Nango clearly understood Maki's and Kainan's intentions, but he didn't care. At this stage, Shohoku's plan was simple: feed the ball to Akagi, let him play one-on-one, and regain his rhythm. Crossing half-court slowly wasn't a problem—as long as Akagi established himself inside, time wouldn't be an issue.
Just as expected, Akagi received the ball, backed down twice, and went for his hook shot. The ball spun around the rim twice before rolling out.
Even so, it was obvious—Akagi was adapting to Takasago's defense, probing his limits bit by bit. His timing and touch were coming back fast. Kainan didn't have much time left.
Kainan wanted to speed up the game. Shohoku wanted to stabilize the pace and wear them down.
In other words, the second half had already turned into a battle of tempo between the two point guards—Maki and Nango.
Maki once again pushed the ball at full speed, but this time Rukawa Kaede was ready. Together with Nango, he slowed Maki down just enough. Forced to adjust, Maki kicked the ball out to an open Muto.
Maybe it was Kouzu's halftime scolding, but this time Muto's jumper finally dropped, keeping Kainan in the fight.
The two sides stuck to their game plans. After five grueling minutes, the score stood at 51–50. Kainan had cut the deficit to just one point, but Akagi had found his groove.
In six straight attempts, his first three hook shots missed, but the last three fell cleanly. Takasago was no longer enough to contain him.
"We can't let Akagi go one-on-one anymore," Kouzu thought grimly. "At this point, we'll have to take our chances with Sakuragi. He doesn't have many moves."
"Muto!" Kouzu barked.
Muto nodded, understanding immediately. This possession was critical.
Maki still refused to let up. But even he couldn't keep sprinting at full throttle forever—his legs were already starting to feel the burn.
Meanwhile, Rukawa Kaede continued shadowing Soichiro, rendering him nearly invisible.
"Damn it…" Even Soichiro, usually calm and good-natured, was irritated. Rukawa clung to him like glue. No matter how he moved, he couldn't shake him. Luckily, Kouzu had planned something at halftime.
Takasago slipped out of the paint. Akagi assumed it was a screen for Maki and stayed back, focused on protecting the drive.
But Takasago's real target was Rukawa. He circled around, setting a solid screen. For once, Rukawa was freed. Soichiro popped out, received Maki's pass, and without hesitation—launched a three!
Splash! Nothing but net.
Kainan took the lead, up by two!
Maki's relentless drives had lulled Shohoku into focusing too much on him. Soichiro capitalized, but Shohoku wouldn't be fooled again.
On Shohoku's next possession, Maki pressed Nango tightly, though his intensity had dropped. Was he conserving energy, or finally tiring?
Nango seized the opening. He burst forward in a sudden sprint, gaining half a step on Maki. Neither Kiyota nor Soichiro dared to leave their marks to help.
Muto slid over to cut him off, but Nango anticipated it. Jumping into the lane, he drew Muto, Maki, and even Takasago's attention—then dished it to Sakuragi, wide open on the opposite side.
Nobody was left to defend him.
"Protect the rebound!" Maki roared.
But Nango wasn't even going for the board. He smirked. Let them see the fruits of our training.
Sakuragi steadied himself. Both hands on the ball. Eyes locked on the white square above the rim.
He leapt, released, and banked it cleanly off the glass—straight through the hoop!
"Bank shot? Was that luck?" Kouzu frowned. At that distance, almost nobody used the glass. He convinced himself it was a fluke.
"Hmph, just lucky," Oda scoffed.
Many in the crowd thought the same.
But Shohoku knew better. This was Sakuragi's shot.
Akagi gave him a firm pat on the head. "Well done."
"Gorilla!" Sakuragi blurted in excitement.
"Who are you calling Gorilla?!" Akagi snapped.
Still, Sakuragi was grinning ear to ear. Praise from Akagi was rare, and he was savoring it.
From the stands, Haruko cheered with both hands cupped to her mouth. "Sakuragi, that was amazing!"
"Miss Haruko!" Sakuragi waved like a kid, practically glowing with joy. He'd completely forgotten the punch he'd taken moments ago.
Maki glanced at Nango, who'd quietly slipped away after setting up the play. "This kid… he's dangerous," he admitted to himself.
He knew it was his own lapse that let Nango drive in and create that shot. If he lost focus again, Nango would punish him.
And that was exactly Nango's goal—wear Maki down little by little, forcing him to carry the full load on both ends. Even a monster would collapse eventually.
Kainan ran their next possession. Takasago once again stepped out to screen for Soichiro.
"Not this time!" Akagi barked, following him out aggressively.
With Shohoku's defense keyed in on Soichiro, Maki suddenly slashed inside. Rukawa rotated to help, but Maki immediately kicked it out to Muto, who finished with a layup.
Kainan was still finding ways to respond.
But Nango was already adjusting, planning the next move.
Dribbling up against Maki's suffocating defense, he grinned. "Senpai, aren't you tired yet?"
Maki didn't answer, focusing on the ball. But Nango's fundamentals were flawless. Whenever Maki pressured, he shifted to protect the ball with his back. There was no opening.
Kouzu finally waved to Maki, signaling him to ease off. They'd already slowed Shohoku's pace. Forcing too much defense would only burn Maki out faster.
Nango smirked. "Don't think that last shot was luck. I'll show you again."
He swung the ball to Sakuragi.
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