Akagi knew he couldn't defend against it, so he had prepared a backup plan.
That backup plan was Hanamichi Sakuragi. Akagi left the paint to the genius, going out to be cannon fodder himself, creating a buffer for Sakuragi.
"Ah--!!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi burst out from the other side of the basket, his superb jumping ability completely blocking Masashi Kawata's path to the rim. The timing was perfect; any earlier, Big Kawata wouldn't have even jumped, making things more unpredictable. But once in the air, it was Sakuragi's decision.
The word "calm" seems to be truly associated with genius.
The entire Ryonan team and Shinichi Maki were dumbfounded. On offense, Sakuragi could pinpoint the perfect moment to set screens, and on defense, he could even seize the opportunity to disrupt plays. This sense of timing in both offense and defense was something many veterans couldn't achieve. Was this still the same loud, inexplicably confident Red-haired Monkey?
Sakuragi's head was level with the backboard, using his absolute hang time to completely block Masashi Kawata. The defense was successful, but Big Kawata remained calm.
He leaned against Sakuragi, changed his hand position, and made a small hook shot. With this change, the ball might not go in, but Sakuragi would have no chance of blocking it. The basketball drew a big arc, passed over Sakuragi's fingertips, and bounced off the rim with a thud.
Masahiro Nobe swung his arm and charged towards the backboard.
Sakuragi's surprise attack worked, but he couldn't focus on the rebound. Masahiro Nobe a second chance, and Sakuragi could only watch helplessly.
"That Red-haired Monkey's only thought is about cooking hotpot!" Nobunaga Kiyota slapped his thigh in anger. "Couldn't he have just interfered a little?!"
If Sakuragi hadn't jumped so high, Masahiro Nobe wouldn't have had such a large opening. It's like putting all your eggs in one basket with Big Kawata.
Before Kiyota could finish speaking, the situation on the field changed again.
Masahiro Nobe grabbed the rebound and was about to dunk, Shirasawa arrived.
Snap!!
He slapped the ball Nobe's hand and sent it crashing onto the backboard.
The final barrier for Shohoku isn't necessarily Hanamichi Sakuragi; it could also be Shirasawa, who might appear at any moment.
"Great hat!!"
"Well done, Xiao Bai!"
The Shohoku substitutes experienced a collective heart-pounding moment. After three consecutive defensive plays, they finally got possession of the ball, and these guys almost jumped out of their chairs.
Masahiro Nobe was completely dumbfounded. Where did Shirasawa come from? And with such strength, he slammed the dunk against the backboard! He looked down at his empty hands. Was this guy made of iron?
*Thud! Takenori Akagi rushed in from behind and snatched the backboard. Several players were jumping up and down, and although Akagi was initially left behind, he ended up getting a huge advantage.
Shohoku finally stopped Sannoh's first attack. Last time it was a steal, this time it was a real block. The fans immediately went wild, their screams lifting the roof off.
"Quick attack!"
Before Akagi's feet even touched the ground, Ryota Miyagi uttered two words and darted off. His red head, like a bolt of lightning, struck the front line again.
Hisashi Mitsui also pulled Eiji Sawakita and started running from the other side. Akagi hesitated for a moment, then swung his arm and threw the ball forward. The target was Miyagi! Mitsui, you help to hold him back. That Sawakita guy is no pushover, and Akagi doesn't dare gamble on passing to him.
Miyagi was chasing the ball like crazy. Akagi's long pass was nowhere near as good as Shirasawa's. Shirasawa led the way with the ball, while Akagi was chasing the ball, begging and pleading.
Miyagi floored the accelerator, with defensive expert Satoshi Ichinokura right behind him.
Satoshi Ichinokura spent three years at Sannoh, not only earning the title of defensive expert but also boasting two legendary experiences. First, he endured excruciating appendicitis pain to finish his exams. This story went viral in Akita Prefecture. Most people with appendicitis would be writhing in agony, desperately wanting to be rushed to the hospital. But he, clutching his stomach with one hand and gripping his pen with the other, didn't utter a sound. Regardless of his score, his willpower alone would have earned him an extra thirty points from the examiners.
Secondly, he is a consecutive champion in the Akita Prefecture Marathon. He doesn't run marathons because he's not fast in sprints, but because sprinting is too unchallenging for him.
Moichi Taoka said that all ten players on the field were exceptionally talented. The shortest, Miyagi, had the talent of speed. The second shortest, Satoshi Ichinokura, had the talent of his abnormal willpower. This was also the capital that enabled him to enter Sannoh and become a national defensive expert.
Therefore, in terms of absolute speed, he is actually not much slower than Miyagi.
On the court, he's nicknamed " Sticky Candy." No matter how tall or fast you are, once he's got his eye on you, you'll have an unshakeable shadow around you.
At this moment, he became Miyagi's shadow. The two short men took off running together towards the basketball.
One was as fast as lightning, the other as frantic as if being chased by a dog. Satoshi Ichinokura ran for his life, yet he couldn't be outpaced by Miyagi.
Akagi's long quarterback pass landed on the right side of the attacking third at a 45-degree angle, quite high. Miyagi had to jump to reach it. This jump slowed the pace down. Satoshi Ichinokura seized the opportunity to close the gap, stepping right up to him.
On the other side, Mitsui and Eiji Sawakita were almost there. Mitsui dribbled towards the right corner, creating an opportunity for himself to receive the ball while continuing to dangle Sawakita around.
Miyagi received the ball and made a diagonal cut to the basket. Satoshi Ichinokura stuck to him tightly, their bodies pressed together, leaving no gap at all.
In the audience, Hikoichi Aida's eyes widened. " Miyagi is locked down, he has no room to maneuver at all!"
Ryonan had experienced Satoshi Ichinokura's defense firsthand. Even Kaede Rukawa had a headache with it, let alone Miyagi. It seemed that Miyagi was completely covered.
Miyagi took his first step, struggling against Satoshi Ichinokura, unable to even jump, let alone shoot. Some on Sannoh's side were already laughing; they'd successfully defended the ball.
To score a layup against Satoshi Ichinokura's tight defense, you either need absolute strength or absolute height. Miyagi has neither. He's practically meat delivered to his mouth; Satoshi Ichinokura could swallow him whole.
Kiminobu Kogure and the others were sweating with tension. Miyagi was backed into a corner; his second step cleared the rim, leaving him with no choice but to attempt a reverse layup. However, Satoshi Ichinokura was still putting pressure on him. Miyagi wasn't jumping very high, and the large hand behind him was already raised; if he released the ball, he would most likely get blocked.
Satoshi Ichinokura's defense was never known for his shot-blocking.
But Miyagi's height gave him an opportunity.
Satoshi Ichinokura felt every pore on his body open up. For a defensive stalwart, pinning an opponent under the basket is more exhilarating than scoring thirty points.
It looked like he was about to block the shot.
Despite the pressure, Ryota Miyagi threw the ball out. He didn't pass, ignoring Mitsui waiting on the right and Sawakita and Sakuragi chasing from behind. Just like the previous round, Miyagi was determined to do it himself.
This time, he faced off against the defensive machine ranked seventeenth in the nation, Satoshi Ichinokura.
"There's simply no room for them to make a move!"
Kiminobu Kogure was so anxious that he stamped his feet and blurted out.
"Don't rush."
Coach Anzai stared intently at the court, his eyes glued to the screen. He seemed to have figured something out. Miyagi was playing a reverse layup, which left him with very few options, unless—
He flicked his wrist.
He didn't use a hook shot or a floater; instead, he pushed the ball straight up. Even if Satoshi Ichinokura jumped another ten centimeters, he still couldn't block such a nearly vertical shot.
Has Miyagi admitted defeat?
Hikoichi Aida looked completely bewildered.
"Bullshit! Good shot!"
Moichi Taoka's voice cracked from shouting.
The basketball seemed to be under a spell. It clearly hit the right side of the backboard, but inexplicably bounced towards the rim. Did the ball just curve by itself?
"That's fucking beautiful."
Coach Anzai praised him repeatedly, beaming from ear to ear. He was one of the few who understood the situation.
The audience was completely stunned.
This is fucking against the laws of physics! The ball hits the backboard and then it just goes into the basket by itself? That's ridiculous!
But that's exactly what Miyagi did with that shot just now.
Satoshi Ichinokura stood there, completely dumbfounded. How could such a flawless defense, a seemingly certain block, have been broken? He only noticed that Miyagi's shot seemed a little strange.
Ryota Miyagi looked down at his hands, a grin spreading across his face. "It's done."
This self-talk made Satoshi Ichinokura even more itchy, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.
"Coach, what exactly happened with that shot?" Kogure and the others were still stunned, forgetting even to cheer.
" Jelly Layup." ×5.
Coach Anzai, Shirasawa, Maki Shinichi Maki, Eiji Sawakita, and Moichi Taoka all spoke almost simultaneously.
" Jelly Layup?"
"Yes, that's just a name. It's a high-difficulty layup that relies on wrist power."
"When Miyagi released the ball, he twisted his wrist backwards, causing the ball to spin faster."
"The ball, propelled by its spin, bounces off the backboard and lands on the other side."
"This kind of layup is very deceptive and hard to block, especially when the height difference is similar."
"It's easier said than done. Miyagi is very capable."
Coach Anzai rarely praises people so readily.
Miyagi's skill was completely unexpected. He never imagined that Miyagi had secretly practiced such a technique. Coach Anzai felt particularly at ease knowing that Miyagi had put in so much hard work behind the scenes.
That's why he always believed in Miyagi. Despite his lack of height, Miyagi honed everything he could to perfection and managed to secure a place in the national tournament. If you think Miyagi only has speed, you're sorely mistaken. Even outside of Shohoku, Miyagi would absolutely be qualified to be the leader of a team.
"That's amazing! Miyagi is truly unexpected! He actually had this kind of layup hidden away!"
After hearing Moichi Taoka's explanation, Hikoichi Aida completely insane.
Miyagi's speed is innate; other smaller players can't learn it. But his skills are different. They're the result of daily practice. He's the benchmark for smaller players.
"Master! I want to become Miyagi's master!"
" Miyagi has brought glory to short players in this national finals!"
"Master! I Hikoichi Aida, must become your eldest disciple!"
Hikoichi Aida was so excited he yelled, while Kaede Rukawa and Sendoh were much more pragmatic. The two brothers remained silent, quietly gesturing with their hands, clearly preparing to add this Jelly Layup to their arsenal.
Miyagi's shot sent the entire stadium into a frenzy.
In those two fast breaks, Ryota Miyagi showcased his full potential. From that moment on, he was no longer an unknown nobody. That Jelly Layup against Satoshi Ichinokura is destined to become one of the classic moments of this finals series.
7 to 0.
Shohoku's start was like a dream. Sannoh Industrial High School hadn't been dominated at the start of the season for three consecutive years, let alone been shut out. Their offense kept hitting walls, and on the defensive end, they allowed Ryota Miyagi to score four points by himself. No one expected this script to unfold.