Yasuharu Yasuda stood beyond the baseline with the basketball in his hands, feeling his palms grow slick.
He took a deep breath, trying to dispel the panic that had risen in him after conceding points on consecutive possessions.
His gaze swept the court, searching for a reliable passing option.
Satoru Kakuta instinctively retreated two steps, almost reaching the center circle.
His face practically screamed, Don't pass to me!
In just two brief encounters, Kawamoto Kazuki's suffocating defense had already cast an enormous shadow over him.
He felt as though he were transparent, his every move accounted for by his opponent.
That feeling had completely robbed him of the courage to match up against Kawamoto Kazuki.
In basketball, when two sides were evenly matched in ability, momentum could often become the decisive weight that tipped the scales.
That was also why statistics generally showed higher win rates for home teams.
Familiar surroundings and the roar of support could provide an enormous psychological advantage.
Truly elite players, however, possessed nerves that transcended their surroundings, allowing them to perform consistently under any pressure.
On Shohoku's upperclassmen team, Takenori Akagi had the potential to become one of Kanto's top centers.
But he was impatient and prone to losing his composure when things went against him.
Kiminobu Kogure was steady, but lacked the commanding confidence of someone who believed no one else could do the job.
Yasuda, Shiozaki, and the others were even more accustomed to depending on their core player.
They had plenty of experience, but lacked an undisputed ace who could turn the tide in adversity, as well as nerves of steel.
And what about the first-year team?
Kaede Rukawa naturally possessed an exceptional mental game.
Hanamichi Sakuragi had nerves as thick as cables and had no idea what pressure even was.
And then there was the most terrifying of them all, Kawamoto Kazuki.
Beneath his silent exterior lay a composure forged through life's hardships, far beyond that of his peers.
Each of those three had stronger nerves than the last!
Yasuda's gaze finally settled on Kiminobu Kogure, who was working hard to get open.
Kogure caught the pass, feeling that his jersey was already soaked with sweat.
He clapped his hands, striving to keep his voice calm, though he could not hide a trace of tension. "All right! Let's play it steady. We have to score this possession!"
He exchanged a glance with Akagi beneath the basket, each reading the other's concern.
If they lost the ball again and allowed the first-years to launch a fast break, the gap could very well widen to double digits.
In a short, twenty-minute game, a double-digit deficit was like an enormous chasm.
Coming back would be incredibly difficult.
Kogure held the ball beyond the three-point line, facing Kaede Rukawa's airtight defense.
He first glanced toward Akagi and found no opening to feed the ball inside.
As for the others...
Kakuta had already crumbled and could not be counted on at all.
Yasuda and Ishii were locked in a battle of scrubs.
Only Shiozaki, matched up against Sakuragi, was doing slightly better.
Kogure took a deep breath and decided to do it himself.
He made a convincing shot fake, his shoulders and eyes selling it extremely well.
Yet Kaede Rukawa did not budge.
His icy eyes seemed to say, "A fake like that won't fool me."
Kogure's heart sank. The shot clock was ticking down.
He could only cast another sidelong glance toward Shiozaki.
That matchup might be their only opportunity.
Although Hanamichi Sakuragi possessed explosive athleticism, his defensive experience and awareness were virtually nonexistent.
He was the most obvious weak point in the opposing defense.
Without hesitating this time, Kogure passed the ball over.
Tetsushi Shiozaki caught it on the wing, facing Sakuragi, who immediately lunged at him with his arms flailing.
Steadying himself, he made a shot fake as well.
This fake was even more halfhearted than Kogure's, with even more obvious flaws.
But the single-celled organism that was Hanamichi Sakuragi had only one thought in his head: stop his opponent from shooting.
Seeing his opponent raise the ball, he leaped with all his might to block it without a second thought!
"Idiot! That's obviously a fake!"
Ayako could not help blurting out from the sidelines.
Secretly delighted, Shiozaki dribbled past Sakuragi in one easy step as Sakuragi landed off balance after jumping too high, then drove straight into the paint!
But he did not try to take all the glory-or rather, he lacked the confidence to score.
His long-standing dependence made him instinctively look to pass.
Besides, Takenori Akagi had already firmly established his position beneath the basket.
Shiozaki delivered an accurate pass inside.
"Akagi!"
"Nice pass!"
Akagi gave a low growl as he caught the ball deep in the paint.
Guarding him was Sasaoka, who had barely seen any playing time.
The gap in their abilities was enormous.
Akagi leaned his back against Sasaoka, unleashing his full strength in an instant.
Thud!
Sasaoka felt an irresistible force slam into him.
He instantly lost his balance and was knocked completely out of his defensive position!
A perfect scoring opportunity!
A fierce glint flashed through Akagi's eyes. He would use a dunk to lift his entire team's spirits and crush the first-years' arrogance!
He pushed off with both feet, his massive frame soaring into the air as he raised the ball overhead with both hands and unleashed his signature Gorilla Dunk!
"Raaagh!"
Amid his roar, the basketball hurtled toward the rim with crushing force!
Every upperclassman had his heart in his throat, hoping this dunk would end their scoring drought.
But-
Just as the basketball was about to be slammed through the hoop.
A large hand suddenly shot out.
With flawless precision, it pressed squarely against the basketball clutched in Akagi's hands.
Smack!!!
The resounding impact drowned out Akagi's roar.
A huge block!
It was Kawamoto Kazuki!
As though he had already anticipated that Akagi would power his way in for a dunk, he had rotated over to help the instant Akagi jumped.
Timing it perfectly, he sprang up with ease.
His astonishing leaping speed and explosive power allowed him to arrive first despite jumping later, cleanly swatting away the dunk Akagi had been certain he would make.
"What?!"
Akagi's eyes filled with incredulous shock.
The basketball sailed into the distance.
"Kaede Rukawa!"
Kawamoto Kazuki gave a short, clear shout in midair.
There was no need for further instructions.
The instant the ball flew away, Kaede Rukawa's instincts as an elite scorer had already sent him sprinting at full speed toward the opposing half.
His off-ball sprint was lightning fast. Kiminobu Kogure chased with everything he had, but could only watch that black-clad figure pull farther and farther away.
As though it had eyes, the falling basketball landed exactly one step inside the opposing three-point line.
Kaede Rukawa arrived at just the right moment and easily scooped up the ball as it bounced off the floor, with nothing but open space ahead.
He took two long strides into the paint, jumped effortlessly, and finished with an elegant finger roll.
The basketball obediently rolled into the net.
9-0!
The bright red numbers pierced every upperclassman's heart.
After scoring, Kaede Rukawa turned and headed back on defense without expression.
The entire gym fell into an eerie, deathly silence.
The upperclassmen's morale plunged all the way to freezing point.
An indescribable sense of frustration washed over everyone's hearts like a tide.
They clenched their fists, their nails nearly digging into their flesh.
To be reduced to such a sorry state by first-years, practically unable to fight back at all...
That humiliation burned their pride like fire.
But they really did feel so powerless!