Kawamoto Kazuki walked steadily toward the arena, lowering his voice as he went.
He spoke very quickly, yet his words were clearly audible to his four teammates.
" Anzai means a quick victory."
"Then crush Tsukubu as quickly as possible."
"If you can shoot a three-pointer, never shoot a two-pointer."
" Rukawa, try not to shoot in the first half. Draw the defense and focus on passing the ball around."
" Miyagi- senpai, just focus on making steals in the paint. Don't be afraid of failing. Just pass the ball to me when you get it."
"If they dare to dribble into the paint, Rukawa and Miyagi, you two double-team them from both sides and treat it like a game-winning shot. If necessary, you can rotate positions."
"But note that Captain Akagi doesn't need your help in defense; I have faith in his abilities."
"Captain Akagi, the defense and rebounding under the basket are your responsibility. You only need to keep an eye on Tsukubu's center position. Don't worry about anyone else shooting; that's Rukawa and Miyagi's job."
"Leave the perimeter defense to me."
"I'll cover the ball the entire outside when Tsukubu attacks. Rukawa and Miyagi, you guys capitalize on their passing errors."
"Remember, once you get the ball, immediately look for me and Mitsui. Pass it to whoever is open."
"I'll jump the ball."
"The moment the referee throws the ball, you all run towards Tsukubu's half of the field, especially Mitsui- senpai, you go to the corner immediately."
"You hit the first ball!"
"After that, as long as the ball is in my hands, you run as fast as you can to create open space, and I'll pass the ball to you in time."
The instructions were filled with unquestionable decisiveness.
The four members of Akagi's group sharpened their eyes, but felt no discomfort whatsoever. On the contrary, they were filled with enthusiasm because they had received specific instructions.
Jump ball at center circle.
Shohoku's positioning surprised everyone in the stands and the Tsukubu players.
Takenori Akagi, Kanagawa's top center, was actually standing inside the three-point line in the backcourt, showing no intention of jumping the ball.
Standing in the center circle was the unfamiliar number 15, Kawamoto Kazuki.
" Akagi doesn't jump the ball?"
Kenji Fujima and Toru Hanagata exchanged a puzzled look.
Shinichi Maki from Kainan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? Number 15 jump ball? Power forward playing center?"
The three from Ryonan weren't surprised; they had seen Kawamoto jump the ball before.
Sendoh's smile deepened, "The show is about to begin."
Koichiro Nango looked at Kawamoto, who was the same height as him but much more muscular.
The statement that a heavier body means a poorer jumping ability is true to some extent.
" Shohoku actually sent you to jump ball with me? Hahaha, then we'll take this ball from Tsukubu. Watch how I tip the ball over your head."
The referee tossed the ball high into the air.
"Drink up--!"
In order to show himself in front of his love rival Sakuragi, Koichiro Nango unleashes an unprecedented power.
His feet seemed to be equipped with springs; he pushed off the ground with a mighty roar and soared into the sky.
The height of this jump far exceeded his usual training and competition performance.
"So tall!"
"That bastard Nango usually hides his true strength?"
"Alright, stop spacing out, attack!"
The players on the sidelines couldn't Tsukubu but exclaim in surprise.
However, their gasps of surprise had not yet subsided.
Kawamoto Kazuki's figure soared into the air with an even more ferocious momentum.
Kawamoto Kazuki's jump carried a fierce and unreasonable air.
It's not jumping, it's exploding!
It was an explosion caused by the shockwave from the ground!
His moment when the basketball reached its highest point—
"Smack!"
A tremendous noise!
The ball was slammed towards Ryota Miyagi, who had already started his run, with tremendous force.
"Nani?"
Nango felt a sudden darkness above his head and the ball was gone.
He was still in an upward position when his opponent had already completed a dominant jump shot.
In the stands, Fujima, Hanagata, Maki, and everyone from Ryonan all had their pupils shrink sharply.
The speed, the height, the explosive power...
What is that?!
"Holy shit!"
Miyagi nearly died on the spot when he caught the ball.
Was that a pass or a throw? The force was incredible!
Tsukubu guard Hiroshi Natsume's shot.
He had only one thought in his mind.
Which bastard just shouted "fast attack"?
The voice sounded like the team leader; thankfully, I didn't listen to him.
He lunged towards the Miyagi.
But Miyagi didn't even look at him, and just as Natsume lunged at him, he flicked his wrist.
The ball is passed directly to Kaede Rukawa on the left side of the attacking third.
Kaede Rukawa received the ball outside the three-point line, and Tsukubu's small forward, Tsukubu Yoshikazu Tamura, had already lowered his center of gravity and set up a defensive stance.
Kaede Rukawa gets the ball?
This is definitely going to be a one-on-one match!
Tomokazu Godai took a step towards Kaede Rukawa's offensive route to provide defensive support.
But after receiving the ball, Kaede Rukawa didn't even make a feint; he simply passed it laterally.
The ball was accurately delivered to Hisashi Mitsui, who was already lurking in the left corner.
"Oh no!"
Tomokazu Godai's heart sank. He had been drawn to Kaede Rukawa's catch and had instinctively stepped to help defend.
With this one step, Mitsui was left empty-handed.
Hisashi Mitsui receives the ball and shoots.
Hollow entry into the net.
3:0!
Less than five seconds into the game, Shohoku scored a three-pointer through a well-coordinated pass.
The expression on the face of Sanae Nakagawa, the beautiful intern reporter for the Weekly Basketball, froze.
Is this a lie... a scam?
Just five seconds into the game, Shohoku managed to score the first basket through a passing move?
"Nice shot!"
Mitsui clenched his fist, just about to celebrate.
"Return to defense."
Kawamoto's icy voice jolted him awake like an alarm bell.
celebrate?
The competition has only just begun!
Tsukubu's bottom line is to be released quickly.
Hiroshi Natsume received the ball and turned around, Kawamoto Kazuki's massive figure was already closing in.
The height difference and the overwhelming feeling made Natsume's heart tremble.
He didn't dare to be careless and immediately passed the ball to Yoshikazu Tamura had run over to receive it.
Tamura receives the ball beyond the three-point line, Kaede Rukawa immediately closes in.
Tamura attempted to change direction and break through, but Kaede Rukawa blocked him firmly.
He dribbled behind his back, trying to switch hands to adjust.
The very instant the ball was passed from left hand to right hand!
Kawamoto Kazuki burst out of Tamura's blind spot like a cheetah!
"Smack!"
Steal!
"What?"
Tamura felt his hand suddenly go empty and turned around in horror.
Kawamoto, having successfully intercepted the ball, didn't hesitate for a moment, tossing the ball towards the attacking third with one hand.
The ball was extremely slow, its trajectory was exceptionally stable, and it landed precisely one step in front of Hisashi Mitsui, who was starting at full speed.
Mitsui comfortably caught the pass, which seemed tailor-made for his speed, with a wide-open view in front of him.
He even took a half-step adjustment beyond the three-point line before calmly jumping and releasing the shot.
"Whoosh--!"
6:0!
"Well done, Kawamoto!"
Mitsui finally couldn't resist and ran back to give Kawamoto a high five.
It's so smooth!
That was so awesome!
This fluid, deadly attack was exactly what he had been dreaming of!
The bench for Tsukubu Takeshi was deathly silent.
The team members looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Then, what's the deal with number 15?"
"Yeah, they're going all out right from the start?"
"Jump balls, full-court press, steals, assists... they're everywhere. Don't they have any stamina?"
As the team leader, Tomokazu Godai forced himself to remain calm and analyzed the situation, saying, "Everyone, calm down!"
"He's definitely trying to intimidate us with this high-intensity pressing and disrupt our rhythm."
"But this style of play, which involves running all over the court, is incredibly physically demanding, especially for someone of his size."
"I bet he can only last a few minutes at most."
He shouted to his teammates, "Don't panic! Let's play according to plan! Don't hold onto the ball, pass it around on the perimeter, keep running! Wear him down! Run him out of the game!"
"I'd like to see how long he can last!"