The managent also asked Nene if he needed a trade, but Nene chose to stay.
At this stage of his career, he’s pursuing a championship, and to him, there’s no place with a better chance than Cleveland.
So even with the competition, the Cavaliers’ team atmosphere was maintained quite well, and they smoothly transitioned into the second half of the season.
The excitent of the Cavaliers vs. Warriors Christmas ga is still vivid in everyone’s minds, so their second matchup of the season naturally drew attention.
Moreover, for the Cavaliers players, especially Hansen, this ga was even more special.
It’s hard to advise soone who seeks their own demise; looking back now, Irving’s departure was inevitable.
But if it weren’t for Green’s ddling, Irving would have at least left after this season.
But now, with Irving leaving early, the Cavaliers were forced to make trades too.
So Hansen was also prepared to give Green, the culprit, a lesson.
This ga was held at the Warriors’ ho court, with the Cavaliers arriving in Oakland a day before the ga.
On that day, Jas was asked questions about Wade during a press interview.
"I’m happy for my brother DW. Joining a championship-contending team is a great opportunity in his career."
"I had talked to him, and if he decided to buy out after the trade, I would undoubtedly recruit him to our team. I was looking forward to playing alongside him again, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen."
It wasn’t until Jas brought it up that fans reminisced about the peak Big Three of the Heat.
Wade and Jas had once worked hard together and won two runner-up titles.
"Did he really contact you?"
On the ga day, Hansen couldn’t help but chat with Wade when he saw this news.
Wade shook his head with a smile: "It’s nothing, he’s always like that."
Fabricating things that didn’t happen to build his persona, Wade has proof of this; it’s Jas bashing.
"You really are a good guy." But Hansen couldn’t resist teasing again.
Wade must have owed Jas a lot of money in a previous life.
On the ga night, Oracle Arena was packed.
The TNT Big Three also ca to the scene, and they started predicting the ga’s outco before it comnced.
"The Cavaliers lost two of their first five gas before the All-Star break, and their performance declined noticeably after trading Irving. It’s going to be tough for them to win tonight." Kenny Smith’s analysis was logical; it’s known that even when Irving was there, the Cavaliers needed Hansen to break records to win the ga.
"I actually have the opposite view from you. The Cavaliers have significantly deepened their roster after the trade, and after so gelling, they’ll be stronger than before." Barkley’s view was directly opposite to Smith’s.
"The Warriors’ bench isn’t bad either." Smith continued to argue.
Neither could convince the other, so they both looked at O’Neal.
"You know, I’m a Cavaliers legend."
After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both teams were announced.
Cavaliers: Hansen, JR, Covington, TT, Jokic
Warriors: Curry, Thompson, Jas, Green, Pachulia
The Cavaliers’ starting lineup caused quite a stir, making Cole’s eyes widen.
Substituting two starters at once, this was a huge surprise from Malone.
The ga started quickly, with Jokic jumping for the Cavaliers to gain possession.
Hansen dribbled past the half-court line.
Although Wade’s trade to the Cavaliers led Malone to adjust the lineup, starting at Point Guard was a unique experience for Hansen.
Of course, he wasn’t up against Curry.
Actually, not just Hansen, even Thompson found it novel, as he had to pay full attention to guarding Hansen from the backcourt.
Hansen brought the ball to the frontcourt. Covington and JR positioned themselves at the left and right corners, while Jokic moved to high position for a screen with Hansen.
After setting a pick on Thompson, Jokic quickly cut to the basket, and Hansen, after creating a mismatch against Pachulia, initiated a drive that forced Pachulia to shift his balance, opting for a pull-up jumper.
One benefit of Wade not being in the starting lineup is that Hansen no longer had the psychological burden to "help Wade perform better," and could unleash his full potential.
Pachulia’s defensive capabilities were worse than Jokic’s, and Hansen took a relaxed shot.
However, his hand wasn’t ward up yet, and he missed.
But Jokic grabbed the offensive rebound and scored a putback over Thompson.
Although Hansen missed, his quick shot forced the Warriors to switch defense, leaving Pachulia isolated outside.
Green’s boxing out and rebounding skills were impressive, but he couldn’t compete alone against TT and Jokic.
The Cavaliers scored first, and then Jas ca back with the ball.
But his first attempt to break through was tightly defended by Covington.
The fact is, Covington is simply a "Jas terminator."
His height, wingspan, and mobility seem like they were tailored for Jas.
Especially since the weight disparity was rectified after Jas lost weight.
Jas was forced to stop before reaching his familiar three-second zone and, after realizing there was no opportunity, had to look for a teammate.
That’s when trouble followed.
With the Cavaliers’ current lineup, Hansen was matched against Curry, and JR, having been eager to start for over a year, was very proactive, quickly bypassing the screen to closely follow Thompson.
The Splash Brothers didn’t get good looks, and Jas had to pass the ball to his good buddy Green.
Green, as the scapegoat, sent his three-pointer bouncing off the rim.
Green’s interference in the Christmas ga led to Irving’s early departure, but Hansen’s trash talk also wasn’t ineffective.
After the Christmas ga, Green’s performance notably declined, especially in three-point shooting.
Last season, his three-point shooting percentage was 38.8%, a top-tier percentage for a stretch big.
But this season, it dropped to 30.8%, not even reaching the acceptable threshold.
The money made off-court could make Green defer ball possession to Jas, but it couldn’t ensure his on-court performance.
Jokic secured the rebound.
However, the Warriors retreated quickly, and the Cavaliers couldn’t imdiately capitalize on a fast break, settling into their half-court setup.
Hansen continued the pick-and-roll with Jokic, and this ti, Pachulia aggressively charged forward at Cole’s shout.
Even though Hansen missed his previous shot, Cole obviously didn’t want to give him such an easy attempt again.
Hansen complied, swiftly changing direction past Pachulia for an inside drive.
Green quickly ca over to help defend.
Pachulia chased Hansen from behind with all his might.
Cole had prepared a two-layer cheese sandwich for Hansen.
On a normal day, Hansen would probably pass to TT, as Jokic had already spaced out after reading the defense.
But tonight, Hansen chose differently.
He determinedly rose up against Green.
Green jumped with full effort to block Hansen.
Only to quickly find that he couldn’t keep up.
He promptly grabbed Hansen’s shoulders with both hands to prevent him from shooting.
But he underestimated Hansen’s resolve, and Hansen, after an air collision, still powered through to attempt a shot.
Hansen didn’t make this shot, but his effort caused Green to lose balance in the air and fall.
The referee indicated Green’s defensive foul before Hansen’s foot even touched the ground.
Green didn’t have ti to complain before looking up to see Hansen’s groin passing over his head!
Hansen leaped over!
This mont infuriated Green.
He angrily got up and attempted to shove Hansen, but Jokic quickly intervened, using his large fra to shield Green.
The usually mild-tempered little chubby had a Slav’s natural combat instincts.
At this mont, Hansen turned around.
Seeing Green still emotional, Hansen innocently remarked:
"LeBron already jumped over him, why can’t I?"
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