Chapter 86 has its own considerations

—Rukawa Kaede gets the ball and breaks through for a one-on-one attack.

Sakuragi gets the ball and rushes in for a one-on-one attack.

The two of them relied entirely on their individual abilities to break through Ryonan's defense!

—Akagi gets the ball and tries to dodge it.

Only Miyagi and Mitsui received the ball and looked for their teammates.

However, once the ball is passed to these three teammates, the two can often only watch from the sidelines and can no longer participate in the attack.

At the end of the first quarter alone, Shohoku was down by as many as 12 points.

The fans held their breath for the Shohoku team and couldn't help but mutter to themselves:

Oh dear, Shohoku's three key players are in really bad form!

[Ryonan's momentum is unstoppable! At this rate, isn't Shohoku doomed to lose?! What are we going to do?!]

Adjusting the team's performance and substituting underperforming players are basic coaching skills. But it's a real shame that Shohoku didn't have their coach on the court today. They clearly have a lot of talented players on their bench.

The azure sky was shrouded in large patches of dark clouds, and darkness pervaded the air.

The light disappeared, the air became heavy, and a sense of oppression weighed on my heart like a boulder.

On the bench of Xiangbei High School, some people have doubts, and some are confused.

Ayako looked at Kanon on the coach's bench, her face full of worry: "Otona... is she really alright?"

Hua Yin smiled and shook her head, gently reassuring everyone: "Please rest assured, they are just in the warm-up phase. Once everyone is in the zone, we will launch a fierce counterattack!"

Upon hearing this, the Xiangbei team members were taken aback.

Hanon's light-colored eyes are always gentle yet firm, giving people a sense of security.

Her control of the court is convincing.

Her words restored the confidence of the Shohoku players. They believed in Kanon, and they believed that the Shohoku team had the ability to defeat their opponents!

Kogure stood up and shouted, "Shohoku! Go for it!"

Led by Kogure, the other team members joined in, shouting slogans loudly.

Kanon has that kind of captivating charm.

It has an infectious power that can calm people down.

However, the five Shohoku players on the court couldn't hear their shouts at all—

Rukawa received the ball, but instead of passing it to Mitsui on the left or waiting for Sakuragi and Akagi to get into position, he dribbled twice between his legs and leaped into the air right in front of Sendoh—

"Whoosh!"

The ruthless scoring machine pierced the heart with a single shot from the outside!

The score quickly narrowed to single digits.

Before the Shohoku bench could even cheer, Sendoh stopped at almost the same position as Rukawa and responded with a three-pointer in the same manner, widening the gap again.

The two teams' aces engaged in a fierce scoring battle, igniting the audience's passion and setting every cell in their bodies on fire!

Kiyota: Rukawa and Sendoh are evenly matched! But if they keep fighting like this, Shohoku will be in danger!

[Maki: Chaotic, utterly chaotic. Shohoku's play on the court is extremely chaotic, like a newly formed amateur team, lacking any tactical discipline whatsoever.]

In contrast, Ryonan's offense is characterized by a tall inside player paired with a superb shooter, creating a clear distinction between inside and outside play, a strong sense of layering, and a versatile offense. They can switch seamlessly between passing and one-on-one plays, making Ryonan's offense smooth and organized.

The Shohoku team gradually fell into a passive position.

Rukawa Kaede was as sharp as ever, and with a graceful jump shot, he helped Shohoku team pull back two points.

Rukawa Kaede's gaze, as if it were tangible, coldly swept over Sendoh. "Continue!"

No matter who his opponent is, he will not lose!

Sendoh watched Rukawa's retreating figure, shook his head slightly, and said casually:

"You still don't understand..."

His tone carried a hint of helplessness and regret.

Rukawa Kaede didn't realize that his solo attack didn't help Shohoku narrow the gap; instead, it seemed to open the floodgates of the gap.

There are 5 minutes left in the first half.

Finally, when the ball was dead, Hanon stood up and walked towards the scorer's table.

"Beep—Shohoku requests a timeout!"

The sharp whistle echoed across the field, making everyone's eardrums vibrate.

As the tense atmosphere on the field eased, the five tigers instantly came to their senses and slowly returned to the rest area.

Rukawa Kaede's eyes were fixed on Kanon as he walked straight toward her.

Hua Yin smiled and handed him a towel, patting his arm.

Rukawa Kaede took the towel, wiped his jawline haphazardly, and then pulled the towel over his head, revealing only half of his handsome face.

As he raised his hand, his collarbone was faintly visible just below his neck, peeking out from under his jersey.

"So tempting..."

Immediately, the girls behind them became very excited.

Rukawa Kaede raised his eyes, then lowered them again in silence.

Such an indifferent face caused the girls to scream wildly.

Kanon, holding her tactical board, calmly said, "We're making a substitution. Captain Akagi and Hanamichi, you've worked hard. Go and rest for a bit. Kogure-senpai and Kakuta will take over."

Akagi's face was so gloomy it could drip water, his lips twitched incessantly, and in the end he swallowed his words and sat down on the bench in a sullen mood.

Sakuragi couldn't hold back any longer and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Why?! You're not even going to care about that stinky fox! He hasn't been substituted! I don't want to either..."

Hanon glanced at him indifferently, and Sakuragi immediately trembled with fright, quickly covering his mouth with both hands.

Oh my! This really is from my own sister, the long-lost bloodline suppression!

Rukawa Kaede's expression remained unchanged, but his pupils gradually contracted.

She's given up on him?

Hanon didn't look at Rukawa; she was busy assigning tasks to the team members who were about to take the field.

As for why Rukawa Kaede wasn't replaced?

Hanon had her reasons; she couldn't replace Rukawa Kaede in order to help him break through.

Rukawa Kaede's body tensed suddenly, and a strange sense of panic welled up inside him.

"Kogure-senpai, Afu's offense is very strong, so I'll leave the defense to you. Try to keep him occupied as much as possible and push him out of the paint, then there shouldn't be any problems. Mitsui-senpai, Ikegami is yours. Kakuta, have you noticed Uozumi's playing style?...

In terms of both offense and defense, Shohoku is superior to Ryonan. Except for Kakuta, who is slightly weaker against Uozumi, the others are evenly matched, making Shohoku the clear favorite to win.

Everyone nodded in agreement, eagerly awaiting her next instructions.

Just then, Hanon walked up to Rukawa Kaede, straightened his collar, and looked up at him:

"In the past ten minutes, you've scored more than half of the team's points. From now on, Ryonan will definitely double-team you."

She turned to the other team members and said:

"In other words, any of you could become an open player, so please don't get distracted. Follow Xiaofeng closely and give it your all in every attack!"

"No matter how Ryonan plays, Shohoku will definitely be the final winner!"

Hanon's words were like a shot of adrenaline for the team members, instantly igniting their fighting spirit.

The Shohoku team responded loudly, "Yes!"

Mitsui nodded and clenched his fist.

Ayako patted Miyagi on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Good luck, Ryota."

Miyagi smiled, held her head high, and her earrings sparkled.

Rukawa Kaede stared intently at Kanon, his expression focused.

Hana gently placed her hand on the top of his head and softly rubbed it a few times. She curved her beautiful eyebrows and said in a light but firm voice:

"Go for it, Shohoku's ace! You have to lead everyone to victory! So, do you know what you need to do?"

Rukawa Kaede pinched his palm hard and replied in a calm and forceful voice, "I understand."

All he has to do is pass the ball to any of his teammates.

Only an idiot would choose the team's victory over an individual's!

Rukawa Kaede looked up at the scoreboard opposite him, his eyes sharp as knives!

The Shohoku players formed a circle and shouted in unison, "Shohoku! We will win!"

The sound was deafening!

On the Ryonan side—

Yan Yi's eyes widened: "Wow, Shohoku is on fire again, Coach!"

"...I can hear you! You don't need to shout so loudly!"

Coach Taoka frowned as he looked at the indomitable Shohoku team.

They were just looking downcast, how did they suddenly get back on track?

This girl is really something!

However, he wasn't worried. The opponent only had one person jumping, while his team had excellent teamwork and could definitely defeat Shohoku!

Coach Taoka waved to the players, squatted down, and began to arrange tactics on the tactics board.

"Later, you guys... keep Rukawa and Mitsui occupied like this, wearing them down..."

The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The sound of the basketball hitting the ground rang out.

Immediately following were the sounds of fast-moving footsteps, rapid breathing, and cheers from the audience.

Sendoh quickly passed the ball to Uozumi, who, taking advantage of his height, easily jumped up and scored 2 points against Kakuta.

Next, Shohoku attacked, with Miyagi controlling the ball.

Miyagi easily dribbled past Koshino and passed the ball to Rukawa.

Rukawa Kaede charges toward Sendoh with the ball—

Almost at the same time, Koshino rushed forward and joined Sendoh in double-teaming Rukawa, trying to stop him from making a move!

Rukawa tried to break through several times, but was unable to.

So, without thinking, he jumped up—

Sendoh and Koshino also jumped up—

Shocked!

The two men's heads followed the trajectory of the ball, tracing an arc—

Kogure received the ball in an open position, quickly jumped, and launched a three-point jump shot—

"Whoosh!"

The ball pierces through the net!

Xiangbei vs Lingnan, 24:37!

Shohoku was still down by 13 points, but they still looked cheerful.

"Good shot, Kogure-senpai!"

Miyagi excitedly patted Kogure on the back and cheered for him.

"Rukawa, well done!"

Mitsui excitedly raised his hand towards Rukawa.

Rukawa Kaede maintained his usual cool expression, and although he didn't say anything, he still gave a high five.

Sendoh stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Rukawa with a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Could it be that this guy...?"

Coach Taoka also looked incredulous: "Really...?"

Kiyota: Hmm? What's Rukawa doing?

After a brief pause of one second, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

Lingnan ball rights.

Sendoh continues to advance the ball.

Sudden--

With a crisp "snap," the sound of the ball hitting the ground rang out.

Sendoh turned around in astonishment, only to see the Shohoku players rushing toward the basketball like a whirlwind.

Well done, little guy from Shohoku!

Wow! Miyagi actually used his height and speed advantage to knock Sendoh's ball away!

Rukawa Kaede quickly caught up with the basketball and sprinted in the opposite direction—

As he ran, Rukawa heard the breathing of someone chasing behind him.

His expression remained unchanged as he abruptly stopped and switched control of the ball to his left hand.

Ikegami didn't expect him to stop suddenly; it seemed he had overshot his mark.

By the time he finally regained control of his body and returned to intercept—

Rukawa had already broken through his defenses, rushing from in front of Ikegami to behind him in an instant.

He charged straight into Ryonan's three-point line!

Just as he stopped, Rukawa Kaede caught a glimpse of two red figures running in the distance.

Rukawa slowed down, and Ikegami caught up.