Chapter 126: The Real All-Star.
The opponents weren't pushovers.
After warm-ups, both teams' starting lineups were revealed:
- Rookie Team: John Wall, Wesley Johnson, Landry Fields, Blake Griffin, DeMarcus Cousins
- Sophomore Team: Steph Curry, James Harden, Han Sen, Serge Ibaka, DeJuan Blair
The starting lineups made it clear: the Sophomore team had a stronger perimeter, while the Rookie team had a stronger frontcourt.
Cousins won the jump ball for the Rookie team, and the game officially began.
Cheers from the fans started to erupt.
Thanks to Han Sen, the Rookie team had essentially become the home team for the Los Angeles crowd.
Unlike the All-Star Game, where it's more of a show, these were rookies eager to prove themselves, so they were playing for real.
Wall, with the ball, swiftly blew past Curry.
Like Mike Conley, Wall was a textbook point guard, but unlike Conley, Wall had a rare level of athleticism for someone of his archetype.
His explosiveness was overwhelming, and Curry couldn't keep up with his pace.
With a quick burst, Wall drove into the lane, drew defenders, and delivered a perfect pass to Cousins, who finished with a two-handed slam.
After the dunk, Cousins and Wall high-fived, showing their natural chemistry as former Kentucky teammates.
On the Sophomore team's first offensive play, Harden drove past Johnson but was blocked at the rim by Griffin.
Harden had a rough time on the Thunder, still coming off the bench despite being a high draft pick. His selection for the Rising Stars Challenge only came after Tyreke Evans was injured.
Clearly, he wanted to prove himself, but the Rookie team's interior defense made it hard.
The Rookie team grabbed the rebound, and Wall pushed the ball with lightning speed.
Griffin instinctively followed, ready for the fast break.
Wall sprinted down the court and then threw the ball off the backboard. Griffin, trailing, leaped up and caught it for a thunderous alley-oop dunk.
The Staples Center erupted.
Griffin's athleticism had earned him the nickname 'The White Beast' from some fans.
4–0.
The Rookie team opened with unstoppable momentum.
The camera then focused on Han Sen, capturing the moment perfectly.
Han Sen didn't disappoint. As soon as he reached the frontcourt, he called for the ball.
Curry willingly passed it to him and motioned for the strong side to clear out.
It wasn't because Curry and Han Sen had some close bond, but because Han Sen was the only player on their team who had proven himself on the big playoff stage.
Matched up against him was Fields, a properly sized small forward.
Han Sen faked a three-pointer, causing Fields to step forward, then quickly drove to the right.
Fields wasn't very fast laterally, so he had to go all out to keep up with Han Sen.
But at the 16-foot mark, Han Sen abruptly stopped, and Fields couldn't brake in time, sliding past him.
With Fields beaten, Han Sen opted for a pull-up jumper instead of driving to the basket like Harden.
The Rookie team's two big men could only watch.
Swish!
Han Sen's shot hit nothing but net.
The crowd was buzzing.
Even on the Sophomore team's bench, assistant coach Carmelo Anthony was impressed. The rookie who had dared to challenge him in last year's All-Star Game had already developed a consistent mid-range shot?
Wall once again breezed past Curry, whose defense was practically non-existent.
It was like a domino effect: Blair was forced to help, Wall dished the ball, and Cousins scored again inside.
Some fragmented memories surfaced in Han Sen's mind. He vaguely remembered that this year, Wall would break the assist record for the Rising Stars Challenge, leading his team to a win and earning MVP honors.
So, he had been wrong in his pregame assumptions—this Rookie team was stronger than the Sophomore team. Not only was their frontcourt dominant, but their backcourt was also formidable.
Curry and Harden might become superstars in the future, but right now, they were just inexperienced youngsters.
"Steph, sag off him a bit," Han Sen advised Curry, who nodded.
When they got to the frontcourt, Curry immediately passed the ball to Han Sen and moved to the weak side to create space.
Han Sen held the ball in one hand, scanning the defense. He noticed Griffin's positioning had shifted outward, clearly preparing to help and block any shot attempts.
Without hesitation, Han Sen drove, once again beating Fields.
As he reached the free-throw line, Griffin lunged to help.
Han Sen glanced at the rim, and Griffin leaped to contest.
This was the difference between having a reliable mid-range shot and not. One simple move could bait a defender into making a mistake.
With Griffin in the air, Han Sen continued his drive.
At this moment, Cousins was boxed out by Blair and couldn't help.
But instead of going for a regular dunk, Han Sen lobbed the ball off the backboard.
It bounced back, and Han Sen jumped up, grabbed it, and slammed it down with both hands.
Boom!
Han Sen had just pulled off a self-pass alley-oop!
The crowd was going wild.
"Han really holds grudges!" Barkley laughed from the commentary booth.
The self-pass alley-oop was reminiscent of Tracy McGrady, a move typically used to beat a defender, but Han Sen did it with no one in front of him, clearly in response to Griffin's off-the-backboard alley-oop earlier.
And it was confirmed.
After landing, Han Sen glanced back at Griffin and shook his head.
The taunt was unmistakable.
Griffin called for the ball in the high post.
He wasn't just a dunker—there was no way he could put up 20+ points and 10 rebounds a game just by dunking. Even as a rookie, his post-up game was among the best.
However, his defender was Ibaka, known for his defense.
Although Griffin managed to spin past Ibaka, his shot was brutally blocked by the latter.
Griffin was clearly rushing things. Forget about anything else; Ibaka had a significantly longer wingspan.
Ibaka grabbed the ball, turned, and saw Han Sen already sprinting past the three-point line.
From Cleveland, always at the forefront of a fast break.
Ibaka threw a long pass, and Han Sen caught it, blazing down the court.
The crowd was buzzing with anticipation.
Han Sen leaped in the paint, twisted mid-air, and brought the ball down for a windmill dunk.
The same dunk he did against the Heat.
But this time, it was even more graceful and powerful, thanks to his recently unlocked [All Dunk Pack Except Tomahawk] talent, which enhanced both his height and style.
Boom!
When Han Sen finished the windmill dunk, the crowd finally erupted in full cheers.
"Oh my God, he should be in the dunk contest!" Barkley was ecstatic in the booth.
In an All-Star game, regardless of the event, it was all about the show.
Han Sen's series of dunks perfectly captured the essence of the All-Star atmosphere.
And with his performance, the Rookie team's early momentum seemed to have dissipated.
As Han Sen jogged back on defense, he looked at Griffin and wagged his finger, shaking it back and forth.
It was a clear escalation from his earlier headshake, blatantly saying Griffin wasn't good enough.
The camera caught the gesture, displaying it on the arena's LED screen, causing a frenzy among the fans.
Han Sen wasn't treating the Rising Stars Challenge like an All-Star game at all—he was directly targeting Griffin.
Griffin couldn't stand it. How could anyone endure this in their own home arena?
He called for the ball in the post again, this time using his strength to muscle Ibaka, giving the latter no chance to contest.
But just as Griffin spun past Ibaka to shoot—
Smack!
Han Sen swooped in with a help defense steal, swatting the ball right out of Griffin's hands!
After the steal, Han Sen immediately flung the ball to Harden beyond the three-point line.
Though Harden's fast-break awareness wasn't quite as sharp as Han Sen's, playing with Westbrook on the Thunder had trained him well.
But Wall's speed was unbelievable, and he chased down Harden.
Harden reached the frontcourt with no clear shot, so he tossed the ball over his head.
Even though Harden was coming off the bench for the Thunder, he was still the team's primary playmaker.
A figure leaped into the air.
It was Han Sen, who had sprinted to catch up.
He caught Harden's pass mid-air, hung there for a moment…
Boom!
…and slammed the ball down hard.
Han Sen was having the time of his life dunking today!
8-6.
The Sophomore team had taken the lead.
Han Sen high-fived Harden as they got back on defense. The Sophomore team was clearly starting to find their rhythm.
Fans familiar with Han Sen knew that his trash talk and taunts were never just emotional outbursts.
Whether it was against Paul Pierce, LeBron James, or Kobe Bryant, Han Sen always had a clear purpose.
The same applied to Griffin.
Wall's speed was a problem—Han Sen couldn't guarantee he could keep up with him all the time.
The best way to handle that? Disrupt the Rookie team's offense by getting the ball out of Wall's hands.
And the easiest way to do that was to provoke Griffin.
From the way Griffin had answered reporters' questions, it was clear that the young star had a fiery temperament.
By the nine-minute mark of the first quarter, the Sophomore team was leading 26–18.
At this point, both teams rotated their players, and Han Sen took a break.
The Rookie team had a significant advantage in the paint, but it was clear they weren't fully utilizing it.
On the other hand, the Sophomore team was thriving under Han Sen's leadership. He had scored 12 points and even dished out 2 assists, leading the team with confidence.
During the bench rotation between the first and second quarters, the Rookie team managed to stay within striking distance thanks to the play of backup center Greg Monroe.
It had to be said—the Rookie team's frontcourt was indeed strong. Even putting aside their skill, they were much bigger in size compared to the Sophomore team.
By the time the starters returned in the second quarter, the score was 40–34.
Once the starters were back, the Sophomore team's coach, Lawrence Frank, made his move.
Frank wasn't very famous. He had been the head coach in New Jersey for seven years, but his biggest accomplishment was only winning Coach of the Month.
It wasn't until this season, when Tom Thibodeau left for Chicago and Frank took over as Boston's lead assistant, that he started getting noticed.
He looked like a spitting image of Jeff Van Gundy—short stature, pale skin.
But because of his humble beginnings, he had put in more effort into learning, which made him more adaptable than Van Gundy, who tended to be inflexible.
Frank set up a 2-1-2 zone defense for the Sophomore team and swapped out Blair for the more mobile Taj Gibson.
This change caused the Rookie team's offense to stagnate.
The Rookie team's strength was their inside game, and they could dominate in one-on-one situations. But with Ibaka and Gibson as mobile defenders in a zone, they could easily provide help defense, which severely limited the Rookie team's performance.
And more importantly, the Rookie team didn't have a Kobe or a Han Sen. Wall, though fast, didn't have the mid-range ability to break through the zone defense.
Then, the game turned into a fast-break showcase for the Sophomore team.
The Rookie team couldn't score, and with their twin towers lineup, their transition defense couldn't keep up.
Han Sen, the fast-break maestro, benefitted greatly from this.
By halftime, the Sophomore team had extended their lead to double digits, 58–48.
Han Sen scored 21 points in the first half, the highest of the game.
"He is the real All-Star!" Barkley couldn't contain his excitement in the commentary booth once again.
This statement cemented his status as a diehard fan of Han Sen, especially since Han's selection as an All-Star starter had been highly controversial.
But now, no one could say Barkley was overhyping. Han Sen's performance in the Rising Stars Challenge, especially against other young players, clearly put him on a different level.
And what about Griffin?
With only 7 points and 4 rebounds by halftime, he was completely overshadowed by Han Sen.
During halftime, there was a sudden stir in the stands.
It was because a late arrival had drawn attention.
As Taylor Swift appeared with a bucket of popcorn, she quickly became the focus of the arena.
As Han's girlfriend, and set to perform at the All-Star Game, she was certainly catching eyes during this year's All-Star festivities.
When the second half began, the Rookie team made tactical adjustments, also switching to a 2-1-2 zone defense.
This surprising move came from their head coach, Mike Budenholzer.
From Budenholzer's perspective, it was a change in strategy, no longer relying on half-court offense and focusing on defense first.
After all, if they could stop the Sophomore team's offense, and with Wall's speed, their fast-break potential was even greater than the Sophomore team's.
Upon seeing this, Han Sen almost wanted to hug Budenholzer's head and kiss him.
Back when they played the Spurs, Budenholzer had already helped him out once. Now, in the Rising Stars Challenge, he was doing it again. He was even better to Han than Mike Malone.
The Sophomore team had the first possession in the second half. Han Sen drove to the free-throw line and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
Of course, Budenholzer wasn't clueless—he had Griffin playing at the center position in the zone defense, as Griffin was more mobile than Cousins.
Griffin immediately rushed to contest the shot.
But Griffin had his own weaknesses—he was short.
Although Han Sen wasn't as tall as Griffin, his standing reach was greater. This meant that when both jumped at the same time, Griffin would have a hard time blocking Han Sen.
And it should be noted that Han Sen had just unlocked his dunking talent. Although it still required time to master, he was already jumping higher and faster than before.
Swish!
Han Sen hit the mid-range shot right in Griffin's face.
In the stands, Swift excitedly threw away her popcorn and jumped up to dance on the spot.
The cameras, already focused on her, captured the moment perfectly, and it was displayed on the LED screen for everyone to see.
The crowd erupted in cheers. One of the reasons Swift had such widespread popularity across the U.S., besides her singing talent, was her down-to-earth personality.
Han blew a kiss to Swift with a wave of his hand.
Then, he turned around, smiling as he looked at Griffin, whose face was puffed up in anger.
Look, not only am I more like an All-Star than you, but I also have a superstar girlfriend.
And you? What do you have besides being short?
Weekly Power Status
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