New Format for the Round of 16 (I)

Coach Kita spoke, his voice steady. "You'll take his place?"

Nanyun Kentaro jerked his head up, a flash of shock and reluctance in his eyes.

"Coach, I can still defend. I can keep going—"

"You have no stamina left!" the coach cut him off firmly. "Going back in now won't help the team. You'll only drag your teammates down!"

"But..." Nanyun Kentaro opened his mouth, still wanting to argue.

Sasagi Shota suddenly spoke, his voice low but forceful. He stared directly into Nan Yun Kentaro's eyes and said, word by word, "Listen to the coach. If you go in now, you'll only make things worse."

Nan Yun Kentaro froze. He looked at Sasagi Shota, then swept his gaze over his teammates' exhausted yet resolute faces.

In the end, all his unwillingness turned into a silent sigh.

He slowly lowered his head, his fingers clenched tightly around the edge of the ball rack until his knuckles turned white.

The coach gave everyone one final look, his low voice like a stone sinking to the bottom of the water.

"There's no strategy for the second half. Play however you want. One basket is one basket. Just try not to lose too badly."

After a brief silence, everyone from Ichibon High School answered in unison.

"Yes!"

The whistle cut through the gymnasium. The second half officially began.

Sure enough, just as Chi Tong had coldly predicted before the game, Ichibon High School completely abandoned its system and tactics, switching to a desperate, all-out attack from multiple points.

Feng Jianche no longer organized the offense. The moment he got the ball, he drove. Aoi Yi and Miyazawa Hideaki roamed beyond the three-point line, shooting as soon as they received the ball. Even Hōjō Ichiro, who had come off the bench, hesitated not at all