The court was filled with murmurs and exclamations, everyone trying to wrap their heads around Kai’s strange, almost inexplicable choices on the court. The pass to Jinping had been the start of it, but it was becoming increasingly clear that something was off in Kai’s game.
In the commentator’s box, Gina shook her head, voice tinged with disbelief. "Did he just pass again? That’s the fourth time this quarter. What is Kai doing out there?"
David squinted at the court, leaning closer to the screen in front of him. "I know Kai’s known for his bold moves, but this… he had a perfect shot, and he just handed it off to Jet. He’s usually the guy who takes the team on his back."
"Yeah, and now, the lead is back to five points again," she said, shaking her head.
Yuze, watching from the bench, crossed his arms and muttered under his breath, clearly confused. "Why didn’t he just go for the three? Kai’s got one of the best outside shots on the team."
His eyes followed Kai’s every move, trying to decode his teammate’s intentions.
Yuze clenched his fists, mind racing with potential reasons, but none made sense.
"He’s holding back," he murmured, barely loud enough for the others to hear.
The crowd was on the edge of their seats, growing restless as Kai passed up yet another opportunity.
They’d come to know him as a player who wasn’t afraid to take risks and who thrived in high-stakes situations.
Yet here he was, making one surprising pass after another. As Jet received the ball from Kai, the murmurs grew into frustrated groans when Jet missed the shot, clanking it hard off the rim.
The ball bounced back toward him, and he scrambled to regain control, immediately scanning the court. He spotted Andy free on the left side and passed it over to him.
Andy didn’t waste a second. He set his feet, squared his shoulders, and released a three-point shot.
The ball sailed through the air and splashed through the net. The crowd roared, half in relief and half in excitement, as the Shizi Dogs decreased the Champions’ lead to
59-55.
But despite the successful play, the unease lingered in the stands. Everyone knew it was Kai who could have made that shot—or even gone for more.
On the opposing side, Jian’s brow furrowed as he watched Kai’s strange pattern unfold.
"Why isn’t he shooting?" he muttered to himself, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong. He’d anticipated a full-on assault from Kai, an all-out scoring spree that would keep the Champions scrambling to keep up.
But this? Jian was left guessing, and the uncertainty made him feel a little bit less confident. Kai had absolutely no reason to hold back!
Zheng glanced toward the court with narrowed eyes, keenly observing Kai’s every move.
"No way," he said softly. "Is he trying to do that?"
Meanwhile, back on the court, Kai’s gaze flickered to the scoreboard.
Four points now separated them from the Champions, and it was happening without him scoring a single point.
Kai bit his lip, eyes darting over his teammates as realization dawned on him.
Every pass he’d made so far, every single time he’d given up the shot, it had thrown the Champions off balance.
Even though they were still leading, the gap was smaller than that during the first half of the game. The gap was actually doable!
They were waiting for him to step up and take over, and because of that expectation, they’d hesitated and lost focus. Even Jian, sharp as he was, had been caught off-guard.
Kai muttered to himself, a spark of something thrilling igniting in his chest. "No way. Can it actually be working?"
He watched as his teammates set up another play, sensing the faintest glimmer of understanding.
The Champions expected him to take control and be the offensive threat they knew him to be.
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And by stepping back and deliberately making himself the decoy, he’d thrown them into confusion. Jian, along with the rest of the Champions, couldn’t seem to reconcile this version of Kai with the one they’d studied.
Jinping dribbled the ball toward Kai, looking at him with a question in his eyes. It was another perfect opportunity for Kai to take the shot. His teammates instinctively moved to set up screens, opening a clear path to the basket. The crowd tensed, expecting Kai to do what he did best.
But Kai didn’t even raise his hands. Instead, he angled himself toward Andy, barely glancing in his direction before making a quick pass.
"Why is he passing again?" Gina’s voice cracked in disbelief over the speaker. "Kai has been their top scorer all season, and now he’s acting like he doesn’t want to be anywhere near the basket!"
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David leaned back, his hands on his head, as though trying to process this unexpected development. "I don’t get it. Kai has the lead, the setup, and everything he needs… Why hold back?"
The Champions’ bench mirrored the crowd’s confusion.
Players exchanged glances, unsure how to respond to Kai’s strange strategy. Jian, watching Kai carefully, felt a prickle of unease.
As Andy took the shot, Jian moved to intercept, his instincts finally kicking in, but it was too late. The ball arced, hitting nothing but the net.
59-58.
Yuze, still watching from the bench, shook his head, his brows furrowing in deep concentration. He could see the changes, the subtle hesitations in the Champions’ movements.
"Kai’s messing with them," he muttered. "He’s… he’s baiting them."
Lina glanced at him, startled. "Baiting them?"
He caught Jian’s eye across the court, and for a moment, Jian’s expression wavered, uncertain. "What are you trying to do, Kai?" Jian whispered, barely loud enough to hear over the roar of the crowd.
Kai didn’t answer. Instead, he let a small, knowing smile cross his face as he watched his teammates capitalize on yet another opportunity, Jinping slipping through to them and jumping up to take an easy lay-up.
And there it was.
What Kai had been waiting for.
To surpass the Juren Champions even without scoring a point.