At halftime, Qingbei team was down by 8 points.
During halftime, Coach Wang launched into a tirade of profanities, his spittle flying for miles around.
"You failed to execute the tactics we planned before the game at all; your inside penetration was terrible!"
"Chu Feiyu, quicken your pace and don't stand too still. You're not a block of wood."
"Shu Juan, Yang Lingling, why are you two acting like you don't know how to play basketball anymore? Luo Yan isn't on the court, and you can't even handle it? Keep an eye on the rebounds."
“Sun Meng, you’re using that double-layup look again, aren’t you? You need to make the most of your swingman role. When Lu Yu can’t get to the paint, you need to organize the offense quickly. Don’t always try to rely on yourself.” Coach Wang’s tone suddenly softened. “I have to remind you that if you lose too much stamina, your usual movements will become distorted. Uncoordinated movements are very dangerous. Many injuries are caused by not paying attention to details.”
"Lu Yu, can you even hit me?"
Coach Wang only asked Lu Yu this one question.
The impact of Luo Yan on Lu Yu's mentality is evident to all.
Luo Yan's worries and anxieties were still nagging at her mind; she had overestimated her own capacity to cope.
If Luo Yan were still in her prime like Weng Pei, or at least still able to compete with Lu Yu on the field, Lu Yu could at least comfort himself that it's not too late...
Lu Yu wiped her face with a towel and said softly, "Coach, I'm sorry."
"I don't want to apologize, just tell me, are you in a good enough condition to play!" Coach Wang's voice was loud and clearly transmitted through the switching screens of the broadcast.
Everyone heard and saw this situation.
The scene cuts away again.
The guests in the commentary booth all looked slightly embarrassed.
Host Liu Du tried to smooth things over, saying, "This match will be a big test for Lu Yu. Yu Mengmeng and Zhang Fan's lateral cuts are indeed difficult to defend."
"Moreover, Zhu Ying is also lurking on the outside; one wrong move and she could hit a three-pointer." Meng Xiaotong added a couple of comments, but no one dared to bring up the past disappointment in the Olympic Games in a direct manner on the commentary desk.
Feng Xu did not join the discussion.
Luo Yan and Lu Yu, the golden generation he mentored.
*
Lu Yu glanced at Sun Meng, who was still breathing rapidly, and said with difficulty, "I can't... I'm not in the right condition right now, and playing would only be a burden."
"Okay." Coach Wang didn't say anything else, and said to Wang Jie on the bench, "Wang Jie, warm up and get ready to go on the court. I don't need you to try to score with mid-range shots. You need to do two things: First, on offense, make lateral cuts inside to relieve some defensive pressure on Sun Meng. Second, on defense, you need to box out your perimeter positions. Their point guard, Yu Mengmeng, especially likes to pass fast balls, so you need to adjust your center of gravity quickly and try to intercept them. Don't chase after the ball."
Coach Wang meticulously rearranged the tactics.
The second half of the game has begun.
"Lu Yu didn't play again, and Qingbei team's point guard replaced Wang Jie," Liu Du explained.
Meng Xiaotong chimed in, "It seems the Qingbei team has made significant tactical adjustments."
However, Qingbei team, constrained by its predicament, did not seem to find a way to break through in the second half.
Wang Jie's offensive drives were too weak, and Sun Meng often had to face double-team defense alone, which put too much pressure on her offense and naturally reduced her success rate.
In the fourth quarter, Sun Meng's stamina dropped significantly, severely disrupting the rhythm of Qingbei team's offense.
As Zhou Qing's team played more and more aggressively, their offensive rhythm became smoother and smoother, and Qingbei's defensive network was overwhelmed and collapsed.
The match ended with a final score of 78 to 90, with Qingbei team losing the first game by a margin of 12 points.
As the players shook hands, Lu Yu clenched her fangs, adjusted her breathing, and looked into Luo Yan's eyes. She tried to appear as calm as possible.
Luo Yan held Lu Yu's hand and suddenly hugged her tightly. "Little Yu, forget your regrets. You need to be consistent enough to qualify for the Olympics again. This year is really my last chance. I don't know if we can still be teammates."
The memories, sealed away in the jar, seem to be so tightly bound that if you loosen your grip on reason even slightly, the jar's opening will be torn open, allowing air to seep in uncontrollably, slowly oxidizing and leaving behind a trail of decay unknown to anyone.
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