Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The fourth quarter started, and the atmosphere in the gym was unlike anything before. The two-point gap loomed over everyone's heads, and the crowd felt as if they were the ones playing. They leaned forward in their seats, eyes locked onto the court.

The score stood at 61-59, and both teams knew that this was it—the final stretch.

On the court, the Shizi Dogs gathered together, their breaths heavy but their eyes focused. Yuze, pale and clearly feeling the effects of his injury, stood beside Kai. His ankle ached, his muscles strained with every movement, but he refused to show weakness.

He had already downed his second pain reliever, and while the medicine dulled the sharpness of the pain, it couldn't erase the exhaustion that weighed on him.

Kai looked at him, concern creasing his brow. "Yuze, you look pale. Are you sure you can keep going?"

Yuze shook his head quickly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We're almost there," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just a little more."

Kai nodded, his own determination matching Yuze's. They couldn't afford to stop now. Not when Fang had just unleashed something monstrous.

As the referee's whistle blew to start the fourth quarter, Fang Liu was still on fire. His eyes were sharp, movements more aggressive than ever.

His signature play, the Fangs of Fang, was ready to strike again. But Kai's words whispered to the Shizi Dogs during the last huddle echoed in the back of everyone's minds.

"Now, forget everything I said. Just go back to what I told you before—about their weaknesses. Because without a definitive play, it's inevitable for their weaknesses to show again."@@novelbin@@

Fang, despite his brilliance on the court, couldn't do it all. He was the fire, but his teammates… they needed more than just him.

And as soon as Rui's set plays were taken out of the equation, the Guardians returned to their old ways.

Disjointed.

Over-reliant.

A team without a fake foundation.

And that was exactly what the Kai had been waiting for.

Fang, unaware of the shift in dynamics, charged toward the basket. He executed the Fangs of Fang, passing the ball to his non-dominant hand and preparing for the same shot that had devastated the Shizi Dogs earlier.

But this time, Renren was ready.

Renren anticipated Fang's move, stepping into position just as Fang released the ball. With a sharp slap, Renren intercepted the pass, snatching the ball out of midair.

The crowd gasped, and Fang's eyes widened in shock.

"Renren with the steal!" Kevin shouted. Continue your journey at My Virtual Library Empire

Renren didn't waste any time. He bolted down the court, the ball bouncing as he led the charge. Fang tried to recover, sprinting after him, but Renren was already too far ahead. The rest of the Shizi Dogs fell into formation, moving as one cohesive unit, their eyes locked onto the goal.

Renren passed the ball to Yuze, who had just made it past his defender despite the pain wracking his body. Yuze's face twisted in agony for a brief second, but he pushed through it, determination blazing in his eyes. He rose into the air, the ball in his hands, and with a powerful slam, dunked it through the hoop.

63-59.

The crowd erupted in cheers, the noise deafening. Yuze landed heavily, wincing from the pain, but he quickly steadied himself, locking eyes with Fang. There was no way he was giving up now. Not when they were this close.

But the Shizi Dogs weren't done yet.

As the Guardians tried to regroup, they passed the ball to Henry, hoping to reinitiate their attack. But the Shizi Dogs were in perfect sync, now onto their weaknesses. Henry hesitated, glancing toward Fang for guidance, but the momentary pause was all Andy needed.

Zheng tilted his head to the side as he continued to watch the game. The weaknesses—they were back. Then, he glanced at Kai, who appeared more serious than ever.

"Was this your plan all along?" he muttered.

Andy darted forward, cutting off Henry's pass. He grabbed the ball and immediately pulled back behind the three-point line. Without hesitation, he released a perfect shot, the ball sailing through the air in a beautiful arc.

"Andy with the three!" Hailey yelled. "He's been sinking his threes consistently for this quarter!"

The ball swished cleanly through the net, adding three more points to the Shizi Dogs' lead.

66-59.

The Guardians were faltering. Their coordination, already shaky without Rui's guidance, was crumbling under the pressure. Fang was still trying to carry the team, but his frustration was beginning to show. He demanded the ball, his eyes wild with desperation.

As Fang prepared for another drive to the basket, the Shizi Dogs anticipated his every move. Kai shadowed him, forcing Fang to work twice as hard to get even a glimpse of an opening. Fang zigzagged across the court and managed to break free. He executed a two-point shot.

66-61.

"The Guardians still have the fire in them! But they need to do more if they don't want the Shizi Dogs to completely take the lead," Kevin observed.

Renren caught the ball and immediately pushed it forward again. He passed by Kai for a second and smiled.

"You're right," he said in an amused tone.

They had exposed the Guardians' weaknesses, and now, they were capitalizing on every single one.

Fang's face twisted in frustration as he watched Renren lead yet another fast break. He felt the weight of his team's reliance on him. They had come to depend on his brilliance, his skill, but that wasn't enough.

Not anymore.

Or maybe it never has—and that was the reason why they never won against the Eagles.

Renren passed the ball to Kai, and this time, Kai drove to the basket, slipping past Jackson with ease. With a quick flick of his wrist, Kai made the layup, adding two more points to the Shizi Dogs' growing lead.

68-61.

Fang glanced at the scoreboard, his chest heaving. The gap was widening again despite everything he had done. He needed to win, but it was slipping away. His vision blurred for a moment, not from exhaustion but from something deeper—his desperation.

He glanced at his teammates, seeing the doubt in their eyes and the way they looked to him for answers. They had relied on him now that Rui's strategies were out of the way.

But now, with both stripped away, they were left grasping for something solid.

Fang clenched his fists.

"I need to win," he muttered.

But deep down, he was beginning to understand that needing wasn't enough. Not against a team like the Shizi Dogs.