Chapter Five: The Edge of Elimination

“They'll drain you,” Yanqiu warned. “You have thirty-six minutes.” “Break down every minute. No wasted full-court pressure. No low-value offensive rebounds. End possessions in eight seconds instead of wrestling for twenty.” Qiao understood. “You're budgeting for forty points.” “Forty may not be enough.” Silence held the room. Practice contained no full scrimmage. Xinglan drilled three things: right-wing pull-ups, step-backs against switches, and drawing contact. Yanqiu tracked her heart-rate recovery between sets. Doctor Han checked her left-hip engagement and right-knee response. Zhou led the reserves in simulated traps, calling every change aloud. That night, Xu Manqing sent a message: I hear things are ugly there. Talk after the series?