Chapter 14: When It Rains, It Pours

In the next wave, Yuhang took the ball, called for a pick-and-roll, and made a jumper from the left side of the free-throw line, scoring effortlessly!

Minghan realized the situation was becoming dire; it was clear that Class Six had decided to lock down the paint. That meant Class Thirteen’s main offensive strategy would have to shift to outside shooting. But the accuracy out there was unreliable…

Moreover, there were only a few players in Class Thirteen with solid shooting skills, and as for those capable of shooting off the dribble with any reliability, there was only Yuhang.

Back and forth, the game was fiercely contested.

Suddenly, during a scramble for an offensive rebound, Zheng Yuan twisted his ankle slightly as he landed and sat on the ground in pain, unable to get up.

The referee immediately called a timeout, and everyone crowded around him.

“Can’t play anymore,” the Black guy announced.

The mood turned heavy—this was a devastating blow.

Were they really not going to make it past the quarterfinals?

Yuhang walked over, his face dark and grim.

“Their hands and feet are filthy, damn it!”

“I’ll go in!” Minghan volunteered.

Many doubting glances were cast his way. The game plan for today was for the five starters to play the entire match. Since their opponents were strong, they wanted to use their most reliable lineup. If the other side managed a scoring run, it would be almost game over!

With half the game left, they were still trailing 29 to 36.

“We have no choice. He’s the only tall guy in our class who can play,” said Chen Bao, a chubby fellow.

Yuhang nodded. “Watch the rebounds—you have the edge there. And if you’re open for a shot, don’t hesitate!”

…

The game resumed, and Minghan stood in the starting lineup.

“I have to prove myself!”

Minghan possessed a stubborn resilience in everything he did. Over the past month, he had often practiced shooting alone on the basketball court. As a result, his accuracy on open shots had always been quite good.

Haiming brought the ball up, drove past Daxu in a single step, and faced Minghan directly.

Haiming seemed unconcerned about Minghan’s height and tried for a layup.

Minghan leapt up; Haiming twisted his body, attempting a reverse layup…

But Haiming hadn’t expected Minghan to be not only tall but blessed with freakishly long arms. Minghan swatted the ball clean away!

Yuhang grabbed it, launched a fast break, and scored two more points.

“Great job!”

Honestly, after Zheng Yuan’s injury, the offensive burden of the whole team fell on Yuhang’s shoulders.

Although Minghan, thanks to his natural gifts, was a decent defender and rebounder, he had yet to develop his own scoring techniques, so his contributions on offense were limited.

In this quarter, Yuhang scored eight points.

In the final quarter, the teams were separated by just five points.

“Next, you two big guys keep setting screens and running pick-and-rolls for us. Slow the pace down for every possession and set up in half-court offense.”

The purpose was to exploit the opponent’s lack of ball handlers, force them into half-court defense, and capitalize on mistakes.

Yuhang’s strategy quickly paid off. They seized two steals and converted them into fast breaks.

As the game drew to a close, both teams traded blows, refusing to yield, with the score staying tight.

With only fifty-seven seconds left, Class Thirteen trailed by one.

Yuhang held the ball, running down the clock; Haiming guarded him closely!

Suddenly, Yuhang drove along the left side. Haiming stayed with him, but Yuhang spun and dribbled, bursting straight to the free-throw line. He stopped abruptly and jumped for a shot!

It went in!

The crowd erupted…

Minghan and Yuhang slapped hands. “I’ll drop you 1G tonight.”

Timeout!

Next, Haiming went on the attack. Li Tian set a screen, the two executed a pick-and-roll, and Li Tian received the ball for a midrange jumper.

Daxu rushed over to contest. Li Tian was clearly affected and missed the shot.

The crucial rebound!

Minghan soared and secured it.

The opponents immediately fouled him.

All the pressure was now on Minghan.

Li Tian, frustrated by his miss, hung his head. Haiming patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. That rookie can’t make a single shot.”

Minghan heard him but didn’t respond.

He calmed himself and prepared for the free throws.

Swish. Swish.

Both shots went in!

Haiming was stunned!

In the next possession, Class Six missed their three-pointer and lost the game.

Class Thirteen advanced to the semifinals.