Rukawa's eyes sharpened. He abruptly changed direction, trying to drive past Sendoh's side, but Sendoh seemed to have anticipated his move. With a slight shuffle, he planted himself squarely in Rukawa's path.
Before Rukawa could adjust, Sento's hand shot out like lightning and struck the basketball cleanly. With a sharp smack, Sento stole the ball, instantly turning defense into offense. Sento charged straight toward Shohoku's basket while Rukawa gritted his teeth and chased him desperately. The instant Sendoh jumped for a layup, Rukawa thrust out a hand to block him.
Both hung in midair, their bodies almost touching. Rukawa's palm was about to reach the ball when Sendoh changed his move in flight. With a gentle turn of his wrist, he slipped the ball beneath Kaede Rukawa's arm and flicked it off his fingertips, sending it neatly through the hoop.
When Shohoku went on offense again, Sendoh stuck to Rukawa like a shadow the moment he caught a teammate's pass. The defensive pressure was suffocating. Rukawa's heart tightened, and he immediately shielded the ball in front of him, moving his feet rapidly to evade his defender. One attacked and the other defended as they darted across the court, their sneakers squeaking constantly against the floor. Just as Liu Chuanfeng spotted an opening and thought he could break through, Sendoh yielded slightly in the direction of his drive, then stopped abruptly and stole the ball cleanly again. These repeated setbacks darkened Rukawa's expression, the fury in his eyes threatening to spill over. On his next possession, Rukawa finally used his astonishing speed to shake Sendoh off and drove toward Ryonan's basket.
His gaze was sharp as a blade. He pushed hard off both feet and rose with the ball, preparing to lift his team's spirits with a thunderous dunk.
Just as