Hainan's Narrow Victory (1)

No matter whether Hainan or Shohoku won today, it would not shake his goal: the championship!

The championship—still the championship!

Winning the Kanagawa championship was only the first step in his plan. What he truly wanted was the national championship, along with an unimaginable three-peat.

On the court, the referee walked steadily between the Hainan and Shohoku players, the basketball tucked under one arm.

Takasago Kazuma and Akagi had already taken their positions on either side of the center circle. They bent their knees slightly, let their arms hang naturally, and tensed every muscle in preparation to jump.

The next second, the referee blew his whistle. The piercing sound cut through the gymnasium, and almost simultaneously, he hurled the basketball upward. The orange ball flickered beneath the lights, like a strange-colored full moon hanging above the court.

Two heavy footfalls rang out almost at the same time. Akagi and Takasago Kazuma leaped into the air together, stretching their arms toward the basketball.

The match between Hainan and Shohoku had officially begun!

Sakuragi Hanamichi and Mitsui Hisashi quickly spread out to either side, while Rukawa cut swiftly along the sideline. Shohoku's offensive formation unfolded in an instant.

Seeing Maki Shinichi about to press up against him, Miyagi Ryota did not force his way through. Instead, he raised a hand and passed the ball to Mitsui Hisashi beyond the three-point line.

After receiving the ball, Mitsui Hisashi feigned a shot to draw the defense, then immediately passed it back to Akagi, who had cut into the paint.

With the ball in hand, Akagi braced himself against Takasago Kazuma's collision. Then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, he sent the ball to Rukawa, who stood open on the right.

As Rukawa caught the ball, Kiyota Nobunaga came rushing at him from behind