Sawakita Eiji's speed was beyond imagination—so fast that Sendoh did not even have time to adjust his stance.
He turned into a gust of wind, instantly slipping past Sendoh's defense. Without slowing down, he charged straight toward Kanagawa's basket, his attack as sharp as a blade!
Seeing this, Akagi's heart sank. He immediately raised his focus to 120%, his fierce eyes locked tightly onto the incoming Sawakita.
Akagi's muscles tensed all over, ready to step up and contest at any moment.
As Kanagawa's interior barrier, he could not let Sawakita attack the basket so easily!
But just as Sawakita reached the boundary between the paint and the key, seemingly about to step into Akagi's defensive range, he suddenly planted his feet and came to an abrupt stop, taking no further step forward.
Akagi froze slightly, surprise appearing on his face as he failed to understand Sawakita's intentions.
His momentum had clearly been building. Why had he suddenly stopped?
Before Akagi could react, Sawakita had already made his move.
He stood firmly in place without the slightest hesitation. After bending his knees slightly, he explosively pushed off the ground and rose into the air. His body stretched out as he raised the ball over his head with his right hand, his gaze precisely fixed on Kanagawa's hoop as he assumed a shooting posture.
Seeing this, Akagi's eyes widened abruptly. He instantly understood Sawakita's plan—he was not trying to break through at all. He was going to shoot directly from this spot!
Of course, Akagi would not let him shoot so calmly. Even if a shot from that position might not go in, he would never leave it uncontested. As a center, he had to protect every possible scoring point.
However, just as Akagi lifted his foot to move up for the