No one had expected that Akagi, usually so composed and reserved, could unleash such explosive power. That crushing impact directly left Kawata Masashi stunned.
When Akagi dunked, Kawata Masashi threw his entire body into stopping him, only to either be slammed backward again and again or get dunked on outright. He could not even touch the ball, and even when he did, the force would knock his palm away.
When it was Masashi Kawata's turn to attack, no matter what move he used, Akagi Takenori's defense was as impenetrable as a wall of bronze and iron.
He fought until he was utterly exhausted, yet still failed to break through Akagi's defense. All he could do was watch helplessly as chance after chance slipped away.
Ichinokura Satoshi had it worst of all. Every inch of him radiated exhaustion and misery, like a machine that had completely run out of fuel. Even moving felt difficult; he had no power left at all.
If not for the fire still bottled up inside him—if not for the fact that he remembered he was a basketball player, remembered that he was the captain of Akita's powerhouse team and bore the entire team's hopes and responsibilities—he would probably have been crushed by this string of defeats long ago, losing all fighting spirit and even the strength to stand on the court.
In truth, Chi Tong had not targeted him at all. He had not deliberately made things difficult for him or used any flashy moves. Whenever Fukatsu dribbled, Chi Tong could casually reach out and steal the ball, giving Fukatsu no time to react.
Whenever Fukatsu finally found an opening to pass, Chi Tong could accurately anticipate it, effortlessly cut off the passing lane, and snatch the ball away.
Even when Ichinokura Satoshi gave everything he