"You've already shown a level of intensity that makes any further pep talk unnecessary. I don't need to waste my breath."
"I have only one thing to say: hang in there! If you can just hold on a little longer, we might win this game!"
"If we keep up the intensity we showed in the second quarter, victory will be within reach!"
The players were all slumped on the sofas, but when they heard the coach, they answered in unison:
"Yes!"
When the third quarter began, neither team showed any sign of letting up. If anything, they both stepped up the intensity.
Fouls began occurring more and more often.
Everyone was getting more physical. The rougher the play got, the more tempers flared, and once tempers flared, the players got even rougher.
To keep an exciting game from turning into a brawl, the referees had to rein things in a little.
Players were also hitting the floor more and more often.
Four or five players from both teams would go down fighting for a rebound.
Five or six would dive onto the floor to fight for a loose ball.
There was even a play when the ball was already sailing out of bounds, yet as many as four players from both teams rushed to save it.
All four players flew out of bounds and crashed into the stands.
Zhang Yu and the opposing point guard, Carmen, landed in the arms of spectators in the front row.
Tagore and the opposing small forward, Tim Pick, sailed right over the seats and landed in front of the spectators in the second row.
That showed just how intense the physical play had become in the third quarter.
With the game this physical, both teams had already reached the foul limit halfway through the