Endo exclaimed excitedly,
"Oh! Sawakita is constantly using his arms to interfere with Nango! Is he trying to steal the ball outright?!"
After switching sides, Nango prepared to initiate the offense from the top of the arc. Sawakita immediately pressed up on him, his agile footwork paired with long, constantly waving arms as he harassed the dribble without pause.
His goal was clear—
Disrupt Nango's rhythm.
After the brief clash in the previous round, Sawakita had already realized something critical: once Nango truly built momentum, stopping him would become extremely difficult.
So the timing had to be precise.
Before Nango accelerated.
That was why Sawakita moved relentlessly, circling him like a predator.
Against a traditional big man, this kind of defense would have been extremely effective.
But Nango wasn't just a big man—
He was an outside player with the physique of an inside monster.
After a brief moment of discomfort, Nango suddenly switched gears. He dribbled rapidly between his legs, instantly creating separation—
Then exploded forward.
Even with all his courage, Sawakita didn't dare stand directly in front of him. He slid sideways instead, choosing to cling to Nango's flank—
Which meant—
His defense had already failed.
This time, Nango didn't intend to give Sawakita another chance. As he drove, he subtly extended his right arm, giving Sawakita a firm shove that completely shook him off.
Seeing that Nango's charge was even faster and more violent than before, Nobe—still traumatized from the previous collision—hesitated.
He didn't want to step up.
But he knew he had to.
That split second of hesitation was fatal.
Coach Domoto saw it clearly, his brows knitting tightly.
Nobe… too late.
Even though Nobe finally bit the bullet and stepped forward, Nango was already upon him.
There was no avoiding it.
Bang!
Nango rose over Nobe—who hadn't even fully left the ground—and hammered the ball through the hoop with one hand.
Nobe absorbed the full impact.
After landing, he stumbled backward repeatedly until his back slammed against the backboard, barely managing to stay upright.
Beep!
Despite Nobe's miserable state, the referee calmly signaled—
Blocking foul.
An and-one.
Sugiyama Shota shook his head and spoke only one sentence:
"Hesitation leads to defeat."
"You brat… well done!"
Nango Chiyuo clenched his fists tightly, desperately suppressing his emotions. On the outside, he remained restrained—
But inside, his heart surged with pride and excitement.
Nango's mother, however, frowned in concern.
"I wonder if the child who got hit is okay. Nango really doesn't know his own strength. What if he hurts someone?"
Nango Chiyuo replied helplessly,
"Oh, come on… This is basketball, not assault. It's not that serious."
Only then did Sawakita Tetsuji realize something—
The couple sitting beside him were Nango's parents.
He couldn't help but sneak a few more glances at them.
They look so gentle…
How did they raise a kid who charges like a wild bull?
Coach Domoto let out a quiet sigh and turned toward the bench.
"Mikio, get ready."
"Yes."
The moment the 210-centimeter-tall Mikio stood up, the entire arena noticed.
Shohoku's bench stiffened as well.
Kogure swallowed nervously.
"Morishige Hiroshi was already terrifying… but this Mikio looks even bigger. I really don't know if what Nango said yesterday was true…"
"Who's going to guard him?" Sendo asked casually.
Yet his eyes were already on Sakuragi.
Nango nudged Sakuragi with a grin.
"It's your turn."
After saying that, he walked calmly toward the free-throw line.
Sakuragi said nothing.
His gaze locked onto Little Kawata, flames burning in his eyes.
Haruko…
This time, I definitely won't lose!
Mikio's entrance forced a brief pause in the flow of the game.
Without Domoto needing to say anything, Sannoh's players understood—
The next offense would revolve around Mikio.
Sawakita clicked his tongue softly.
"…Tch. What a buzzkill."
"Brother…"
As soon as Mikio stepped onto the court, he greeted Big Kawata, but his eyes flickered nervously. He looked half-asleep—and clearly afraid of his older brother.
Thwack!
Big Kawata smacked him lightly on the head.
"Idiot! Wake up! Show what you practice normally!"
"Yes…"
Little Kawata rubbed his head and replied meekly.
At the free-throw line, Nango took the ball from the referee and calmly sank the shot.
The lead extended to 7 points.
8 minutes remained in the first half.
Sannoh attacked.
Little Kawata's intention was obvious—get deep into the paint, post up, demand the ball.
But Sakuragi guarded him like he was facing Morishige Hiroshi again, lowering his center of gravity and using his entire body to block every inch of space.
Soon, Sakuragi realized something surprising—
Little Kawata wasn't nearly as hard to deal with as he'd imagined.
At least—
Compared to Morishige Hiroshi, the difference was massive.
Just like Nango said…
Big, but all fat! Empty weight!
Sakuragi couldn't help laughing and deliberately taunted,
"Give up already, meatball man! I'm not letting you through!"
But Little Kawata didn't get angry.
There was only one thought in his head—
How is this red-haired guy so strong?!
Seeing that Little Kawata still couldn't establish position, Fukatsu frowned.
This was troublesome.
But Sawakita?
He was delighted.
That meant—
His game could continue.
He moved toward the baseline and shouted loudly,
"Fukatsu!"
With no other option, Fukatsu passed the ball out.
Sawakita received the ball.
But this time, he didn't attack immediately.
Instead, he chuckled softly at Nango.
"Game on."
"Bring it," Nango replied, spreading his arms and carefully controlling the distance.
At the same time, his mind raced.
Left… or right?
Although he couldn't see behind him, Nango clearly remembered the court positioning—
Sakuragi was behind him to the back-left.
Akagi was behind him to the back-right.
This information—
Could decide everything.
Although Little Kawata's entry hadn't produced direct results, his presence still mattered.
Because once Sakuragi helped on defense—
Little Kawata would slide directly under the basket.
Whether it was an offensive rebound or a quick finish, he'd have the advantage.
Which meant—
Sakuragi's help defense was effectively neutralized.
A huge loss for Shohoku.
Putting everything together, Nango reached his conclusion.
Sawakita will attack left.
Toward Sakuragi and Little Kawata.
Or—
A drive into a pull-up jumper.
Having completed his calculations, Nango subtly shifted his stance.
He was ready.