The Curse of 13 Points

The real killer move was to use the urgency and pressure created by the split to slowly drain Shoyo's stamina as they futilely tried to close the score gap again and again.

No wonder Chi Tong had not used any other methods from the very beginning and had focused solely on passing. This was also to let Ryonan preserve as much stamina as possible. Without having to charge into battle themselves, they could link up their offense through passing alone, conserving energy while slowing Shoyo's rhythm. The calculations behind this were simply too precise. As one side waned and the other grew stronger, Shoyo could be said to have no chance of turning things around.

So this was what Xiangyang's defeat meant.

Gongcheng Liangtian stared fixedly at the red figure walking back toward the Ryonan bench, a rare look of admiration on his face.

As a player who was also a point guard, he understood better than anyone how terrifying Chi Tong's series of moves had been. It was not simply a matter of accurate passing or fast drives, but a comprehensive trap laid from the very start of the game.

He used the split as bait, used composed passing to conserve his teammates' stamina, then exploited Shoyo's eagerness to catch up to wear down their physical strength. Every step landed precisely on the opponent's weakness.

Why was the gap so enormous when they were both open?

Miyagi Ryota felt an indescribable sense of loss well up inside him.

Scenes from his usual games flashed through his mind. At most, he would dribble past half court, look for a chance to drive and dish, or occasionally steal the ball and launch a fast break. He was, at best, a qualified offensive initiator.

But Chi Tong?

He treated the basketball court