He spread the floor at the top of the arc, taking Uekusa one-on-one.
His dribble sank lower and lower, so low that even the short Uekusa had to bend down and lower his center of gravity to keep up.
They had now witnessed Shirasawa's ballhandling. His feel for the ball was absurdly good, almost at odds with his height.
Uekusa, who felt it most keenly, figured that in a true one-on-one, getting past him would probably be as easy for Shirasawa as getting past a wooden post.
Granted, the guy had a pretty strange style. Even after beating his defender, he never rushed to attack the basket, instead using those unpredictable passes to set up his teammates.
But the result was the same: two points conceded...
Anyone could tell that Shirasawa simply didn't want to score himself.
As for Shirasawa himself...
It really wasn't that he didn't want to score!
Passing was great fun, but he had long been itching to score. Especially with his current ballhandling, even if he couldn't shoot well, driving inside for points wouldn't be difficult.
But under the current circumstances, assists still mattered most.
Who knew what Coach Anzai had planned for the second half? What if he didn't let him play?
Shirasawa had worked it all out. This final practice game was the perfect opportunity to farm stats and build up resources. Once the prefectural tournament actually began, it would be single elimination: one loss, and they would have to pack up and go home. So every extra assist he could squeeze out now counted. They all contributed to his future ability upgrades, as well as tangible rewards.
The shot clock was running down. He deliberately controlled the tempo, planning to leave Ryonan too little time for a full possession. Bounce... bounce... After two consecutive between-the-legs dribbles, he shifted the ball into his left hand and yanked it across. His center of gravity swayed with it, and a sweeping change of direction sent Uekusa stumbling over his own feet as Shirasawa breezed past.
His burst was so fast this time that even Ikegami couldn't get across to help. Shirasawa drove straight toward the basket, gathered the ball, and took his steps!
He plunged into the paint, where the scene before him could only be called congested. Akagi and Uozumi stood beneath the basket like two mountains. Miyagi and Koshino were on the left, Sakuragi and Sendoh on the right, with Ikegami and Uekusa chasing from behind. He might as well have charged into an enemy camp alone, surrounded by people on every side.
Uozumi had learned his lesson this time. He didn't recklessly step forward, afraid that the moment he moved, the ball would somehow end up in Akagi's hands again. Shirasawa's passing made him grind his teeth. Even when you knew he would pass, you could never guess which angle it would come from. He simply held his ground. Fine, I'll let you attack once and see what you've got. But if you dare pass again... Hmph, let's see where you can send it this time!
Shirasawa had already gathered and taken his steps, looking determined to attack the rim. Sendoh reacted instantly from the right, sliding a step across and extending his long arm to swipe at the ball!
In that split second, Shirasawa gripped the ball in one hand and whipped it behind his back, just avoiding Sendoh's hand.
That motion... a behind-the-back pass!
Ryonan's players reached an instant, unspoken understanding. Ikegami pushed off hard and lunged toward Miyagi, determined to intercept the pass, while Uozumi planted himself firmly beneath the rim, waiting for Shirasawa to challenge him.
But what happened next left everyone dumbfounded.
From behind Shirasawa's back, the basketball somehow... flew to the right!
Facing him, Uozumi and Akagi stared wide-eyed. What the hell? He took the ball behind his back with his right hand, and it still fucking came out on the right? Was this basketball or a magic show?
Under everyone's astonished gazes, the ball traced an arc over Sendoh's head, heading straight toward the right corner beyond the three-point line. Only then did they suddenly realize that a completely unguarded Kiminobu Kogure was standing there!
The ball landed in Kogure's hands as though guided with pinpoint precision. There was no one in front of him. He even had time to steady his breathing before bending his knees, jumping, and releasing.
The basketball traced another beautiful arc through the air and dropped cleanly through the net with a swish!
"It's in!" Kogure jumped in excitement. Rukawa had suppressed him in the first half, and afterward, Ikegami's tight defense had made him miserable. He had been stewing in frustration for ages. This basket finally let him hold his head high, and he hadn't wasted Shirasawa's magical pass.
Most of the others, however, were still bewildered.
What exactly had happened with that ball? Had the laws of physics taken the day off?
The spectators in the stands had a view of the entire court, but everything had happened too quickly for anyone to catch the details. They could only marvel at the sheer impossibility of it.
"Did any of you see that clearly? How did he pass it?"
"No idea! Did it bounce off someone? It was too crowded under the basket!"
"Look at the players' faces. They're just as confused."
"Holy shit, if that wasn't a fluke, it was definitely one of the greatest passes ever. Pure magic!"
Discussion buzzed on the sidelines, while every gaze on the court focused on Shirasawa. Even his Shohoku teammates looked curious, eager for an answer.
But the game had to continue, with only three seconds left. Everyone could only put their questions aside for now.
Uozumi inbounded from the baseline, launching a long pass to midcourt. Koshino caught it and forced two dribbles against Miyagi before trying to rush a shot. But Miyagi gave him no chance, swiping the ball away with a firm, precise strike.
The whistle blew. The first half was over!
Forty-nine to forty-nine. The teams were tied.
The players returned to their respective benches to rest. The fans courtside were still hotly discussing that pass, itching to uncover the truth.
It was much the same on the bench.
The moment Shirasawa sat down, Ayako leaned over. "Come on, tell us. How exactly did you make that pass?"
His teammates all turned to look as well, their faces full of curiosity.
At the same time, on Ryonan's side, Ryoji Ikegami let out a long breath and said in disbelief, "That pass Shirasawa just made... I think I saw it."
His words immediately made him the center of attention. Even Coach Taoka listened closely.
"He... he really did pass the ball with his right hand."
"But the person he passed to... was himself."
Everyone froze. That explanation made them want to punch him.
"Hold on, I'm not finished," Ikegami hurriedly added. "He did pass it to himself, because he sent the ball to his left elbow! Then he used his elbow... to knock the ball away!"
"And I'm certain it wasn't a fluke! Because he was the one making the pass!"
Passing with an elbow?!
That was ridiculous!
Could someone really control the direction of the ball precisely with an elbow in a split second?
Knowing the truth only made it seem even more outrageous. The entire Shohoku team was stunned, and some even wondered whether Shirasawa was boasting...
But just as Ikegami had said, it might have been a coincidence for anyone else-but this was Shirasawa!
The impact of that pass was so overwhelming that everyone had forgotten they had actually finished the first half tied with Ryonan.
A month ago, they wouldn't have dared dream of a score like this.
Having finished explaining, Shirasawa turned to look for the stats sheet. His gaze had only swept halfway around when a fair-skinned hand held it out in front of him.
Ayako gave him a knowing smile. "I knew you'd be itching to see this. Eighteen assists in one half. Had fun spoon-feeding them all those buckets?"
Shirasawa nodded cheerfully, thinking that all his hard practice lately had finally paid off.
Just then, his gaze happened to stray toward the media seats, where it met a pair of eyes watching with eager longing.
Shirasawa smiled in that direction and casually mimed an elbow pass in the air.
Only then did Sanae understand. The corners of her mouth lifted gently, her smile bright enough to dazzle.
Outside an abandoned warehouse somewhere in Kanagawa, seven or eight motorcycles were parked at haphazard angles.
Smoke filled the warehouse. A man sat smoking on a battered sofa with his legs crossed, his bearing keeping everyone around him from daring to breathe loudly.
"You said your friend got beaten up, and you want me to step in. Is that it?"
After speaking, he took a deep drag, then pressed the cigarette butt into the armrest and ground it out hard.
"Let me guess... this has something to do with that basketball team again, doesn't it, Mitsui?"
Takenori Akagi sat alone on the bench with a towel over his head.
Right now, he felt as though he were dreaming.
But this was no dream. The scoreboard clearly read forty-nine all, and their opponent was Ryonan High School.
Ryonan clearly hadn't gone all out in the first half, and Sendoh in particular had been holding back-but hadn't Shohoku done the same?
Still, in those final few possessions, both sides had genuinely tested each other.
Akagi knew it: they had been evenly matched.
At that thought, he simply couldn't calm down.
Three years. Three whole years. He had finally lived to see the day Shohoku stood tall.
"Akagi."
Kiminobu Kogure's voice came from beside him, gently drawing him back to reality.
He didn't need to look to know who it was.
"I know what you're thinking." Kogure patted his shoulder. "Because I feel the same way."
As Kogure spoke, his eyes reddened slightly.
No one on the team could understand Akagi's feelings better than he could. After all, the two of them had shouldered everything together all these years.
Today, the two brothers had finally seen a glimmer of dawn.
Akagi removed the towel, wiped his face, and let out a long breath.
"The game isn't over yet," he said gravely. "We can't get careless. Coach Anzai said that without a sense of danger, we'll wake from our sweet dream sooner or later."
Kogure smiled at that.
"That's true, but don't wind yourself too tight." He turned toward Shirasawa and the others. "I'm afraid those boys won't be able to take it."
The two of them could sit here reflecting like this thanks to their new teammates.
Especially Shirasawa.
His arrival had completely changed Shohoku's trajectory.
With Shirasawa's ability, what powerhouse team wouldn't fight to recruit him?
Yet the guy had kept a low profile, only emerging at the very last moment, when Coach Anzai happened to spot him.
Even more coincidentally, he had been facing Rukawa at the time.
Coach Taoka, watching from the stands, had chosen Rukawa and missed out on Shirasawa.
That string of coincidences was like a gift prepared especially for Shohoku.
Ever since Shirasawa had put on the red jersey, Shohoku had set off down a different path.
"Those boys?" Akagi snorted. "If we don't keep them on a tight leash, who knows what trouble they'll cause."
Tweet-
The referee's whistle sounded.
The second half would begin in five minutes.
The players put away their smiles and sat up straight, waiting for the coach's instructions.
Coach Anzai walked unhurriedly over to them.
"You played well in the first half." He adjusted his glasses. "But that will be all."
The players all looked up, stunned.
That would be all?
What did he mean? Were they done playing?
Shirasawa's heart sank.
He had considered this possibility at halftime. If he were coaching, he would probably have done the same.
They were tied now. That was hard for Ryonan to accept, but Shohoku had already exceeded expectations.
A game could change in an instant. Quitting while they were ahead would preserve their confidence while leaving their opponents with a mystery.
More importantly, they had to guard against injuries.
After two practice games, the players were already in peak form. Losing a starter to injury now would be a huge blow.
The best course was to enter the prefectural tournament with their current fighting spirit and healthy bodies.
Shirasawa understood the reasoning, but he was still reluctant... He had wanted to farm a few more assists in the second half.
"Coach, do you mean...?" Akagi asked cautiously.
Coach Anzai nodded.
"None of the starters will play in the second half," he said slowly. "Win or lose, just sit and watch."