There was no probing, no wasted dribbling.
After catching the ball, Kaede Rukawa used the momentum to slam backward!
The dull thud of colliding muscles rang out clearly!
Sendoh grunted but did not give up so much as half a step!
In that instant of contact...
Kaede Rukawa moved!
He spun sharply to the right, the entire motion lightning-fast, seeming to stir a gust of wind.
Sendoh froze.
A turnaround jumper?
He reacted instantly, shifting his center of gravity to the right.
His long arm swept up like a canopy, blocking Rukawa's view of the basket!
No, a fake!
Rukawa had only completed half the turn. At the critical instant when Sendoh shifted his weight, he forcibly halted his momentum.
His hovering right foot slammed into the floor, and his body snapped back like a phantom.
At the same time, he executed a lightning-fast crossover, transferring the ball from his right hand to his left.
Like a blade drawn from its sheath, Rukawa burst past Sendoh's left side!
"So fast!"
Cries of amazement rose from the sidelines.
The explosiveness of that step and the change of rhythm exceeded everyone's expectations!
In one step, Rukawa gained half a body length on Sendoh and charged straight into the paint!
One step inside the free-throw line, he faced the looming Jun Uozumi rotating over to help, with Sendoh chasing from behind.
Rukawa had no way back!
Without slowing in the slightest, he leaped with all his strength into the double-team!
His body resembled a great roc spreading its wings in midair. Rather than going straight up for a layup, he glided sideways with extraordinary grace.
At the same time, he raised the ball high in his right hand, threatening a finger roll!
Uozumi and Sendoh jumped together, their four long arms weaving an inescapable net that sealed off every conventional shooting angle!
In that desperate situation!
Rukawa abruptly engaged his waist and abdomen, displaying astonishing core strength.
He made an unbelievable second adjustment in midair.
With it, he forcibly evaded Uozumi's block.
At the same time, using the momentum of his glide, he switched the ball from his right hand to his left and gently flicked his wrist just as his body nearly lost its balance.
Spinning faintly, the basketball slipped past Sendoh's fingertips by millimeters and struck the small square high on the backboard.
Then it banked precisely into the net!
"Tweet-!"
The referee's whistle blew!
A defensive foul on Uozumi!
And one!
The basket was good!
It counted, with one additional free throw!
The entire gym fell dead silent for an instant, then erupted in a tidal wave of astonished cries and cheers!
"My God! How did that go in?!"
"Kaede Rukawa! Unbelievable!"
"Is he really only a first-year?"
Rukawa landed heavily, staggered one step, then steadied himself.
He cast a cold glance at the grim-faced Akira Sendoh beside him, then silently walked to the free-throw line.
Sweat trickled down his temples.
But his eyes were like stars on a winter night, cold and resolute.
That basket combined speed, skill, fakes, immense strength, and split-second adaptability.
He had scored against nearly impossible defense!
It was the ultimate display of pure individual ability, an ace player's defiant answer!
As Akira Sendoh watched Rukawa, the lazy smile on his face finally vanished completely.
In its place came an unprecedented seriousness and excitement.
"Interesting..."
Sendoh murmured to himself, his words brimming with challenge.
Rukawa made the additional free throw.
40-54.
The deficit was still enormous.
But that basket officially declared that the duel between the two superstar aces had only just begun.
The look in Akira Sendoh's eyes changed. He received the inbound pass and dribbled unhurriedly across half court.
Facing Rukawa's defense, he did not call for a pick-and-roll.
Instead, he dribbled repeatedly between his legs at the top of the arc.
In the instant Rukawa blinked, Sendoh's rhythm shifted between fast and slow.
His movements were exceptionally fluid, like a dancing sprite.
Suddenly, he initiated a lightning-fast Shammgod, pushing the ball hard forward and right with his left hand while leaning his body to the left.
Rukawa instinctively shifted his weight to follow.
But Sendoh's right hand pulled the ball back with incredible speed, flowing into a crossover that took him nearly a full body length past Rukawa in one step.
Without the slightest hesitation, Sendoh stopped abruptly and rose for a pull-up jumper.
The ball swished cleanly through the net!
40-56!
It was Shohoku's turn to attack.
Rukawa raised a hand, calling for the ball.
He dribbled into the frontcourt. Facing Sendoh's defense, he jabbed with his left foot, then suddenly put the ball down and drove!
His first step was astonishingly explosive!
Sendoh slid backward, staying close.
Rukawa drove inside the three-point line, immediately turned his back against Sendoh, and powered into him for two dribbles.
Suddenly, pivoting on his right foot, he turned toward the baseline for a fadeaway jumper.
It was an extremely difficult shot.
The ball dropped through the net with a swish!
42-56!
Everyone in the gym was stunned.
Was this still an ordinary high school practice game?
That basket from Rukawa surprised even Sendoh.
He had thought this first-year kid could only be considered the strongest rookie.
But judging by this, he had completely transcended the rookie category.
Among small forwards in Kanagawa high school basketball, Rukawa was probably the only one who could go toe-to-toe with him.
"What a frightening guy."
Sendoh sighed in admiration, his smile deepening. He liked this kind of challenge.
With the ball again, Sendoh dribbled to the wing.
Facing Rukawa, he suddenly slowed down.
The change in Sendoh's body rhythm made Rukawa pause for an instant.
In that very instant, Sendoh accelerated into a drive!
But Rukawa reacted swiftly and pressed close to defend.
Sendoh did not force his way up. After one dribble, he gathered the ball and created space with a short jump stop.
Leaning slightly backward as well, he released an exceptionally graceful floater.
The ball sailed over Rukawa's fingertips and banked in.
42-58!
"Nice shot!"
"That's Sendoh for you!"
On Shohoku's offensive possession, the ball once again went straight to Rukawa.
It was as though everyone had forgotten this was a basketball game.
All they could see was the contest between Rukawa and Sendoh.
This time, Rukawa did not choose to go one-on-one.
He accelerated immediately after receiving the ball, calling Akagi over to set a screen.
With Akagi blocking his path, Sendoh fell half a step behind.
Uozumi lunged straight out to meet Rukawa.
Without a trace of fear, Rukawa went straight into his layup steps and made a sweeping change of direction in midair.
He avoided Uozumi's block and scored with an underhand finger roll!
44-58!
Another spectacular basket.
The impressive finishing skills he displayed around the rim on that play were certainly no worse than Sendoh's.
As possession changed hands, Sendoh immediately answered in kind.
He moved off the ball, curling around a double screen.
Catching Uekusa's pass, he released a drifting three-pointer without adjusting!
Sendoh's body maintained perfect balance in midair.
Swish!
Nothing but net!
44-61!
Rukawa was seeing red!
He received the ball in the backcourt and sprinted all the way up.
Facing Sendoh's tight defense at midcourt, Rukawa drove past with consecutive behind-the-back changes of direction.
He stopped abruptly a step beyond the three-point line!
Another pull-up three from long range!
Boom!
It went in as well!
47-61!
An answer ball!
This was Rukawa's emphatic response!
On the next possession, Sendoh held the ball at the top of the arc, chained consecutive behind-the-back dribbles into a spin, then suddenly put the ball between Rukawa's legs to get past him!
Although Rukawa barely managed to hold his position, Sendoh had already created shooting space and launched a step-back three!
In again!
47-64!
This was Sendoh's individual showcase, a basket that flaunted his skills!