Maki Gets Serious

The Jaguars and Deer Horns' marquee matchup had reached the second half. To keep Sakuragi from getting too impatient on offense, Coach Omoki decided to move Rukawa Kaede to point guard to connect the team's offense. Deer Horns coach Yoshioka believed that as long as Rukawa Kaede was not allowed to lead the attack, the other players would be easy to contain.

Just then, Miyagi stepped up and sank two consecutive three-pointers, widening the gap once more.

During the remaining time in the third quarter, both teams tacitly substituted out their starters, likely saving their energy for the decisive fourth quarter! The two teams' benches were evenly matched as well. At the end of three quarters, the score was 78:71, with the Jaguars entering the fourth quarter holding a seven-point lead.

The decisive fourth quarter was about to begin!

"A seven-point lead is nothing. Keep playing like before—steady and solid, and cut down on mistakes!" Coach Omoki did not say much, but every word was practical.

"It's the final quarter. A seven-point deficit can still be made up, but everyone must take our opponents seriously. Don't get blindly overconfident!" From Yoshioka's words, it was clear that he could no longer underestimate these Jaguars!

The Deer Horns had the first possession of the fourth quarter. The ball went to Maki, and perhaps because he wanted to conserve his energy, Sakuragi did not choose to deny the pass from the front.

Maki lowered his center of gravity after receiving the ball, pretending to drive. Sakuragi instinctively took a step back, and that single step created enough space for Maki to rise directly for a jumper. By the time Sakuragi tried to contest it, it was already too late.

Swish! Nothing but net!

"Get back, get back, get back on defense!" Maki did not celebrate after scoring. He immediately called for his teammates to retreat, his eyes utterly resolute.

"Maki's getting serious!" Yoshioka was gratified to see Maki like this.

The Jaguars attacked. It was not just Maki who had gotten serious—the other Deer Horns players had started defending with everything they had as well. Rukawa Kaede drove again and again but could not find a good opportunity, leaving him no choice but to attempt a difficult shot.

Another Airball. This was already Rukawa Kaede's second airball of the game. It seemed that even a first overall pick could not remain consistently stable against a top-tier powerhouse like the Deer Horns.

"Rukawa Kaede has been organizing the offense and attacking the basket at the same time. His stamina is dropping too quickly. He's still a rookie, after all!" Omoki could feel Rukawa Kaede's fatigue as well.

On the other end, the Deer Horns still ran their offense through Maki. Sakuragi was much more cautious this time. Maki threw several fakes but could not find an opening. As the shot clock dwindled, Maki finally went up for real. Afraid it was another fake, Sakuragi did not rush in immediately. Only when he saw Maki truly rise did Sakuragi finally attack, stepping up to block him!

"What?!" Sakuragi exclaimed in surprise.

The ball Maki released flew past Sakuragi's outstretched blocking arm.

"That was way off!" Sakuragi was still confused.

"It's a Bank Shot, you stupid-haired monkey!" Nobunaga, who understood Maki best, revealed the secret behind the shot.

The ball flew straight toward the backboard, striking the square beneath the rim perfectly before bouncing into the basket.

A textbook Bank Shot!

"This is Maki's first time using his signature move in this game. It looks like he's really starting to exert himself. This kind of Bank Shot is extremely hard to defend. If you contest too aggressively, you can easily foul him, so defenders can only pray that the shot misses." Coach Yoshioka analyzed the situation once more.

Maki had made two consecutive mid-range shots in front of Sakuragi. It was hard to say whether that would affect Sakuragi's defensive mindset. Perhaps what the Jaguars needed now was someone to step up and score, breaking the team's scoring drought.

The Jaguars' lead had shrunk to just a few points.

The Jaguars attacked, with Miyagi once again organizing the offense while Rukawa Kaede shifted back to scoring. After all, there were truly not many Jaguars players who could reliably put points on the board right now.

Rukawa Kaede continued to isolate against Nobunaga. Nobunaga lowered his stance and pressed tightly against him, willing to let him drive but refusing to give him an easy shot. Rukawa Kaede decisively chose to drive, but the Deer Horns had long been prepared. Maki and Watanabe trapped Rukawa Kaede together. Just as he was about to be caught between them, Rukawa Kaede threaded the ball through the gap between the two. Akagi froze for a moment when the pass came out and nearly failed to catch it. He had no idea how that pass had gotten through, but how could he let such a good opportunity slip away? After securing the ball again, he slammed home a powerful two-handed dunk!

Maki seemed to be saying something to Watanabe, his expression somewhat exaggerated. From his body language, he appeared dissatisfied with their help defense just now.

"Rukawa Kaede has been moved back to shooting guard, but he is still working hard to create opportunities for his teammates. That pass shows just how excellent his court vision is. And he's only a rookie who has played three games! His future is limitless!" Omoki sighed again as he watched Rukawa Kaede's performance.

The Deer Horns' offense remained completely under Maki's control. Another Bank Shot, another make!

"Damn it! This old man shoots crooked—how am I supposed to block that?!" Sakuragi said in frustration.

"Sakuragi, don't rush. Your defense has been excellent. That's simply his ability. Believe in yourself!" Akagi did not want Sakuragi's lack of results on defense to affect his offense again.

The Jaguars' attack followed the same pattern. Rukawa Kaede drove into the paint again. This time, Watanabe did not rotate over early. Only after Rukawa Kaede had driven all the way to the baseline did Watanabe finally come out and join Maki in trapping him again. Seeing that there was no passing lane this time, Rukawa Kaede decisively chose to shoot.

A shot from nearly a negative angle naturally failed, but after Watanabe left the paint, Akagi completely dominated the area under the basket. He grabbed the rebound and hammered down another two-handed dunk!

"Oooaaahhh!" Akagi roared as he vented his emotions.

"Not only does Rukawa Kaede have strong court vision, his basketball IQ is astonishing too. He doesn't play like a rookie. If he had passed that ball, it would have been intercepted for sure. He knew that if his shot missed, the rebound would definitely belong to Akagi. So while it looked like a shot, it was actually a genuine pass!" Coach Yoshioka analyzed as well.

"What a pity. We were so close to getting the first overall pick this year. If Rukawa Kaede had come to the Deer Horns and teamed up with Maki, we might really have built a dynasty!" Seeing such an outstanding Rukawa Kaede, Yoshioka could not help fantasizing.

The Deer Horns attacked, and the ball still went to Maki. This time, Maki chose to drive. He was not particularly fast, but he kept using his body to lean into Sakuragi, making it very difficult for Sakuragi to jump.

Tweet! Defensive number 6, shooting foul! The basket counts, and he gets one free throw!

Unable to jump, Sakuragi became anxious and hit Maki's shooting hand.

"Damn it... this despicable old man keeps sticking to me and backing me down. It feels awful!" Sakuragi was furious.

Already carrying five fouls, Sakuragi had no choice but to be substituted out. With Sakuragi off the court, who would guard Maki?

"I'll take Maki." Rukawa Kaede spoke firmly to the coach.

"But..." Omoki hesitated.

"No problem. I still have energy." Rukawa Kaede answered decisively. He knew exactly what the coach was hesitating over.

"Don't force yourself, Rukawa Kaede. I'll help on defense when the time comes." Akagi patted Rukawa Kaede on the shoulder.

Rukawa Kaede and Maki seemed to share an unspoken understanding. When the Jaguars attacked, Maki actually guarded Rukawa Kaede one-on-one. Rukawa Kaede was not as strong as Maki, so he tried to use his speed to get past him. But Maki was unbelievably quick for someone of his build, staying right with Rukawa Kaede the entire time. Rukawa Kaede stumbled—perhaps there was sweat on the floor—and slipped to the ground. The ball went out of bounds! Turnover!

"Rukawa Kaede is exhausted. He has already played for many minutes, and he has been the focal point on both offense and defense. Though his talent is extraordinary, he is still just a child barely over ten years old. His stamina is clearly far too lacking." Looking at Rukawa Kaede's jersey, already soaked through, Omoki felt a little heartbroken.

Back on offense, Maki repeatedly backed down Rukawa Kaede, then used another Bank Shot. This time, it finally missed.

"Nobunaga is here!!!"

Kiyota Nobunaga suddenly charged in, leaped high, and directly tipped the still-airborne ball into the basket with a dunk.

"The fierce battle for position under the basket prevented anyone from getting a full jump. Nobunaga must have judged that Maki's shot was likely to miss, so he charged straight to the basket. That kind of sprinting leap left everyone else in the dust. Nobunaga has finally found his chance to shine. We may not have gotten Rukawa Kaede, but don't forget that Kiyota Nobunaga was the second overall pick, right behind the first pick. Nobunaga may be slightly inferior to Rukawa Kaede individually, but the chemistry he shares with Maki and Jin is something Rukawa Kaede could never bring. Besides, Nobunaga is only a rookie too. He still has a long road ahead, and his future is just as promising!" Coach Yoshioka's analysis was extremely thorough.

"The Deer Horns' advantage in having so many players is starting to show. The players on the court have distributed their stamina very evenly. We're in serious trouble!" Coach Omoki had already realized the team was on the edge of danger.

The two teams traded blows for several possessions, and the game finally entered its last minute. Coach Omoki called a timeout. The Jaguars were already behind the Deer Horns by a few points.

"One minute left. Hang in there, everyone. Being down three still gives us plenty of hope. Be patient, and try to work the ball inside..." Omoki laid out the team's final strategy.

After the timeout, the Jaguars attacked.

After several passes, the ball truly reached Akagi. Akagi attempted a highly difficult hook shot over Watanabe! The degree of difficulty was enormous! Fortunately, Akagi had a soft touch. The ball bounced around the rim a few times before finally dropping in.

Just after that basket, before the Jaguars players could even get back on defense, Maki inbounded from the baseline to Nobunaga. Nobunaga caught the ball and accelerated toward the basket. Miyagi chased desperately but still could not catch him. Nobunaga scored on a fast-break layup, widening the score once again.

Only seconds remained in the game. Each side had one possession left, but the Jaguars had to score on this one or things would become very difficult.

After Miyagi was trapped while dribbling, he passed to Sakuragi. Sakuragi drove as well, but Rukawa Kaede was tightly covered and the help defense in front of him had already arrived. If Sakuragi did not move the ball, he would likely be stripped. Seeing this, Sakuragi leaped into the air. Maki and Jin, who had rotated over, both jumped to block Sakuragi's pass. With their arms obscuring his vision in midair, Sakuragi could not see who to pass to at all.

"Watch my genius-style pass!"

Sakuragi actually managed to pass the ball out.

Mitsui caught the ball and immediately launched a three-pointer. Mitsui, who had gone only 1-for-6 from beyond the arc in this game, had taken the shot!

"Yeah!!!!" Judging from the reaction of the crowd, the three-pointer had gone in!