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Chapter Twenty: In the Zone!
"TIGHTEN UP DEFENSE!"
"TIGHTEN UP DEFENSE!"
Shohoku possessed the ball. Ryonan maintained their standard defensive formation.
After crossing half court, Kogure fed Rukawa. Sendoh stepped up to meet him.
"Hey! Wait, Sendoh, why aren't you guarding me?" Sakuragi complained loudly.
Sendoh smiled wryly. "Well, one person can't guard two people, right?"
"Idiot," Rukawa said simply.
"Hilarious. Does an amateur like you deserve our ace's attention?" Ikegami taunted. "Don't worry. I'll lock you down easy."
"GRAAAH—"
At an angle the ref couldn't see, Sakuragi delivered a sneaky elbow to Ikegami's ribs.
"...This punk!" Ikegami seethed.
WHOOSH!
Rukawa drove inside and kicked it to Akagi. If he could team up with Sakuragi to win, then passing came naturally too.
Akagi powered through Uozumi's defense for a hook shot.
Ryonan 32 - 25 Shohoku
Possession changed. Sendoh calmly advanced the ball.
As expected, Sakuragi and Rukawa immediately doubled him again.
Having witnessed Yagami's struggle against these two, Sendoh handled it more gracefully. He worked continuous between-the-legs crossovers, rhythm shifting from fast to slow, then a behind-the-back lateral step-back created space as he slipped past Sakuragi's flank!
"Moron! You're in the way!" Rukawa muttered.
Not only did Sakuragi get beaten, worse yet, he blocked Rukawa's recovery path!
Sendoh seized the opportunity to accelerate, penetrating inside the free-throw line. Akagi didn't hesitate to step up—couldn't let him get any closer to the rim.
If this were the old Sendoh, he'd probably dump it off to Uozumi in the paint.
But now, he wanted to play more excitingly!
After crossing the arc, Sendoh pulled up from the forty-five-degree angle.
With Akagi's help defense and Rukawa having recovered to his side, Rukawa immediately elevated for the contest—
"?!!"
Sendoh's upper body leaned gracefully backward in mid-air, avoiding Rukawa's fingertips as the ball left his hands—
SMACK!
In a flash, a red-haired figure rose from behind Sendoh, delivering a clean chase-down block that swatted the ball away emphatically!
"WHAT?!"
Shocked cries erupted from the sidelines. Ryonan's bench players practically stood in unison, disbelief written across their faces.
"SENDOH GOT BLOCKED?!"
Even Uozumi in the paint widened his eyes. This game had made him want to ask that question repeatedly—"How does he keep appearing there?!"
The ball bounced toward Ryonan's backcourt.
The next instant, three figures—Rukawa, Sendoh, and Sakuragi—launched simultaneously like arrows released from bows.
"Straight-up athletic freaks..."
Yagami's desire to get stronger intensified. His future opponents wouldn't be simple at all.
The first to reach the ball was actually Sakuragi.
However, before he could set his feet, Sendoh had already closed in.
"Damn it!" In his panic, Sakuragi instinctively flung the ball outward—
"Heh. Nice pass!"
Rukawa caught it mid-stride and finished the easy layup.
Ryonan 32 - 27 Shohoku
The gap had shrunk to five points!
"AHHHHH—!"
After watching Rukawa score, Sakuragi clutched his head and howled in anguish. The ball he'd fought so hard to secure had been gift-wrapped for the guy he hated most!
However, the next second, a clear, familiar cheering voice rang from the sideline: "Sakuragi-kun, that counterattack was amazing!"
Akagi Haruko waved enthusiastically, her face radiating a brilliant smile.
"Heh heh heh..."
Sakuragi scratched his head bashfully. "That was nothing—just genius Sakuragi's standard operating procedure, ha ha ha..."
Coach Taoka finally lost his smile. The red-haired weirdo kept exceeding his expectations. He prepared to stand and call timeout to disrupt Shohoku's momentum when a hand blocked him.
"Coach, Sendoh-senpai is in the zone right now," Yagami said.
Shohoku had only stopped Sendoh and mounted their counterattack by mobilizing their three strongest players plus some unexpected brilliance. And that very fact proved they couldn't consistently contain him.
Coach Taoka might not be the best coach, but he was definitely the one who respected his players most.
Besides, Sendoh noticed Coach Taoka preparing to stand and shook his head. One reason he played basketball was precisely to enjoy these challenging moments.
Possession changed. Ryonan's ball.
Normally, when players face traps, breaking free individually proves extremely difficult. Both Yagami and Sendoh's approaches fell into the stubborn, unconventional category—heavily reliant on individual ability.
If this weren't a practice game, if Ryonan wasn't leading, if the team didn't have a newcomer like Yagami pushing boundaries...
Sendoh would definitely choose more reasonable, team-oriented approaches.
But—
"Today, let me have some real fun!"
Sendoh advanced with the ball. Unsurprisingly, before crossing half court, Rukawa and Sakuragi trapped him again.
BANG!
Sendoh's thinking hadn't changed. After pounding the ball, he quickly shifted laterally toward Sakuragi.
Sakuragi's reaction was lightning-fast. While sliding, he maintained distance from Sendoh, denying the spin move opportunity. Simultaneously, Rukawa sealed the middle gap, leaving no space.
"Improving so fast!" Sendoh couldn't help but marvel. "However—"
BANG!
The ball went through Sakuragi's legs.
Bounce pass!
"Oh no!"
Rukawa spun around quickly. He hadn't expected Sendoh to adjust strategies so rapidly. Now Shohoku's backcourt faced a three-on-four disadvantage.
At least bounce passes couldn't travel far. Rukawa quickly closed on Uekusa.
"UEKUSA!"
Sendoh had already broken free. With perfect chemistry, Uekusa returned the pass.
The double team instantly broken through!
Though they hadn't gotten completely shaken—after the ball returned to Sendoh's hands, the two chased relentlessly from left and right behind him!
Sendoh paid no mind, charging toward the basket on his own.
"BRING IT!" Akagi roared.
He, Sakuragi, and Rukawa vaguely formed a triangle formation, locking Sendoh in the center!
"He's still not passing? Does he plan to take on all three?" Kogure heightened his focus. If Sendoh passed, he had to contest immediately.
BOOM!
Sendoh rose against Akagi, raising the ball overhead.
"One after another, getting so cocky!"
Akagi's massive hand swung down. Rukawa and Sakuragi also attempted chase-down blocks from behind.
"It's over."
Sendoh palmed the ball back with one hand, threading it under Akagi's arm while executing an extreme contortion in mid-air!
As he descended, his fingertips flicked it toward the backboard—
Off the glass!
Even three defenders couldn't stop Sendoh's attack!
Ryonan 34 - 27 Shohoku
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