On the court.
The game between Shohoku and Sannoh Kogyo was still ongoing.
But the situation on the court had started to change quietly.
At first, the game was evenly matched, with both teams exchanging attacks.
However, suddenly, Sannoh seemed to have gotten a boost, with each player becoming more ferocious, like beasts on drugs.
But for Aoi, these changes meant nothing.
However, for the other players on Shohoku, it was starting to become a real struggle.
Aoi, alone, moved like a red blur, dribbling the basketball and charging into Sannoh's paint once again.
His speed was at its peak, the fastest it had been since the start of the game.
Though Sannoh had prepared, they were still taken aback by the speed Aoi suddenly displayed.
Sawakita Eiji, Ichinokura Satoshi, and Nobe Masahiro surrounded him, but still couldn't stop Aoi's advance.
At Sannoh's basket, Fukatsu Kazunari became the last line of defense.
His tall figure was like a towering mountain, blocking the way to the basket.
Aoi keenly heard the footsteps closing in from behind and, without hesitation, jumped, leaping to the right side of the paint.
Fukatsu Kazunari, thinking Aoi would shoot in front of him, also jumped at the same time.
But after leaping, he realized that Aoi was actually going for the side.
Sawakita Eiji, who had been chasing from behind, also planned to jump and pressure Aoi from behind. But upon seeing Aoi's direction, he too jumped to the right.
At this moment, Aoi held the basketball in one hand, aiming at the basket. He swung his arm hard.
The Formless Shot was unleashed.
Sawakita Eiji, watching from behind, was amazed. Even though he had seen this shot style in game footage before, seeing it in person still left him in awe.
Whoosh...
The basketball flew, hitting the backboard before miraculously bouncing into the hoop.
Immediately after, Sannoh launched a counterattack.
Fukatsu Kazunari easily brought the ball across half-court. With Sawakita Eiji's help, Aoi's movements were severely restricted.
Fukatsu Kazunari charged forward, quickly reaching the three-point line.
Miyagi Ryota stepped forward again to block.
This time, he was very close, preventing Fukatsu Kazunari from taking a three-pointer in front of him.
Fukatsu Kazunari didn't force the shot. Instead, he skillfully passed the ball to Nobe Masahiro.
Nobe Masahiro caught the pass in the paint and took a large step, jumping high to deliver a powerful dunk.
Akagi Takenori wouldn't let him get away with it so easily. He immediately jumped and stretched his arms to block.
Nobe Masahiro, seeing this, passed the ball behind him.
Fukatsu Kazunari appeared out of nowhere, catching the ball before jumping high and dunking it over Akagi.
Clang...
The ball swished through the net.
Sannoh scored on the counterattack.
Time ticked on, and the game progressed.
The teams were locked in a bizarre stalemate.
Sannoh began to play together as a team, successfully breaking through Shohoku's defense with each attack.
On Shohoku's side, Aoi, including Sawakita Eiji, was unstoppable when it came to shooting.
Aoi's Formless Shot was giving Sannoh plenty of trouble.
The score kept shifting back and forth as both teams continued to score.
10 – 9
14 – 13
18 – 17
...
The score between the two teams remained tight, with only a 1 point difference.
The crowd was completely captivated by the intense competition on the court.
The heated atmosphere was pumping everyone up, making their emotions run wild as they fully immersed themselves in the game.
Quickly, Shohoku launched another attack, successfully breaking into Sannoh's paint.
This time, the ball handler was Rukawa Kaede.
He skillfully dribbled the ball, smoothly breaking through Nobe Masahiro's defense, and jumped high, preparing to take the shot.
However, just as he was about to release the ball, an arm shot out like lightning and slapped the basketball away.
Rukawa Kaede widened his eyes in shock and looked back, only to find that it was Ichinokura Satoshi who had blocked his shot, sneaking up from behind.
Bang...
The ball slammed into the backboard and bounced out.
As everyone's eyes were fixed on the ball, waiting to grab the rebound, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of them—Aoi.
He swung his arm, firmly catching the ball.
Then, before even landing, with his back to the basket, he casually tossed the ball behind him.
Whoosh...
The basketball traced an odd arc in the air, heading straight for the hoop.
In the shocked gazes of the crowd, the ball swished neatly into the basket.
Swish...
The ball went through the net.
"This guy," Sawakita Eiji watched Aoi with admiration in his eyes.
To make a shot without looking at the basket—it was truly unbelievable.
The Sannoh players were stunned, their faces filled with confusion.
That was just too unfair!
It made no sense.
There was simply no way to defend against it.
At this point, the first half was already past the halfway mark.
The score had reached 26 – 20.
Domoto Goro was keeping a close eye on the game and silently calculated whether he should call a timeout.
If Sannoh continued like this, Aoi could easily lead them into a more disadvantageous situation.
However, before he could make a decision, the next scene made his heart tighten.
Aoi once again brought the ball into Sannoh's paint, this time with Ichinokura Satoshi defending him.
Aoi took off with the ball and, facing Ichinokura Satoshi's defense, decisively shot the ball.
This time, Aoi's body leaned a little forward.
By the time Ichinokura Satoshi noticed something was wrong, it was already too late.
Boo...
The referee blew the whistle.
The referee pointed at Ichinokura Satoshi and said sternly, "Sannoh #8, defensive foul, the shot counts, and an additional free throw."
Damn it.
Ichinokura Satoshi silently cursed his luck.
He hadn't meant to foul, and his defensive stance had been perfect.
It was clear that Aoi had deliberately drawn the foul.
Swish...
Aoi easily made the free throw.
If this was the only foul, it wouldn't hurt Sannoh too much.
However, right after, Aoi completely put Sannoh on the defensive, forcing them to call a timeout.
In the following few possessions, both teams exchanged attacks, scoring a few baskets each.
But when Aoi again charged into Sannoh's paint, he once again drew a 2+1 from Ichinokura Satoshi.
Just when everyone thought this series of attacks had come to a halt, the referee's whistle blew again.
This time, the referee pointed at Fukatsu Kazunari. "Sannoh #7, defensive foul, the shot counts, and an additional free throw."
Swish...
Aoi calmly made the free throw again.
The score was now 35 – 27.
Without realizing it, Shohoku had gained an 8-point lead over Sannoh Kogyo.
Seeing this, Domoto Goro could no longer sit still. He stood up and decisively called a timeout.
Boo...
A sharp whistle rang out.
Sannoh called a timeout.