That Manager - Kuroko no Basuke (Book 3)

第75Q

"This is the worst." said Kasamatsu with an uneasy expression like Moriyama. "Right when they wanted the momentum to inch the lead back to three..."

"Akashi landing that increases the lead instead!" said Takao, who was saying the same thing as the Kaijo captain. "A seven-point game."

"Forty seconds left." noted Himuro. "Hurry, Seirin! You have no time!"

"Defence!" yelled Akashi. "Everyone, focus! If we stop this, it's over!"

"Yeah!" shouted back his teammates before pressuring their respective marks. Even Kagami and Kiyoshi were struggling against theirs.

'What pressure.' noted Izuki, who was having the ball. 'Right when we can't even waste a second to score.' He glanced around and was about to pass the ball to Kagami when he saw Hayama and Mayuzumi guarding him. "A double-team!" he said with surprise.

'Not good.' thought Alex. 'At that rate, what little stamina he squeezed out will run out immediately!'

"Izuki!" called Kiyoshi with his hand held out. The said boy quickly passed the ball to him, but Kiyoshi struggled to shake Nebuya off.

'Your push is weak!' scoffed Nebuya internally. 'You think you can pull a trick under the basket like that?'

"Kiyoshi!" called Hyuga.

"Dammit!" cussed the said boy when he realised that he would lose in the end, and reluctantly passed the ball to the team captain, who was then immediately guarded by Reo.

'Of course you're the one we're most worried about!' thought the Rakuzan shooting guard.

"Less than thirty seconds." noted Furihata.

"We trust you!" said Fukuda desperately.

Kuroko glanced around for a second before yelling, "Captain!" Hyuga passed the ball to him, and he slapped it towards Kagami.

'This is a lateral long pass!' noted Giichi with surprise.

"Don't let your guards down!" yelled Akashi. "Hayama! Mayuzumi!" But it was too late for them as the ball bounced into Kagami's hands, and right before the said boys could block it, Kagami scored a basket with a three-point shot.

"The time." said Riko worriedly. "Twenty-seven seconds left!"

"Defence!" yelled Hyuga. "Give it everything you've got!"

"Yeah!" responded the others.

"Defence!" cheered the benchwarmers. "Defence! Defence!"

"I'd say this defence couldn't be better." commented Midorima.

"Yet what composure from Rakuzan." noted Kasamatsu. "They aren't budging. It doesn't look like anyone can steal the ball!"

Imayoshi was watching the ball being passed around within the Rakuzan players, and his gaze landed on someone that caused his eyes to widen with shock. 'What's with him?' he questioned. 'When the team's supposed to be fired up, there's one guy that's all chill instead.' Yasu seemed to have heard his thoughts and looked at the team's point guard, and a small smile flickered across her face.

'Calm down.' thought Izuki, who looked calmer than the others. 'Don't get fired up. This is when I need to stick to being clever. Even if it's futile with Akashi, it must be possible to catch the other four off guard. For us to win, cool off. Yasu did say point guards who have worse specs gotta use their heads!'

"No good." said Himuro after taking note of the team players who were wearing white jersey, as if he was telling Izuki otherwise. "Rakuzan will never panic and attack. They'll use the twenty-four seconds and won't force a shot. Catching them off guard is..."