Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 455: The Game Begins Now

On the court, the Shizi Dogs’ and Yin Yang Knights’ benches sat unnaturally still. It had finally sunk in that they were in the semi-finals, just one more round until the championships.

For a team they had already faced, it felt as though they were beginning all over again. This wasn’t the same familiar match-up from the Interhigh Preliminaries.

The stakes were higher, and every player on the bench knew it.

Coach Guanyu, known for being calm, crossed his arms tightly across his chest, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He walked back and forth, his eyes never settling on one point for too long.

His mind raced, though outwardly, he remained calm. This was the farthest his team had ever come. No, scratch that—he had been here once before. His own team, years ago, had made it to the semi-finals. But they never advanced. He could still remember the sting of that loss—the feeling of having been so close yet coming up short.

But Guanyu’s story didn’t end there. After that crushing defeat, he was offered a spot as a pro player. That was a lifetime ago, yet the memory still lingered, making him taste something bitter.

A brief smile tugged at his lips, but he quickly shook it off, forcing himself to focus on the present. This wasn’t the time to dwell on the past. His players needed him to stay in the moment.

Meanwhile, Coach Muchen was another story. He sat on the Shizi Dogs’ bench, his hands fidgeting with his water bottle, his legs bouncing slightly. Every so often, he glanced over at his players, but it was clear his nerves were getting the best of him. When he accepted the position of coach of the Shizi Dogs, he had never even imagined the team making it to such great heights!

His eyes darted from the scoreboard to the court and then back to his bench.

Out of nowhere, a hand reached down from the bleachers, offering him an energy drink. Muchen blinked in confusion, his head jerking upward to see who it was.

Standing there, casual as ever, was Coach Hope of the Longyu Dragons, a shy yet fierce glare on her face.

"Don’t be more anxious than your players," she muttered, a hint of a grin creeping across her face.

Muchen’s cheeks immediately flushed, his face growing hot with embarrassment.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking the drink from her with a stiff nod.

Hope rolled her eyes playfully. "A lot of us are rooting for you," she added, her voice full of encouragement as she glanced over at the team. "Don’t let us down." With that, she gave a brief nod and moved back to her seat, disappearing into the sea of faces in the stands.

The players turned to each other with wide eyes.

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Jet, sitting next to Muchen, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, watching the interaction with interest. He was just about to make a cheeky comment, but he held himself back, shaking his head. Now wasn’t the time for jokes, even if it was tempting.

Muchen, on the other hand, stared at the energy drink in his hand like it was some kind of strange puzzle. He was perplexed why Hope had done such a deed.However, again, it wasn’t the time to dwell on such things.

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Lina, with an amused smile, shook her head. Then, she stepped forward, capturing the players’ attention.

"The semi-finals," Lena began, her eyes sweeping across the team as she took a deep breath. "It’ll be different this time around. They’re going to pull out techniques we’ve never seen before—like the one they pulled during the finals last time. They won’t use the same trick again, so be ready for something different."

"Another thing," Lina continued, "we’ve come this far, but we’re not stopping here. We’re going to go even further. I believe in all of you."

She paused for a second, her eyes lingering on Kai. There was something in the way she looked at him. Renren turned to Yuze with an amused smile, rooting for the two’s relationship, but their team captain didn’t even bother glancing at him. Renren tilted his head to the side, finding Yuze quite different.

"And lastly," Lina said, her voice softening slightly, "don’t get hurt. We still have one more game after this, one where we’ll need all our strength. We can’t afford to lose anyone here. We need all of our power for the next battle."

Kai glanced at Yuze, who now had his gaze on the floor. He then pursed his lips to stop himself from saying anything.

Kun, always the skeptic, looked up, his brow furrowed with uncertainty. "Do you really think it’s possible?"

Lina’s expression didn’t change. "Yes," she said with quiet certainty. "We have what it takes. We can do it."

The team remained silent for a moment, letting her words sink in. Muchen, still holding the energy drink, finally seemed to relax, a small smile tugging at his lips. The tension in his shoulders lessened as he took in the sight of his players—his team—calming under Lina’s leadership.

And then, just as the atmosphere settled, the buzzer blared. The sound echoed through the court, a signal that the game was about to begin. In an instant, the silence that had filled the arena was replaced with a roaring wave of cheers and applause.

The commentators, David and Gina Lee, were already hyped, their voices rising with excitement as they spoke into their microphones, ready to narrate every second of the upcoming battle.

"This is it, folks! The semi-finals are officially underway, and it’s going to be a match to remember!" David’s voice boomed over the speakers, his energy infectious.

"Both teams have fought hard to get here, and now we’re going to see who wants it more!" Gina added, her voice equally enthusiastic as she leaned into her mic.

The players from both sides began to make their way onto the court, their faces set with determination. The air was thick with anticipation as they lined up, waiting for the whistle to blow.

The game was about to begin now.