Chapter 151: You Shouldn't Have Forgotten
"That's ridiculous. He actually shattered the backboard," Ikegami Ryoji grimaced. "That guy really is a monster."
"I hope nobody got hurt," Uekusa Tomoyuki said worriedly, looking toward the court.
Aida Hikoichi's eyes widened. "Wait, does Murasakibara have to pay for that?"
"Of course not." Koshino Hiroaki rolled his eyes. "This is obviously a facility maintenance issue."
"Maybe Uozumi-senpai should try shattering a backboard next time?" Yagami Sorato mused thoughtfully. "Feels like it'd be pretty interesting."
"Could I?" Uozumi Jun fell into contemplation.
"Might actually work?" An image flashed through Sendoh Akira's mind as well.
"Idiots! Don't do something that dangerous!" Coach Taoka couldn't help roaring at his players when he overheard this.
After the game was halted, arena staff quickly took the court to clean up and replace the backboard. Yosen and Rakuzan's players unexpectedly received nearly thirty minutes of rest.
Throughout this period, the spectators remained excited, discussing nonstop.
From the current situation, Yosen's strength was undeniable. Perhaps they could actually win this game.
"It's an accident, but this timeout is like water in the desert for Yosen." Yagami's smile faded, his expression turning grave.
"Yeah," Sendoh nodded slowly. "Without this extended break, Rakuzan's counterattack would probably end the game right here."
"Huh?" Aida Hikoichi blinked in confusion. "B-but Yosen's in the lead right now, aren't they? And Murasakibara just had that amazing dunk—momentum's completely on their side..."
"This lead isn't enough to carry them to the final buzzer." Yagami explained, his gaze falling on the tall figure in Yosen's bench area, head down and breathing heavily. "Murasakibara's probably running on fumes. Rakuzan's been waiting for exactly this moment."
"Heh heh, that's nationals for you." Coach Taoka crossed his arms, speaking with veteran authority. "Accidents are part of the game too. Whoever better exploits the variables created by accidents gets closer to victory."
"If Yosen can adjust properly with this breathing room, they might ride this momentum straight to the win."
TWEET!
The brand-new backboard installation was complete. The referee blew his whistle, signaling both teams back onto the court.
Play resumed. Rakuzan possession, 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Akashi Seijuro received the baseline inbound, controlling the tempo as he crossed halfcourt.
Yosen had tasted success with the triple-team on Akashi last possession. This time they executed even more decisively.
Akashi pulled back to create space, raising two fingers with his left hand. Rakuzan's formation began to flow.
Liu Wei didn't dare venture too far—after all, Mibuchi Reo behind him maintained a constant three-point threat. Fukui Kensuke and Okamura Kenichi pressed directly toward Akashi.
"Only two?"
Akashi jabbed left with a probe step, forcing Fukui's weight to shift, then crossed over right.
Breakthrough!
Okamura's help defense arrived quickly, but Akashi had anticipated it. He angled his body, slicing through the gap between them.
"He broke through that fast?!"
Liu Wei had no choice but to rotate up.
However, Akashi executed a simple behind-the-back dribble, passing to Mayuzumi Chihiro stepping up from the free throw line, then cut to the basket without the ball.
Yosen's defensive formation was instantly scrambled. Fukui could only chase after Akashi while Okamura rotated to Mayuzumi.
Slap!
The ball changed direction in midair, flying toward the left corner. Mibuchi Reo caught it!
"What? When?!" Liu Wei's attention had just shifted from Akashi to Mayuzumi when he saw this.
Murasakibara tried once again to close out from the paint.
But Mibuchi's release was lightning-quick, even with a slight lean-back.
Swish!
Three-pointer!
Rakuzan 82, Yosen 81
Right after the break, Rakuzan reclaimed the lead!
"Get back!" Akashi's voice cut through cold and clear. Every Rakuzan player retreated without celebration, flooding back like the tide with tight formation.
Sixteen seconds remained.
Himuro Tatsuya inbounded from the baseline. Fukui Kensuke brought it up steadily. After the timeout adjustment, Yosen's players looked noticeably more composed.
Fukui observed the defense from the top of the key. Hayama Kotaro was glued to him, giving virtually no shooting space. He signaled, and Okamura Kenichi stepped up for the screen.
Using the pick, Fukui shook Hayama and drove right. Mayuzumi switched to delay him. Fukui didn't force it, finding an opportunity to hit the rolling Okamura.
Okamura caught the ball at the free throw line facing the switched Hayama Kotaro. Without hesitation, he pulled up for the mid-range jumper.
"It's a mismatch!"
Hayama jumped to contest with maximum effort, but the height difference was obvious.
Clang!
The ball hit front iron and bounced out.
"That guy's shot looks just like Uozumi-senpai's, haha—" A large hand pressed down on Koshino Hiroaki's head, cutting off his laughter.
"Rebound!" Murasakibara and Nebuya roared simultaneously, launching upward.
Murasakibara still used his absolute height and wingspan advantage to secure the board! After landing, he immediately went back up, powering through Nebuya's defense, slamming the ball toward the rim with his right hand!
Smack!
"What?!"
Mayuzumi Chihiro had appeared under the basket, swatting the ball away from the wing.
Akashi Seijuro caught it. No movement.
The final two seconds ran off.
TWEET!
"Third quarter over!"
Rakuzan carried a razor-thin one-point advantage into the final period.
The two-minute intermission passed quickly. The fourth quarter began with both teams retaking the court.
Rakuzan possession.
Akashi Seijuro slowly dribbled past halfcourt, his gaze calmly sweeping across Yosen's defensive alignment.
"How disappointing. No changes at all?"
Yosen still had Fukui as the primary defender with Okamura stepping up to trap, Liu Wei lurking on the wing, vaguely positioned to cut off Akashi's left-side penetration lane. Clearly, Yosen remained determined to lock him down.
Akashi's eyes briefly met Mibuchi Reo's in midair.
The next second, Akashi attacked left—his speed seemingly faster than the third quarter!
Liu Wei stepped up. Zip—the ball threaded past him.
"A direct pass?!" Liu Wei spun to recover. "So even this guy gets rattled? Can't handle the three-man pressure, so he dumps it off early..."
Mibuchi caught the ball. Liu Wei was already sprinting back into his face.
"Your expression tells me exactly what you're thinking."
Mibuchi smiled lightly. His shooting motion came faster than Liu anticipated—catch, bend knees, rise, release—four movements flowing as one!
"Don't get cocky!" Liu Wei lunged forward to contest, his fingertips nearly grazing the ball's bottom.
Splash!
"Yes! Got a piece of it!" Liu Wei thought with satisfaction.
TWEET!
"Yosen number eleven, defensive foul!"
"What?!"
"Three-point shooting foul?!"
Mibuchi landed, elegantly brushing his sweat-dampened bangs, offering the dismayed Liu Wei a slight smile. "Nice defensive effort. Unfortunately, you were just a bit too slow."
Rakuzan awarded three free throws.
Mibuchi stepped to the line, regulated his breathing, and released with a soft wrist flick.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
All three free throws dropped cleanly.
Rakuzan 85, Yosen 81
"Trying to limit Akashi with a triple-team is still too forced." Coach Taoka couldn't help but sigh. Coach Araki of Yosen was still a bit young. If this trapping tactic didn't produce immediate results, she should have abandoned it.
Yosen's possession.
Fukui pushed forward, his eyes locked in. After two passes, the ball once again found Murasakibara establishing deep left-block position.
Murasakibara caught the entry pass. Rakuzan's triple-team arrived as expected—Nebuya fronting, Mibuchi and Mayuzumi harassing from the sides.
It seemed like the same star-player trap, but the difference was that Murasakibara was completely locked down under the basket, unable to move freely!
"Damn these three!"
Murasakibara was trapped, growling as he gathered and jumped anyway.
Nebuya leaped straight up, both hands raised high. Mayuzumi locked onto Murasakibara's waist, preventing full extension. Mibuchi watched his ball hand, guarding against the hook shot.
However—
Swish!
Murasakibara whipped the ball to the perimeter.
"A pass?" Akashi Seijuro's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
"Oh?" Aomine Daiki's lips curled slightly upward.
In two other sections of the stands, Midorima Shintaro leaned forward slightly while Kise Ryota let out a surprised "ah."
Murasakibara was actually passing.
Liu Wei caught it with six feet of space. He took a deep breath. No hesitation—bent knees, rose, mid-range jumper.
The basketball rotated in the air, tracing a reliable arc.
Swish!
Nothing but net.
Rakuzan 85, Yosen 83
"Atsushi, beautiful pass!" After scoring, Liu Wei immediately looked toward Murasakibara, pumping his fist emphatically.
"Hmph. If you'd missed I wouldn't pass to you again," Murasakibara said, turning his head away.
"Atsushi, well done!" Coach Araki shouted excitedly from the sideline. The tactical plan called for this, but Murasakibara's execution was something else entirely.
"He really is different now," Kise Ryota seemed to understand something.
Both coaches simultaneously signaled adjustments to their players from the bench.
Rakuzan's possession.
Akashi dribbled past halfcourt, immediately detecting the shift in Yosen's defensive alignment.
Obviously, Mibuchi's three-point threat prevented Yosen from leaving him open. Liu Wei, as in the first half, stayed glued to Mibuchi's hip, practically shadowing him.
However, their focus on Akashi Seijuro hadn't decreased. Fukui and Okamura formed a double-team that maintained defensive flexibility while preserving basic help coverage on other Rakuzan players.
"A bit smarter, I suppose."
Akashi thought dismissively, casually passing right.
Hayama Kotaro received the ball. Facing Himuro Tatsuya, all carelessness had vanished from his expression. Without any wasted motion, he dropped his shoulder, his right foot exploding off the floor as he attacked right!
Himuro reacted instantly, sliding laterally and using his body to physically seal the lane.
Bang!
Their shoulders collided with a dull thud.
But Hayama's balance wasn't affected. He switched the ball to his left hand while leaning left, feinting another direction.
Himuro hesitated one step, then quickly adjusted.
However, Hayama's left hand five-fingered the ball, violently yanking it back while pivoting on his right foot. He spun with incredible speed like a top, rotating past Himuro's side and leaving him completely behind!
"He's beaten him!"
Murasakibara's brow furrowed. He was about to step up, but Nebuya and Mayuzumi had already cut off his position.
Hayama charged into the paint, lightly rising. Facing the rotating Okamura Kenichi, his fingers gently guided a high-arcing floater.
The basketball sailed over Okamura's outstretched fingertips, tracing its parabola before kissing glass and dropping through.
Rakuzan 87, Yosen 83
"Hehe."
Hayama landed, flashed his white teeth at the pursuing Himuro with a grin, then quickly backpedaled.
Yosen's possession.
After crossing halfcourt, Fukui again chose to feed the post. However, Rakuzan's defense had adjusted accordingly.
When Murasakibara received the low-post entry pass this time, only two defenders converged—Nebuya and Mayuzumi.
"This is what Coach said about passing relieving pressure..."
Even so, Murasakibara felt somewhat annoyed, like he'd lost somehow. But compared to that feeling, he hated the sensation of losing even more.
Murasakibara backed down Nebuya, still thinking when he spotted Himuro's backdoor cut and passed without hesitation.
Himuro used the reverse cut to create a sliver of receiving space, but Akashi immediately swarmed him after the catch.
"Even Atsushi made a breakthrough—how can I stay in place!"
Just as Himuro attempted a change-of-direction drive, Akashi's arm suddenly shot out, nearly stripping the ball clean.
"—!"
"Ahem, guess breaking through can't be rushed," Himuro thought to himself.
Akashi pressed again. As Himuro pulled back, he forcefully pushed the ball forward.
Bang!
The basketball bounced off the floor, threading past Akashi's side, delivered directly to Okamura's hands in open space on the right.
Mayuzumi scrambled to recover. Okamura actually stepped toward him, rising for the floater.
Bang!
Swish!
Bank shot!
Rakuzan 87, Yosen 85
"Great shot!" Himuro high-fived Okamura running past.
The back-and-forth stabilized once more, but the protagonists were no longer Akashi Seijuro and Murasakibara Atsushi—now it was the supporting cast from both teams.
Until the game reached the seventh minute of the final quarter.
Rakuzan 96, Yosen 95
"Atsushi, you've gotten stronger," Akashi Seijuro said slowly to Murasakibara after his dunk.
"But you shouldn't have forgotten—even among the Generation of Miracles, no one can defy me!"