Opposite, there were definitely no weaklings.
After the warm-up ended, both teams announced their starting lineups.
Freshman Team: John Wall, Wesley Johnson, Landry Fields, Blake Griffin, DeMarcus Cousins
Sophomore Team: Curry, Harden, Hansen, Ibaka, Dejuan Blair
From the starting lineups, it was clear that the Sophomore Team had a stronger outside, while the Freshman Team was stronger inside.
Cousins jumped for the Freshman Team and gained possession. The ga officially began.
The cheers of the fans began to resonate throughout the venue.
Thanks to Hansen, the Freshman Team had beco the ho team for Los Angeles fans.
And unlike the main All-Star ga, both sides were rookies genuinely competing on the court.
Wall took the ball and directly bypassed Curry.
Wall, just like Conley, was a classic point guard from academia, but unlike Conley, Wall possessed the rare physical attributes of a point guard from academia.
His explosiveness was trendous, and Curry simply couldn’t keep up with his pace.
With a burst of speed, he broke into the paint, drew a double team, and made a brilliant pass to his teammate; Cousins slamd the ball into the basket with both hands.
After the dunk, Cousins and Wall high-fived; they were part of the "Kentucky Five Tigers," with a natural understanding of each other.
On the Sophomore Team’s offensive, Harden took the ball and managed to get past Johnson, only to be brutally blocked by Griffin.
Harden’s days in the Thunders were tough, being a third overall pick he was still a reserve, and this Rookie Challenge was only because Evans was injured.
He clearly wanted to prove himself, but the Freshman Team’s strength inside made it difficult for him.
The Freshman Team secured the rebound, and Wall pushed the fast break with lightning speed.
Griffin was quick to follow up, fully aware.
After Wall pushed to the frontcourt, he used the backboard, the ball rebounded to the leaping Griffin, who then executed a backboard alley-oop slam dunk.
The Staples Center erupted instantly.
Due to his explosive physical attributes, so fans called Griffin the "White Demon."
to 4.
The Freshman Team started the ga with overwhelming montum.
At that mont, the cara precisely focused on Hansen, making the most of the cara angle.
Hansen didn’t disappoint, reaching for the ball as soon as he got to the frontcourt.
Curry complied and passed the ball to him, then signaled for a clear-out on the strong side.
It wasn’t that he and Hansen were particularly close, but Hansen was the only one among them who had proven himself on the playoff stage.
Fields, facing Hansen, was a full-sized small forward.
Hansen made a three-point fake, luring Fields forward slightly, then drove right.
Fields wasn’t fast laterally. To keep up with Hansen, he had to push to his limits.
But at the 16-foot mark, Hansen suddenly stopped; Fields, unable to brake, drifted right past him.
Hansen shook off Fields, but unlike Harden who would drive towards the basket, chose a mid-range stop-and-jump shot.
The Freshman Team’s big n inside could only watch helplessly.
"Swish!"
Hansen’s shot went smoothly through the net.
The crowd stirred.
Even on the Sophomore Team’s bench, Anthony, serving as an assistant coach, brightened at what he saw.
This rookie, who had dared to challenge him in last year’s All-Star ga, had developed a reliable mid-range ga?
Wall continued to get past Curry, with Curry’s defense proving ineffective against him.
It was akin to knocking over a row of dominoes; Blair was forced to help defend, then Wall passed, and Cousins scored inside again.
So fragnts of Hansen’s mory were awakened; he vaguely rembered that, in this year’s rookie ga, Wall had broken the assist record, led his team to defeat the Sophomore Team, and was voted Rookie Challenge MVP.
So, it seed he was mistaken before the ga; this Freshman Team was stronger than the Sophomore Team, not just inside but outside as well.
Curry and Harden might beco superstars in the future, but at this mont, they were just kids.
"Stephen, tighten inside when you guard him," Hansen reminded Curry, who had just tried to help defend but was too late with Curry’s defense like air.
Curry nodded.
Once in the frontcourt, he passed the ball directly to Hansen, then ran to the weak side to clear space.
Hansen, holding the ball with one hand, surveyed the scene; he noticed Griffin’s defensive position was slightly more outside than before.
It looked like he was preparing to help block him.
He quickly initiated a drive, and Fields was beaten again.
Hansen reached the free-throw line; as expected, Griffin lunged towards him.
Seeing this, Hansen looked up at the basket, and Griffin jumped.
This was the difference having a reliable mid-range shot made, a single move could sway the defender.
After shaking off Griffin, Hansen continued to drive inside.
This ti Cousins was held by Blair and couldn’t co over.
Instead of dunking directly, Hansen whimsically tossed the basketball against the backboard.
The ball rebounded, and Hansen leapt up, caught the rebound, and slamd the ball into the basket with both hands.
"Bam!"
Hansen perford a self alley-oop!
The crowd was in an uproar.
"Hansen is a vengeful guy!" Barkley couldn’t help but laugh from the comntator’s seat.
Self alley-oops, the fans are most familiar with McGrady.
Usually, such a move is ant to bypass the defender in front, but Hansen’s empty dunk was clearly a response to Griffin’s earlier backboard alley-oop.
And indeed it was.
Because after landing, he looked back at Griffin, then shook his head.
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