Chapter Four: The Center Without a Basket

“He'll guard you,” Wei Chuan said. “They'll trap the ball and make Han shoot.” Lu glanced at the veteran. Seven years outside professional basketball had not dulled Wei's vision. Cape abandoned Han in the third quarter and swarmed Chen and Su. The lead shrank to two. Chants of “coward” rolled from the visiting section. Han caught the ball with two meters of empty floor before him. He raised it, then lowered it as the old tearing sound echoed in his knee. “Don't prove anything to them,” Lu called. “Do only what you can do now.” Han breathed, stepped forward, and released a plain foul-line shot without leaving the floor. It kissed the glass and fell.