The moment Sugadaira rushed over, Nango pivoted—shifting from a back-to-the-basket stance into a face-up position. He waited until Sugadaira and Sendoh were lined up in front of him before making his move.
He feinted hard toward Sugadaira's side, dragging both defenders with him. Then, with a sudden burst, he cut the opposite way toward Sendoh. The defenders shifted again—exactly what Nango wanted.
But his real target wasn't Sendoh at all. It was Sugadaira.
With another quick change of direction, Nango accelerated straight at him.
"Damn it! He's using me as a screen!" Sendoh realized too late. Because of Sugadaira's position, he couldn't get around in time.
Bang!
Nango exploded into the paint and hammered down a one-handed dunk with his left. 76–72.
Landing with a smirk, he taunted, "Two defenders still aren't enough, huh?"
Defense wasn't always about numbers. Without chemistry, an extra body only gave the offense more room to exploit.
"Cocky little brat…" Uozumi ground his teeth. If not for Akagi, he would've jumped in himself.
Sugadaira clenched his fists. "Sorry, Sendoh…"
Sendoh patted his shoulder. "Forget it. We'll get it back." Outwardly calm, but inside, he cursed. This guy's too much. I break down Sakuragi, and he breaks down Sugadaira. Petty bastard…
On the next play, Sendoh called for a pick-and-roll with Sugadaira to target Sakuragi.
Unlike Nango, Sakuragi was raw—full of spirit and energy but lacking defensive polish. Against him, Sendoh had room to breathe. He pulled up with a clean jumper. 76–74.
Back on offense, Nango posted up again. This time, Sendoh deliberately left the baseline open, baiting him. Go ahead. Take it. Sugadaira will trap you there, and we'll corner you.
Nango chuckled inwardly. Learning on the fly, huh? Impressive. But I'm not that simple.
He drove baseline anyway. Right on cue, Sugadaira rushed in to double-team. But instead of slowing down, Nango stomped hard, launching skyward.
His left arm stretched forward, his right arm cocked back with the ball—like a battle axe about to fall.
Sugadaira's scalp tingled. He's coming straight at me?! Retreating wasn't an option. If he backed down, Taoka would never forgive him. Gritting his teeth, he jumped.
Bang! The two collided mid-air. Lighter by comparison, Sugadaira was knocked back. Nango wobbled but refused to fall. He forced all his strength into his right arm and roared:
"Go in!!!"
Thud! The ball slammed off the backboard—then dropped cleanly through the net.
The gym froze. Not a single cheer. Just the dull bounce of the ball echoing on the floor.
Then—
"WHOOOAA!!!"
The crowd erupted, the sound shaking the entire stadium.
"Unbelievable! He's only a freshman?!"
"Even pros don't pull off plays like that!"
Sendoh's smooth jumper drew applause. But Nango's basket? It made blood boil. It was raw, brutal, unforgettable.
"…Tch. If I had more time, I could do that too," Sakuragi muttered, refusing to accept it. But even he felt the gap.
Akagi and Kogure exchanged stunned glances. This was the kind of presence Sendoh had shown last year. And now, Nango had it too.
For the first time, Rukawa's lips curled into a faint smile—gone in an instant. "Nango Koichiro…"
On Ryonan's bench, Hikoichi's jaw nearly hit the floor. "M-Monster…" Even Taoka had to admit: So this is the rookie Anzai found. Damn it… Shohoku's become dangerous.
Sendoh exhaled slowly. If I don't score now, the game's lost.
"Uekusa, give me the ball." His tone left no room for doubt.
"Sendoh…" Uekusa's eyes lit up. As long as Sendoh hadn't given up, victory was still within reach.
Sendoh exploded forward with the ball—only to find Sakuragi sliding in front of him.
"You're not getting past me this time!" the redhead barked, lowering his stance like he'd seen others do.
Sendoh smirked. Still too green. He faked right, cut left, and nearly shook Sakuragi off. But the "genius" slammed on the brakes and chased stubbornly. His sneakers screeched, practically tearing apart.
"A nuisance…" Sendoh muttered, accelerating again.
But before he could break free, Nango appeared. Unlike Sakuragi, his defense was tight, calculated, suffocating.
Sendoh halted, boxed in. And now Sakuragi came barreling back too.
"Move! Sendoh is my prey!" Sakuragi barked.
"Shut up and hold your ground!" Nango snapped, eyes never leaving Sendoh.
Caught between them, Sendoh searched for space—but none existed. Forced, he kicked the ball out. With the shot clock dying, Ikegami threw up a desperate attempt.
Clang! The shot bricked, Akagi cleaned up the rebound, and Shohoku controlled the pace from there.
Nango slowed the tempo, directing traffic. Instead of forcing it, he dumped the ball to Akagi, who backed down Uozumi and scored.
From then on, it was all Shohoku. Sakuragi became the first line of defense, Nango the second. Sendoh was locked down, Ryonan's offense sputtered, and the outcome was sealed.
…
"Thank you for the game!"
Ryonan's players bowed politely, despite the bitter taste of defeat.
Nango approached Sendoh, hand outstretched. "See you at the Prefectural Tournament."
Sendoh slapped it away and walked off without a word.
Nango chuckled. "Heh. Looks like I really pissed him off. Guess I went a little overboard."
He glanced back at his team, smiling. "Still… with how things are shaping up, our Prefectural run just got a whole lot easier."
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