Chapter Four: The Center Without a Basket

Cape's center finally advanced. On the next possession Han showed the same motion, waited for the defender's weight to shift, and passed beneath his arm to Su in the corner. On the following play, Chen slowed deliberately, pulled the trap to half court, and found Wei. With his first touch in a formal game in seven years, the thirty-seven-year-old fired a bounce pass across half the floor for an assist. All eight Embers entered the net. Gao Ta collected four offensive rebounds. Zhao Xiaobei threw himself after loose balls. Captain Ma Yan's hard screens freed the younger shooters. The final score was 92–76. Han finished with two points, fourteen assists, and no dunks.