Akagi erected an impenetrable defense line in front of Fukuda.
Fukuda attempted another volleyball block, but instead, he executed a reverse layup, sending the ball directly under Akagi's armpit into the basket.
10:4.
The score seems a bit close.
Kawamoto takes the ball and attacks.
Koshino frightened and alarmed, Yueye immediately called for assistance from Ikegami.
Ikegami reacted to the sound, but Kawamoto immediately passed the ball to Mitsui was left unmarked.
Mitsui scores with ease.
13:4.
In the next round of Ryonan's attack, Koshino called for Ikegami again.
Ikegami glanced at Mitsui, then hesitated for a moment.
Kawamoto has already hit a three-pointer over the Koshino.
16:4.
Head coach Taoka shook his head as he looked at Kawamoto.
No solution!
Kawamoto's solution is indeed unsolvable.
Forget about one-on-one defense, even two-on-one defense can't stop it.
And there's Mitsui, watching us intently from the sidelines.
Sendoh gave up on Kaede Rukawa and started grinding experience points with Kawamoto.
He had never engaged in a one-on-one offensive or defensive battle with Kawamoto, and he was extremely eager to experience it.
However, while the ideal was lofty, the reality was that Kawamoto didn't want to play one-on-one.
Upon seeing Sendoh, Kawamoto immediately turned and ran.
Sendoh tried to chase down Kawamoto, but Kawamoto always managed to find opportunities to attack by constantly moving around and flanking.
Sendoh was not a defensive specialist and had never experienced chasing someone like this before.
He chased Kawamoto relentlessly, but couldn't even touch a hair on his Kawamoto.
Kawamoto, however, kept hitting three-pointers.
Sendoh was sulking; he just wanted to experience why it was so difficult to face off against Kawamoto.
That bastard Kawamoto is even more cunning than a moray eel.
So, when there was no ball, he whispered in Kawamoto's ear, " Kawamoto, let's have a one-on-one duel!"
As a lazy and easygoing Sendoh, it's really hard to hear such words from him.
Kawamoto always had a benevolent intention to fulfill his opponents' wishes.
When it was Shohoku's turn to attack, he didn't run around the screen anymore.
Instead, he stood outside the three-point line and reached out for the ball.
Sendoh stood firmly in front of Kawamoto, neither lowering nor raising his center of gravity.
Kawamoto dribbled the ball once, and the next moment, he pulled up for a jump shot.
Sendoh jumped desperately, fully experiencing the same level of despair that Shinichi Maki had gone through.
Swish!
Hollow hit!
"Pretty!"
"Nice shot!"
Mitsui offered his congratulations to his fellow three-point shooter.
Sendoh is only slightly shorter than Kawamoto, but Kawamoto's arm span is much longer.
Facing Sendoh's defense, Kawamoto only needs to be careful not to let Sendoh steal the ball.
The rest are jump threes, fadeaway threes, and pull-up threes.
FIBA's three-point line is only about 6 meters long, a full meter shorter than the NBA's.
What's called a three-pointer is only worth two points in the NBA.
Kawamoto hit three consecutive three-pointers over Sendoh.
Sendoh had lost the will to continue his entanglement with Kawamoto.
Head coach Taoka's last glimmer of hope was shattered at this moment.
Sendoh is 6 centimeters taller than Maki, but he still can't stop Kawamoto's three-pointer.
At the same time, a thought arose in his mind: no matter what, he must find a super three-point shooter next year.
This is incredibly destructive!
With such a strong defensive presence, the game becomes much easier, no matter which team we face.
The outcome of the match was decided much earlier.
With Sendoh abandoning his matchup against Kawamoto, the focus of the game shifted to the paint.
With 17 seconds left in the game, the scoreboard showed Shohoku leading by 33 points at 89-56.
Ryonan's defeat was inevitable, but the Ryonan players continued to run and fight on the field, showing no sign of giving up.
Perhaps knowing that their leader would be saying goodbye to basketball after this game, the Ryonan players distributed the ball more frequently inside.
Deep within the forbidden zone lies the battlefield of giants.
Takenori Akagi and Jun Uozumi, two top centers from Kanagawa who have been competing and growing together since their first year of high school, are currently engaged in a fierce physical battle under the basket.
Sweat dripped from their bulging muscles, and their heavy breathing could be clearly heard in the quiet arena.
Each time the ball was positioned correctly, it was accompanied by a dull thud from muscles and bones.
Every physical confrontation was like a collision between two warships.
"Senior Uozumi!"
Fukuda held the ball at the top of the arc, his gaze fixed firmly on the massive back of the number 4 player.
It wasn't just him.
Akira Sendoh, Ryonan's ace, clearly had a one-on-one opportunity, but he deliberately created space and gestured to the inside player.
At that moment, all the players on and off the field at Ryonan made the same choice.
Their eyes met, silently conveying the same message.
Give the Uozumi!
This is his last summer!
On Ryonan's bench, Moichi Taoka didn't call out any tactics; he just kept a close eye on the inside.
He knew this might be the last time Jun Uozumi Takenori Akagi one-on-one on such an important stage during his high school basketball career.
Fukuda took a deep breath and lobbed the ball high into the air.
Kawamoto looked at the basketball overhead, which he could easily block, and his leg muscles, which had been straining, relaxed.
The basketball soared through the air and landed precisely in Jun Uozumi Uozumi's outstretched hand.
Surprisingly, no one from Shohoku came forward to double-team them.
All the Shohoku players tacitly spread out, leaving the most crucial restricted area in the center of the stage completely to those two giants.
This is an unwritten respect on the basketball court.
It was the soldiers' tacit acceptance of the final showdown between their destined rivals.
" Uozumi ----"
Takenori Akagi felt a force behind him that was heavier than ever before.
He let out a low growl and, with all his might, pressed his steel-like back firmly against Uozumi's waist.
"Bring it on!"
Akagi's voice was like muffled thunder.
Jun Uozumi caught the ball, feeling the force of the confrontation that Akagi knew so well.
It's been three years, from our first encounter in a practice match in our first year of high school to countless practice matches since.
They see each other as insurmountable walls, grow stronger through confrontation, roar in resentment under each other's shadow, and push each other to their limits as the other progresses.
They are enemies, arch-enemies, but in a sense, they are also comrades who understand each other best and can reflect each other most deeply.
" Akagi-!"
Uozumi let out a roar that seemed to explode from his chest.
In that voice, there was resentment, regret, all the sweat and dreams of the past three years, and a tragic sense of it all coming to an end.
He held nothing back, no longer considered tactics, no longer thought about winning or losing.
This is a clash of purest power and will!
The first time!
Uozumi lowered his center of gravity and slammed his massive shoulders backward!
Akagi grunted, his feet firmly planted on the floor, refusing to budge an inch!
The second time!
Uozumi exerted his strength again, his muscles bulging and veins popping out!
Akagi gritted his teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead, and he pushed back with even more ferocity!
The sweat of the two giants sprayed through the air!
"Captain Uozumi! Go for it!"
On the Ryonan bench, someone shouted out first.
"Team leader!"
Koshino screamed, his eyes red and swollen.
" Uozumi- senpai! Score that goal!"
Sendoh, standing on the field, couldn't help but cheer for Uozumi.
On the Shohoku side, everyone remained silent.
Hisashi Mitsui's eyes were filled with complex emotions. He clenched his fists tightly and whispered, " Akagi —do your best—"
The third time!
With his last ounce of strength, Uozumi sat back abruptly, simultaneously pivoting on his left foot and making a swift right turn.
This is the trump card he honed in his battles against Akagi!
Akagi reacted with lightning speed. Almost at the same moment, he shifted his feet to the side, his huge hand blocking the possible shooting route of Uozumi after he turned around, like a fan!
However, Uozumi's turn was just a feint.
His massive body displayed astonishing coordination; before the momentum of his turn was over, he suddenly turned back to the left.
Dream Shake?
No, this is Jun Uozumi's resolute Giant Whale Tail Swing!
Akagi's center of gravity was completely deceived.
His massive body stiffened slightly during the rapid series of changes of direction.
It's this fleeting gap.
Uozumi caught!
He roared and leaped into the air, raising the ball high with both hands. Facing Akagi's last outstretched arm, he used all his strength to slam the ball toward the basket!
"Bang--!!!"
A deafening explosion!
The basketball was slammed into the hoop!
The basketball hoop shook violently!
Uozumi gripped the basket tightly with both hands, his entire body hanging in mid-air, like a stranded whale making its last desperate leap out of the sea.
He looked up to the sky and roared, his voice filled with boundless venting and a barely perceptible sob.
"We made it in! Uozumi- senpai!"
The Ryonan bench erupted in cheers, with Coach Taoka jumping up excitedly, tears welling in his eyes.
Akagi was knocked back half a step. He looked up at Uozumi hanging on the basket, at the other's face, which was a mixture of sweat, exhaustion, and a sense of relief.
Akagi slowly straightened up, raised his hand, and clapped vigorously at Uozumi, who had just landed.
"Slap, slap, slap----"
The applause initially came only from Akagi, but soon Miyagi, Mitsui, Kogure, Yasuda, and Shiozaki in.
All the Shohoku team members applauded their respectable opponent.
In the stands, whether it was the supporters of Shohoku and Ryonan, or Kainan Takezato, or even neutral spectators, everyone was captivated by this pure and powerful duel.
A thunderous applause erupted, dedicated to these two giants who had been entangled for three years and had achieved greatness together.
Uozumi looked at Akagi, and Akagi looked at him in return.
Their eyes met in the air; no words were spoken, but they both understood the meaning in each other's eyes.
"Well done, Uozumi!"
"You too, Akagi."
The score became 89-58.
The referee's whistle finally sounded, signaling the end of the match.