Three and Seventeen

Price shoved him. Tyrese shoved back. A chair tipped. Jamal Brooks stepped between them and nearly fell when his knee buckled. Coaches rushed in. Reporters outside heard enough to report a locker room incident within minutes. Daniel received the alert while meeting Evelyn Marsh and the finance team. The team's losses were no longer only on the court. Season-ticket cancellations had accelerated after the Harlan trade. A local sponsor wanted to renegotiate. A board member had asked whether a franchise with public money tied to arena upgrades could afford to look unserious. Evelyn closed the folder in front of her. "I gave you room because the old path was broken," she said. "But broken and embarrassing are different things."