After Wang Yi sank his free throw, Akagi Gangan stepped up to the line and took the ball.
He dribbled three times, bent his knees, and dipped into a slight crouch to find his rhythm. Then he casually took the shot.
Swish!
It went in cleanly, too.
From the way the guy shot, Wang Yi could tell that he was definitely not as rough around the edges as he seemed.
Akagi Gangan couldn't tell anything from Wang Yi's free throws.
That was because Wang Yi wasn't using a conventional free-throw stance. He kept taking jump shots to get a feel for the ball.
Wang Yi used a jump shot again for his next free throw. The ball circled the rim twice, but eventually dropped through the net.
Next, Akagi Gangan took another free throw.
His shot went in cleanly again.
Then Wang Yi sank his third, fourth, and fifth free throws, and Akagi Gangan matched him, making his third, fourth, and fifth as well.
The rule for deciding possession with free throws was that each player took one shot in turn until one of them missed.
For Akagi Gangan, this was a chance to find his rhythm. He hadn't played at all just now, so he could treat the free throws as shooting practice.
For Wang Yi, this was an even better chance to find his rhythm.
They took turns, one make apiece, and sank nine shots in a row.
The spectators around them were astonished.
"Are these two guys really that good at free throws?"
"Damn, they've taken nine shots to decide possession, and there's still no winner."
At last, on the tenth shot, Wang Yi's jump shot hit the rim and bounced out. He missed.
Everyone around them let out a sigh of relief.
If they'd made ten