Okay so the lean, mean Greene machine was working like clockwork, the Darko Vader made his presence felt and the Prewster potency predictably rose to the surface last night.
HBS Bank Hawk coach Tab Baldwin and protege-turned-coach Paul Henare (Southland Sharks) were also up and down like yo-yos courtside, sporadically venting their spleen at the referees.
That the Hawks crushed the Sharks 89-56 to bounce back from a 74-71 defeat to the Manawatu Jets on Friday night was also expected because anything else would have been unthinkable in the first game at home in the Bartercard National Basketball League yesterday.
All that aside, there would have been something that resonated louder at the Pettigrew-Green Arena for one of the biggest crowds which started queuing for tickets from 3pm - the presence of home-grown young talent on the court.
Injecting youth, Hawks import Darko Cohadarevic said, was equally imperative so they could have a feel for the game.
With 2min 20s left on the clock, a vociferous cheer greeted debutants Jacob Walsh, Bronson Cherrington, Dan Evans and Geoff Heather with Matt Wilson joining them a few seconds later as the starting five and seasoned members watched and encouraged the young brigade from the bench.
The biggest cheer of the game came when Walsh scored a basket and drew one but it mattered little that he missed from the charity line.
"It was an awesome home crowd and it's one of the better places I've played at. I'm so happy I'm here," Cohadarevic said.
Ex-Hawk forward Morgan Natanahira, who followed Henare south, said: "The two imports looked pretty nice but I thought the young boys and the locals stood up pretty well, too, especially coming off the bench when they didn't play much. I think that was awesome."
While Cohadarevic was surprised he got a game-high double-double, the power forward heaped praise on guard Dion Prewster for his 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
"I spoke to Dion before the game so he's an amazing talent but all he needs to do is relax and show what he knows, nothing special."
Baldwin's full-press resistance worked and defined the Hawks' constitution, Cohadarevic said, with American import Brian Greene showing why he's known as the slasher. He also claimed a double-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three steals.
"We didn't doubt the Sharks' ability but at the end we showed a lot of energy and a lot of switch in defence so that's what got us the points."
While statistics were vital, the Serb said it was equally significant to focus on things not reflected, such as "effort, bumping and other little things because Tab emphasises that".
A frustrated Henare said his troops were patchy in a mistake-ridden first half.
"We did enough to hang around to be in striking distance in the first half at least but I'll have to look at it on the tape," he said, having no qualms accepting losses but not when the performance lacked rhyme or reason.
He didn't think Baldwin's northern hemisphere up-tempo style was a factor in leaving the Sharks disoriented.
"It's nothing new. Most teams play like that here. We needed to try to get back into the game because what we were doing obviously wasn't working."
Natanahira, 22, said the Sharks' defence crumbled after halftime and foul troubles didn't help.
With Southland weak on the ball, the Hawks bullrush-like, full-court defence added to the calamity.
Hawks point guards Aidan Daly and Jarrod Kenny were slick and young guard Alonzo Burton justified his start while Wilson and Ezra Nikora also put their hand up for game time.