Luo'an's small forward went from being fired up at the start, to gritting his teeth and holding on, to finally running out of strength.
He defended with everything he had. His jersey had long since been soaked through with sweat, yet Sawakita Eiji still suppressed him so thoroughly that he could barely breathe.
After every failed defensive stop, he lowered his head, his face full of helplessness and unwillingness.
Unlike Sawakita Eiji's overpowering offense, Sannoh Industrial High School's point guard silently played the role of battlefield commander throughout the game.
He did not participate much in scoring. Instead, he devoted more of his energy to organizing the team's offense and connecting its defense, like an invisible gear that kept Sannoh's entire system running smoothly.
On offense, Sannoh Industrial's point guard always used precise passes to deliver the ball to teammates in the best positions at exactly the right moment. Whether it was an entry pass to the center under the basket, a pass to Sawakita Eiji on a drive, or an open pass to an outside shooter, every delivery was perfectly timed, creating countless easy scoring chances for his teammates.
His passes had no flashy movements, yet they were as accurate as missiles, never wasting a single offensive opportunity.
On defense, Sannoh Industrial's point guard stuck to his opponents like glue.
Luo'an's point guard had nimble footwork and sharp anticipation. He repeatedly stole the ball the moment his opponent began dribbling, quickly passing it to teammates to launch fast breaks and completely disrupting Luo'an's offensive rhythm.
Even when Luo'an's point guard tried to shake him off with crossovers and sudden acceleration, Sannoh Industrial's point guard always stayed firmly on him, leaving him unable to organize any effective offense.
Whenever Sannoh Industrial's offense fell into a deadlock, such as when Luo'an's