INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As Donovan Clingan finished his first foray into NBA All-Star Weekend, he planned to take a couple days of R&R to decompress from a rugged 56-game Portland Trail Blazers schedule and refuel for the stretch run.
As Yang Hansen wrapped up his introduction to the NBA’s marquee exhibition weekend, he was plotting to track down his childhood idol, Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic.
“I wish I could see him,” Yang said through an interpreter, releasing a long cackle. “I can’t wait to kiss him.”
The Blazers’ towering young centers stepped onto the NBA’s biggest stage Friday night at Intuit Dome, mixing a little competition and a little one-on-one play with a whole lot of laughs at the four-team Rising Stars tournament in Inglewood, California.
The duo’s All-Star journey started in the wee hours Friday morning, around 1 a.m., when they landed in Southern California after flying from the Blazers’ 135-119 Thursday night win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. They caught a few hours of slumber, then powered through a whirlwind of All-Star activities, sitting through an interview session with reporters, posing for a round of photos, game-planning with unfamiliar teammates and coaches and, ultimately, playing in a four-team tournament.
Clingan played for Team Melo alongside some of the best first-and second-year players in the NBA, while Yang played for Team Austin alongside a collection of G League standouts. It just so happened that the teammates met in the opening game, a rare public head-to-head matchup they said they were looking forward to.
The fireworks started early, with Clingan swatting a pair of early Team Austin shot attempts before delivering Team Melo’s first points, which came on a two-handed alley-oop dunk. The Blazers’ 7-foot-2 center went on to score his team’s first seven points — and nine of its first 14 — mixing three-pointers with dunks and reverse layups. It fueled a 40-34 win for Team Melo in a game that was decided by whichever team reached 40 points first.
Along the way, however, the game turned into a Blazers showcase. Yang, who has played sparingly during a rookie season that opened with much fanfare, also put on a show.
Portland Trail Blazers rookie center talks to the media after competing in the Rising Stars game Friday, Feb. 13, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Joe Freeman, The Oregonian/OregonLive)Joe Freeman, The Oregonian/OregonLive
He entered the game after Clingan helped stake Team Melo with a 14-9 lead, and wasted little time going to work, swishing a three-pointer — over Clingan’s outstretched arms — to bring Team Austin within 14-12. As he ran back on defense, the affable 7-foot-1 rookie from China waved his hand toward Clingan and talked a little playful trash as both players smiled.
Yang followed with a three-point play, converting a fast-break layup while being fouled, and added a little left-handed hook shot later in the game. But the play of the night came with Team Austin on offense, facing a 30-24 deficit. As the team passed the ball around in the half court, it found Yang at the top of the key in a one-on-one situation against Clingan.
Yang pump-faked. Hesitated. Pump-faked again. Then he dribbled past Clingan through the lane, scoring on a finger roll layup. As Yang wiggled past his teammate, Clingan reached and tried to dislodge the ball, but whiffed. And after Yang finished the play, he barked at Clingan and smiled.
“That’s a foul DC!” he shouted.
Clingan just shrugged back.
But he and Team Melo enjoyed the last laugh. Yang finished with a game-high-tying 10 points and two rebounds, but Team Melo earned the six-point win.
“It was fun,” Clingan said. “We battle against each other all the time, every day at practice, but being able to play on a bigger stage like this is pretty special.”
Clingan had another hot start in the tournament final against Team Vince, scoring the first six points thanks to a pair of three-pointers. But he didn’t score the rest of the game and Team Vince went on to eke out a one-point win.
It was the first taste of All-Star Weekend for both players and Yang brought a mix of humor and humility in the competition. He said he hoped his presence would inspire other Asian players to “chase their dream and to reach the NBA” but also joked that his favorite part was that “I tried to tell everybody my ‘Chinglish,” referring to his tendency to mix Chinese with English when he speaks.
And when asked about his favorite moment of the day, he couldn’t help but think about the future and a potential meeting with Jokic, joking about that kiss.
“I’m just excited to see him,” Yang said, through an interpreter.
Clingan, meanwhile, seemed most excited about that R&R.
He played 59 minutes for the Blazers in a Wednesday-Thursday back-to-back. Then he powered through a pair of Rising Stars games Friday, completing a busy three days of basketball. Afterward, he was visibly worn out.
But he was also motivated.
The next step, Clingan said, is to play in the All-Star main event.
“It just shows me the next step, to try to play on Sunday, to really just put the work in,” he said, when asked how this All-Star experience might shape him. “Obviously I’ll take a couple days off, get a nice little break, and then really just work for Sunday for the future.”