Once inside the three-second zone, he jumped sideways, seemingly about to pass the ball to Sakuragi on his left.
Moichi Taoka's lips were already curled into a smile.
This is exactly what he wanted!
He wanted Fukuda to lure Sakuragi into a trap, and then Uozumi pull the bait!
Compared to the others, Sakuragi, who only knows how to dunk, is indeed the easiest to deal with.
Uozumi also acted according to plan.
He abandoned his attempt to Akagi's position and quietly moved towards Sakuragi's side.
We're just waiting for Sakuragi to catch the ball and turn around. If he dares to get up, Uozumi will show him what a hot pot feast is all about!
But at that moment, Shirasawa did something no one expected.
The hand that was about to push Sakuragi suddenly flipped its wrist!
He scooped the ball out using only his wrist.
The ball is heading straight for the inside!
This change left Moichi Taoka speechless.
"How does Shirasawa have such a wide field of vision?! Can he even see the whole scene?!"
Taoka was so surprised because of the route of Shirasawa's pass.
It was as if he could see every movement of the Uozumi; the moment it moved, he noticed it.
The basketball bounced off the ground near Uozumi's feet and landed squarely in Takenori Akagi's arms!
While Taoka was amazed by his vision, Sendoh found the way he passed the ball utterly absurd.
If the ball hadn't bounced off the ground, he probably could have sliced it away, and Uozumi might have even managed to block it.
But hitting the ground is different. The ball goes downhill, and even if Uozumi sees it, his two-meter-tall frame can't bend down.
Most importantly, Shirasawa actually managed to deliver this earth-shattering attack using only the strength of his wrist—that's just too outrageous!
It's not that I couldn't predict it, but Shirasawa's actions were always too unpredictable and unconventional!
Takenori Akagi paused for a moment when he received the ball.
He hadn't expected the ball to reach him; when it hit the ground, he thought it wouldn't bounce that high.
But Shirasawa did it!
He received the ball in the most comfortable position.
If the food is practically placed right in front of your mouth, how can you not open it?
Takenori Akagi stood up, swung the ball behind his head, and slammed it towards the basket!
boom!
The rim trembled violently after being slammed down by the gorilla.
"Beautiful! Gorilla Dunk!"
On the Shohoku bench, Kogure was the first to jump up and shout.
Takenori Akagi landed heavily, his eyes glaring at Uozumi, his imposing aura fully unleashed.
"Well done."
Shirasawa smiled and gave him a high five.
Akagi turned to Uozumi and said, "Keep giving me the ball, I'm going to destroy your inside game!"
Upon hearing this, Uozumi's eyes nearly spit fire; he wished he could chew Akagi up on the spot.
But he was so caught up in his anger that he didn't even realize that this was nothing like what Akagi would normally say.
Akagi is domineering, but he's never this arrogant.
In reality, he deliberately wanted to provoke Uozumi so that Uozumi's attention would be completely focused on him, making things easier for Sakuragi.
It was obvious that Uozumi had taken the bait.
The academic genius gorilla's indirect approach to achieving his goal is quite clever.
Sendoh controlled the ball at the top of the arc, while Kaede Rukawa and Fukuda spread out to the left and right, the three of them pointing at the Shohoku basket like an arrow.
It's possible that anyone could make the final move.
Ikegami consciously slipped to the corner, completely giving the middle lane space to these three firepower points.
Without needing anyone to remind him, Hanamichi Sakuragi rushed up and stared at Fukuda.
This matchup doesn't need any planning. Shirasawa and Mitsui will have to keep an eye on Sendoh and Rukawa. The only one who can keep up with Fukuda's speed is Sakuragi.
Miyagi is at a disadvantage due to his height, and he would definitely be overwhelmed if he tried to defend against Fukuda, so he should just switch to keeping an eye on Ikegami, who doesn't seem to have much of an aggressive mentality.
" Sakuragi! Keep up the pace! Don't give him a chance to receive the ball!"
While Akagi and Uozumi each other's positions, Akagi didn't forget to shout at Sakuragi.
He was still quite wary of Fukuda's attacks.
Sakuragi's defensive strength lies in his physique and jumping ability; he can even block Shinichi Maki's shots. However, against a technically skilled player like Fukuda, he is easily faked out and prone to fouls.
This is what Akagi is worried about, which is why he can't help but keep reminding him.
Sakuragi didn't say a word.
In his eyes, Fukuda was far inferior to Shinichi Maki, and dealing with him would be a piece of cake. He could take this opportunity to show off and let the Gorilla see what a genius defense was all about.
Instead, Uozumi in, " Akagi, you really don't respect anyone anymore!"
Akagi's distracting attempt to remind his teammates only fueled Uozumi's anger.
I just wanted to devour him alive, but now I feel like even skinning him alive wouldn't be enough to vent my anger.
Snap--
Fukuda received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left side, then turned around to face away from Sakuragi.
Sakuragi was completely focused, a confident smile playing on his lips.
This isn't over until I treat you to hot pot!
Fukuda remained unusually calm, turning his hand to face the basket while holding the ball.
Sudden!
His body swayed from side to side, so much so that Sakuragi could barely see him and couldn't tell which way he was going to break through.
whoosh--
Seizing a fleeting opening, Fukuda crouched low and slipped past Sakuragi with incredible speed!
Takenori Akagi was tightly entangled by Uozumi and unable to provide backup.
Fukuda was about to jump.
"Don't look down on me!"
Sakuragi roared and caught up from the side again!
He swung his arm and swatted at the basketball!
The two people were both airborne at the same time.
Judging from this jump alone, Fukuda's jumping ability is not much worse than Sakuragi's.
Sakuragi was already annoyed after being beaten, and he was determined to get that block.
But just as his palm was about to touch the ball—
Fukuda has changed hands!
The basketball was switched from his right hand to his left, Sakuragi's slap landed squarely on his right wrist.
At the same time, he slammed the ball into the basket with his left hand!
Bang!
Goal! Whistle blows.
Hanamichi Sakuragi committed a defensive foul.
Fukuda scores two plus one!
The Ryonan fans erupted in cheers, their shouts deafening.
Uozumi also gave Fukuda a high five, his face full of admiration.
Fukuda's eyes gleamed brighter and brighter. He glanced back at the agitated Sakuragi and gave a sinister smile, "Rookie, you can't stop me."
Newcomer?
Unable to defend?
These two words completely blew Sakuragi away.
"You bastard! What did you say?!"
Takenori Akagi quickly grabbed Sakuragi's head, afraid that he would go berserk on the spot.
"Shut up! I told you he wasn't as simple as you think. Be more serious next time!"
Sakuragi suppressed his anger, still feeling that the previous shot was purely due to his carelessness.
Next time, if I play defensively more carefully, I definitely won't get beaten.
He's Shinichi Maki who could even stop Maki Shinichi!
Fukuda stepped to the free-throw line, and Sendoh came over to give him a high-five. The cheers from the crowd made him smile involuntarily.
"Can't get in... can't get in..."
Hanamichi Sakuragi was highly focused, clasped his hands together, and unleashed his signature move—the Curse Technique.
Swish--
However, with Sakuragi's "blessing," Fukuda made the penalty kick without hesitation.
"Idiot! Stop with the nonsense! Focus on the attack!"
Takenori Akagi glared at him helplessly, but couldn't help feeling worried for the kid.
In Sakuragi's eyes, Fukuda was always an insignificant nobody.
Akagi knew perfectly well that Fukuda was no small fry; he was only Ryonan to the substitute position because Ryonan had so many talented players in the same position.
Sakuragi is the kind of person who gets stronger when facing stronger opponents; when he goes crazy, he'll even go head-to-head with Hanagata and Shinichi Maki.
But Fukuda wasn't good enough in his eyes, and he couldn't muster the energy to deal with him. If the other side scored a few goals in a row, this red-haired kid would definitely break down.
Shohoku's offensive turn.
Sakuragi was still jumping around, begging for the ball, determined to make up for it on offense.
Uozumi focused all his attention on Akagi this time, determined not to let his old rival run rampant on his turf again.
Shirasawa stopped outside the three-point line, pretending not to see Sakuragi's gesture for the ball.
However, Sakuragi was quick-witted and immediately understood.
My positioning was really awkward; I didn't have a single chance to directly attack the basket!
The genius took two deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
He then suddenly turned around, shook off Fukuda, and charged forward!
As expected, Shirasawa always managed to get the ball to him at the perfect moment.
Shirasawa, standing outside the three-point line, was still staring at Akagi, pretending to look for a passing route, but suddenly his wrist flicked and the basketball "whooshed" through Sendoh's legs!
By the time Sendoh realized what was happening, the ball had already grazed his crotch. Now, he might still have time to bring his legs together—no, to clamp them...
But Sendoh felt that the action was too embarrassing...
I'd rather let the ball pass...
He really wanted to yell at Shirasawa right now, "That's a brilliant rumor, but don't spread it like that next time..."
The basketball bounced off the ground and landed squarely in Sakuragi's hands!
If the county competition has some bizarre statistics,
Shirasawa's bounce pass count is absolutely leagues ahead of everyone else.
After all, bounce passes are very difficult, requiring attention to the landing point, height, and even speed of the ball.
Especially in a crowd like this, the difficulty of directly passing the ball to a teammate who is cutting through the air using a ground slam is self-evident.
But this happens to be Shirasawa's favorite way of passing the ball.
The hardest things to pass on are often the most effective.
Like this ball, there's no way to get it to Sakuragi's hands except by hitting it off the ground.
Sakuragi caught the ball and jumped.
Draw the bow fully and unleash a tomahawk strike!
Uozumi was completely blocked by Akagi and had no time to come to his aid.
But at this critical juncture,
Sakuragi suddenly felt himself suspended in mid-air, motionless...
That surge of energy seemed to vanish into thin air.
This feels... like being hugged from behind?
Sakuragi looked down and saw that two arms were tightly wrapped around his waist.
Who else could it be but Fukuda!
Fukuda's face was filled with reluctance.
Anyone with eyes can see that this was definitely not his intention.
The referee blew his whistle and immediately called a defensive foul.
Although his movement was large, it was intended to protect the player, and the referee had no reason to issue an additional technical foul.
It's only a shooting foul, so two free throws are awarded...
However, Fukuda's move really left everyone dumbfounded...
I've seen plenty of fouls, but I've never seen one committed so brazenly and blatantly...
Sakuragi, as the person involved, was completely bewildered.
But Shohoku quickly realized Fukuda's plan.
There's no mistake, he deliberately sent Sakuragi to the free-throw line!
On the sidelines, Moichi Taoka gazed intently at the field.
This was a special "gift" he prepared especially for Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Fukuda received this instruction before he went on stage.
If Sakuragi cuts into the paint and Uozumi is entangled by Akagi, it's an immediate foul!
And it has to be a thorough offense; if it turns out to be 2+1, you're out of here immediately!
It was ostensibly a defensive strategy for Fukuda.
That way, no one will say you can't defend; instead, they'll praise you for your strategy...
After all, Hanamichi Sakuragi's biggest weakness is his shooting.
Their free throws were absolutely terrible.