With everything ready, Coach Anzai swept a kindly gaze over everyone.
"All right, let's take the court."
"Takezono! Takezono!"
"Oda! Oda!"
Takezono High School clearly had far deeper pockets than Shohoku. They even had their own dedicated gymnasium. The stands were packed, and ninety percent of the spectators were girls, constantly chanting the team's name and Oda's-even though Oda had yet to show his face.
The more Sakuragi heard, the more irritated he became. His temper flared, and he pointed at the stands and roared, "You're so damn noisy! Just you wait! We're about to crush Takezono, and Oda's going down against this genius too!"
Those words instantly set the entire gym ablaze.
"Who do you think you are, redhead? What nonsense are you spouting? Get out!"
"Is everyone at Shohoku this ill-mannered?"
"Shut up! Don't you dare insult Oda!"
Facing the enraged crowd, Sakuragi jumped up and down, arguing back all by himself without giving an inch. Only a punch from Akagi finally quieted him down.
Moments later, thunderous cheers suddenly erupted throughout the gym.
Tatsumasa Oda waved like a celebrity as he led his team out. His expression made it clear he was thoroughly enjoying the scene.
Sakuragi watched, grinding his teeth. "That bastard!"
He tugged at Shirasawa. "Xiao Bai, look at how smug he is! I bet he spends every day hanging around these girls! How can he do that to Yoko?"
Shirasawa obligingly nodded. "So Yoko might be suffering terribly right now, waiting for you to rescue her. Make sure you play well out there."
Shirasawa had barely walked away when Oda approached of his own accord, looking Sakuragi up and down with disdain.
"So you really are on Shohoku's team. I heard there was a redhead, but I could hardly believe it." He sneered. "I never thought Shohoku would even take someone like you. They really have no standards."
Sakuragi instantly flew into a rage, his clenched fists cracking as he stood on the verge of throwing a punch.
Oda showed no fear and continued mocking him instead. "You really haven't changed at all. You're still a punk who can do nothing but fight."
"But I'd advise you not to throw a punch. It'd take a lot of the fun out of this if you got suspended, wouldn't it?"
Hanamichi Sakuragi forced down his anger, showing a rare moment of composure. After all, Oda's words had reminded him that throwing a punch would get him suspended, so he had to play this game.
He glared at Oda and said through gritted teeth, "You piece of trash. As much as I want to beat you up right now, I'm going to take you down at the basketball you're so proud of!"
"Then you'll see just how big the gap between us is!"
Tatsumasa Oda burst out laughing, as though he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
"Sakuragi, are you still half asleep?" He shook his head, his voice dripping with scorn. "I'd advise you to get the hell off the basketball team while you can. Someone like you doesn't deserve to play."
"But before you run off, I can certainly open your eyes and show you what real basketball looks like!"
With that, Oda gave a cold snort, turned, and left.
Hanamichi Sakuragi took a deep breath and forcibly swallowed his anger. This was absolutely the worst insult he had ever suffered, yet he began muttering to himself.
"Calm down, genius. You're a genius!"
"It's just like fighting. The other guy always talks shit first, but he still ends up getting beaten into the ground."
"This is no different. I just have to teach him a lesson with basketball!"
Sakuragi muttered to himself. At that moment, he really did seem a little different.
Tweet...
A whistle sounded, and the referee announced that the game would begin in five minutes. Both teams returned to their benches to prepare.
Takenori Akagi gathered the whole team and bellowed a morale-boosting speech, finishing with a mighty shout of "Shohoku!"
Five minutes later, the starters took the court.
Ayako watched the court with shining eyes, then turned to Coach Anzai. "Coach, we finally get to see these guys play together!"
"We're definitely going to shock everyone this year!"
Coach Anzai chuckled as usual and said unhurriedly, "This practice game will be a piece of cake for them."
The referee carried the ball to the center line, and both centers prepared for the jump ball. But Sakuragi suddenly ran up beside Akagi, looking completely serious.
"Gorilla, can I take the jump ball?"
That expression was so rare on Sakuragi that Akagi froze for a moment before stepping aside. He agreed not only because Sakuragi's jumping ability was genuinely frightening, but also because this was only a practice game against a team that wasn't particularly strong. Since Sakuragi was showing initiative for once, he might as well encourage him.
Sakuragi stood at the center line with a taut expression. Opposite him was Tatsumasa Oda!
Oda still wore that disdainful look, thinking Sakuragi was hopelessly overestimating himself. Shirasawa, however, looked on from the backcourt with considerable satisfaction. This version of Sakuragi was much easier to put to work.
Shirasawa already had a grand plan worked out for this game!
Whoosh...
The referee tossed the ball into the air, and the game officially began!
The instant the ball reached its highest point, Hanamichi Sakuragi jumped with all his strength, and Tatsumasa Oda jumped too. But the gap between them became apparent in an instant: Oda was jumping, while Sakuragi was practically flying!
With a roar that vented his frustration, Sakuragi tipped the ball into the backcourt. Shirasawa caught it and barely paused before raising his arm and firing it upcourt like a football quarterback!
The basketball shot across the entire court as a red figure sprinted forward. The airborne ball seemed to guide Miyagi, dropping into his hands just as he charged into the frontcourt paint.
Miyagi flowed straight into a layup and scored.
2-0.
Only two seconds had elapsed! None of Takezono's players had reacted. Everything had happened too fast.
Takezono's coach stared at Shirasawa, wide-eyed. He had seen it perfectly clearly from the sidelines. Miyagi had only started running when Shirasawa caught the ball, and even that had been an unconscious movement. Once the pass left Shirasawa's hand, the basketball had pointed Miyagi in the right direction like a signpost.
His vision, judgment, and lead on the pass had all been spot-on! That long pass had been absolutely perfect.
Shohoku actually had a player like this?!
On the court, the corner of Shirasawa's mouth lifted.
"One assist."
Ryota Miyagi ran over and high-fived him, grinning. "Beautiful pass!"
This was why Miyagi was willing to give up the point guard position. Shirasawa could make the game simple. To him, the entire court was like a flat diagram, and he could survey it all from above. Take that last pass: Miyagi knew perfectly well that he could never have made it himself. Even if he saw the opportunity, he couldn't control the timing and placement that well.
And Shirasawa's passes were uncanny, as though they carried their own basketball language, setting people in motion without them realizing it. It was like the ball had a mouth and was giving orders. It sounded a little far-fetched, but that was exactly the effect.
Offense and defense switched. One fast-break basket wasn't enough to rattle Takezono's players.
Takezono's point guard steadily brought the ball over half court, still unaware that his real trouble was only just beginning.
"Get into position! Let's score this one first."
He called to his teammates as he dribbled.
But barely two steps forward, his view was suddenly blocked completely.
"Holy crap! Their number 9 is actually coming out to guard a guard?!"
A startled cry erupted from Takezono's bench.
They could hardly be blamed for making a fuss. In high school basketball, someone Shirasawa's height usually played forward. Meanwhile, two of Shohoku's other players on the court, Ryota Miyagi and Kiminobu Kogure, stood under 170 and 180 centimeters respectively. Instead of having either of them defend the guard, they were using their tallest player, Shirasawa?
Kogure in particular was currently struggling to hold off a forward taller and stronger than himself.
No matter how they looked at it, this arrangement made no sense!
Takezono's point guard was puzzled too, but he soon figured something out.
This was a mismatch!
He could either lob the ball to a forward and let his teammate take Kogure one-on-one, or exploit his smaller size himself and get past this number 9. Against a bigger player, a smaller player's greatest assets were speed and agility.
The guard curled his lips upward, his decision made.
Two quick crossovers in front of his body, then a sudden burst of speed!
He wanted to blow past Shirasawa in one explosive step.
But before his smile had even faded, Shirasawa's long arm reached out and stripped the ball from his hands!
Those reactions and that agility were more than a whole level above his own. In that instant, he felt as though he had been caught in a spiderweb, unable to move.
The moment Shirasawa stole the ball, Miyagi took off, streaking toward the frontcourt.
Shirasawa took two dribbles, swung his arm, and sent the basketball bouncing off the floor, right between the legs of a retreating defender.
It headed straight for the basket.
Almost exactly like the previous possession, Miyagi caught the ball and went straight into a layup, adding another two points!
Once could be called a coincidence, but twice in a row?
Takezono's coach sprang to his feet.
That bounce pass had been downright uncanny. Bounce passes were already difficult to control, yet Shirasawa had delivered it accurately with his view partially obstructed!
The ball had actually gone between the defender's legs. Did this number 9 have X-ray vision?
Miyagi had scored four straight points, and Shohoku's bench erupted in celebration.
"Shirasawa and Miyagi work together perfectly!"
"Miyagi's scored wide open twice in a row! That off-ball movement is incredible!"
But Yasuda, a second-year, offered a different view.
"If you ask me, it isn't that Miyagi's movement is so amazing. He... seems to just be chasing the ball as hard as he can."
"Because the ball gets there first every time, and Miyagi arrives afterward..."
"The instant Xiao Bai releases the pass, he seems to have already calculated how long Miyagi will need to reach that spot. It's unbelievable!"
At those words, all his teammates looked stunned.
Could someone really factor in his teammates' running time while playing basketball?
Wasn't that a little too incredible?
Hearing this, Coach Anzai chuckled. "Yasuda is right. Miyagi may be scoring the points, but everything is under Xiao Bai's control."
4-0!
Never mind Takezono-even Hanamichi Sakuragi was getting anxious.
What's this supposed to mean?
You two are just playing by yourselves?
You're leaving me out?
Takezono's coach rushed to the sideline and shouted, "Stick to their number 7! Stop letting him take off whenever he likes!"
Takezono's guard dribbled upcourt again.
He had learned his lesson this time and no longer tried to force his way past Shirasawa. This big guy was no ordinary player!
Seeing Shirasawa prepare to pressure him, the point guard hurriedly passed the ball away. He had no desire to experience that feeling of being ensnared again.
After several passes, the ball finally reached Oda in the post.
His fan club in the stands instantly went wild!
Oda faced Hanamichi Sakuragi with his back to the basket, looking relaxed. After backing into him a few times, he threw a fake and sent Sakuragi straight into the air.
Damn it! He actually faked me out. What a sneaky bastard!
Sakuragi cursed inwardly, but he couldn't turn back time.
Having sent Sakuragi flying, Oda turned smoothly into an underhand layup.
But he hadn't expected someone else to be lying in wait!
The instant the ball left his hand, Takenori Akagi swatted it down!
"Nice one, Gorilla!" Sakuragi shouted excitedly.
Tatsumasa Oda gritted his teeth hard, his face full of frustration.