After Teppei Kiyoshi sealed Kōji Kobori off, Yukio Kasamatsu naturally gave up on that passing lane.
There was no helping it. With Kobori pinned down that tightly, even if Kasamatsu forced a risky pass to him, Teppei Kiyoshi would most likely block it away.
This was not because he did not trust his teammate. On the contrary, it was because he trusted him completely! It was Yukio Kasamatsu's absolute faith in Kōji Kobori's ability!!!
Yukio Kasamatsu gave up on Kōji Kobori and began looking for the others, using the chance to burn some time as well.
Yoshitaka Moriyama and the backup small forward kept moving, trying to shake free.
Mitsuhiro Hayakawa kept looking for opportunities to set screens for Yoshitaka Moriyama.
But Junpei Hyuga stayed tight on him. After all, he did not want his own lapse in focus to cost the team the game.
So he gritted his teeth and stuck to Yoshitaka Moriyama, not daring to let his guard down for even a second.
At this point, not a single player on the court dared to relax.
But...
Even with Kaijō on such high alert...
They had still forgotten the most important person...
They had forgotten that shadow, the one who had first hidden beneath Taiga Kagami's light, and now hid beneath Tatsuya Himuro's.
That was the sneaky sixth man... no, the Phantom Sixth Man!
Tetsuya Kuroko!
Shun Izuki's eyes suddenly shifted. Then, as if he had noticed something, his body tensed, ready to launch an attack at any moment.
Yukio Kasamatsu sensed the change in Shun Izuki and quickly turned his attention toward him.
And that was exactly what Shun Izuki wanted!
Smack!!!
A crisp sound of the ball being knocked away suddenly rang out.
Yukio Kasamatsu's eyes widened sharply, because he felt the ball in his hands...
Disappear!...
In disbelief, he shifted his gaze and saw Tetsuya Kuroko's guilty hand still near his waist.
At the same time, Kuroko said, "Sorry."
This! Was an apology from the sneaky sixth man!
The moment the sound rang out, Shun Izuki moved as if he had received a signal, quickly scooping up the ball and sprinting toward the frontcourt.
At the same time, Tatsuya Himuro and Junpei Hyuga also broke into a run.
Teppei Kiyoshi wanted to join the fast break as well, but the instant he moved, his expression suddenly changed.
A sharp pain shot through his leg.
Teppei Kiyoshi frowned, gritted his teeth, and jogged toward the frontcourt.
Riko Aida did not notice it from the sidelines. Instead, Shinji Koganei was the one who caught it.
Shinji Koganei hurriedly said, "Coach, Teppei Kiyoshi's leg..."
Hearing that, Riko Aida immediately looked toward Teppei Kiyoshi.
She saw him jogging forward, but his expression looked strange.
She could not tell whether the sweat on his forehead was normal sweat or cold sweat.
Seeing Teppei Kiyoshi's awkward movements, Riko Aida understood at once!
Teppei Kiyoshi had overworked himself!
By then, Seirin's fast break had already been completed.
Shun Izuki assisted Tatsuya Himuro for a layup.
As for why it was not a fast-break three-pointer...
Come on, do you think everyone is Miyamoto Tokima or Shintaro Midorima?!
The score was now 95 to 98, with Seirin trailing Kaijō by three points.
Riko Aida did not care about the score. She immediately called a timeout, ready to find out exactly what was going on with Teppei Kiyoshi.
"Beep! Seirin High School requests a timeout!"
The referee blew the whistle for a timeout.
Junpei Hyuga and the others looked completely baffled, unable to understand why Riko Aida had called it.
After all, they were just getting into rhythm!
They had finally found their touch.
Calling a timeout when your players are hot is a huge taboo!
The players' rhythm could very well drop because of that timeout.
Normally, it was the opposing coach who would call a timeout after seeing the other team catch fire, using it to slow the pace and discuss countermeasures.
But who calls a timeout when their own team is rolling?
The others did not know, but Teppei Kiyoshi did.
The moment he heard the timeout, Teppei Kiyoshi knew that Riko Aida had noticed something was wrong with him.
So Teppei Kiyoshi sighed and weakly clenched his fist.
Off the court.
Miyamoto Tokima shook his head and murmured, "His injury flared up again."
Satsuki Momoi glanced at the information in her hands and said, "It should be overexertion. His injured leg probably couldn't take the strain anymore. As for whether the injury has actually relapsed, we'll have to wait for the final examination results."
"Still, he probably won't be able to play for the rest of this match."
Shogo Haizaki frowned and said, "With Teppei Kiyoshi out, Seirin's inside game is in danger."
Makoto Hanamiya glanced at Shogo Haizaki in surprise and said, "Haizaki, since when did you start worrying about Seirin?"
Shogo Haizaki's face flushed slightly, and he said casually, "When did I ever say I was rooting for Seirin?"
I would never admit that I just can't stand that brat Kise!
Makoto Hanamiya narrowed his eyes and grinned.
"Haizaki, you're not... hoping Kise gets eliminated, are you?"
Shogo Haizaki's pupils widened slightly before he could stop himself.
Dude, can you read minds or what?!
...
On the court.
The moment Teppei Kiyoshi stepped off, he was met with Riko Aida's death stare.
"Teppei! Why were you hiding this from us?!"
Junpei Hyuga and the others froze, then seemed to realize something and looked at Teppei Kiyoshi in shock.
"Kiyoshi, don't tell me you..."
Riko Aida nodded and said, "That's right. Teppei's leg is probably overloaded. He has to rest."
Teppei Kiyoshi was about to say something, but Riko Aida cut him off on the spot.
Riko Aida pointed her index finger at him and activated her skill!
[First Threat]!
"Teppei, you have to come off! And you have to go to the hospital with Furihata right now for an examination!"
Teppei Kiyoshi scratched his head, gave a bitter smile, and said, "Riko, it's not that serious, is it...?"
Riko Aida pointed her index finger at him again and activated her skill!
[Second Threat]!
"This is an order from me as your coach! Furihata! Take Teppei to the hospital!"
Furihata looked at Riko Aida, then at Teppei Kiyoshi, not knowing what to do for a moment.
At that moment, Riko Aida turned her index finger toward him and activated another skill!
[Third Threat]!!!
"Hm??!"
Riko Aida let out a heavy nasal "hm," and Furihata's hair stood on end as he quickly said, "Got it!"
Then Furihata went over to Teppei Kiyoshi's side and supported him.
"Kiyoshi, let's go! Otherwise, my life is over!"
Teppei Kiyoshi hesitated. Just then, a voice rang out...
...