Slam dunk, hit 100% of the three-pointers at the beginning!

The gym at Ryonan High School was briefly silent, with only the referee's whistle cutting through the stillness.

Shohoku had sent in their strongest lineup so far: Ryu, Kogure, and Kakuta as their sharpshooters; Akagi as the center; and Rukawa as the small forward.

It was an incredibly offensive setup. With Ryu on the court, Shohoku's three-point shooting posed a massive threat, capable of striking from anywhere at any time.

Akagi dominated the paint, holding his own even against Uozumi, while Rukawa's mid-range offense was nearly unstoppable. Apart from Sendoh, no one could effectively contain him.

The spectators held their breath.

"They're going for it—Shohoku is aiming to seal the game now."

"Ryonan's in trouble. This lineup from Shohoku has too much scoring power."

"If they focus on stopping Ryu, Akagi and Rukawa will destroy them. But if they try to stop Akagi or Sendoh, Ryu's three-pointers are just as deadly!"

Ryonan had possession.

Koshino, who was guarding Ryu, sneered. "I'm on you now. Don't think you'll be scoring anymore."

Ryu smirked, his eyes filled with disdain. "You think too highly of yourself."

Sendoh held the ball in front of Rukawa while Ryu casually moved toward them.

Suddenly, Sendoh dropped his center of gravity and used a quick crossover to slip past Rukawa.

"Watch out!"

Ryu moved to help, but Koshino blocked him firmly, leaving Ryu no choice but to shout a warning to Rukawa.

Sendoh drove into the paint and quickly dished the ball to Uozumi under the basket, believing he had drawn enough attention.

But what Sendoh didn't anticipate was the towering defender waiting beneath the rim.

As Uozumi went up for the layup, Akagi soared above him, delivering a thunderous block that completely shut down his view of the basket.

"Uozumi, you're no good!" Akagi taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Uozumi glared at Akagi, anger flashing in his eyes. For three years, Akagi had been the wall he couldn't climb.

While Ryonan's overall record in those years had been far better than Shohoku's, Uozumi had never managed to beat Akagi in a direct matchup.

"Out of bounds! Ryonan retains possession!"

Sendoh quickly stepped over to Uozumi, giving him a reassuring pat on the back. "Don't rush, Uozumi. Stay calm and focused."

Uozumi took a deep breath, nodded, and glanced at Coach Taoka on the bench.

Remembering the delay tactic strategy, he sighed and reminded his teammates. "Keep an eye on the shot clock!"

Ikegami stood out of bounds, scanning for an open teammate before passing to Koshino.

Koshino caught the ball and immediately tried to drive past Ryu.

But Ryu held his ground, blocking the path completely.

Even though defense wasn't Ryu's strongest skill, his height and earlier performance forced Koshino to give up on driving and look for Sendoh instead.

"Here's my chance," Ryu thought, eyes narrowing.

In a flash, Ryu reached out and swiped the ball from Koshino's hands.

By the time Koshino realized what had happened, Ryu was already sprinting toward Ryonan's basket.

"What a steal!"

"A perfect move!" Ayako exclaimed, jumping up excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

As Ryu approached the basket, he glanced back to see Koshino chasing him down.

Ryu went up for a layup, drawing Koshino into the air.

"Got you!" Koshino thought, aiming for a block.

But Ryu pulled the ball back at the last second.

"A fake?!"

With Koshino completely off balance, Ryu went up again, but this time, Sendoh leapt to challenge him.

At the critical moment, Ryu twisted in midair, throwing the ball backward over his head.

"All yours, Rukawa!"

Rukawa caught the pass effortlessly and slammed the ball through the hoop.

The gap was now down to single digits—Shohoku trailed by just eight points.

Coach Taoka's expression darkened as he barked at Koshino. "Don't lose focus against Ryu! Stay sharp!"

Koshino lowered his head, apologizing repeatedly. "Sorry, Coach!"

"Did you see that pass?"

"Shohoku's No. 10 and No. 11 work so well together."

"They're both amazing players!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement. Shohoku was just eight points behind now, and their momentum was building.

However, the game took a different turn after that.

Ryu became the focus of Ryonan's defense, getting heavily pressured and rarely even touching the ball.

Meanwhile, Sendoh, focusing more on defense and delay tactics, managed only four points.

In contrast, Rukawa, now free from Sendoh's tight defense, displayed the full extent of his abilities as a former junior high MVP.

Drives, mid-range jumpers, fadeaways, and post moves—Rukawa was unstoppable.

At the same time, Akagi dominated the paint against Uozumi, showcasing everything a center should be capable of.

Finally, Rukawa drained an elegant three-pointer, putting Shohoku ahead by one point!

Shohoku had taken the lead over Ryonan!