"Captain, we're leaving the paint to you! Make sure you grab every rebound!"
"You'll always be Shohoku's rock!"
Those words were like a shot of adrenaline to Akagi's heart, lifting his spirits.
He turned to Hanamichi Sakuragi. "Sakuragi! Don't be afraid of fouling. Hit them back hard with your speed, strength, and jumping!"
Sakuragi straightened abruptly at his words, the confusion in his eyes replaced by fire. "Don't worry, Kawamoto! This genius will never lose!"
Kawamoto Kazuki turned to Satoru Kakuta. "Kakuta, if you get a chance, shoot without hesitation! We believe in you!"
Kakuta nodded firmly and clenched his fists.
Finally, he turned to the panting Kiminobu Kogure, his tone gentler but carrying a weighty force. "Kogure, please hang in there! You're our point guard. We need you to bring the ball across half court and organize every possession! You didn't persevere for three years just to give up at this moment!"
"Because every game is the most important game!"
Kogure shuddered as he looked into Kawamoto's calm yet trusting eyes and listened to him mention his three years of perseverance.
A warmth he hadn't felt in a long time suddenly surged into his heart.
That indescribable feeling instantly swept away his exhaustion and despair.
Yes, he had persevered for three years and failed for three years.
Was he really going to choose to give up before the game ended, even in his final year?
He adjusted his glasses, took a deep breath, and nodded firmly. "I understand!"
Those few simple words were like dry firewood tossed onto a dying campfire.
The looks in the Shohoku players' eyes changed, going from unfocused and despairing to focused and full of fighting spirit once more!
Shohoku's turn to attack!
Kogure steadily dribbled across half court, directing his teammates' movement with clear gestures.
Kakuta cut in off Akagi's screen, and Kogure delivered a timely bounce pass.
After catching the ball and drawing the defense, Kakuta didn't try to take all the glory, quickly passing to the open Sakuragi on the perimeter.
In a rare display of restraint, Sakuragi used his height and jumping ability to lob the ball over Uozumi's block attempt to Akagi, who was establishing position inside!
Akagi caught the ball with a roar and threw down a powerful two-handed dunk!
69-76!
"Get back!" Kawamoto shouted, and all of Shohoku quickly retreated, their defensive formation tight and their eyes fierce!
Ryonan attacked, but without Sendoh on the court, their offense was somewhat sluggish.
Ikegami's drive was disrupted by Kawamoto and Sakuragi's help defense, and his shot went wide!
Takenori Akagi roared as he grabbed the rebound!
Shohoku counterattacked!
Kogure caught the ball and pushed quickly upcourt, with Kawamoto leading the fast break!
Kogure understood immediately and fired an accurate long pass!
Kawamoto caught the ball one step inside the three-point line and, facing the help defender, went straight into his steps toward the basket without a moment's hesitation.
He leaned into the defender in midair and muscled the ball in.
71-76!
The gap was back down to five points in an instant!
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Thunderous shouts erupted from Shohoku's bench!
Kawamoto Kazuki hurried back on defense, exchanging high fives with his teammates.
That never-say-die spirit had already spread through the entire Shohoku team.
With one crucial three-pointer and a few words that ignited their fighting spirit, he had dragged Shohoku back from the brink of collapse!
Coach Taoka frowned deeply on the sidelines. He hadn't expected this quiet number 15 to possess not only frightening physical gifts.
He had also displayed the qualities of a leader at a crucial moment!
Coach Anzai sat courtside, chuckling.
His eyes behind his glasses were filled with satisfaction.
Possession changed, and Ryonan inbounded from the baseline.
Tomoyuki Uekusa cautiously dribbled across half court, trying to steady the pace.
Yet Kiminobu Kogure, whose movements had been sluggish from exhaustion, now had an unyielding fire burning in his eyes.
He held Kawamoto's encouragement firmly in his mind. How could he let his three years of perseverance come to nothing now?
Spotting a tiny change in Uekusa's dribbling rhythm, he lunged forward for the steal.
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out!
Kiminobu Kogure had actually stolen the ball from Tomoyuki Uekusa!
"Fast break!"
Kogure shouted, immediately passing to Kawamoto Kazuki as he raced down the middle!
Kawamoto Kazuki quickly dribbled upcourt.
Ryonan got back extremely quickly, and Koshino and Ryoji Ikegami were already in position.
They stood outside the three-point line, watching Yamamoto Taro in full readiness.
His earlier earth-shattering three-pointer still haunted the Ryonan players, and their defensive formation instinctively extended outward.
Kawamoto Kazuki dribbled to a step beyond the three-point line, then suddenly slowed, making as if to rise for a shot!
Startled, Koshino and Ikegami jumped to block him almost simultaneously!
But Yamamoto Taro hadn't jumped at all.
It was a fake.
After getting both defenders into the air, Kawamoto Kazuki calmly passed to Kiminobu Kogure, who was trailing on the wing.
Kogure caught the ball and hesitated, then raised his arms and shot at the unguarded basket.
73-76.
The gap was down to just three points.
Something was off about Ryonan's atmosphere. The players on the court kept glancing at the shrinking lead on the scoreboard and the little time remaining.
They were growing somewhat anxious.
If Sendoh were on the court, they would only need to pass him the ball.
With Sendoh off the court, Uozumi was also tangled up with Akagi.
This completely disrupted their offensive rhythm.
After another sequence of passes, Ryonan made a mistake while feeding the ball inside to Uozumi, and Kogure got it again.
Kogure led the fast break with the ball, slipping an accurate pass to Satoru Kakuta, who had already cut into the paint.
Satoru Kakuta caught the ball facing an unguarded basket and easily sank a jump shot!
75-76!
The gap was down to just one point!
It was Ryonan's turn to attack again.
After several passes, the ball was once again lobbed to Jun Uozumi.
He wanted to reestablish their advantage with a basket.
He dribbled and powered in, using his weight to inch toward the basket before abruptly turning for a hook shot!
"Not a chance!"
Takenori Akagi roared and jumped with all his strength.
"Smack!"
A resounding block!
Akagi swatted the basketball away hard!
"Get the ball!"
Akagi shouted in midair.
A figure had already appeared where the ball was coming down. It was Kawamoto Kazuki!
He had keenly judged the ball's trajectory and secured it firmly!
The instant Kawamoto got the ball, his gaze was already sweeping the frontcourt.
He saw a red figure charging toward Ryonan's basket at astonishing speed, running flat out!
It was Hanamichi Sakuragi!
Without any hesitation, Kawamoto Kazuki whipped his arm forward.
The basketball shot like a cannonball, tracing an astonishing arc as it flew high toward the frontcourt!
It was a long pass spanning most of the court!
"Too high!"
"He messed up!"
"That pass is too long!"
Cries of alarm rose from everyone's mouths.
The arc of Kawamoto's pass was high and floating, and its landing point looked far beyond normal alley-oop range.
Even Hanamichi Sakuragi, running at full speed, seemed unable to catch it!
Ryonan's players had even given up the chase, believing it would be a turnover.
Yet, just as the basketball was about to reach the space above Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Hanamichi Sakuragi glanced up at the ball in the air, and an unimaginable force erupted from his legs.
Continuing his run, he pushed off with all his strength and soared into the air!