Daiei Academy continued to use a BOX-1 defense. Tsuchiya Atsushi still stuck closely to Nango, but the other Daiei players had spread out, leaving the area near the free-throw line wide open—an irresistible invitation.
As long as the ball-handler was quick enough, they could blow past their defender and either pull up for a shot or drive straight into the paint.
Nango planned to do exactly that. He dribbled on the perimeter, luring Tsuchiya from the top of the arc to the right wing.
He's going to lob it inside? I can't let him succeed!
Just as the thought flashed through Tsuchiya's mind, Nango suddenly exploded forward with a crossover, bursting past Tsuchiya's right side.
Tsuchiya didn't react in time. Nango slipped by him easily, stopped at the free-throw line, and rose for a jumper.
Swish!
His first basket of the game.
Even Tsuchiya can't stop him? What should we do now? Switch back to a 2–3 zone?
Daiei's coach anxiously ran his fingers through his hair, nearly pulling it out. Shohoku's problem wasn't that they relied on one scorer—they had too many.
It made distributing the ball tricky at times, but on the flip side, their offense was so versatile that no matter what defense their opponents used, Shohoku could find a way through.
To contain Shohoku, two things were needed:
A solid defensive system.
Players whose individual abilities weren't too far apart.
Daiei had the first, but lacked the second. If this continued, the balance of the game would inevitably tilt toward Shohoku.
But then again, how many teams could suppress Shohoku for an entire game?
Tsuchiya got the ball again. Sakuragi, guarding him, thought carefully.
The score difference is just one point. He's got no choice—he'll attack again! I can't fall for the same trick twice!
With that, Sakuragi pressed up aggressively, pushing Tsuchiya farther from the basket and disrupting his dribble rhythm.
Tsuchiya felt uncomfortable under such tight pressure. Forced to lean away, he tried to look for a driving lane—but Sakuragi refused to give him space, sticking to him like glue.
"Sakuragi…" Haruko murmured from the stands, her eyes wide. It was the first time she'd seen him so serious—no clowning around, no antics. For a moment, he even resembled Rukawa Kaede.
This guy… his defense is completely different from before!
Even Tsuchiya was shocked. Sakuragi's defensive stance, his timing, his persistence—it all felt transformed. He couldn't find an opening.
Left with no choice, Tsuchiya forced an acceleration, trying to spin past him—but Sakuragi read it perfectly, sliding in front to cut him off again.
"Beautiful! That was perfect defense from Sakuragi!"
"Exactly! Tsuchiya couldn't even get inside!"
"Maybe he really is a genius!"
Kogure clenched his fists, his excitement spilling over. "No, he definitely is! Who else could play basketball for only three months and already hold his own against national-level players? He's become an indispensable part of Shohoku! Go, Sakuragi!"
The bench erupted with cheers. They'd witnessed his growth firsthand and couldn't help but shout with pride.
"Go, Sakuragi!"
"Defeat Tsuchiya! Beat Daiei!"
Ayako smiled and said to Coach Anzai, "Coach, the momentum's changed."
"Hohohoho…" Coach Anzai chuckled warmly. "Yes. It's thanks to Sakuragi."
Leaning against Tsuchiya, Sakuragi grinned proudly.
"Hehe! I've seen through all your offensive routes!"
Damn it… Tsuchiya clenched his jaw. He wasn't one to force plays like Rukawa. Realizing he couldn't break through, he passed the ball out.
Akio Kaneda caught it. Seeing Tsuchiya shut down again, impatience got the better of him. He called for Handa Go to set a pick—but before the screen could form, he rushed in recklessly.
Akagi stepped up immediately, blocking his way, while Rukawa swooped in from behind and stole the ball.
Rukawa spun and took off down the court. Nango and Sakuragi followed at full speed—it was Shohoku's best fast break chance so far.
Handa Go didn't bother retreating—he couldn't catch up—so he moved sideways to slow Rukawa down instead.
Rukawa crouched lower, faked a direction, and slipped past him, then passed sharply toward Nango.
But the pass was a little short—Nango had to stop to grab it.
By then, both Sakuragi and Tsuchiya had already reached inside the three-point line. Tsuchiya moved in front of Sakuragi, ready to block any potential pass.
But Nango lobbed it high anyway.
Tsuchiya jumped, fingertips grazing the ball—but it was just out of reach.
No way… I won't get it, will I?
A split second later—"SLAP!"
The ball was slammed through the rim.
Landing with a heavy thud, Sakuragi smirked and swaggered toward Nango.
"Idiot Nango! That pass was way too high! Good thing I was the one catching it!"
Nango grinned. "Idiot, I knew you could! That's why I passed it like that."
They high-fived hard, heading back on defense. The score was tied, and the momentum had completely shifted in Shohoku's favor.
"That red-haired guy is insane! First he shut down Tsuchiya, and now he dunks over him?"
"His head was at rim level just now, right?"
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
"Tsuchiya…"
Everyone on Daiei looked at him, hoping to see their leader rally—but Tsuchiya's shoulders slumped. He had given his all. What else could he do?
"Beep!"
Daiei's coach immediately called a timeout to stabilize his shaken players.
"Sakuragi, that defense just now was amazing!" Kogure said, handing him a towel.
Sakuragi waved him off, pretending to be modest. "Heh, Glasses! I'm the Genius Sakuragi. That's nothing!"
The team chuckled. They knew his personality too well—he was waiting for more praise.
Mitsui grinned from the bench. "Sakuragi, don't overdo it. Know when to stop while you're ahead."
"Oi, Mitsui! What do you mean 'stop while I'm ahead'? You saw that, right? I was brilliant!"
"Yes, yes, brilliant," Mitsui replied lazily, waving a hand. "Keep it up."
Sakuragi was about to protest again, but Nango cut in, "Sakuragi, that was great defense. Keep it up. That guy you're guarding is one of the top-ranked forwards in the country. If you beat him…"
Sakuragi's eyes widened, realizing what Nango meant. "Then I'll be a national-level forward! Hmph! Sooner or later, I'll be the best in Japan! You just watch!"
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