Ryonan made their first adjustment. Coach Taoka sent in Uekusa for Echizen and placed the ball directly in Sendo's hands, intent on letting him dismantle Shohoku's defense.
The matchups were now clear:
Akagi vs. Uozumi
Sakuragi vs. Sugadaira
Nango vs. Ikegami
Rukawa Kaede vs. Sendo
Kogure vs. Uekusa
At the top of the arc, Uekusa initiated the play, swinging the ball to Sendo, who immediately faced the basket. His eyes flicked once toward Uozumi in the post—just enough to draw Rukawa's attention.
In that split second, Rukawa relaxed. Sendo pounced, exploding past him in a single step and finishing with a clean layup.
"Tch…" Rukawa clenched his teeth. I can't believe I fell for something that simple.
But the ball was back in his hands now, and this time his defender wasn't Sendo.
Facing Ikegami, Rukawa wasted no motion. He rose straight up, releasing a jumper over the outstretched arm of his opponent.
Swish!
The height gap—187 cm vs. 183—was all he needed.
Ikegami scowled. Not enough pressure. I'll tighten up next time. No way I let him keep scoring like that.
Back came Ryonan. At the top, Uekusa and Sendo executed a pick-and-roll. With Kogure switched onto him, Sendo pulled up from deep.
Swish!
A dagger three. The net barely rippled.
Shohoku countered quickly. Rukawa again went at Ikegami, this time choosing a direct drive. Ikegami cut him off with his chest, forcing him into a grinding one-on-one all the way to the rim.
"No way I'm letting you through!" Ikegami leapt, reaching desperately.
But Rukawa's spring and body control gave him the edge. The ball kissed the rim and dropped in.
Possession after possession, the battle escalated—Rukawa attacking Ikegami, then hounding Sendo on defense. Back and forth, like two duels happening simultaneously on the same stage.
"Beep! Timeout, Ryonan!" Coach Taoka barked, unable to sit still any longer.
By then, Rukawa had buried five straight shots. The scoreboard read 60–60 with eight minutes left.
Nango watched from the sideline, conflicted. I thought three makes out of five would be enough… then I'd get Rukawa to buy into our tactics. But Ikegami's being dismantled completely. Nobody saw this coming.
Rukawa's willpower was astounding, but his body told another story. His last two buckets had been forced, his motion twisted, his stamina draining. He won't last much longer…
Nango stepped forward. "Rukawa, take a rest."
"No, I can still—" Rukawa's eyes narrowed. Is this guy trying to toss me aside now that I've done my job?
"Wait. Listen." Nango's tone was firm but sincere. "You've carried us with incredible effort. But if you keep pushing, you'll burn out before the end. We need you fresh for the final minutes. I promise—we won't let Ryonan take the lead before you're back."
Then, with a rare smile: "And well done."
Rukawa froze for a heartbeat, then turned away with a cold "hmph." But the words had landed.
Across the court, Taoka lit into his own player. "Ikegami! What are you doing letting a first-year toy with you? You want him to score fifty?!"
He knew Ikegami had tried his best, but in a timeout, harshness motivated better than pity.
Ikegami's fists tightened. Rukawa's good, but I'm no pushover. I'm a third-year—I refuse to let my high school career end like this. He lifted his head, eyes burning. "Coach, I won't let him score anymore!"
"Good!" Taoka nodded, satisfied. Then he turned to his ace. "Sendo, for the rest of the game, you're glued to Nango. Don't let him lead Shohoku's offense. If you shut him down, we win."
Sendo simply smiled faintly. "We'll see, Coach. Nango-kun won't make this easy."
The buzzer sounded.
But when both teams returned to the floor, Taoka blinked in surprise. Shohoku had subbed out Rukawa, replacing him with Yasuda. What is Anzai thinking? Pulling their hottest hand at such a critical moment?
He glanced at Shohoku's bench. Anzai sat silently, sipping tea, not a word spoken—as if this were all within his plans.
Of course, the truth was simpler. It was Nango's call.
Now, the duel everyone wanted had arrived: Sendo vs. Nango, head-to-head, on both ends.
Sendo didn't hesitate. Knowing Nango's weakness in lateral quickness, he attacked straight off the dribble, created space, and rose for the jumper.
Splash. Two points.
Nango didn't flinch. He grinned, eyes flashing. "Sakuragi, relax. I'll handle Sendo. Watch closely."
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