In Episode 426, almost everyone believed this was the rhythm of Hainan sounding the horn for a counterattack.
The point gap was about to shrink, but Chi Tong in the stands saw everything with exceptional clarity. He understood the situation perfectly.
This was probably Hainan's only chance to close the gap against Sannoh.
Sannoh clearly had not yet gone all out. If Hainan failed to seize this momentum and keep the score close over the next few possessions, then once Sannoh fully adapted to this pace and suppressed their momentum again, Hainan would likely never get another chance to catch up.
The thoughts in Chi Tong's heart seemed to be confirmed.
On the court, led by Maki Shinichi, who had unleashed his Wildness, Hainan looked like a lion whose fighting spirit had been ignited.
On offense, Mu Shenyi drove straight at Sannoh's defense with the ball. Even as he used his shoulder to knock aside a defender, he could still steadily dish the ball to an open teammate. His teammates gave it everything they had—cutting, passing, and shooting in one fluid sequence. Every attack carried the ruthless determination of a last stand.
They were even more imposing on defense. The players stayed glued to their opponents, spread their arms wide, and fiercely sealed off passing lanes. They refused to give an inch even when fighting for rebounds.
In just a few short possessions, they had truly fought Sannoh to a standstill.
Yet this scene only made Chi Tong's judgment clearer. He became completely certain of one thing: although the Hainan before him had displayed strength impressive enough to astonish anyone, they still had not broken the existing deadlock.
Maki Shinichi had already unleashed his Wildness, pushing his speed, strength, and explosiveness to their limits, fighting until beads of sweat seeped