The ga had been going on for 9 minutes, and the score on the court was 21 to 31, with the Cavaliers trailing by double digits.
By this ti, both teams had already made so substitutions, and Jas had just bulldozed over soone in an offensive play.
It was at this mont that Brown turned and called out the nas of Hansen and Moon.
Was he finally going to play?
Hansen stood up from the bench, took off his training jacket, flexed his wrist joints and walked over to the scorer’s table.
The worst thing about coming off the bench was how stiff your body could feel after sitting for so long.
It was then that he noticed sothing very subtle happening where his gaze fell.
Jas had helped up the player he had knocked over, and the player gave Jas’s butt a light pat as a gesture of thanks.
That short and soft-looking player was... JJ Redick?
Hansen had just noticed that Redick was actually playing for the Magic Team at the ti.
In his past life, before he died suddenly, the last basketball-related news he had seen was about Redick, who had only coached nine-year-old kids playing ball and then, next thing, beca the head coach for the Lakers.
Although Jas’s career had its share of rookie coaches, like Blatt and Ham, who had no previous NBA head coaching experience, they were basketball coaches beforehand.
But what was even more bizarre was that after Jas and Redick had completed a podcast episode together, the news ca out, followed by a swift denial from Jas’s team that "Jas did not participate in the Lakers’ coaching search," and the dia also revealed that it was Anthony Davis’s wish.
If it wasn’t known that Jas had been a free agent at the ti, even a three-year-old might have believed it.
Seeing this scene in front of him, it really was as Jas had said, that he and Redick shared a "high EQ" camaraderie as players.
The referee blew the whistle on the sidelines, and Hansen and Moon ca on, replacing Jas and old Parker.
The lineups on the court at that mont were, for the Cavaliers: Delonte West, Hansen, Moon, Varejao, and Ilgauskas;
For the Magic Team: Jason Williams, Redick, Pietrus, Ryan Anderson, and Marcin Gortat.
Hansen and Redick faced off directly, and at the mont of confrontation, there was a mutual look of disdain in each other’s eyes.
The Magic Team had the ball, with Howard resting off the court; their strategy had shifted from "One Star and Four Shooters" to a pick-and-roll offense, with the focal point being Redick.
Williams handled the ball, while Anderson and Petruus spread out in the corners to open up space, Gortat set a solid pick-and-roll wall with his hefty body, and the agile Redick moved off the ball using screens.
Each of the five players on the Magic Team had their roles, and Redick shook loose for a pass from Williams and shot in a smooth flow like clouds and water...
"Smack!"
Just as Redick released his shot, Hansen soared over the top of Gortat’s head, swatting Redick’s attempt out of bounds with a slap like a hawk catching a rabbit.
There was an instant burst of cheers from the crowd.
That volleyball-style block was too freaking cool!
Hansen, after landing, looked at a sowhat dazed Redick, lifted his right hand, and separated his index and middle fingers, first pointing at his own eyes and then bringing them together to point at Redick.
The ssage was clear: "I’m watching you!"
Redick’s face flushed red, his expression seeming to say: How dare you.
The Magic Team continued with a sideline inbound play, but this ti Hansen completely locked down Redick’s off-the-ball movent, twice evading Gortat’s screens.
To put it nicely, the Magic Team each stuck to their roles; less nicely, they showed no strategic variation at all.
And Redick was no Ray Allen; his three-point shooting was his only weapon, and he posed no threat cutting to the basket, making him even easier to defend.
White Chocolate Jason Williams, in the end, could only opt for a drive and dish, but West’s defense didn’t falter, and he had no chances to show off fancy moves.
Moreover, just as he was about to get trapped with the ball, West, quick as a flash, stole it from his grasp.
The Cavaliers pushed a defensive counterattack, and as West looked up with the ball, he saw Hansen already past the midcourt line.
The speed of the fast break was enough to make Jas, sitting on the bench, widen his eyes.
West tossed the ball forward, and Hansen easily dunked with both hands for a fast break score.
The cheers erupted once more, as Hansen made his presence known with one defensive play and one score.
After getting back to midcourt, Hansen high-fived West and promptly complinted him, "Nice pass."
Another fruitless attack from the Magic Team had Redick reminiscing about the 2008 Dream Team training camp, where Kobe had targeted him relentlessly.
He had no idea why this chink had such a huge animosity towards him.
On the Cavaliers’ half-court offense, it was West handling the ball.
The coach wouldn’t get into the specifics of every play before the ga, he only set the strategic direction, including how to play from the opening.
Apart from so on-the-spot adjustnts, on the court, it’s mostly up to the point guard to call the plays.
Especially when the team’s core players are resting off the court, the point guard can be said to be the coach on the floor.
At that mont, West had called for a two-position pick-and-roll strategy.
Hansen had just easily racked up an assist for him and had done so politely; there was no reason for him not to return the favor.
Hansen, using Ilgauskas’s pick-and-roll, ca out to receive the ball and shoot.
This tactic was similar to what the Magic Team had been running earlier, but Redick did not have Hansen’s defensive abilities.
Hansen found a good shooting opportunity, releasing the ball before Petruus could close in for the block.
However, the ball ultimately clanged off the side rim and bounced out.
He had just co off the bench, and his hands were still cold.
The Magic Team quickly collapsed to battle for the rebound; with Howard off the court and their power forward position manned by a soft touch like Ryan Anderson, their interior rebounding protection wasn’t strong.
Varejao fought for the offensive board.
Seeing Redick also heading under the basket, Hansen quickly signaled for the ball; he was wide open now.
Varejao saw him but chose to ignore him.
This guy had brought personal grievances onto the court.
Moreover, he was obviously trying to prove himself. Even with Gortat coming over to help, he still forced a turn and a hook shot.
"Clang!"
His shot unsurprisingly clattered off the rim.
Underneath, a battle for positioning ensued, and eventually, the rebound was grabbed by Ilgauskas, who occupied the higher airspace.
Just as Ilgauskas grabbed the rebound, he saw a figure slicing in at a 45-degree angle with speed.
Since Gortat had already retreated to defend the basket, his shot opportunity wasn’t any better than Varejao’s had been, so he decisively chose to stuff the ball through, while simultaneously pushing Gortat away from under the basket.
Redick, noticing Ilgauskas’s move, turned to help defend.
In the mont he turned, he recognized the face of the incoming figure.
Hansen!
Hansen also saw Redick and, originally intending just to make a layup, changed his mind after catching the ball.
He gathered his full strength and leaped high, ball in both hands, slamming it directly toward the hoop in Redick’s face.
Redick, already irate from being guarded by Hansen, certainly wasn’t willing to be just a backdrop; he stretched out his hand to push Hansen.
But quickly, he realized Hansen’s strength was much greater than he had anticipated.
His hands were repelled, and with the montum, he was rapidly shoved backward.
Then, the next second, due to the difference in height, Hansen’s thigh went straight onto his face.
"Boom!"
Hansen slamd the ball hard into the net, the force of the impact flipping the off-balance Redick to the floor.
After landing, Hansen saw Redick on the ground and stepped right over him!
The arena erupted in explosive cheers, and those in the front row were simply stunned.
Hansen, so damn brave!
Redick’s face flushed with being stepped over, but he didn’t dare get up and confront Hansen.
It’s the usual problem with high EQ players; they think too much.
Turning back to see Redick’s reaction, Hansen allowed a provocative look to cross his face.
His hostility toward Redick wasn’t because of sothing like Redick becoming the Lakers’ head coach; that had nothing to do with him.
Of course, it wasn’t because of Jas either. They respected each other, and he was no sycophant.
His real enmity stemd from Redick himself.
This guy had not only displayed racism against black won but also had the audacity in an official New Year’s greeting for East University to openly use "chink" to discriminate against East University people.
Now, it worked out fine. Redick was a racist, and he was a racial Knight, a Knight who had ridden over a racist.
—Divider—
Note: Online, racist is a blocked term. When translating, it’s often replaced with "racial Knight," and the protagonist’s team is the Cavaliers.
Reviews
All reviews (0)