The height of his leap was staggering.
Hanamichi Sakuragi seemed to have broken free of gravity, his entire body continuing to rise through the air.
He stretched his arms forward as far as he could, chasing the basketball that was about to get away.
"Impossible!"
That thought surged through the minds of everyone who witnessed the scene.
Hanamichi Sakuragi caught the ball with both hands in midair.
Then came a thunderous Gorilla Dunk!
But Hanamichi Sakuragi was, after all, a complete beginner.
His feel for the ball was terrible!
The dunk he threw down with all his strength failed to drive the ball through the hoop as he had imagined.
A tremendous clang rang out.
The basketball struck the left side of the rim and instantly ricocheted away.
The out-of-control basketball seemed to have eyes, flying straight toward Ryonan's bench like a cannonball.
By sheer coincidence, it headed right at Ryonan's coach, who was still stunned by Hanamichi Sakuragi's inhuman athleticism.
Moichi Taoka was watching the court with his full attention and had no time to react!
"Coach, watch out!"
A player cried out, but it was already too late!
The basketball slammed squarely into Coach Moichi Taoka's chest.
Thud!
The force made the sturdily built, middle-aged coach let out a muffled grunt.
Moichi Taoka staggered back a few steps and landed on his backside.
The entire court fell silent for a moment.
Coach Taoka sat on the floor, clutching his aching chest, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
He had even forgotten to be angry. Only one thought reverberated wildly through his mind:
That height...
That leap...
Hanamichi Sakuragi...
What kind of monster was he?!
On the court, Hanamichi Sakuragi landed and looked at the basketball that had flown out of bounds and the opposing coach on the floor. He clutched his head in frustration. "Aaargh! Damn it! This genius almost pulled off an alley-oop!"
Although Shohoku's possession had ended in a turnover,
Kawamoto Kazuki's astonishing passing skills and Hanamichi Sakuragi's inhuman leaping height
had left an incredibly deep impression on everyone.
Shohoku's first-years were terrifying indeed!
Coach Moichi Taoka clutched his still faintly aching chest.
He stood up from the floor.
The players and assistant coach hurried over to help him, but he waved them away.
His expression was so dark it could have dripped water.
It was not because of the humiliation of being hit by the ball, but because of the monstrous physical abilities that redheaded kid on the court had displayed, abilities that defied all reason.
And because of the tenacious fighting spirit Shohoku had unleashed in these final minutes.
75-76.
The gap on the scoreboard was down to just one point.
Although their super offensive weapon Fukuda was absent, a margin like this still felt like a resounding slap across Taoka's face.
Shohoku was a notoriously weak team in Kanagawa, eliminated in the first round of the prefectural tournament every year.
The Ryonan Basketball Team was different. They were firmly ranked among Kanagawa's top four teams.
Perhaps to Shohoku, this was only a practice game.
But to Taoka, it was a game in which defeat was unacceptable.
If Ryonan lost to Shohoku in a practice game, how would that look when word got out?
People would only think Ryonan had grown weaker, not that Shohoku had grown stronger.
That was how entrenched perceptions worked.
His competitive spirit burned like a raging fire in his chest, even overpowering the dull pain there.
He glanced at the clock. Only two minutes and forty-seven seconds remained.
Taking advantage of the dead ball, he called for a substitution timeout.
"Sendoh!"
Coach Taoka's voice was firm and decisive, allowing no argument. "Get ready to go in!"
The players on Ryonan's bench perked up.
Akira Sendoh put down his towel, a sharp glint flashing across his languid face. He had been waiting a long time.
"Listen up!"
Coach Taoka swept his gaze over the players about to take the court. "We're simplifying our tactics for these final moments! Sendoh, you'll run the entire offense. Let loose! I don't want a stalemate. I want victory! Crush them completely!"
His instructions were clear and cold. "Uozumi, secure the rebounds. Ikegami, Koshino, focus on defense and making yourselves available! Uekusa, control the tempo. We must beat Shohoku!"
"Yes!"
Ryonan's players answered in unison, brimming with fighting spirit.
Meanwhile, at Shohoku's bench.
Coach Anzai looked at Kaede Rukawa, who was still somewhat fatigued but had fire in his eyes.
Then he glanced at Kawamoto Kazuki, whose forehead was lightly beaded with sweat but whose breathing remained steady.
A kindly smile appeared on his round face.
"Rukawa," Coach Anzai said slowly, "you'll go in for this final stretch and match up against Sendoh."
Kaede Rukawa abruptly raised his head, an astonishing fighting spirit bursting from his cold eyes.
He nodded firmly. "Yes, Coach!"
He yearned to face Sendoh again, to prove himself when it truly mattered.
Coach Anzai turned his gaze to Kawamoto Kazuki, his tone gentle. "Kawamoto, take a rest for now."
Kawamoto Kazuki nodded calmly.
When he reached Coach Anzai's side, he bowed slightly and said quietly, "Sorry, Coach Anzai. I still couldn't hold back toward the end and took two shots."
He meant the morale-boosting three-pointer and the crucial fast-break layup.
Coach Anzai chuckled, patting Kawamoto's arm with his plump hand. His voice was quiet but full of trust. "It's all right, it's all right. Ho ho ho... Kawamoto, I've been watching you throughout the game. You've already shown great restraint. You did very well. Those two shots came at the right moments. There was nothing wrong with them."
He paused, a wise gleam shining behind his thick lenses, and lowered his voice.
He gave Kawamoto Kazuki a solemn promise. "Rest assured, Kawamoto. This will be Shohoku's last public practice game before the prefectural tournament begins."
Coach Anzai looked into Kawamoto Kazuki's eyes, a hint of anticipation and encouragement in his voice. "Once the prefectural tournament officially begins... I'll give you an unlimited shooting license. That will be your time to show everything you can do and enjoy basketball."
At those words, stars seemed to light up deep within Kawamoto Kazuki's calm eyes.
He drew a slight breath and nodded solemnly. "Yes, Coach! I understand."
An unlimited shooting license!
Those simple words meant absolute trust and a central role on the team.
Kawamoto knew that was the stage Coach Anzai had planned for him, and the opportunity he had long awaited.
"Tweet!"
The referee's whistle sounded. Substitutions.
Ryonan: Akira Sendoh, Jun Uozumi, Ryoji Ikegami, Hiroaki Koshino, Tomoyuki Uekusa.
Shohoku: Kaede Rukawa, Takenori Akagi, Kiminobu Kogure, Satoru Kakuta, Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Kaede Rukawa and Akira Sendoh.
The two aces stepped onto the court once more.
Two minutes and forty-seven seconds remained, with a one-point gap.
Akira Sendoh's and Kaede Rukawa's gazes collided in midair, sending sparks flying.
An excited smile curved Sendoh's lips, while Kaede Rukawa's eyes were as cold as blades.
Coach Taoka folded his arms, his gaze sharp.
Coach Anzai sat unperturbed, smiling amiably.
The final showdown officially began!
The air seemed to freeze, the atmosphere of the decisive battle spreading across the court.