Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 456: Shizi Dogs vs. Yin Yang Knights (1)

The two teams didn’t waste any time showing what they were made of.

Both teams had sent out their top five, and it was apparent that all of them were determined to secure their spot in the finals. Yutong, Shin, Fabin, Ailun, and Max for the Knights. Yuze, Renren, Andy, Jinping, and Kai for the Shizi Dogs.

These were the best of the best, and the crowd could feel the intensity from the moment the ball was tossed into the air.

From the stands, Gina Lee’s voice rang out excitedly over the loudspeakers. "And we’re off! It’s the semi-finals, and already, both teams look like they’re ready for the kill!"

David followed up immediately. "Absolutely, Gina! The Knights and the Dogs aren’t wasting any time. Both teams are playing their top players right from the start."

Yuze, despite his injury, soared into the air for the tip-off, his leap shockingly high. For a moment, it looked like he had no injury at all. He grabbed the ball cleanly, sending it toward Renren as the Dogs quickly transitioned into their offensive formation.

Muchen’s eyes widened as he saw Yuze in action. His captain was playing like he wasn’t even injured, and it was stunning. However, he had mixed feelings.

"What the...?" he muttered under his breath. "Would he be okay?"

Kai shared Muchen’s astonishment. He glanced at Yuze and saw the determination in his gaze. Honestly, it was still surprising for him. How could someone like him say that he didn’t want to become a basketball player?

There was no sign of his weakness. He was playing like this was his last game ever.

However, the Knights weren’t backing down, either. Max Zhou faced off with Kai, both of them mirroring each other’s determination as the ball found its way into Kai’s hands. Max’s eyes narrowed, remembering the last time they had faced each other. It had been a hard-fought game, and Max knew Kai had only gotten stronger since then.

Max knew his own limits—he had studied his strengths and weaknesses meticulously. But what made Kai so dangerous was that no one truly knew what his limits were. How much had Kai improved? That uncertainty gnawed at Max, making his muscles tense as he prepared for the clash.

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"Let’s focus on Kai and Max! I heard from locals that their last game was neck and neck. Let’s see how it plays out today," Gina said, her eyes not focusing on one place for long.

Max lunged forward, attempting to pressure Kai immediately. His arms shot out, trying to block any opening Kai might find. However, Kai immediately saw it.

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His eyes were locked on Max’s movements, reading even the twitch of his muscles.

With a sudden burst of speed, Kai cut to the left, slipping past Max’s initial defense. Max scrambled to catch up, but Kai was already ahead, dribbling with precision. Max pushed forward, determined not to let Kai breakthrough, but Kai spun sharply, his movements smooth. Max extended his arms again, aiming to trap him, but Kai moved like water, flowing past him effortlessly.

"Look at that footwork from Kai!" David exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. "He’s outplaying Max right from the get-go! That was a beautiful spin!"

Kai was now just outside the three-point line, with Max recovering quickly, trying to close the distance. For a split second, the court seemed to hold its breath.

Kai could feel the pressure building, not just from Max but from the game itself. He glanced up, seeing Yutong and Shin closing in on him, prepared to collapse on him if he moved into the paint.

Then, without warning, Kai jumped upward, his body flying high as he shot the ball from beyond the three-point line.

No one had expected this—least of all Max.

"Wait a second—he’s going for a three?!" Gina’s voice shot through.

"Are we seeing this right, David?"

"I think we are," David frowned. "As much as Kai is a great player, he’s not known for his three-pointers. Why is he taking a gamble as soon as the game started?"

Guanyu, standing on the sidelines, nearly choked on his water. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. A three-pointer? Right off the bat? And not from Andy, their usual sharpshooter, but from Kai?

The ball soared through the air, hanging for what felt like an eternity. Max, still recovering from being outplayed, could only watch as the ball sailed over him.

Then, with a soft swish, it dropped cleanly through the net.

3-0.

The crowd gasped before cheers filled the court.

"Unbelievable!" David’s voice boomed. "Kai Guo, with a three-pointer right at the start! What a way to kick things off!"

"Woah," Junior muttered from the bleachers, his eyes wide as he watched Kai jog back down the court. "He got even better. The last time I watched him play was in the Interhigh Preliminaries. Has he always been good at that?"

Justin, having monitored Kai all throughout the present tournament, shook his head slowly, his expression one of disbelief. "He’s not," he said flatly. This was unexpected—shocking, even.

It wasn’t only the audience; the Shizi Dogs were also surprised.

Renren shot Kai a bewildered look as he ran past him. "Since when can you shoot like that?" he called out, half-joking but fully impressed.

Kai, though equally surprised by his own success, just shrugged as he jogged back to the defensive side. "I don’t know," he muttered under his breath, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. Maybe it was just adrenaline. Or luck. Either way, it felt good.

Jimmy, who was still hiding under his sunglasses and bucket hat, scoffed lightly, though his eyes betrayed a hint of something else. "It’s just luck," he said, brushing off the shot with a wave of his hand.

But despite his dismissive words, there was a strange unease growing in his chest. This was the first time he had watched Kai play, so he honestly didn’t have an idea how to perceive him. However, by that one play, he found it hard to believe how they were in the same year.

Kimmy, of course, didn’t respond. She was too busy replaying the moment in her head.

She felt that Kai’s shot hadn’t been as lucky as her brother wanted to believe.