Kawamoto started moving instantly after landing, taking two steps to catch the ball.
Instead of attacking the basket, he made a stylish mid-range shot.
"Whoosh!"
Enter the frame!
95:96!
The difference is only 1 point!
Time: 4 minutes and 11 seconds.
"Pretty!"
Akagi couldn't help but clench his fist and roar, even though he was so tired he could barely stand.
"Hold on!"
Miyagi shouted hoarsely.
Coach Jousei stood on the sidelines, dumbfounded.
Jousei served from the baseline, and they were clearly getting impatient.
Ono advanced quickly, intending to launch a counterattack.
But this time, Kawamoto stuck to Ono who had the ball, constantly interfering with his long arms.
Ono was forced to stop the ball and look for his teammates.
The ball was passed to Mikoshiba at the free-throw line, and he suddenly turned around, intending to use a hook shot.
But Kawamoto once again abandoned his defender and, as if he had foreseen the future, came over to help defend, leaping high into the air!
"Smack!"
Another solid cover!
He swatted away the basketball that Mikoshiba had hooked at him.
The ball was slapped towards the midfield, Miyagi, quick-witted and agile, seized possession and immediately passed it to Kawamoto, who had already started his run.
Kawamoto receives the ball, facing only Yufune, the fastest defender to retreat.
Instead of driving straight to the basket, he stopped abruptly a step beyond the three-point line.
"He's going to shoot a three-pointer!"
Coach Jousei on the sidelines shouted in disbelief.
The Yufune pounced forward with all its might.
Kawamoto jumped, and Yufune followed suit, jumping with all his might to block the shot.
However, Kawamoto's altitude in the air filled Yufune with a deep sense of despair.
He completely avoided the Yufune's block, then gently flicked the ball away with his wrist.
The basketball traced a beautiful parabola in the air.
"Whoosh--!"
Hollow entry into the net.
98:96!
Shohoku leads by 2 points!
Time: 3 minutes and 58 seconds.
"Boom-!"
Shohoku's bench exploded!
Mikoshiba stared at number 15, who had just made a three-pointer but remained calm, and felt a chill run down his spine.
This guy----
Is his shooting accuracy really that high?
Jousei's morale suffered a severe blow.
In their next attack, they passed the ball somewhat hastily.
Kogure predicted the ball's trajectory, reached out and poked it, sending it flying towards the sideline.
Miyagi dove to save the ball, flicking it back into play just before it went out of bounds, heading straight for Kawamoto.
Kawamoto received the somewhat out-of-control ball near the center line. Without pausing, he immediately accelerated with his dribble.
Facing the Jousei players who were hastily retreating on defense, he dribbled behind his back in an instant, getting past the first line of defense and driving into the three-point line.
Jousei's defenses tightened rapidly.
But near the free-throw line, facing three defenders, Kawamoto abruptly stopped, pulled up, and jumped to shoot!
This time it's a lean back!
During a high-speed breakthrough, a sudden stop and a backward lean!
That requires incredible core strength and shooting consistency.
The defender reacted quickly, but the basketball still arced high into the air.
"Whoosh!"
Another win!
100:96!
The point difference has reached 4 points!
Time: 3 minutes and 33 seconds.
"They've taken a 4-point lead!"
Miyagi shouted excitedly.
Jousei panicked completely.
They served quickly, trying to launch a preemptive attack.
Ono forced his way through, but his layup went wide under Miyagi's interference.
Akagi held onto the backboard tightly.
Akagi passed the ball to Kawamoto.
Kawamoto controlled the ball past half-court.
Time: 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
Jousei dared not let Kawamoto make a move easily again, and the two of them stepped forward to surround him.
Kawamoto calmly passed the ball to Kogure, who was left unmarked.
Kogure made a slight adjustment in the corner and launched a three-pointer.
Unfortunately, the force was a little too strong, and it bounced off the frame.
Rebound!
Jousei's center and Akagi jumped at the same time, but Jousei's center, taking advantage of his position, flicked the ball to the outside.
The ball flew towards Mikoshiba.
However, just as Mikoshiba was about to receive the ball...
Kawamoto burst out from the side, getting a half-step ahead and intercepting the ball.
After successfully intercepting the ball, Kawamoto made no adjustments and, from a step beyond the three-point line, pulled up for a jump shot.
"What!"
Mikoshiba never expected that after stealing the ball, he would neither drive nor pass, but instead immediately launch a three-pointer.
It was too late to react.
The basketball, like a precisely aimed cannonball, swished through the net once again!
103:96!
The score difference is 7 points!
Time: 2 minutes and 47 seconds.
"Impossible—this is impossible—"
Mikoshiba looked at the scoreboard and muttered to himself.
Is this guy a shooting machine?
You get rewards no matter how you apply!
Jousei's attack has completely fallen apart.
Their hasty shot missed, Kawamoto personally squeezed into the paint to grab the rebound and then pushed the ball up the court himself.
This time, Jousei learned his lesson and started double-pressing from the backcourt.
But Kawamoto easily shook off both players with a smooth behind-the-back dribble and a spin move.
Near the midline, facing a player rushing to help defend, he changed his rhythm, accelerated again, and easily drove into the paint.
Jousei was left with only Mikoshiba in the paint. He spread his arms, ready to draw an offensive foul.
But the moment Kawamoto stepped into the free-throw line, he suddenly gathered the ball and took three big steps.
The first step was to step to Mikoshiba's side, the second step was to take off completely, the third step...
He seemed to glide through the air, passing by Mikoshiba, and then, almost level with the baseline, he gently flicked the ball with his backhand.
The basketball bounced off the backboard and fell into the net.
105:96!
The score difference is 9 points!
Jousei panicked completely.
The attack was rushed, and the shot missed.
Kawamoto received the ball at the center line, faced Mikoshiba's defense, and suddenly made an extremely fast crossover.
Mikoshiba was instantly frozen in place, his legs dangling haphazardly, and he ended up sitting on his bottom.
Kawamoto has already penetrated into the penalty area.
Facing the center Jousei who was helping to defend, he did not slow down or change direction, but instead jumped directly at the distance from the opponent's cylinder to block the shot.
He engaged in a fierce physical confrontation with Cheng Zhongfeng in mid-air, relying on his superior core strength and jumping ability to forcefully overpower Cheng Zhongfeng and slam the ball into the basket with one hand!
107:96.
The score difference is 11 points.
Time: 2 minutes and 21 seconds.
This was the first time Mikoshiba had been knocked down by someone.
This enraged him, and he attacked Kawamoto one-on-one again during the offensive round.
He tried hard to recall Kawamoto's actions, wanting to retaliate in kind.
Little did I know that a mistake would occur, and I would trip myself up.
Kawamoto easily caught the basketball and began to advance the ball.
Jousei was surrounded by three defenders, but Kawamoto threw down the ball from beyond the three-point line and squeezed through the gap between them in one step!
He rushed to the free-throw line, Jousei, the center, once again rushed in from the side.
Kawamoto, facing the block, still jumped from a considerable distance.
The two bodies collided again, and this time Jousei's center was sent flying.
Kawamoto used a small lever in his right hand to dodge the cover, and with a flick of his fingertip, "Whoosh!"
Goal!
Whistle blows!
2+1!
Jousei's center forward looked like he'd seen a ghost.
Is this player's power and finishing touch abnormal?
Kawamoto made the free throw.
110:96.
Time: 2 minutes and 5 seconds.
The outcome of the match was no longer in doubt.
Jousei's players were unfocused, and their defense was practically non-existent.
In the final two minutes, Kawamoto, uninterested in challenging Jousei's crumbling defense, began raining down three-pointers.
Swish swish swish swish!
Jousei's net was pierced!
When the final buzzer sounded, Kawamoto lowered his left hand, which had just launched a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Shohoku 131:98 Jousei.
Kawamoto's expression remained calm, as if he had simply completed a routine practice shot.
The entire Jousei High School basketball gym was eerily silent.
The Shohoku number 15 from Shohoku stood up from the bench and played for a total of only five minutes until the end of the game.
However, in those 5 minutes, he made 11 of 11 three-pointers, a 100% shooting percentage, along with mid-range shots, steals, blocks, drives to the basket, and a 2+1 play.
It can be said that everyone, whether capable or not, did it all.
One player scored a whopping 43 points, leading Shohoku to a stunning 43-2 run and completing the comeback.
It's no exaggeration to say that he single-handedly defeated a team that was among the top eight in the nation last year in the final five minutes.
Although the five players had already been fighting for thirty-five minutes and were somewhat exhausted when he entered the arena.
When the calm Kawamoto shook hands with the dazed Jousei, Mikoshiba gripped his hand tightly and asked in a dry voice, "Are you even human?"
Kawamoto glanced at him. "I'm used to it."
After saying that, he let go of her hand and turned to walk towards his teammates who were celebrating wildly.
Jousei and his entire crew remained behind, while the petrochemical plant remained in place.
Are you used to it?
What are your habits?
Is he used to coming on in the last five minutes and scoring 43 points by himself?
Looking at that figure's back, Mikoshiba suddenly felt an urge to smash the half-empty bottle of water in his hand onto his head.
Damn it, so the monster in Kanagawa mentioned in the reports----
It truly is a monster in the literal sense.