Away Game? Home Game!

On the plane to Cleveland, Han Sen and Conley were casually chatting about the upcoming game.

For the Grizzlies, this was just an ordinary regular-season game, a seemingly easy win like their previous matchup against the Timberwolves.

But because of the bad blood between Han Sen and the Cavaliers, this game had a different flavor.

Connections and relationships still play a role in the NBA, just like anywhere else.

At the moment, Conley was discussing how to create opportunities for Han Sen in the game.

Teammates naturally enjoyed the prospect of helping him 'stick it' to his former team.

Especially since the Grizzlies were currently in a sort of honeymoon phase.

While chatting, Han Sen glanced up and saw Randolph sitting in the front row with headphones on, quietly listening to music.

Since visiting Gay's place last time, Han Sen had subconsciously started paying more attention to Randolph.

He noticed that, since the beginning of the season, Randolph seemed to be a lot quieter.

Because they didn't interact much, Han Sen could only assume it was due to the frustration of underperforming after dealing with injuries.

"Has Zach been going through something lately?" Han Sen asked Conley quietly.

Conley, being the most well-connected player on the team, would be the first to know if anything was up.

Conley shook his head.

If Conley hadn't heard anything, then it seemed Han's assumptions were correct.

The plane landed at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and as Han Sen stepped off, he felt the familiar fresh air.

It was exactly like when he first arrived in Cleveland, with the high level of greenery.

As they exited the terminal, they were momentarily stunned.

"Are these people here to welcome us?" Gay, leading the way, asked in confusion.

He had been in the NBA for many years and had come to Cleveland before, but he had never seen anything like this.

Fans lined both sides of the exit, holding up various signs.

Randolph glanced at him. "Seriously, man? You don't have eyes?"

Gay squinted at the crowd, then muttered under his breath, "I'm nearsighted, you know. Should've put my contacts in on the plane."

Conley and Han Sen followed them out.

"Han, they're here to welcome you," Conley said after glancing at the signs.

"Come back, Han!" "The management is dumb! They're all idiots!" "The Cavs can't survive without you"…

When an NBA player returns to play against their former team, the main question is whether they'll be booed or cheered.

But for Han Sen, it was obvious there was no need to worry about that.

Even Han hadn't expected to see such a scene.

He felt he had done right by the Cavs, so he didn't expect to be booed, but this was a surprising welcome.

It reminded him of the farewell he received from fans when he left Cleveland.

He truly was quite popular here.

Han Sen turned to Hollins and asked if he could go over to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans.

Hollins initially wanted to refuse, but Joerger interjected, allowing Han Sen to go ahead with the instruction, "Just don't take too long."

Han Sen shot a grateful glance at Joerger. Although he was a defensive-minded coach like Hollins and Brown, he had a completely different vibe.

As Han Sen approached the fans, the atmosphere instantly erupted.

Gay stopped in his tracks and looked back, a hint of envy in his eyes. In all his years in Memphis, he had never received such treatment.

Even Randolph took a couple of extra glances.

Conley couldn't help but shake his head.

He didn't understand why a player so loved by fans was so easily discarded by management.

…

"No, we don't regret our decision. After LeBron left, the team entered a rebuilding phase. OJ was simply the more talented player; that's why we traded for him."

As the Grizzlies arrived in Cleveland, Cavaliers GM Chris Grant's statement stirred up quite a bit of discussion.

"I've said it before; the Cavs' GM is just a puppet. The management doesn't understand the real problem."

"Who's going to admit their mistakes? They're just saving face."

"OJ may be talented, but he's not the guy who can help a team win."

"I think Grant has a point. It's not like Han can win us a championship. Just making the playoffs isn't enough; rebuilding was inevitable."

"Rebuilding? Can you guarantee the players you pick will be better than Han? You could've skipped the whole rebuilding process!"

"Why talk about 'making the playoffs' like it's easy? How many times have we actually made the playoffs?"

"Most people underestimate Han. He's Memphis' leading scorer right now, and he's new to that team."

The buzz on social media mirrored the reality: when so many fans showed up at the airport to welcome Han Sen, the Cavs' supporters made their feelings abundantly clear.

After a brief rest at the hotel, Hollins took the team to the Quicken Loans Arena for practice.

A strict coach always starts with training.

Walking into the familiar arena, and even more familiar 'locker room', Han Sen felt like he had traveled back in time.

And there were familiar faces too.

Shortly after entering the locker room, an old acquaintance came looking for him.

David Griffin.

Griffin had made some progress; he was now the assistant GM.

This meant if Grant ever got fired, Griffin would be the top candidate for the GM role.

"I heard you were back, so I rushed over."

"Aren't you afraid of getting yourself in trouble?" Since Grant's stance reflected the management's position, Griffin could easily get into hot water.

"Visiting a friend isn't a big deal," he replied confidently.

Han Sen chuckled and patted Griffin on the shoulder; this guy was indeed interesting.

"Oh, by the way, I've got some tickets for you." Griffin took a bunch of tickets out of his pocket.

As a home player, Han Sen would have had no trouble getting tickets, but as a visiting player, there were limited options.

Like last season, when the Cavs played the Heat on the road, Han Sen had to buy most of the tickets for his friends at Barry University.

Han Sen glanced at the tickets, noting the seats were quite close to the court, including some in the front row.

"Thanks." He needed a front-row seat for Swift, who would be attending the game.

After seeing Hollins enter the locker room, Griffin took his leave.

When practice ended, Han Sen handed out the extra tickets to his teammates.

Unlike him, fighting away from home, most NBA players had family or friends attending their games.

It wasn't a big deal financially, but who wouldn't appreciate free tickets?

After everyone left the locker room, Cunningham and Jamison came to find Han Sen.

The Cavaliers had finished their morning practice, and they had come specifically to see him.

"Boss," Cunningham greeted him, making Han Sen facepalm.

Jamison, meanwhile, came over and gave Han Sen a big hug.

The last time Han Sen left Cleveland, Jamison wasn't around to bid him farewell.

"Let's go grab some food," Jamison said with a smile.

…

The next afternoon, Han picked up Swift from the airport.

"Heading back tonight?" Han asked as she slid into the passenger seat. He was already used to her usual quick visits.

"Nope," Swift said, grinning. "Staying until tomorrow morning."

Han's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" He glanced over at her, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "That's a nice change. Last time was a little... cramped."

Swift laughed, catching his drift. "Yeah, it was a bit of a tight squeeze," she teased. "Oh, and I made sure I grabbed the right jersey this time," she said, pulling a red hat out of her bag and giving it a little shake. "I even brought this."

Han noticed the custom print on the hat that read 'handsome'. He chuckled. "You really thought this through, huh? But maybe leave the hat off—it might stir up trouble."

Swift smirked and put the hat on anyway. "How does it look?"

Han couldn't help but smile. "Looks great. Best hat on the best-looking person."

Swift beamed at the compliment, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "Good answer."

…

That night, the Quicken Loans Arena was packed to capacity.

Since both Han Sen and LeBron James left, the Cavaliers' attendance this season had been quite low.

The last time the arena was full was when the Heat visited, and the fans spent the whole night venting their frustrations with all sorts of signs.

But unfortunately, no matter how much the Heat struggled, the Cavaliers couldn't win.

This time, however, the scene was quite interesting.

Many people were holding signs in support of Han Sen.

Some even wore custom T-shirts printed with the word 'handsome'.

When Han Sen and his teammates walked out of the tunnel before the game, many fans cheered for him.

It was strange.

Han Sen almost felt like he was still playing for the Cavaliers.

No, actually, even when he was with the Cavaliers, he wasn't this popular.

This became even more apparent when the warm-ups ended, and the opening ceremony began.

As the visiting team, the Grizzlies were introduced first, with Han Sen being the first to be announced.

Although the arena DJ kept it simple with a brief "Number 77, Han Sen,"

The entire Quicken Loans Arena erupted!

This reaction shocked the Grizzlies players.

Sure, they had seen how popular Han Sen was in Cleveland at the airport, but this wasn't just about popularity.

With that kind of cheer, you could argue Han Sen was the leader of the Cavaliers!

Swift, sitting courtside, was wide-eyed.

She's a regular at NBA games and has seen many big moments, but this was unlike anything she'd ever witnessed.

She instinctively looked at her own jersey.

So, is this an away game? Or a home game?

It hadn't been that long since she last saw him, and yet her boyfriend's popularity had reached such an exaggerated level?

Han Sen, meanwhile, remained calm.

He had figured out why the crowd was reacting so strongly.

Honestly, it wasn't just about whether he was liked; he had become the outlet for the Cleveland fans' emotions.

After being "betrayed" by LeBron, all they could do was vent through signs and words because the Cavaliers just couldn't win on the court.

Especially since the front office had been antagonizing the fans, all they could do was transfer those emotions onto him.

Channeling their hatred for LeBron and their dissatisfaction with management into support for him.

It was surprising, but not necessarily a bad thing.

---

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups for both teams were announced.

Grizzlies: Conley, Han Sen, Gay, Randolph, Gasol.

Cavaliers: Mo Williams, Mayo, Anthony Parker, Jamison, Varejão.

Gasol tipped the ball to the Grizzlies' side, and the game officially began.

The Grizzlies advanced to the frontcourt, and Conley passed the ball to Han Sen.

As soon as Han Sen got the ball, it was like someone flipped a switch, and the crowd burst into cheers.

Han Sen, who had already figured out the situation, didn't let the cheers get to his head. He passed the ball to Randolph in the post for an isolation play.

Jamison couldn't hold off Randolph. Randolph turned towards the free-throw line and attacked the basket.

Varejão came over to help, but Randolph elbowed him to the ground.

The referee's whistle blew, calling an offensive foul on Randolph.

"Zach, that guy's really good at drawing fouls," Han Sen said as they retreated on defense, reminding Randolph as a former Cavalier.

"I don't need your reminder!" Randolph snapped back.

The big guy was like a bear on edge.

On the Cavaliers' offense, Williams set a pick-and-roll with Jamison, passed to him, and Jamison knocked down a mid-range jumper.

Randolph's pick-and-roll defense is the weakest link in the Grizzlies' defense.

Randolph even exchanged words with Conley, basically blaming him for not coming over to help in time.

He was clearly not in the right mood tonight.

The Grizzlies pushed the ball to the front again, passing it inside to Randolph, who went at Jamison once more.

Jamison had no chance against Randolph in the post. This time, Randolph didn't turn towards the free-throw line but spun baseline.

Varejão came over to help again, and Gasol called for the ball from the weak-side baseline, but Randolph didn't pass. Instead, he went straight at Varejão.

Because of the previous offensive foul, Randolph hesitated and didn't power up. Under Varejão's long-arm interference, the shot bounced off the rim.

However, he showed his toughness, grabbing the offensive rebound right over Varejão and putting it back in while drawing a foul.

After scoring, he got right in Varejão's face and unleashed a tirade:

"You're a f***ing p***y! Soft as hell!"

"You can't do s*** to stop me, bitch!"

The ref's whistle blew before Randolph could get under Varejão's skin any further, hitting him with a technical foul.

Randolph instantly lost his temper and charged at the referee.

Gasol and Conley quickly stepped in to hold him back.

But even as they restrained him, Randolph kept running his mouth, directing his anger at the ref.

The second technical foul was called, and Randolph was ejected.

This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.

Even Han Sen was confused. Randolph had a temper, sure, but he wasn't usually this out of control on the court.

What was going on with him tonight?

As Randolph walked toward the tunnel, he took off his headband and angrily threw it to the ground before leaving.

The Grizzlies, a team that relies heavily on their post play, were suddenly without their offensive focal point, turning what seemed like an easy game into a tough challenge.