ALL NOVEL Chapter 44: Chasing Points Again! That's it?
For a moment, the entire gym froze in stunned silence. Then, an explosion of cheers erupted.
"The ball went in?!"
"What was that?!"
"Is he really just a high school student?"
"That move—switching hands under the rim for a reverse dunk—that's insanely difficult, even for top-level athletes!"
The deafening roar of the crowd filled the arena as everyone marveled at Ryu's incredible play.
Akagi extended a hand, helping Ryu up from the floor. He gave Ryu's shoulder a heavy pat, his voice filled with pride.
"That dunk was spectacular!"
Ryu winced, rubbing his shoulder where Akagi had hit him. He muttered under his breath, "No wonder Sakuragi calls you Gorilla—your strength is insane."
"What did you just say?" Akagi asked, confused.
"I said Uozumi-senpai is really strong!" Ryu replied with a sly grin.
Akagi nodded, his expression serious. "Don't get carried away. Uozumi is one of Kanagawa's Big Four centers. Scoring on him is no small feat."
Meanwhile, on Ryonan's side, the players were visibly shaken.
Sendoh, still watching Ryu, muttered with a hint of surprise, "I might have underestimated you a bit."
Uozumi's face was dark, his jaw clenched in frustration.
As one of Kanagawa's Big Four centers, it had been ages since anyone had dared to dunk on him. Even the great Maki Shinichi typically opted for layups against his defense rather than trying something so bold.
This wasn't just a score—it was a challenge to his dominance.
Uozumi's face was filled with disbelief. Ryu, who was much shorter and slimmer than him, had just dunked over him.
"How could he dunk on me?" Uozumi thought, his mind racing.
From the sidelines, Ayako's sparkling eyes lingered on Ryu. A faint trace of admiration was visible in her expression.
Beside her, Coach Anzai chuckled, the look behind his glasses brimming with satisfaction.
On the Ryonan bench, Taoka glanced at the smiling Coach Anzai and sighed inwardly.
"In terms of charisma and coaching skill, I'm nowhere close to Coach Anzai," Taoka thought bitterly.
The proof was undeniable—players like Mitsui in the past, and now Rukawa and Ryu. Even one of them could've carried his team beyond Kanagawa's semifinals, but instead, he was stuck in regret, falling short every time.
"Such incredible physical ability! An aerial hand-switch dunk, no less, against Uozumi and Sendoh!"
Ryonan's Hikoichi furiously scribbled notes into his notebook, his face glowing with excitement.
"Not only does Ryu have a smooth shooting touch, but his driving and finishing at the rim are also top-notch. His body control in the air is amazing. He doesn't seem to have any weaknesses!"
Taoka smacked Hikoichi on the head.
"Stop praising the other team! Focus on our own players, Hikoichi!"
As Ryu jogged back on defense, he glanced at Rukawa on the bench with a slight smile.
Rukawa's cold expression flickered, his gaze meeting Ryu's for a moment before he looked away without responding.
Meanwhile, Sakuragi was stomping around on the bench, waving his arms in frustration.
"Why wasn't it me making the big play just now?! This genius deserves the spotlight!"
Back on the court, Akagi stood tall in the paint, his voice steady and commanding.
"Focus! Let's lock this one down on defense first."
Ryonan inbounded the ball, and Koshino advanced it up the court.
As their point guard, Koshino's dribbling was far superior to Yasuda's. With a simple crossover, he cleanly got past Yasuda.
Driving to the top of the arc, Koshino saw Kakuta stepping in to defend.
"Not worth the risk," Koshino thought. "He's not skilled, but he's solid enough."
Instead of challenging Kakuta, Koshino lobbed the ball high toward the basket.
"What kind of pass is that?" Kakuta muttered, confused.
From the corner, Kogure shouted, "Fast break! Fast break!"
Kakuta turned and saw Ryu already sprinting toward half-court with the ball in his hands.
Spectators gasped.
"Did you see that? Shohoku's #10 jumped so high!"
"When did he even get there? Wasn't he defending Sendoh on the wing?"
Ryu had activated his keen court sense. Anticipating Koshino's lob, he gambled that it would go to Uozumi under the rim. The game had revolved around Uozumi trying to restore his confidence by outplaying Akagi.
And Ryu's instincts were spot on. Koshino's pass looked like slow motion to him.
Leaping high into the air, Ryu intercepted the ball with ease and immediately started a fast break.
"Damn, he read my move!" Koshino cursed, biting his lip as he watched Ryu sprint away.
"This guy is insanely fast!"
From behind, Yoshinaga watched helplessly as the gap between him and Ryu grew larger.
Even Sendoh, surprised by Ryu's court awareness, immediately began chasing him down.
Ryu's speed was blinding, and within five seconds, he was already under Ryonan's basket.
The only player who managed to keep up was Sendoh.
Sendoh gave everything he had to catch up, leaping to try for a block from behind.
But he was still a moment too late.
Ryu made a simple layup, scoring another two points.
Turning back, he glanced provocatively at Sendō, who had just gotten into position on defense.
"Is that it? Feels like your 16-point lead won't be enough," Ryu taunted, his tone calm but sharp.