"Huh? They're arguing!"
Sakuragi jumped up and down, trying to get everyone's attention to watch the commotion on Ryokufu's bench.
Mitsui wasn't interested. "Don't mind other people's business," he advised calmly. "Let's rest, finish the game early, and head home early."
Akagi agreed. Without hesitation, he grabbed Sakuragi by the shoulder and barked, "Mind your own business and stop worrying about others!"
"I know, I know…" Sakuragi pouted, muttering under his breath, "Hmph, that Gorilla, always lecturing."
Meanwhile, Miyagi noticed Nango sitting quietly, arms crossed and looking unmotivated.
"Nango, why do you look so listless?" he asked curiously.
Nango sighed. "A little disappointed. Ryokufu isn't as strong as I thought. Maybe their individual skills are fine, but as a team? They're far too weak."
Miyagi glanced at Ryokufu's bench, where the players were still bickering. "Yeah, I didn't expect them to start fighting among themselves before the first half even ended. Honestly, I don't think there's any suspense left in this game. That foreigner's not nearly as good as the rumors said."
"How good do you think you are?! The ball's always in your hands—and look at the score! Don't you have any awareness at all?"
Ebina's outburst left Mike speechless and red-faced.
"Enough! Aren't you embarrassed enough already?!"
Eri finally stepped in, her patience running out. She hadn't wanted to deal with this group of immature players, but with the entire gym laughing at them, she had no choice.
She couldn't understand how they could play so poorly and still have the nerve to argue in public. They were completely shaming her.
When their benefactor spoke, everyone fell silent immediately—but their glares at one another remained sharp.
Eri exhaled heavily. "Since the game's already turned out like this, I don't expect you to win anymore. Just… narrow the score. Don't lose too badly."
Without waiting for a reply, she sat back down.
Everyone looked at one another awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Coach Ofune broke the silence. "On offense, try to create mismatches against Mitsui Hisashi. He's Shohoku's weakest link defensively, and his stamina isn't great. If we keep attacking him, he'll become our breakthrough point.
"On defense, pay attention to rotations, recovery, and transition defense. Don't let Shohoku counterattack easily, and don't allow them to combine inside and outside plays. Try to force Number 10, Sakuragi, to shoot from outside."
Eri's and Coach Ofune's words helped calm the tension. The three arguing players nodded reluctantly, agreeing to follow the plan.
Timeout over.
Ryokufu inbounded the ball.
When the Tsurumi Brothers stepped onto the court, Shohoku's players blinked in surprise—it wasn't every day you saw twin brothers playing together in a competitive match.
Nango didn't care much. He moved to guard the older brother, Tsurumi Seiji, who was handling the ball. But before Nango could close the distance, Seiji passed to his younger brother, Keiji, then immediately cut toward him.
Nango instantly recognized their intent. A two-man play, huh? He sprinted after them.
Mitsui, who was guarding Keiji, saw Seiji's movement and adjusted his stance, preparing to trap the brothers with Nango.
But Keiji read Mitsui's intention and put the ball down for a quick drive.
He managed to slip past Mitsui, but Mitsui wasn't too worried. They're both only about 175 cm. Even if they get inside, they can't do much damage.
He was wrong.
Keiji's drive wasn't meant to score—it was to draw the defense.
Mike, who'd been quiet off the ball, suddenly made a sharp back cut, shaking off Rukawa Kaede completely. He leapt near the paint, perfectly positioned for an attack. Keiji saw him and lobbed the ball forward.
"No way!" Akagi roared, jumping high to block what looked like Ryokufu's last desperate attempt.
"What?!" Kogure stood up from the bench in shock.
But Mike adjusted mid-air, tucking his body tightly and slipping right past Akagi. He executed a smooth reverse layup off the glass.
Swish.
After scoring, Mike clenched his fist and raised it high, shouting, "Nice!"
He then turned to Keiji. "That was an excellent pass!"
The two high-fived with renewed energy before running back on defense.
"This guy's jumping ability is insane! He jumped even higher than Akagi-senpai!"
"Yeah, but it's fine. We're still leading. Victory's ours."
"That's right. Basketball isn't a high jump contest—otherwise they wouldn't be trailing so badly."
Shohoku's bench players were surprised by Mike's athleticism, but none of them were worried.
Nango, however, frowned. These two brothers… are they really going to turn things around for Ryokufu?
With the Tsurumi Brothers on court, Ryokufu effectively had two point guards. Their coordination and movement created small but constant opportunities.
No matter how strong Nango was, he could only guard one of them. To stop them both, Shohoku would need a second defender to step up.
However, Shohoku's defensive system was purely man-to-man. Intricate two-man plays like these were tricky to deal with.
Still, defense wasn't the real problem. As long as their offense stayed solid, Shohoku could maintain control.
Nango brought the ball up the court, reading Ryokufu's new defensive setup at a glance.
They're baiting Sakuragi into a one-on-one… trying to isolate him.
Mike guarded Nango.
Seiji marked Rukawa.
Keiji locked onto Mitsui.
And Katsumi Ichiro—Ryokufu's small forward—was forced to guard Sakuragi, despite his slimmer build.
Seeing the mismatch, Nango gestured for his teammates to spread out, then passed the ball to Sakuragi for the isolation play.
Ryokufu's players exchanged knowing smiles, thinking their plan had worked.
Nango turned to Mike and said calmly, "You must think we've fallen into your trap—but you're wrong. Sakuragi's offensive ability isn't as weak as you think."
Mike's expression stiffened. He hadn't expected Nango to see through their plan and still go through with it. Could that red-haired guy really be that strong?
"Hehe! Finally, a one-on-one!"
Sakuragi's eyes gleamed with excitement. It had been too long since his last solo play—he'd been itching for this moment.
Katsumi swallowed nervously. The redhead's build screamed delinquent, and he looked more like a brawler than a basketball player.
He's gonna crash into me!
He prayed Sakuragi would just take a jumper. Even if he failed to contest it, it wouldn't look too bad—especially after he'd just argued with Mike. If Sakuragi scored easily, it'd be a slap to his pride.
Sakuragi, oblivious to Katsumi's fears, extended his right leg, probing the defense.
It's over… he's gonna charge right through me!
Katsumi instinctively stepped back.
So smooth?
Sakuragi blinked in surprise at how easily Katsumi retreated. Not wasting the chance, he jumped and released his shot.
"Oh no…"
The moment the ball left his hand, Sakuragi knew it was off. He'd used too much force.
Clang! The ball smacked off the rim. Nadaka Hikaru grabbed the rebound and shouted, "Good defense, Katsumi!"
I didn't do anything! Katsumi's face turned red with embarrassment.
"Looks like that guy isn't as strong as you said!"
Mike smirked, turning to Nango with a mocking tone.
Nango said nothing, retreating to defense with a dark look.
Idiot Sakuragi… why didn't you just drive in?!
Mike chuckled under his breath, finally feeling a hint of satisfaction. For the first time in the match, he had managed to make Nango eat humble pie.
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