9... 8... 7... 6... 5...!
Defensive foul! 2 free-throws!
Yoko! Way to go, Yoko! You're my savior right now!
Please don't start crying!
This game is super close....
Kuzu High is really hanging in there!
Even though they usually always lose in the first round.
They're 2 points behind with 4 seconds left.
But they've got 2 free throws coming up, which means it's possible...
She nailed it!
Now it's a 1-point game!
Just one basket away...
It's down to the wire.
Kuzu High isn't very good at getting rebounds, and a tie would mean overtime.
It's going to be really rough for them, either way.
Please... just go in!
Go in! Go in!
She missed!
Rebound!
Uh, it's coming right at me...! What do I do?!
What the...?
Sh-she did it...
Surround her! Do everything you can to prevent a shot!
Senpai! Save me!
3...!
2...!
1...!
Time's up!
I'm so sorry... it's my fault...
I screwed up our last chance!
Me, too... because I missed that second free throw!
Right, but that's okay. Don't beat yourselves up.
We had a ton of fun playing out there with you girls to the end.
Thanks a bunch.
Nooo! Please don't quit!
Cut it out! You know we have to start studying for college entrance exams!
Let go of me, you big crybabies!
Don't get all mopey on us.
We're leaving the team in your hands now. So toughen up...
I really...
I really wanted...
I so wanted us to win this...!
There, there.
Senpai...
Ahiru no Sora
Let's go, let's go! Shinjo!
Crush 'em, crush 'em! Shinjo!
Rebound!
Shinjo's going for zone defense, eh?
Well, they've got two 190 centimeter giants.
Yeah, not even Kuzu High's #11 can slip by them easily.
C'mon!
Oh, looks like they've changed up their formation.
It's the first time we've seen their #7 play in the post.
A spin!
That was smooth.
A return pass?!
Timeout by Shinjotowa Academy!
That was sick! Their #7 has some real skills.
Kuzu High might be tough to beat!
Shinjo's defense is solid, though.
Except that first basket, Kuzu's only been scoring from mid-range.
This is gonna be a close game for sure.
Nice, nice! We're off to a good start!
I know, right? I've already got them begging for mercy out there!
As if. You haven't done much of anything yet, dude.
Things have gone well and put us in a solid position.
We've been quick to switchover to defense, and there've been no problems so far.
Keep that praise coming!
I heard they had 3 tall players in the 190 cm range,
but it seems one of them is out with an injury.
We were quite fortunate the freshman
that they replaced him with is barely 10 cm taller than Kurumatani.
So one of their big guns is down and out, huh?
Talk about lucky!
Totally!
Don't celebrate the other team's injuries, you asswipes!
But I do have to admit,
dealing with 3 of those 190 cm titans would've been an absolute nightmare.
This is good, we just need to keep scoring from outside the paint
and eventually they'll be forced to switch their defense.
And then, if they start playing man-to-man instead,
we can take advantage of matchups against their #8 and #7.
The guys Momoharu and I guard?
So that must mean the two of us are better than them.
It's about time I got the spotlight!
I'm gonna score all the baskets!
That's not what I meant.
If my guess is correct, those two only started playing basketball in high school.
Are you serious?!
So then, like, they only have about a year of experience?
That much is obvious just based on how they move on the court.
Although there's a slight gap in overall strength...
...we can basically consider all of the things that we struggled with up until now
to also be the exact weaknesses that our opponents suffer from.
When going man-to-man in matches like this, its the difference in individual skill that counts.
To make up for that, their #4 and other players
have been focused on providing the necessary backup.
It's the exact same playstyle that we've been practicing this whole time.
When it comes to individual skills, our team definitely has the advantage.
Let's drive them right into a corner!
A'ight, boys! We're gonna trash 'em!
Yeah!
They've really changed.
They actually look like a normal basketball team now.
Their team balance still needs some work, but I'd say the odds favor Kuzu High at 60/40.
You think so?
I'd say they've actually got upwards of 70/30.
You both know the world of basketball isn't that simple.
Numbers don't mean squat.
I finally remembered.
Huh?
Back in middle school, there were twins on the team at Nakahara.
That #7 out there was one of them.
At Nakahara...?
Right, I forgot. You're not good with this kinda stuff.
But I remember him really well, from that one game...
He threw a bunch of incomplete passes and then got benched at halftime for it.
However, he wasn't really the problem.
He was passing the ball about half a step ahead of his teammates,
but sadly none of them could keep up with his excellent timing.
Instead of waiting to pass when they got open, his passes led them to being open.
That's the ideal point guard you always talk about, yeah?
And that's exactly who we're competing against right now.
The timing of his passes hasn't changed a bit, in fact, they're even faster now.
Yanagihara, you're defending #15.
It might be tough, but I need you to stick to him like glue.
R-right!
#11 is all yours, Roku.
Got it.
Thank you, Koji. I know just where to attack now.
I'm gonna create our... window of opportunity.
Smooth as silk, Roku!
Don't embarrass me, dude! Enough with the compliments!
Seems this guy doesn't miss much from the middle.
We should probably watch out for any threes from him.
Defense!
Shinjo suddenly changed up their defense!
Man-to-man, huh?
Perfect!
Now we can start letting Natsume and Kurumatani
drive our offense by going at them one-on-one.
Hey, Nanao...
...I'm worried about one thing.
I hate to say it, but...
Not everyone on our team wins when it comes down to individual skill.
Defense! Defense! Defense! Defense!
Completely switching from zone was a mistake.
They should've shutout the shrimp with a box and 1.
I thought so, too.
I highly doubt that #6 is gonna be able to stop Kuzu High's #11 at all.
I would've focused on defending inside the paint, even if that weakened the outside.
You think it's gonna be easy to take me one-on-one, then?
Show him who's the boss, Chiaki!
All right!
Captain...
Don't sweat it. He just took the bait.
Roku, let me fill you in.
While you're defending #11, keep your eyes entirely on him.
Nao was right... this guy isn't all that good at basketball.
I might actually be better than he is!
Quit shooting your mouth off!
Gotta stick to him like glue! Gotta get up in his face!
He's way too quick!
Too close for comfort!
You gotta do better, Yanagihara!
That had to catch them by surprise.
Even without scoring, his shots definitely throw the defense off their game.
Looks like the momentum isn't gonna shift anytime soon.
An interception!
Oh no, Chiaki's pass!
Goddammit.
Nice work, Yukio! Keep it up!
Not again! The ball isn't getting passed around to me when I stay in one place!
But this guy's defense is making it hard for me to cut in anywhere!
He's constantly just watching my eyes and hardly ever pays attention to the ball!
This is exactly the time when we need those crazy passes of yours!
What exactly is the problem, bro?!
Ugh, he got shutdown again.
Kuzu High really isn't good at making fast breaks.
Even though they're so fundamental.
Nah, Shinjo's response time on defense is just that good.
Although, I imagine that's because they would lose quick otherwise.
On the other hand, Kuzu High hasn't been able to score any points recently...
...except on those shitty fast breaks.
He's driving to the basket!
There are no openings for me... to pass through!
They stopped him!
Kuzuryu ball!
What is going on with Chiaki right now?
Hey, Yasuhara! You gotta force your way inside or you'll never get a pass!
Did you forget what I taught you about cutting?
O-okay!
Have you noticed it, Tokiwa?
Of course.
Though it's hard to see because of how subtle their movements are.
By arranging their defense to focus on one side,
they cut the space the point guard can work with in half.
This traps the ball-handler, since the
direction they can drive in and the direction they can
pass to are both limited as a result.
If the defenders in the open space focus on closing any pass windows,
the only thing the ball-handler can do is go for the basket himself.
The smartest thing they did was assuring the dead side of
the court is the one that #11 is on.
It's an extreme move that only
works because Takahashi trusts #6 to provide a solid enough defense.
Letting #7 get free for that first basket was also a good call.
Thanks to that, he basically dropped his guard and didn't notice what happened.
Takahashi's really incredible.
He's definitely not the type of guy that'll go down quietly in the prelims.
That's for sure.
A steal!
He's totally alone!
The tide is turning!
You're really fast on your feet.
I didn't think anybody would catch up to me.
Even though I caught up... I couldn't do a single thing!
The problem isn't with Afro-senpai.
It's the fact that #4 is just too good.
A big gap in skill between point guards... can prove fatal in the end.
Excuse me! We'd like a timeout...
It was a bad pass!
What's going on with Chiaki?!
Why the hell do you think we spent so long practicing screens?!
You gotta keep it together and lead us!
I know that!
Looks like they're having trouble getting coordinated.
This is when the difference in teamwork starts to really show.
Time to do your stuff, Momoharu!
I'm all over it!
Oh shit! I can't believe I fell for something so simple!
Nice move, Tamo!
Leave this one to me!
What was that Tamo?!
Keep it together!
Well then, this big oaf isn't so good at sinking his shots, eh?
I guess that makes us birds of a feather!
Rebound!
H-he came from above me?!
That was wicked cool!
You're the best, Takahashi!
Offensive foul! Charging! No count!
So close!
Obviously that wasn't gonna count.
He just used him like a stepladder.
That had to be a flagrant foul just now. No doubt.
It did keep the momentum in their favor, though.
This is gonna be a major pain in their ass.
So, Kuzu High... how are you gonna react?
Are you taking a timeout?
Oh! Uh... Ummm...
Get the lead out!
Hey, Chiaki! Let's change up our positions.
That will help us throw off the other team's rhythm.
Forget it! I want you to focus on pushing your way into the middle!
Take advantage of screens from Momoharu. Keep your eye out for the signs!
Never mind, it's nothing. I'm sorry.
She changed her mind on the timeout.
Are they seriously just gonna truck it through the remaining 2 minutes?!
It's true that the momentum of the game is shifting in our favor.
But we've been pushing ourselves to play at a higher pace than usual from the get-go.
Our team isn't one that specializes in making fast breaks.
So if they took a timeout, it would actually take some of the strain off us, but...
I can't imagine that she's actually reading that deep into it.
It's a fast break!
He got open!
Stop right there, dammit!
No way I'm just gonna let you drop it in!
Hiyah!
A karate chop? No, I must be seeing things...
Man, that pompadour guy can hustle!
He caught up from way back there and stopped the shot!
Yeah, but with a blatant foul.
That hurts!
Sorry 'bout that, man. It's a bad habit of mine.
I'll shank you, asshole.
Huh?! Try saying that again, bitch.
Two free-throws!
Tch. Start doing your job under the basket, dammit.
Uh, right, I'm sorry.
You have no room to talk, dude!
That foul was a nice move. Props, Yasuhara.
Thanks to that, we managed to knock some of the wind out of their sails!
Never thought I'd get praised for fouling!
A'ight! Let's keep them on their toes!
Can do! Just leave everything to me!
Dammit!
Switch!
Amazing!
Whoa, what a pass!
Uh oh...
There was nobody there...
Shinjo ball!
Seriously? Is that guy an amateur or what?
Now I'm pissed!
That was some very precise passing.
You almost got us.
But unfortunately this little guy didn't get in the clear.
With everybody clustered in the middle, it opened up a weak side.
Takahashi and that shorty both foresaw a pass coming that direction.
But Takahashi expertly stopped their #15 from getting there.
Recognizing our opponent's skills is the first step.
The real game starts after that.
The members of that team all have good sense.
Both passer and receiver know where the ball
needs to move for them to score points.
Unfortunately, that's just not a skill that our team has.
Captain...
However, we can still win this.
Geniuses are actually... surprisingly fragile.
Taking a timeout would be best...
I think this is an instance where we need to gamble.
It's true that we're being pushed into a corner,
but it looks to me like Shinjo's players are pushing themselves to move quickly.
If we let them take a breather now,
it might backfire and build up their momentum even more.
But just look at what's happening in the meantime!
Not happening, Sideburns!
All right!
We're on fire right now!
Just one minute left.
It'll hurt if Shinjo makes a comeback just before this quarter ends.
Especially considering Kuzu High had the advantage for most of it.
It'll definitely bring their spirits down.
More importantly, Chiba...
Have you noticed something strange with Shinjo's #7?
His defense and shooting ability are lackluster,
but his drives are really clean and effective.
Aside from that earlier foul, he hasn't missed a single layup.
Now that you mention it,
he does have a playstyle that seems vaguely similar to Takahashi's.
I let him slip by! Damn!
His pass timing is way off!
What's wrong with you, Chiaki?!
That was nuts!
I can't believe he made that work!
This is really throwing me off my game!
He couldn't get it all the way in!
It's gonna come back down!
Box them out!
Chiaki's in trouble!
Am I crazy or is this just getting worse and worse for us?!
The worst part is that
Chiaki has been thrown off both offensively and defensively,
which affects the rhythm of the entire team!
We need this basket... no matter what!
Rebound!
Gotta be gentle, just a light tap!
We need to score here or else we're in real trouble!
He tipped it in!
I think that's the first time I've ever seen him score a basket.
How does a guy like that end up as center?
Well, with this basket and the earlier foul from #5,
I think they put a stop to Shinjo's run.
What's the deal, Chiaki? This ain't like you, man.
Huh?
Do you wanna go watch this game from the bench, or what?!
Easy for you to say, pea-brain.
Ahiru no Sora
Next episode: "The Hard Play."