Evenly Matched? (2)

The 109th game continued. After that exchange of offense and defense, both sides had formed a basic assessment of each other's strength.

Jinjiuwu's rhythm became steadier. Rather than blindly pursuing maximum speed, they incorporated more variation into their rapid ball movement.

Lin Nan's players also put away their initial composure. Their eyes carried more caution, and their defensive movement became more proactive.

Before long, a fierce tug-of-war unfolded on the court.

With their coordinated, high-tempo passing, Jinjiuwu constantly weaved through Lin Nan's defense.

Their players moved like nimble squid through the gaps between Lin Nan's defenders, always finding holes in the defense when no one expected it.

Whenever an opening appeared, Jinjiuwu's passes arrived like precision missiles, followed by a clean jumper or layup. Tomokazu Godai's outside threes remained steady, Hakushi Natsuki repeatedly scored on mid-range jumpers, and even Nanxiang Koichiro converted several powerful fast-break dunks. Lin Nan, meanwhile, played much more physically.

Although Nanxiang Koichiro possessed exceptional physical gifts, with top-tier leaping ability and explosiveness, he was still slightly inferior to Yu Zhu, who had been specifically trained by Chi Tong.

Yu Zhu not only understood better how to use his center of gravity while battling for position, but his defensive coverage had also clearly expanded. Several precise blocks repeatedly stifled Nanxiang Guangyilang's attacks in the paint. On top of that, Sento remained a threat from the perimeter. At times, he drove with the ball to tear apart the defense; at others, he faked beyond the three-point line before pulling up for a jumper. Jinjiuwu did not dare commit their defensive focus entirely to Yu Zhu, giving Lin Nan more opportunities to coordinate inside and outside. The two sides traded blows, their transitions as fast as lightning. Every pass hid a cutting wind, every drive came with fierce contact,