The enormous incandescent lights overhead flooded the basketball gym's gleaming maplewood floor with light. The air was thick with the scorched smell of sneakers scraping the floor, the rising scent of sweat, and a taut tension ready to ignite.
The shadow of losing the opening tip did not linger long on the Aiwa Academy players' faces. They quickly retreated into position, meshing like precision gears to instantly build a tight defense that sealed off the fast-break routes Shohoku was famous for.
On the sidelines, Aiwa Academy's head coach brimmed with confidence. He certainly did not think Shohoku High School was stronger than his team.
Everyone on his team trained incredibly hard and had already given everything they had.
Besides, Aiwa Academy had the nation's second-best high school player, their undisputed ace, Dai Moroboshi!
Today's winner would definitely be Aiwa Academy!
Ryota Kudo slowly dribbled upcourt, his gaze sweeping across the half court.
Takenori Akagi's massive frame established position at the edge of the paint, while Hanamichi Sakuragi hovered on the left wing, itching to move.
Hisashi Mitsui had quietly settled into his most familiar spot, the corner beyond the three-point line. Meanwhile, Kaede Rukawa stood near the right forty-five-degree angle like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath, his icy gaze locked on his matchup, Dai Moroboshi.
Kudo's fingers left slightly damp marks on the basketball. He sensed the taut muscles and intense concentration of the Aiwa Academy players opposite him. They had clearly done extremely thorough homework on Shohoku.
"Half-court offense!" Ryota Kudo's voice was not loud, but it cut clearly through the growing noise inside the gym with an unquestionable steadiness.
He stopped at the top of the arc, facing Aiwa Academy's lightning-fast, 175-centimeter point guard, Tazawa.
Tazawa lowered his center of gravity and spread his arms. His