The trembling of the hoop had not yet subsided when Takato Riki stood up from the coaching bench and made a decisive substitution gesture towards the court.
The whistle blew, and Muto Tadashi ran towards the bench with his head down, his face showing unconcealable frustration—he was largely to blame for being half a beat slow in his defensive help on Mike Okita's powerful dunk.
Replacing him was the slender, bespectacled Miyamasu.
"Bringing in a smaller player?" Aida Hikoichi scratched his head. "But Ryokufu's inside presence is so strong right now, wouldn't using a smaller player be too risky?"
Gu Jin, however, narrowed his eyes knowingly: "Hainan is going to take a different approach. Hikoichi, don't underestimate him; his three-point shot is very accurate!"
On the sideline, Takato Riki patted Miyamasu's shoulder, his voice not loud but every word clear: "Don't be afraid of physical contact. You only need to remember one thing—run to your most comfortable spot and shoot the ball."
He then turned to Jin Soichiro, his gaze as sharp as a knife, "A Shen, your shooting range covers half the court. Pull Ryokufu's defense apart for me!"
Maki Shinichi understood his coach's intention. When the game restarted, his speed in dribbling the ball forward noticeably slowed.
Hainan's formation quietly changed. Miyamasu and Jin Soichiro, like two sharp daggers, roamed left and right beyond the three-point line. Kiyota Nobunaga, meanwhile, dropped to near the free-throw line, ready to crash the boards or receive a pass.
Ryokufu's defense immediately fell into a dilemma.
Sato Tatsuya kept a close eye on Maki Shinichi, James Wallace was wary of Kiyota's jumping ability, and Na Takamitsu dared not easily leave the paint—Kosha Kazuma was too good at finding openings!!!
Just then, Maki Shinichi suddenly accelerated and drove in.
However, he didn't get greedy. With a flick of his wrist, the basketball flew like a guided missile to the right corner—where Miyamasu had already established his footing, catching the ball, jumping, and shooting, all in one smooth motion.
"Swish!"
The basketball went cleanly through the net, a three-pointer! 24:16.
"Great shot!" The Hainan bench erupted in cheers.
"Maki, are you avoiding me?"
Sato Tatsuya frowned slightly. He hadn't expected Hainan to suddenly change their formation to play on the perimeter.
He had been somewhat looking forward to Maki Shinichi trying to score on him one-on-one.
Although Hainan had scored, Ryokufu's offense felt less pressured due to the absence of Muto Tadashi.
He still made an accurate pass to James, who scored another 2 points with a jump shot.
26:16.
"Coach, Hainan's defense seems to have weakened. Can this really work?" Aida Hikoichi watched Ryokufu frequently attacking the paint and couldn't help but lean closer to Taoka Moichi, asking with a puzzled expression, his pen hovering over his notebook.
Taoka Moichi, however, shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the game: "Hikoichi, look closer. How could Takato make a losing deal?"
He lightly tapped his fingertip on the sideline, "They're trading three points for two points—using precise outside shooting to force Ryokufu to expand their defense. This allows them to quickly catch up in score and slowly wear down the opponent's inside advantage. Once the score is close, Ryokufu will get anxious, and opportunities will naturally arise."
No sooner had he spoken than Jin Soichiro received the ball again on the right side beyond the three-point line. He shot decisively over Mike Okita's closeout defense, and the basketball steadily dropped into the net.
Aida Hikoichi watched the constantly shrinking gap on the scoreboard and suddenly understood what Taoka Moichi meant—Hainan seemed to be letting Ryokufu score, but in reality, they were slowly regaining control of the game in the way they were best at.
26:19.
After Ryokufu scored with another dunk.
In the next possession, Maki Shinichi repeated the tactic, this time passing the ball to Jin Soichiro at the left 45-degree angle.
A Shen's shot was even more stable than Miyamasu's. The basketball arced softly through the air and once again swished through the net. 28:22.
In just a few tens of seconds, with a few three-pointers, Hainan instantly narrowed the deficit to 6 points.
Takato Riki stood on the sideline, watching the court expressionlessly: "This is just the beginning."
In Ryonan's rest area, Taoka Moichi stroked his chin and nodded: "Takato, that old fox, wants to use three-pointers to tear open Ryokufu's defense.
Miyamasu and A Shen's shooting range can force Ryokufu to expand their defense, which reduces pressure on the inside, and Maki will have more opportunities to drive and dish..."
Aida Hikoichi quickly jotted notes in his notebook: "I see! Using outside firepower to suppress the opponent's inside advantage, that's a brilliant move!"
Gu Jin's gaze fell on the small, bespectacled player on the court.
Miyamasu's physical condition was not outstanding among high school students, but his almost instinctive shooting touch was precisely the best weapon to break Ryokufu's dense defense.
Takato Riki's courage to put him on the court at such a critical moment was truly admirable.
On the court, Sato Tatsuya, with the ball, once again faced Maki Shinichi, the sneer in his eyes fading a bit, replaced by a touch of solemnity.
He knew that Hainan, that old fox, had finally bared its fangs.
"Maki, didn't you forget something?" Sato Tatsuya controlled the ball, setting the pace, then suddenly looked up at Maki Shinichi, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Hmm?" Maki Shinichi frowned, his palms slightly sweating, all his muscles tensed—he knew too well the undercurrents beneath such calmness.
Before he finished speaking, Sato Tatsuya suddenly dipped his shoulder, his left toe sharply grinding into the ground, and using the momentum, executed a swift spin, actually forcing his way past Maki Shinichi's side!
"Stop him!" Takato Riki roared from the sideline.
Kiyota Nobunaga immediately rushed over from the diagonal, and Miyamasu instinctively tightened the defense. Their double-team formed instantly.
But just as he was about to be hit, Sato Tatsuya, with his back to the basket, lightly flicked his right wrist backward—the basketball, as if it had eyes, threaded through the gap between the two defenders, flying precisely to the left corner.
There, Mitsui Hisashi had already set his feet. The moment he caught the ball, his knees bent slightly, he jumped, and shot, his movements as fluid as a textbook.
"Three-point shooters, we Ryokufu have them too!" Sato Tatsuya announced as he landed, his gaze sweeping over the slightly changed expressions of the Hainan players.
"Swish—"
The crisp sound of the ball swishing through the net echoed through the gym, and the scoreboard jumped: 31:22.
The Ryokufu bench erupted again. Mitsui Hisashi, after landing, raised his hand and clapped his palm. As he high-fived the returning Sato Tatsuya, a flicker of renewed sharpness flashed in his eyes.
In Ryonan's stands, Aida Hikoichi gasped: "Mitsui-senpai's touch is back too! Ryokufu's outside firepower..."
Taoka Moichi's brows furrowed even tighter: "Takato wants to break the deadlock with three-pointers, but Sato, that kid, directly used the same method to bring the game to life. This is getting interesting."
Gu Jin looked at the back of the number 7 point guard on the court, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his knee—Sato Tatsuya could not only connect the entire team but also always precisely thwart the opponent's plans at the most critical moments.
