Only Yu Zhu remained near midcourt in Ryonan's half. When he saw Takeuchi Yusi catch the ball, his heart leaped into his throat. He immediately turned and sprinted back on defense.
Yu Zhu's strength lay in battling inside; speed had never been his strong suit. His heavy frame made his strides somewhat clumsy, and there was no way he could get back under the basket in time.
Takeuchi Yusi charged toward Ryonan's basket without a moment's hesitation after catching the ball.
Just as she was about to enter the free-throw-line area, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind her. Not daring to take any chances, Takeuchi Yusi abandoned the layup and bounced the ball behind her toward the opposite side. It struck the floor hard, then sprang up and shot toward the perimeter.
What?
The unexpected pass made Yu Zhu's heart tighten. He had thought he could stop Takeuchi Yusi. Instinctively, he stopped and whipped his head toward the ball, his pupils contracting sharply.
This is bad!
Nakamura Masashi suddenly accelerated in from the perimeter and caught the pass. Without breaking stride, he took long steps into Ryonan's paint, preparing to finish with a layup.
"Don't even think about it!"
At the crucial moment, Yueye Hongming arrived from the side. Accelerating with everything he had, he spread his arms and lunged toward Nakamura Masashi, trying to stop the attack.
Nakamura Masashi abruptly checked his movement, clearly not expecting Yueye Hongming to get back so quickly.
He turned his wrist and pulled back the ball just before releasing it. Then he swung his arm behind him, sending the ball flying back toward the perimeter once more.
The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, giving Koshino Hiroaki no chance to intercept it.
Koshino looked back toward the ball, and his heart sank.
Yamagishi Toru was