Even when Yuying set up in the half court with all five players in position on defense, Huali still found chances to attack the paint through a constant stream of quick passes.
Whether Guan Guan or Zilong drove into the paint, they could always use their moves and footwork to toy with the center.
They kept scoring, and for a stretch, both teams traded baskets.
For those few minutes, neither team could stop the other. Huali stayed about five minutes behind.
Finally, with three and a half minutes left in the first quarter, Wang Yi waved his hand and made five substitutions at once.
The new lineup averaged about 1.85 meters tall.
That was already fairly tall for a middle school team.
When Coach Shi saw Huali make five substitutions all at once, he was a little dumbfounded.
Why were the starters the starters?
Because they were better than the bench players.
So nearly every coach kept at least two starters on the court during rotations.
Five Up Five Down was rare.
Unless it was garbage time.
The first quarter wasn't even over, and Wang Yi had already made five substitutions. What was he up to?
Coach Shi's substitutions, by contrast, were perfectly conventional.
He left the starting point guard and center on the court, and replaced the other three starters with bench players.
It was Huali's turn to attack.
Yuying Middle School's center had been deeply impressed by Huali's fast pace, so when he saw the opposing players coming on to attack, he immediately warned the three substitutes who had just entered. As team captain, he told them, "Be careful. They play fast. On defense, keep a close eye on your man!"
The three substitutes tensed up, focusing intently on the players they were supposed to guard.
But to