Dai Moroboshi took a deep breath. Things were difficult now, but his fighting spirit burned even brighter.
He walked over to Tazawa and spoke a few words in a low voice.
The tempo of Aiwa Academy's next possession changed noticeably.
They no longer insisted on getting the ball to Dai Moroboshi immediately for the finish. Taking advantage of Moroboshi's powerful pull on the defense, Tazawa began directing more ball movement.
Jun Koizumi and Tsuguhito Nakajima stepped up their cuts inside and off-ball screens, while Masamichi Raiden also tried to find opportunities on the weak side.
Dai Moroboshi became the offensive hub, using his elite court vision and passing ability to create opportunities for his teammates again and again.
A deft three-man combination followed: Moroboshi held the ball at the top of the arc, drawing Kaede Rukawa and Akagi's attention. Tazawa used Koizumi's screen to cut to the basket. With a flick of his wrist, Moroboshi sent a bounce pass through the gap between defenders, and Tazawa caught it for an easy layup.
40:33.
On Shohoku's possession, Ryota Kudo immediately answered back.
Using Takenori Akagi's solid screen, Kudo shook off Masamichi Raiden's tight defense and received the ball near the free-throw line.
Facing Tsuguhito Nakajima on the switch, Kudo did not hesitate. A convincing shot fake drew Nakajima's weight upward, then Kudo lowered his body and forced his way past his side like a cheetah, driving into the paint.
Aiwa's interior defense instantly collapsed, with Jun Koizumi and Moroboshi, who had rotated back to help, lunging at Kudo together.
Just before the trap closed, Kudo's sharp eyes caught Hanamichi Sakuragi slipping along the baseline from the weak side.
He flicked his wrist, and the basketball seemed to have eyes as it passed precisely through the gap between defenders into Sakuragi's hands.