aspect.
Davis needs no additional explanation; he was outstanding both offensively and defensively, especially on defense, completely covering Jokic’s defensive weaknesses.
Harden’s presence allowed Hansen to take over the offensive baton when facing defensive pressure, facilitating quick executions of offensive plays.
Moreover, in fast-break situations, Harden’s ability to push the ball and pass made him and Hansen’s tandem like two blades piercing the opponent’s heart simultaneously.
Thompson is another component often overlooked but with immense impact, significantly spacing the floor both in set plays and fast-break situations.
This isn’t just an enhanced Cavaliers team; it’s an ultimate version of the Cavaliers that can’t even be built in 2K games.
Powerful, unbeatable!