The sound was not particularly loud, but it exploded like a thunderclap in the ears of everyone on Akita's team.
Masashi Kawata and Matsumoto froze for a full two seconds before snapping back to their senses and instinctively looking toward the crisp sound.
That one glance jolted them completely out of their daze, their pupils involuntarily contracting.
At some point, Sendoh had appeared behind them, outside the three-point line at their end of the court. He stood tall and straight, his right hand raised slightly above his head, his wrist still curved in the follow-through of his shot. Even his fingertips retained a faint tremor from the release.
His shooting form was so perfect that one glance made it obvious he had just taken a shot.
There was no mistaking that crisp swish. It was the sound of the basketball Sendoh had just released passing cleanly through the net.
Everyone on Akita's team froze in place at the sight, their eyes wide and their mouths open enough to fit a fist. They were utterly dumbfounded.
The court was frighteningly quiet. All that remained was their heavy breathing and the shock churning inside them. Something clicked in their minds at this utterly absurd scene. They seemed to have experienced it themselves not long ago, and even now, the memory of having their rhythm shattered in an instant and being left completely dazed made their scalps prickle.
It had happened at the National Tournament. Back then, Chi Tong had pulled the same trick with an unexpected shot, catching them completely off guard. They had never imagined Sendoh would recreate it today.
Sawakita Eiji stared fixedly at Sendoh, his clenched knuckles creaking. Shock and anger surged in his eyes, while a trace of panic lurked deep within them, unnoticed even by him. It