Mitsui's eyes widened. Is Nango insane? He wants Sakuragi to go one-on-one?
"I know he's improved a lot," Miyagi muttered, uneasy, "but dribbling and isolation plays are completely different from wide-open shots. This is too much, too soon."
"This is reckless…" Akagi grumbled, already bracing himself to crash the boards for an offensive rebound.
Even though Sakuragi had mastered some under-the-basket techniques, no one expected much from him in a one-on-one situation.
Truthfully, Nango wasn't confident either. But he wanted to test just how far Sakuragi had come.
Could this unpredictable guy surprise us again?
If Sakuragi pulled it off, the morale boost for Shohoku would be huge. And Hainan, on the other hand, would take a heavy psychological blow.
"Go, Sakuragi!" Nango urged.
On the opposite bench, Coach Kouzu's lips curled into a smile. So inexperienced. In a stalemate like this, they let Sakuragi of all people go one-on-one? This is our chance.
"Muto!" he barked. "Don't let him through. Guard this with your life. He absolutely cannot score!"
Muto stiffened at the order, pressure surging through him. If he failed here, he knew Kouzu would tear into him.
He crouched low, eyes fixed on Sakuragi, ready to fight with everything he had.
On the other side, Sakuragi clutched the ball, mind racing as he faced Muto at the 45-degree elbow. It was a little far out—he needed to get closer to the hoop.
He couldn't quite explain what he felt.
Nervous? Like when he first set foot on the court?
No. It was something else. Excitement. Exhilaration. Maybe even calm. The roar of the crowd couldn't reach him anymore.
This is it… my first real one-on-one in an official game.
He had no direct experience, but he'd watched countless others do it—Rukawa, Nango, even Mitsui. Their moves replayed in his mind.
Then one thought clicked. A move. Something he could try. His lips curved into a smile.
Muto's stomach sank. "Why are you smiling…?"
Sakuragi bent his knees, planted his left foot, and jabbed right toward the baseline.
Muto reacted instantly, sliding to cut him off.
But Sakuragi pulled the foot back and exploded toward the middle.
Nango blinked. "A jab step?"
"Oh?" Even Rukawa raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Ikegami shot up from his seat. "Is Sakuragi actually going to get past Muto?!"
"Not yet," Sendo murmured, standing up too as the entire Ryonan bench followed suit.
Sakuragi's movement wasn't smooth—his footwork was raw, unpolished. Muto stayed glued to him, riding his right side. But somehow, Sakuragi forced his way to the front of the key, right in his shooting range.
He locked his eyes on the white square of the backboard, leapt, and fired with his right hand.
"Don't go in! Please don't go in!" Muto begged, stretching desperately to contest.
The ball smacked the glass—then dropped cleanly through the net.
"Wha—he beat him?!" Noma gasped. "And scored?!"
"Great job, Hanamichi!" Yohei and the Sakuragi Gang roared, waving their bottles like flags.
"So cool! Sakuragi is amazing!" Haruko cheered, her voice trembling with excitement.
Sakuragi froze for a split second, then burst into wild laughter. "It went in?! I scored! Hahahaha!"
Around the gym, jaws dropped. Teams who'd faced Shohoku were stunned. This wasn't the raw rookie who relied only on rebounds, dunks, and fouls. This was a player evolving before their eyes.
"Impossible… how could he improve this much?" Coach Taoka clutched his head. Sakuragi's progress shattered everything he thought he knew about basketball development.
Beside him, Uozumi elbowed Fukuda. "Watch number 10 carefully. You'll be matched against him soon enough."
Fukuda nodded silently.
Sendoh, watching the contrast, chuckled inwardly. The quiet Fukuda and the loud Sakuragi… what a pair they'd make on the court.
"Sendoh!" Uozumi snapped.
"I know," Sendoh replied calmly. "Nango's mine."
Back on court, Maki dribbled past half-court when Kouzu signaled for a timeout.
As Shohoku regrouped, Nango punched Sakuragi in the chest and hooked an arm around his neck. "Not bad. Since when did you learn my moves?"
"Hmph hmph hmph! A genius only needs to see it once!" Sakuragi boasted, tail practically wagging.
"Good. If the chance comes again, I'll feed you the ball."
Sakuragi shoved him off and grinned. "Deal!"
Kogure jogged over with a towel. "Sakuragi, that was amazing!"
"Your performance keeps getting better," Ayako added with a thumbs up.
"Heh, really? Hahaha!" Sakuragi tried to act modest, but his heart was soaring. This was the feeling he lived for.
Meanwhile, Muto stood trembling, sweat dripping down his face. "Coach, I…"
"Enough," Kouzu cut him off sharply. "Sit down. Kosuge, warm up."
"Yes, sir!" Kosuge jumped up eagerly. Though only a first-year, he was already an important rotation piece. This was his chance to prove himself—and maybe even seize Muto's spot for good.
After the lineup switch, Kouzu turned to Maki. "Can you still hold on?"
Kainan had leaned almost entirely on their captain. Kiyota had shown flashes, but his impact was still limited.
"We've got a week to rest after this game. My stamina will hold," Maki replied firmly, though his body screamed otherwise. No matter what, he would fight until the end.
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