Chapter Fifty-One: Slam It Down!
"That bastard actually dares look down on you!" Takano said with displeasure.
Fujima smiled calmly. "Don't be like that. This small matter doesn't count as anything."
He'd originally wanted to use provocative tactics to reduce Yagami's passing and force one-on-one situations. After all, his own chances of defending this first-year were slightly higher than Hasegawa's chances of stopping Sendoh.
Looking now, the process seemed fine, but the results were somewhat off.
Yagami's scoring ability appeared far stronger than he'd imagined!
"Anyway, let's take back a possession!"
Fujima steadied the situation, dribbling across the centerline.
"What, not continuing?" Yagami asked at Ryonan's three-point arc.
"Now you're reversing the provocation on me?" Fujima thought inwardly, finding it somewhat amusing.
"Then let's try again?"
Fujima also felt a competitive spark ignited.
He lowered his stance, the basketball bouncing back and forth under his control.
"Here it comes." Yagami's center of gravity sank slightly, eyes locked on Fujima's shoulders.
Fujima executed two quick crossovers in rapid succession, the basketball seemingly glued to his hands.
Just as Yagami judged his drive direction, Fujima executed an extremely fast hesitation into a strong right-side drive, the first step's explosiveness instantly creating half a body-length of space!
"Not that simple!"
Yagami reacted quickly. Though Fujima's speed was fast, he wasn't lacking either, turning sideways to stay glued to his opponent.
"Bang!"
Fujima suddenly pulled the ball back, back foot planted on the three-point line—gathered, jumped, shot!
A long two-pointer!
Yagami's footwork stuttered, forcefully leaping toward Fujima.
"Useless." Fujima released early again. "Wait!"
Yagami's fingertips were nearly touching the basketball in Fujima's hands!
From the start, he'd never planned blocking from above but rather predicted Fujima's release height to intercept directly!
"This guy—"
Just watching my shot once, he'd already thought of a countermeasure?
At the critical moment, Fujima's abdomen contracted, forcibly adjusting his release position, his wrist pushing the ball toward a higher, farther trajectory, narrowly escaping Yagami's fingertip coverage!
"Rebound!" Yagami and Fujima shouted simultaneously.
The basketball traced a slightly flat arc, heavily hitting the back rim and bouncing up!
"Smack!"
Without Uozumi, Hanagata easily secured the rebound above everyone's heads.
But just as both feet landed, a palm reached out from the side—Sendoh!
He precisely predicted Hanagata's landing ball-protection moment, his hand both quick and accurate, directly stealing the ball!
"Fast break!"
"Get back!"
Both teams' players shouted simultaneously.
Yagami and Fujima sprinted at the front, already past halfcourt.
Sendoh didn't hesitate at all, forcefully throwing the ball with one hand. The basketball flew toward the frontcourt like a precision-guided missile!
However—
"Oops, went a bit too high." Sendoh's expression showed slight embarrassment. After all, passing low risked Fujima's interception.
Yagami stepped one pace inside the free throw line, planting firmly on the floor and exploding skyward with force.
"Boom!"
"WHAT?!!"
Fujima stopped at the free throw line, face full of shock.
Yagami's body fully extended in mid-air, his right hand catching the pass at the perfect moment, smoothly hammering the ball through the rim!
"BOOM!!"
Ryonan 81 - Shoyo 78
"When did Sorato learn to jump this high?!" Sendoh's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
Though he knew Yagami was rapidly improving, he hadn't expected transformation to come this quickly.
This progress was certainly no accident. Yagami was undoubtedly Ryonan's hardest trainer, even exceeding the willpower-renowned Uozumi.
Moreover, Yagami's training carried strong purposefulness, as if he knew exactly what needed improvement at each stage.
"Could it be training together daily made me not notice these changes?" Sendoh muttered internally, surprisingly feeling an inexplicable sense of urgency arise.
"Fujima-senpai," Yagami landed steadily, looking seriously at Fujima with barely concealed excitement in his tone. "Continue?"
Fujima didn't immediately respond, simply looking deeply at the ignited Yagami. He then turned, decisively making a gesture toward Shoyo's bench.
Shoyo's supervisor immediately stood.
"Tweet!"
"Shoyo requests timeout!"
The whistle sounded. Play temporarily stopped.
Shoyo players gathered, the atmosphere slightly heavy.
"Sorry, it's my problem," Hanagata spoke first, tone low. "I couldn't protect that rebound."
"No, I shouldn't have left Sendoh open, giving him a chance to cut in..." Hasegawa also blamed himself.
"Clap! Clap!"
Fujima extended both hands, forcefully patting their backs. His voice transmitted clearly and firmly to the players' ears:
"The game isn't over! Now isn't the time to assign blame."
He paused, gaze sweeping across everyone. "Moreover, if I had to say, perhaps I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me, competing with that first-year brat and disrupting our rhythm."
"Fujima, we know you—"
Fujima waved his hand, interrupting the players' words.
Timeout was precious. He'd called the stoppage for two clear purposes: first, to disrupt Yagami's momentum; second, to reconfirm tactical direction.
"Listen," he lowered his voice, speaking quickly. "Before Uozumi returns to the court, our next attacks must decisively start from the interior, using Hanagata's advantages to score steadily! As for the perimeter duel..."
His gaze again fixed on that first-year's figure in Ryonan's rest area.
"We'll save it for the game's final moments to decide the winner!"
"Understood!" Shoyo players responded in unison.
Timeout ended. Play continued.
"Oh?" Sendoh looked at Shoyo's players with interest. "Their eyes have become resolute again..."
Had to admit, Fujima was truly a terrifying opponent.
Shoyo's ball. After Fujima brought the ball past halfcourt, he observed teammates' positions.
Ryonan's defensive strategy also adjusted slightly. Since one person couldn't stop Hanagata, have Sugahira and Ikegami double-team him!
However, this left right-side Takano completely open.
Fujima didn't hesitate, passing to Takano.
But the instant Takano caught the ball, Yagami and Sendoh simultaneously abandoned their assignments, double-teaming him!
"What?!"
"Pass back quick!"
Seeing this, Fujima hurriedly stepped forward, shouting loudly. Under high pressure, Takano frantically passed back—
"Smack!"
Yagami intercepted the ball directly in the middle!
"Damn!" Shoyo players' hearts sank.
After successfully stealing, Yagami showed no hesitation, charging alone at full acceleration toward the frontcourt, leaving Shoyo's retreating defenders far behind.
"Boom!"
The rim's massive sound—in a flash, Yagami slammed home a one-handed dunk!
Ryonan 83 - Shoyo 78
"Damn, were our tactics completely read?!"
Fujima's heart shook violently. His gaze involuntarily shifted toward Ryonan's bench. Coach Taoka sat steadily as a mountain, face carrying an expression of complete control.
Was it the gap in sideline coaching?
Fujima thought bitterly. Shoyo's every reaction seemed within Ryonan's expectations.
Sendoh noticed his gaze, seemingly thinking of something, couldn't help saying: "Might differ slightly from what you're thinking. The person who devised that defensive tactic just now—that was Sorato."
"What?"
Fujima's head whipped toward Sendoh, but the other clearly wasn't lying to confuse him.
Offensive transition. Shoyo's offense.
Fujima chose having left-wing Nagano isolate Koshino in the mid-range.
Nagano's shot truly wasn't contested, but his first-half touch seemed to have completely disappeared. The basketball bounced off the rim.
Fortunately, Hanagata battled through Ryonan's two players for the rebound, putting back the miss.
Ryonan 83 - Shoyo 80
"Uozumi, if today our opponent were Shohoku, or other national powerhouses with elite centers, would you just sit on the bench watching?"
Coach Taoka didn't explode, his voice remaining calm, yet his words stabbed into Uozumi's heart like knives.
"I'm sorry, Coach."
"You're not really sorry to me, but to your teammates on the court." Coach Taoka said slowly. "I won't scold you this game because your movements remained controlled. Fujima and Hanagata deliberately targeted you, exploiting your weakness."
"But being targeted is part of being a player. As the team's interior pillar, you should understand this."
"Yes." Uozumi bowed his head.
"You should also thank Yagami. If he hadn't stopped you, you wouldn't even have a chance to re-enter this game."
"Losing your emotions on referees—this foolish behavior, I hope this is the last time." Coach Taoka's tone became stern. "Any unfairness on court, I as coach will fight for. I can be ejected, but you cannot!"
"Yes!"
"Wait two more minutes, then prepare to enter."
"Understood!"
"Clang!"
Open Ikegami's mid-range attempt missed. The basketball bounced up again.
"Rebound!"
Hanagata knew Ryonan's focus was on him, so rather than blindly jumping, he used his height and weight to firmly box out Sugahira and Ikegami behind him, creating space for teammates.
"Takano!" He shouted loudly.
Takano understood immediately, leaping forcefully, both hands reaching for the bouncing basketball in mid-air.
Only, just as the basketball was about to be controlled by Takano.
Behind him, a figure appeared from behind!
Yagami again!
The instant Takano's hands were about to secure the ball, Yagami's palm precisely pressed on the basketball! Borrowing his forward momentum, he violently hammered the ball through the rim!
"BOOM!"
Ryonan 90 - Shoyo 85
Aida's mouth hung open, staring at the court in shock before slowly turning to ask Coach Taoka:
"Does Uozumi-senpai not need to enter anymore?"
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