The previous play had been completely dismantled by Nango and Sakuragi's teamwork, forcing Ryokufu to start over.
The Tsurumi Brothers decided to run the same tactic again — using their trademark pick-and-rolls to break down Shohoku's defense.
But this time, the usually composed Yasuda made a bold move. He lunged forward and stole the ball straight from Keiji's hands!
"What—?!"
The Tsurumi Brothers froze for a second, then immediately gave chase.
Even Shohoku's players were caught off guard by the sudden steal, unable to launch a fast break in time. Yasuda crossed half-court alone.
Seeing the brothers closing in, Yasuda didn't force a shot. He calmly protected the ball, waiting for his teammates to catch up.
Sakuragi shouted while sprinting forward, "Nice one, Little Yasuda!"
Nango gave him a thumbs-up.
Miyagi, jogging beside them, smirked. "He may not talk much, but he's not dumb. After being hit by the same play a few times, of course he'd figure something out. Ryokufu's offense is way too predictable."
Yasuda gestured subtly. Sakuragi immediately understood and stepped up to set a screen.
Shohoku had used countless pick-and-rolls before, so Sakuragi's timing was impeccable. His screen was solid, completely pinning down Seiji.
However, Yasuda was now face-to-face with Mike, who easily blocked his path. Yasuda didn't try to force a drive — instead, he passed the ball to Sakuragi, letting him attack Seiji one-on-one.
It seemed like a good plan at first glance. But Nango frowned slightly.
Letting Sakuragi attack from that far out isn't ideal. His sweet spot is around the free-throw line or closer… this possession will come down to whether he can grab an offensive rebound.
Facing the taller Sakuragi, Seiji couldn't defend properly, so he kept swiping at the ball from below.
Sakuragi didn't dare put it down immediately. He backed Seiji down, used his body to shield the ball, then turned to drive inside.
Mike instantly rotated to help, abandoning Yasuda completely — the right call, since Sakuragi's eyes were locked on the rim.
Mike cut off Sakuragi just outside the paint. Seiji quickly joined him, trapping Sakuragi between them. Sakuragi tried to pivot and pass out.
"Nango!" he yelled.
Nango darted forward, boxing out Nadaka Hikaru behind him.
"You wish!" Mike growled, waving his arms to block every passing lane. Seiji also stayed alert, ready to pounce for a steal.
"Over here!" Rukawa shouted, slipping along the baseline behind Sakuragi.
Sakuragi hesitated — he didn't want to pass to Rukawa — but with every other route sealed off, he had no choice. He threw it out reluctantly.
The moment Rukawa caught it, he drove hard along the baseline. Katsumi Ichiro couldn't keep up, losing him in an instant.
Seeing Rukawa cut toward the rim, Nadaka Hikaru shifted sideways to block him. But Rukawa stayed calm, changed direction sharply, using Nango's body as a natural screen, and pulled up for a smooth jumper.
Swish!
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
Even as Shohoku scored, Nango felt uneasy. Their last two possessions had been a bit chaotic. He motioned to Yasuda. "Next time, look for Rukawa directly when setting up the screen."
Back on offense, Seiji called for a change. Keiji wanted to set another pick, but Seiji stopped him with a look. This time, he had Mike come up for the screen instead.
Using Mike's pick, Seiji escaped Yasuda and drifted to the side, bouncing the ball perfectly to Mike cutting into the paint.
Mike caught it, took two steps, and launched up — this was his ideal shooting range.
Seeing him rise, Nango didn't contest. If he jumped recklessly, he might injure Mike — or worse, get dunked on. Not worth the risk.
But Sakuragi didn't care. He charged in shouting, "Get down!"
"Shit!" Mike cursed. Sakuragi was coming straight at him, his vertical leap nearly matching his own!
"—Huh?!"
But Sakuragi's swinging arm hit only air — Mike had pulled the ball back midair and finished with a crafty scoop shot.
"Damn it! He dodged!" Sakuragi growled, clearly annoyed.
Mike, despite scoring, broke into a cold sweat. His heart raced.
That redhead's vertical jump is insane… he might even outjump me!
"Beep!"
Shohoku called a timeout.
Coach Anzai made another quick adjustment — subbing Yasuda out for Miyagi, who hadn't played yet.
"What's going on?! Is Shohoku just going to keep rotating forever?!" Eri complained from the bench, visibly irritated. For her, the match had lost its meaning. "This game might still matter to Ryokufu, but not to me. I just want it over with already."
Coach Ofune asked cautiously, "Eri, should we make substitutions too? Nadaka and the others have been playing nonstop."
Eri waved him off, "Do whatever you want."
So he did — replacing Nadaka and the others to give his bench some playing time.
The starters didn't protest. With Shohoku's constant adjustments widening the gap, continuing would only waste energy.
Mike, however, wasn't at peace. He knew they couldn't win, but being subbed out still stung.
Coach Anzai noticed Ryokufu's full rotation and decided there was no reason to keep experimenting either. He switched to his bench players as well. While the substitutes finished the game, he quietly replayed every moment in his mind, already planning how to refine his new ideas later.
The final buzzer sounded. Ryokufu High, the host school, suffered their first loss since the team's founding.
As soon as the game ended, Eri immediately approached Kano.
"Can you help me set up a meeting with Nango?" she asked bluntly.
"Eh? Sure, but… why?" Kano blinked. Eri, who used to scoff at a certain someone, suddenly wanted to meet him?
Eri smiled slyly. "You'd like to go to and from school with Nango every day, right?"
Kano's face turned red. She didn't answer — just nodded slightly.
"Then leave it to me," Eri said. "You ask him out, and I'll handle the rest."
"…Okay, I understand."
Kano had a faint idea of what Eri was planning, but the thought of seeing Nango every day was too tempting to resist.
Ayako elbowed Nango teasingly. "You're not coming back with us, are you?"
Behind her, the Shohoku team gave him a variety of looks — curiosity, envy, and amusement.
Nango grinned and waved them off. "Yeah, you guys go ahead. I'm meeting up with Kano."
As he walked away, Miyagi muttered, "That guy's got it easy… already going on dates right after the game."
Sakuragi nodded earnestly. "I want that kind of life too!"
Meanwhile, Rukawa glanced at Coach Anzai leading the team and thought silently, Maybe it's time…
Nango soon found Kano waiting. He took her small hand and smiled. "Let's go."
"W-wait!" Kano stammered, gripping his arm nervously. "Eri said she has something to talk to you about."
"Eh? Eri? What does she want?" Nango tilted his head, puzzled.
"I'm not sure… maybe to thank you for setting up this practice match," Kano said innocently — unaware of what was actually coming next.
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