The referee tossed the ball high, and the game officially began!
Akagi had been waiting for this moment for years. He had fought through countless rivals and setbacks to reach this stage. This wasn't just for him—he was carrying the pride of every teammate and opponent who had crossed his path.
They had to win. They had to defeat Shoyo!
But the weight of his own thoughts slowed him down. In the jump ball, Hanagata out-leapt him and tipped the ball away.
"Hmm?"
Rukawa and Sakuragi, who had already sprinted forward, were stunned. They hadn't expected Akagi to lose the tip-off.
That mistake gave Shoyo a fast-break advantage: a 5-on-3.
Fujima, calm as ever, advanced the ball. When Nango quickly stepped up to stop him, Fujima used his left hand to shield and bounced the ball past him to Takano, who was wide open.
Takano charged straight for a layup.
"Not so fast!" Akagi roared, closing in.
Startled, Takano dumped the ball backward to Hanagata, who caught it and hammered down a one-handed dunk for Shoyo's first points.
Landing, Hanagata shot Akagi a smug, provocative look.
Fujima clapped his hands and shouted, "Shohoku! If you want that ticket to the round-robin, you'll have to take it from us!"
Nango smiled faintly. He knew Fujima and Hanagata were playing with fire—his teammates weren't exactly the type to swallow their tempers.
Mitsui, already fuming from being mocked earlier, bristled. Akagi's jaw clenched, anger bubbling at his own blunder.
"Just play basketball," he muttered. "Why all the trash talk?"
Sakuragi exploded, "Pretty boy! Don't get cocky—it's just one basket!"
Rukawa stayed silent, his cold expression saying everything: the only answers would come on the court.
Up in the stands, the commentary heated up.
"Shohoku was sloppy on that one," Uozumi noted. "Hanagata's no pushover. He's right up there with Akagi among Kanagawa's top centers."
Sendoh grinned. "Maybe Shohoku got too comfortable from their earlier wins. But they're quick to adapt. One stumble won't shake them."
Ryonan's players nodded. They'd seen Shohoku evolve game by game—their rookies especially seemed to transform overnight. Compared to the practice match from weeks ago, this Shohoku was at least fifty times stronger.
Back on court, Nango calmly brought the ball up. Shohoku fell into their familiar offensive set.
"There it is—their pick-and-roll!" the crowd buzzed.
Sakuragi moved to screen for Nango. But Fujima anticipated it, sliding around Sakuragi's body and sticking close to Nango.
"As expected of Fujima," Maki chuckled.
"This time, Shohoku's play won't work," Kiyota said smugly.
Nango smirked. "You forgot—I can shoot too."
He pulled up from deep. The shot was quick, clean, and splashed straight through the net.
Shohoku's fans erupted.
Though not as deadly as Mitsui, Sendoh, or Godai from three, Nango's strength lay in his size and release—Fujima's 178 cm frame couldn't disrupt his shot.
Today, Shohoku needed that spacing. With Shoyo stacking four players over 190 cm in the paint, the inside lanes were clogged. Akagi's power and Rukawa's drives would be wasted unless Nango and Mitsui stretched the floor.
Sendoh leaned forward. "Shoyo's got a problem now. They can't leave Nango open, and they still have to worry about Sakuragi cutting inside."
Maki nodded. "Exactly. If Nango's touch stays hot, Shoyo's defense is in for a long day."
But strangely, Shoyo didn't look rattled at all.
On their next possession, they unveiled their answer.
"They're running a pick-and-roll too?!" gasped the crowd.
Hanagata stepped out from the paint, planting a screen on Nango. Fujima accelerated off it, slicing into the lane. Sakuragi slid over, but Fujima slowed, switched to his left hand, and banked in a smooth layup.
The gym buzzed. Fujima's left-handed finish had completely thrown Sakuragi's timing.
Jogging back, Fujima smirked, "Not bad, huh?"
Nango frowned. He hadn't expected Shoyo to copy their signature play this fast. But of course—a pick-and-roll could work for any team with a skilled guard. And Fujima, one of Kanagawa's two best point guards, was more than capable of running it.
In the stands, the sharper basketball minds weren't surprised. Most schools had been practicing pick-and-rolls—it was simple, effective, and devastating with the right personnel. And with Shoyo's four towers above 190 cm, the strategy looked almost tailor-made for them.
Now the question hung in the air: How would Shohoku respond?
Nango had the answer. He grinned. Then let's see whose pick-and-roll is stronger.
He ran the set again with Sakuragi. This time, Takano doubled with Fujima.
Nango immediately dished to Sakuragi, who drew Hanagata and Nagano's attention.
"Four-eyes! Watch my super layup!" Sakuragi shouted, charging the rim.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, brat!" Hanagata leapt to swat him.
But Sakuragi's grin widened. "Gotcha."
In mid-air, he dropped the ball to Akagi.
With no one left on him, Akagi thundered down a dunk. After landing, he locked eyes with Hanagata.
The battle lines were drawn. Shohoku vs. Shoyo—the war had truly begun.
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