Split: Hansen played a few minutes to give Klingen some rest. He contributed positively with a +6 point differential while on the court.

On December 29th Beijing time, the Trail Blazers won 114-108 against the Celtics at home. Klingen posted 18 points and 18 rebounds, and Yang Hansen logged 10 minutes and 38 seconds with 1 made shot out of 3 attempts, totaling 3 points and 3 rebounds.

Following the game, Blazers head coach Split shared his thoughts on how Klingen and Yang Hansen performed.

Regarding Klingen, Split said: “He has a huge presence — he anticipates plays, directs the team, leads on the court, and even grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and made the free throws. I’m proud of him; he’s been working on his free throws, and he was a key factor in this win.”

“He’s definitely gotten stronger. Big men get more powerful after a few years, and his attacking the basket is more forceful. He trained all summer and continued working with coaches on finishing through contact during the season. Now he can hold his ground under the basket and score — that’s the result of hard work. Every time he makes a good play, dunk, or block, he passes his energy and confidence to the entire team. Like I said earlier, he’s vital to our defense, offense, and the overall locker room atmosphere — he’s one of our core players.”

Speaking about Yang Hansen, Split said: “He covered a few minutes for us, letting Klingen rest. He’s not fully familiar with the tactics yet, so we need to communicate more and clarify areas for improvement. But overall, he was positive — the team had a +6 point margin when he was on the floor, he made a three-pointer, grabbed rebounds, protected the rim, and performed well today.”