He timed the moment Mu turned and dribbled, then reached for the ball with his left hand.
This is the keen insight of an MVP.
However, as if he had foreseen this, Maki paused strangely just before Mitsui's fingertips touched him, changing his slap to a pull.
A small, fast pullback between the legs.
Mitsui was hollowed out, and his body leaned forward due to inertia.
Maki didn't use any fancy changes of direction, just the simplest crossover, followed by a shoulder drop and acceleration to brush past the opening created by Mitsui's lunge for the ball.
After passing the two people, the view suddenly opened up.
Kaede Rukawa had already moved to a position one step inside the free-throw line, which was the best position for help defense.
He didn't rush in, but calmly judged the rhythm of Mu's jump.
Mu caught the ball, took his second step, and his muscular body soared into the air like a cannonball, heading straight for the basket.
Kaede Rukawa jumped at almost the same time.
With fingers spread wide, he aimed at the trajectory of Mu's two hands holding the ball, blocking all ordinary layup angles.
But Mu did not choose to make a move.
Using his core strength, he completed an incredible hand switch at the moment of contact with Kaede Rukawa, transforming what was originally a layup into a simple hand switch.
The basketball, spinning wildly, was thrown from Mu's fingertips.
Launch!
"Whoosh."
The basketball, which had withstood four interceptions, one contest, and one perfect block, grazed the top edge of the rim and then obediently rolled into the net.
21:16.
Shinichi Maki fell from the sky and landed heavily on the floor.
"Whoosh!"
"Red number 11, blocking foul, goal stands, one penalty!"
The referee's voice rang out promptly.
Maki turned his head, his gaze fixed on the scoreboard, where the score difference had widened to 5 points.
There was no roaring, no howling.
He even raised his hand to stop his teammates from rushing over to celebrate.
He simply conveyed a signal to Miyagi, Rukawa, and Mitsui with his deep, ocean-like eyes.
Your ace, Kawamoto take on four opponents at once.
My Maki from Kainan can take on three opponents at once!
The three of you ganged up on them, giving it your all and risking everything.
And I only need one offensive possession to draw a foul and get a free throw.
That would extinguish the flame of hope that has just been ignited in you.
This is the mark of a true king!
The entire stadium fell into a deathly silence, almost one of awe.
Only the sound of Shinichi Maki's footsteps walking towards the free-throw line could be heard.
Clear and stable.
Every step felt like stepping on the rapidly sinking hearts of the Shohoku players.
The champion from Kainan responded to Kawamoto with an equally powerful 1v3 play.
22:16.
With Mu making his free throw, the score gap widened to 6 points.
Akagi could sense that Kawamoto was intentionally or unintentionally creating opportunities for him to attack.
This might feel great, but only if you can secure victory.
Even if I score 100 points and grab 100 rebounds, I can't accept losing the game.
Thinking of this, Akagi beckoned to Kawamoto: " Kawamoto, it's your turn to shine."
Kawamoto was indeed intentionally or unintentionally feeding the ball to Akagi because of Anzai Anzai's veteran mentality.
But with the score widening, he knew he had to step up.
When Shohoku was on offense, the ball reached Kawamoto at the top of the three-point arc.
Kawamoto received the ball, and his mental state was completely different from before.
Seeing that Kiyota was facing him with his center of gravity lowered.
Without hesitation, he jumped.
Standard shooting form.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc through the air.
Swish-
Hollow-core netting!
A beautiful three-pointer.
However, this shot went almost unnoticed by anyone.
Everyone knows Kawamoto's three-point shooting ability.
Five minutes into the game, the first three-pointer wasn't anything special.
22:19.
The point difference is now back to 3 points.
Nakagawa and Yayoi spoke at the same time.
"See that, Aida- senpai? That's Kawamoto's three-point ability."
"It's just one goal, it doesn't prove anything."
2
The game continues on the field.
After Kainan missed a shot, Shohoku launched another attack.
Kiyota stuck to Kawamoto like glue, and seeing no chance, Miyagi passed the ball to Kaede Rukawa.
Unexpectedly, Muto suddenly moved and blocked the way.
Miyagi and Kaede Rukawa made a mistake in their coordination, and Kainan almost intercepted the ball.
Fortunately, the ball, by sheer chance, flew towards Kawamoto again.
Kawamoto received the ball at the top of the three-point arc without hesitation.
Pull it up and throw it.
This match is extremely important.
Since Captain Akagi had spoken, he no longer considered the players' feelings.
Anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
A three-pointer swept across the dome.
It entered the net hollow once again.
22:22.
flat!
Kiyota was somewhat numb; Kawamoto's speed from receiving the ball to jumping was too fast, and he simply didn't have time to react.
Does Kawamoto really not need to prepare for his three-point shots?
This is a completely different player from Jin.
Jin is great at open three-pointers, but if there's a defender in front of him, Jin 'll usually pass the ball and run again or use a fake to create a shooting opportunity.
But this Kawamoto is completely unreasonable.
It was as if they didn't exist at all.
Akagi clapped his hands to encourage Kawamoto.
This guy is always so reliable.
Next, Kainan's attack made another mistake.
Shohoku's fast break.
Kawamoto focused on accelerating, running desperately towards the frontcourt and positioning himself in the bottom corner.
Nobunaga Kiyota tried his best to catch up, but he was still two steps behind.
Without hesitation, Miyagi passed the ball directly to Kawamoto.
Not to mention that Kawamoto is the team's ace.
Pass to whoever has the opportunity and is in a good position; this is basic common sense for a point guard.
Kawamoto, without hesitation, pulled up his paddle and threw.
bang-
The three-pointer hit the rim with a dull thud.
Kiyota's face lit up with joy.
However, after the ball bounced up, it bounced a few times on the rim before falling back into the basket.
22:25.
Shohoku took the lead.
It took less than a minute.
Takato immediately called a timeout.
Kainan's two attacks failed, and Kawamoto hit three more three-pointers.
The rhythm of the game must be disrupted.
Kiyota's defensive effort was commendable, but he was mismatched from the start when Kawamoto hit a three-pointer.
Although Jin's height wasn't a mismatch, Takato Tou didn't expect him to participate in defense at all.
It's not that Jin had no defense at all, but rather that three-pointers are a huge test of a player's stamina.
Takato hoped that Jin would put all his energy into the offensive phase.
Although Kainan is strong, its shortcomings are also obvious.
The main attackers are either Jin or Maki; Kiyota's offense needs more support.
Maki's one-on-one skills are certainly impressive.
Once they break free and accelerate in, even a rim protector of Akagi's caliber can't hold them back.
Although this style of play is the most tiring, it is also extremely damaging to the opponent.
Repeated attacks and the most brutal methods will completely destroy your center's confidence.
That's what makes a powerful, aggressive shot at the rim so terrifying.
If Kawamoto hadn't been there, Takato would definitely have used this tactic.
Our Maki is physically strong and can fight, but what about their Kawamoto?
That's an even more physically imposing monster.
Although he made a drive to the basket in the first five minutes, that one play was enough to illustrate the point.
Are Maki and Kawamoto going to engage in a physical battle?
That would be very unwise.
He made a decision instantly.
The story of Tian Ji's horse race has lost its purpose.
Then it'll be a pure king versus king showdown.
However, it's only on the defensive end!
On the offensive end, Maki doesn't need to go one-on-one; he can leave the offense to the perimeter players.
This way, more energy can be saved to restrain Kawamoto.
" Muto, you step down. Yoshinori Miyamasu, go up and face Miyagi."
" Kiyota went to see Kaede Rukawa."
" Maki, you're matched up against Kawamoto."
"Just focus on support and defense."
"On offense, we'll set up two three-point shooters on the perimeter; whoever's open can just take the shot."