Yang Hansen #16 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 23, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Photo: VCG

Chinese rookie Yang Hansen recorded several personal milestones on Saturday night despite the Portland Trail Blazers' 95-122 blowout loss, marking what many Chinese fans called a "small highlight" in his young NBA career. 

The 20-year-old center played a career-high 17 minutes, contributing 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. 

His shot attempts, playing time, and three-pointers all set new personal bests, while his career total rose to 28 points, surpassing Zhou Qi to rank fifth among Chinese-born players on the NBA all-time scoring list. 

Yang's breakthrough moment came in the second quarter. Coming off the bench, he received a pass from teammate Sidy Cissoko outside the arc and calmly knocked down the first three-pointer of his NBA career.

With the deficit widening in the fourth quarter, Yang stayed on the floor for extended minutes. Video of Yang's performance quickly went viral on Chinese social media: He used two consecutive spin moves to evade Isaiah Hartenstein before finishing a tough and-one at the rim.

 After several developmental games in the G League, many fans viewed this performance as evidence that Yang is "truly getting into the flow" of NBA competition.

Trail Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter had hinted at this progress days earlier. Speaking to reporters previously, he noted that Yang's time in the G League had boosted the young center's confidence. 

Splitter expressed that Yang was communicating more on the court and being more energetic in the locker room.

"From the 9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists he posted five days ago to tonight's 8-4-3 line, we can see that Yang is learning from his G League experience, but it's also clear that he is still receiving more opportunities, mainly in situations where the score margin is large. His role has not changed significantly," Su Qun, a renowned sports commentator who has followed Yang's development closely, told the Global Times, adding that the rookie remains "a small card in the coach's hand" at this stage of his NBA journey. 

Chinese media previously highlighted an interesting comparison: In the first five regular-season games of Yang's NBA career, he played a total of 29 minutes, shooting 2-for-9 for 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. But in the game following his return from the G League, he logged just 13 minutes yet went 4-for-7 from the field, finishing with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block.

Still, Su noted that the Blazers appear intentional in giving Yang more ball-handling and decision-making responsibilities. 

"That aligns with the role the team envisioned for him when they drafted him," he said. Su added that criticism from some fans regarding Yang's 1-for-6 three-point shooting stemmed from "impatience" and stressed that growth for the 20-year-old requires time.

The Portland Trail Blazers beat reporter also weighed in after the game, acknowledged that Yang's extended minutes were partly due to the team's significant injury issues, but emphasized that several possessions were clearly drawn up for Yang to facilitate the offense. This included structured actions in the second quarter and additional reads in the final period. According to the reporter, Yang "delivered on that intention in several sequences," showing encouraging flashes in his ability to create opportunities for teammates.

With the Blazers' injury list continuing to last, Yang may see more consistent play time in the coming days. 

For the young center, analysts say this stretch represents a rare developmental window. 

"He needs to stay focused on studying opponents and focusing on himself," Su said. "Once he clarifies his proper positioning within the team, he'll know exactly what he needs to go toward."