Qing Junce and Maki Shinichi landed one after another.
Qing Junce was unsteady when he landed and staggered backward two steps.
Maki Shinichi seized the opening and swiftly passed the ball.
The basketball traced an arc through the air and landed securely in Jin Koichiro's hands.
The moment Jin Koichiro caught the ball, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, dribbling rapidly toward the basket beneath Shohoku.
Seeing this, Mitsui Hisashi quickly moved in close, trying to force him to stop.
However, Jin Koichiro seemed to have anticipated it. The instant his feet stopped, he flicked his wrist and passed the ball away.
Smack...
The basketball flew accurately into Kiyota Nobunaga's hands. Kiyota Nobunaga was wide open, with no one guarding him.
Without hesitation, he charged into Shohoku's paint, then leaped high, intending to slam the ball down with overwhelming force.
Akagi Takenori burst out from beneath the basket like a tiger leaving its lair and leaped high as well, preparing to block the reckless Kiyota Nobunaga in front of him.
When Kiyota Nobunaga saw Akagi Takenori standing before him like an iron tower, panic seized him. His fierce momentum instantly weakened, and the hand preparing to dunk went limp.
"Damn it! This big guy is such a nuisance." Left with no choice, Kiyota Nobunaga hurriedly pulled back his dunk and hurled the basketball hard behind him.
Akagi Takenori's pupils suddenly contracted. From the corner of his eye, he instantly caught sight of Takasago Kazuma behind Kiyota Nobunaga.
Not good.
Akagi Takenori sensed trouble.
Sure enough, Takasago Kazuma successfully caught Kiyota Nobunaga's pass.
Without the slightest hesitation, he jumped straight up, raised the ball with both hands, aimed at the hoop, and decisively shot.
Whoosh...
The basketball flew toward Shohoku's basket like a cannonball fired from a