Just as Murasame, realizing that he might have been tricked again.
Kawamoto once again took advantage of the space he gained after dribbling Murasame to launch a three-pointer.
"No... don't come in!"
Murasame turned his head in despair mid-air, his words lacking even his own conviction.
All I could see was that the arc the basketball traced was more beautiful than ever before.
"Whoosh--!"
Another hollow entry into the network!
Sixth three-pointer!
18:0!
"Ah, ah, ah, how awful!"
Murasame's knees buckled upon landing, and she nearly collapsed to her knees.
He gripped his hair tightly with both hands, his face contorted with despair.
twice!
Twice in a row!
He was knocked away by the same fake move, and then watched helplessly as the opponent sank a three-pointer over his head.
This was more humiliating to him than being directly beaten.
"Beep beep!"
" Miuradai requests a halt!"
The referee gave a timely signal.
The few audience members present then erupted in astonishing cheers.
"Who is number 15 from Shohoku? He's amazing!"
"Go for it, number 15!"
"Was Miuradai really in the top 8 last year?"
"Could their captain have transferred from the high jump club?"
The Ryonan team members in the stands were speechless.
Jun Uozumi gave a heavy snort, too lazy to comment.
In his eyes, Miuradai's level was not worthy of standing on the court in the prefectural tournament.
Hiroaki Koshino's tone was full of disdain and incomprehension. "This... Miuradai's captain... is he a pig? No, even a pig wouldn't fall for the same feint twice in a row."
Tomoyuki Uekusa couldn't stand it anymore. "We've been completely played, I'm so upset."
Ikegami commented, " Shohoku's number 15 player knows exactly what he's doing: he's afraid of being shot at from three-point range. So, he jumps at the slightest feint. That's some serious defensive intelligence..."
Ryoji spoke so casually, completely unaware that in the near future he would be dancing even more enthusiastically than Kengo Edogawa.
Akira Sendoh frowned slightly.
He could certainly see that Captain Miuradai's defensive choices were extremely poor.
But what bothered him was that Miuradai was a quarter-finalist team last year; was they really that weak?
And then there's Kawamoto Kazuki, that rookie from Shohoku; his three-point shooting percentage is absolutely terrifying.
Of course, he still attributed this one-sided situation to Miuradai's poor performance and Kawamoto's hot hand.
After all, Ryonan had faced Kawamoto in a practice match, and they already had a preconceived notion about Kawamoto.
But they didn't realize that watching the game from the stands is ultimately just a two-dimensional experience.
Only by standing directly in front of Kawamoto at this moment can one truly experience that unforgettable, three-dimensional sense of oppression.
Just as silent as the Miuradai bench was the Shohoku bench.
Less than two minutes into the game, the team led by 18 points and shut out their opponent.
It has a happy ending.
Reflection is a somber experience.
A chilling silence fell over the Shohoku bench.
The air seemed to avoid this area.
A bead of cold sweat silently slid down Ryota Miyagi's forehead.
Those two steals were incredibly fast!
It was so fast that you couldn't even see Kawamoto's exact movements; you could only see a blur of white before the ball changed hands.
Especially the second steal from Murasame, that kind of reading of the pass intention, anticipation of the route, and the instantaneous interception...
Miyagi subconsciously simulated what it would be like if he were dribbling the ball across half-court, facing Kawamoto's defensive pressure and attempts to steal the ball...
Can I protect the ball?
The answer made his heart pound.
Takenori Akagi's gaze never left Kawamoto Kazuki.
It's not about looking at his score, but about keeping a close eye on every defensive movement he makes.
Especially that defensive rebound that was snatched over the heads of Akio Kawasaki and Satoru Kakuta just now.
He had witnessed Kawamoto's strength Kawamoto defense before, but this was the first time he had seen his rebounding skills.
That takeoff height, and the explosive speed it displayed in an instant...
If I and Uozumi battling for the rebound under the basket, and Kawamoto comes to help defend, will I be able to get the ball before him?
More importantly, there were the other four people who took the stage with them.
Although he didn't say it when Shohoku lost in the past, he still felt in his heart that his teammates were too weak.
But with the same lineup but with Kawamoto replaced, the outcome was completely different.
It's absolutely terrifying to think about.
Hisashi Mitsui sat in the chair, his body already stiff.
He forced himself to watch, to watch every single shot Kawamoto.
Not to mention those three fast breaks where he shot and made the three-pointers without making any adjustments.
What Mitsui finds most frustrating is Kawamoto's ability to knock Murasame out of the game twice when facing his defense.
From the bench, he couldn't see Kawamoto's specific movements, but Murasame couldn't have been knocked out for no reason.
Mitsui quickly asked himself, "Can I knock the same defender away twice in a row when I'm on offense?"
After missing a shot, can he remain so calm and ensure the three-pointer makes?
Every question felt like a heavy blow to his former MVP pride.
Kaede Rukawa's jawline tightened, and his lips were pressed into a pale, straight line.
His fists, resting on his knees, were even trembling slightly from the force of his grip.
Defeat him!
This thought surged through his blood.
In this eerie silence, only one discordant note rang out.
"Hahahaha!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi, hands on his hips, jumped to the front of the bench, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons with a smile.
He greeted Kawamoto Kazuki as he left the court, putting a big hug on his shoulder. "18-0! It was all your points, Kawamoto- nii! You were so awesome!"
He was completely immersed in the simple joy of "My older brother is awesome, so I'm awesome too," and was completely oblivious to the somber atmosphere among his teammates behind him.
Kawamoto Kazuki patted Sakuragi on the shoulder. "This is nothing, you can do it too in the future."
His gaze swept across the audience, but he still couldn't spot the tall foreign figure.
Perhaps Coach Rudy won't be coming.
The idea only existed for a moment before being shelved.
" Kawamoto- kun, you've worked hard!"
Manager Ayako handed him a clean towel, her face showing undisguised amazement, and patted Kawamoto's strong arm.
"You've been hiding your true abilities! I had no idea you were so skilled!"
"Thank you so much, Ayako- senpai."
Kawamoto took the towel and nodded slightly.
He wiped the little sweat from his face and then neatly draped the towel over the bench.
He then turned to Anzai, leaned forward naturally, and gave a standard bow. " Anzai, do you have any instructions?"
Mitsuyoshi Anzai waved his hand, his voice gentle. "Hehehe... You've done very well, let's continue like this."
"Okay, coach."
Kawamoto bowed again, then turned to face the four senior students who had just been there with him.
Still reeling from that dreamlike start, the four of them looked at him with awe and even a hint of unconscious reverence.
Kawamoto looked at them and lowered his voice slightly. " Kogure -senpai, Yasuda- senpai, Shiozaki- senpai, Kakuta- senpai."
"Thank you all very much for your trust and the pass just now."
" Miuradai will likely adjust their defense next, focusing on double-teaming or even triple-teaming me."
Kogure and the others straightened up and nodded seriously; this was inevitable.
"If that happens, please don't hesitate, seniors. Just like we practice, run to your most confident shooting position, and I will pass the ball at the right moment."
His gaze swept over the four players, and he added, "After receiving the ball, please shoot immediately. It's okay if you miss; don't worry about rebounding."
"I will do my best to help Kakuta fight for every rebound; you just need to focus on shooting."
There were no grand vows, only weighty promises.
These few words acted like a reassurance, instantly dispelling the panic that might arise from the possibility of receiving a phone call.
"Understood!"
Kogure pushed up his glasses and nodded vigorously. "Yes! I'll get out of position!"
Yasuda and Shiozaki responded in unison, "We're counting on you for the rebounds, Kawamoto!"
Satoru Kakuta puffed out his chest and said, " Kawamoto, I'll try my best to grab rebounds too!"
Seeing the fighting spirit ignited in the eyes of the four senior students, Kawamoto nodded without saying anything more, and turned back to face the court.
The timeout ended, and the referee signaled for the game to resume.