"Beep--!!!!"
The first half has ended.
Shohoku 52:34 Tsukubu.
The lead failed to ignite Mitsui's fighting spirit, and his three-point shooting percentage dropped significantly.
This allowed Tsukubu to seize the opportunity and recover some points.
Back in the locker room.
None of the team members spoke.
Godai rubbed his thighs, his whole body aching.
Natsume's eyes were glazed over, as if he were recalling something terrible.
Tamura Kazumine was panting heavily.
With boundless energy, Koichiro Nango stared at the ceiling, his thoughts wandering.
In order to show off in front of Haruko, that Yamaha scooter was essentially totaled.
Does Haruko like riding motorcycles?
Coach Kazumi Kawasaki looked at the group of boys who had given their all but were still being mercilessly crushed.
There was no blame in my heart, only deep heartache.
His expression remained gentle, but the composure that had always graced his brows was now replaced by a sense of powerlessness.
He clapped his hands lightly, attracting the attention of his teammates.
"Everyone, look up."
You've done a great job. Really.
" Godai, your judgment and adjustments are perfectly correct, even excellent, under normal circumstances."
" Tamura and Mine, your passing was excellent and very positive."
" Nango, you held your own against Akagi; no other newcomer in the entire Kanagawa has ever done that."
" Natsume, are you... alright?"
"However, reality is truly disheartening."
"We trained hard, studied tactics, and welcomed talented newcomers... We thought we had become stronger and could challenge the top."
"We thought that once we crossed the mountain in Akagi, we would see a different view."
His smile held a hint of bitterness, "But now it seems we've climbed over the mountains, but haven't seen the boundless blue sky we were hoping for."
Beyond the mountains, there are still mountains.
The image of the tall number 15 from Shohoku High School flashed through his mind.
"And even more despairing are the high mountains."
These words resonated in the hearts of every member of the Tsukubu.
You give it your all, thinking you're nearing the finish line, only to find you've never even left the starting point.
The real goal, however, has long been hidden in those unreachable clouds.
Nothing could be more despairing after all that effort.
"Coach..."
Godai's voice was choked with emotion.
Coach Kawasaki patted him on the shoulder.
Godai has little natural talent, but he is very hardworking. In the past three years, he has never stopped practicing three-pointers.
Natsume, Tamura, and Mine are limited by their natural talents; they can only work on teamwork and shooting.
It's truly remarkable that Tsukubu has come this far.
He walked up to Koichiro Nango, squatted down, and looked at this gifted but impulsive newcomer at eye level.
He stopped smiling, his eyes becoming incredibly serious. " Nango."
Nango looked up at Kawasaki.
"In the second half, the team only had one tactic."
"Defense, screens, positioning, boxing out, even rebounding... all the dirty work, Godai and his team will do it for you."
"You only need to do one thing: score points the way you want."
Captain Tomokazu Godai calmed down, walked up to Nango, and patted him hard on Nango shoulder. " Nango, you... you always slack off in training and are often absent, always acting like a slacker. To be honest, sometimes I really want to punch you."
He paused, his eyes reddening, "But... the talent you possess, that flash of creativity on the court, that feel and basketball IQ that we might not be able to master even after practicing our hearts out... those are things that we all dream of having."
Godai took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and said to Nango, "I'm counting on you for the rest of the game! We'll use every last bit of our strength to set screens for you, pass the ball to you, and grab every loose ball for you!"
Natsume shouted, "Don't let anyone look down on us Tsukubu! Don't let all our years of sweat and effort end up as a joke!"
Feng's voice was already trembling with sobs, but he stubbornly held back his tears.
Let's shine with our basketball, our passion, and our hope!
With red eyes, Tamura roared in unison, "That's right! Let everyone see that we, Tsukubu, are not weeds that can be easily crushed!"
"We too once had a youth that burned brightly!"
They silently stood up and clasped their hands together.
All eyes turned to Koichiro Nango was still somewhat dazed.
Nango looked at the senior students in front of him, whom he usually disliked for being too stubborn, too rigid, and not knowing how to live.
Seeing the tears of resentment in their eyes.
Watching their burning fighting spirit and unwavering trust...
His cynical exterior was shattered at this moment by this heavy and intense emotion.
He stretched out his slightly trembling hand and forcefully placed it on top.
Leave it to me.
He raised his head, his face no longer showing any frivolity.
His eyes seemed to burn with fire.
"Damn Shohoku... Akagi, Sakuragi, and that number 15..."
"I'm the ultimate rookie at Tsukubu!"
Pause ended.
The game continues.
Kawamoto, now wearing new shoes, replaced Hisashi Mitsui.
His appearance seemed to foreshadow an already predetermined ending.
But Tsukubu and the others did not show any confusion.
As they returned to the field, they had only one thought in mind.
We must dedicate this last summer of basketball youth to this battlefield without reservation.
"Go!!"
Tomokazu Godai roared, no longer fixated on outside positioning.
Instead, he used his last bit of strength to hold onto Kawamoto tightly, giving him no space to receive the ball.
Hiroshi Natsume and Yoshikazu Tamura transformed into tireless beasts, relentlessly providing Koichiro Nango with one high-quality off-ball screen after another in the paint.
Kenta Mine desperately tried to block out Nango, using his body to create even the smallest space for him to receive the ball.
Their running, their physical battles, every save they made on the floor ball was carried with a desperate, life-or-death intensity.
Sweat, gasps, and collisions intertwined to form a tragic battle song.
They are using their willpower to pave the way to the basketball hoop for that spark called talent.
And Koichiro Nango did not disappoint this heavy responsibility.
He seemed like a different person; he was no longer lazy.
With a focused and fierce gaze, he did not back down in the face of Takenori Akagi, Kanagawa's top-tier inside defense.
"Bang!"
He engaged in a head-to-head back-to-back battle, feeling Akagi's power, and then, using his left foot as the center of gravity, swiftly turned and pulled off a fadeaway jump shot!
The basketball arced beautifully and swished through the net.
In the next offensive possession, he received the ball at the high post.
Facing Kaede Rukawa's come-to-defend defense, he used a realistic shooting fake to knock his opponent away.
Another dribble, a sudden stop, mid-range shot, and it goes in!
Akagi tightened his defense, but Nango used his excellent dribbling skills and a clever face-up crossover step to force his way into the basket.
Under the massive reach of Akagi, a slight pull-up layup went in off the backboard!
It even resulted in a foul by Akagi!
Even with additional penalties, it's still a goal!
He even attempted a three-pointer during a fast break.
Although the shot didn't go in, the move was decisive.
What's most amazing is that when he was almost cornered at the baseline by Akagi and Kaede Rukawa, he used an almost contorted posture to complete an extremely high-arc, negative-angle throw-off with very little offensive time left.
The ball bounced on the rim several times before finally falling obediently into the net!