On the court, Akagi helped Kogure up while yelling at him:
"How the hell can a rookie break through you that easy?! Don't let 'em look down on us!"
"Yeah, I know!" Kogure answered through gritted teeth.
As he watched Nash's back walking away, he told himself:
"It was just an accident… I just tripped, that's all."
The veterans went back on the attack. Yasuda crossed half court and passed the ball straight to Akagi.
Akagi caught it and drove in hard. Rukawa, trying to stop him, was barely able to hold him back.
Seeing that, another rookie rushed over to help. Noticing the double team, Akagi smartly kicked it out to Kogure, who was totally open.
Swish!
Clean shot.
2:4
Kogure, after scoring, started to get his confidence back.
Akagi shouted out to the rookies, hyped up:
"You're still way behind us!"
From the baseline, Nash calmly watched the scene while dribbling the ball. Not a single word, not a single change in his face... until he crossed mid-court.
(The connection between Akagi and Kogure... you can tell they've been playing together for a while.)
(But... not today.)
This time, nobody hesitated to let Nash bring the ball up. Yasuda stepped in to defend, just 'cause he had to. But Nash blew right past him with one fake, easy.
Kogure came to help, determined not to get embarrassed again.
"This time, you're not going right!" he thought, moving to cut him off.
But just as he planted himself, Nash switched directions.
Then again!
Three fakes in a row. In the blink of an eye, he was already under the rim.
"Let's gooo!!" shouted Sakuragi from the bench as Nash finished it off with a nasty dunk.
4:4
"Hey, Four Eyes! Quit embarrassing yourself already!"
Kogure didn't even reply. He was shook.
(That dribble... he switched three times in less than a second! And the ball never stopped moving…)
Even Akagi looked surprised.
(A first-year... with handles like that?)
But no time to hesitate. Next play, Akagi planted himself hard, caught the pass and slammed down a massive gorilla dunk over Rukawa.
4:6
"OH HO HO HOOOO!"
Akagi roared, turning toward Nash like he was challenging him.
Nash didn't say a word. Just walked back to his side of the court, calm as ever. But his eyes those calm eyes were now glowing with arrogance.
On defense, Akagi gave out orders.
"Don't let him outta your sight! No space!"
Yasuda got ready, fully alert. But Nash stopped... a whole meter behind the three-point line.
"Huh? Why'd he stop?"
No one understood.
He locked eyes with Akagi... and raised his hand.
First he stretched out his arm...
And then... he did it.
Curled his index finger slowly.
A straight-up taunt. A challenge.
"Come on, captain," he said with a twisted grin. "Just you and me."
The gym went dead silent.
Akagi gritted his teeth. "This punk is calling me out?!"
His blood started boiling.
"Move, Yasuda!" he growled.
Yasuda didn't say a word and stepped aside. Akagi walked up and stood right in front of Nash.
One-on-one.
They stared each other down.
"Ready to dance?" Nash muttered.
And then, the show began.
Nash started with a smooth dribble. Left hand. Right hand. A fake. Another. Quick, exaggerated changes in pace. Like he was straight outta a street court in LA.
Akagi tried to keep up, but Nash moved like a ghost.
Then suddenly...
The ball disappeared!
Or at least, that's how it looked. It slid behind his back and stayed floating behind him, spinning gently, untouched.
Nash opened his arms wide, back to the ball, wearing the cockiest grin ever.
"Aren't you gonna grab it?" he said sarcastically.
Akagi was lost. He stepped forward, confused.
And in that moment...
BOOM!
Nash spun slightly and smacked the ball with his left elbow, launching it to the corner.
A perfect, deadly elbow pass.
Kaede Rukawa caught it in the air and let it fly without hesitation!
Swish.
Clean three!
7:6
First-years took the lead for the first time!
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" shouted Sakuragi. "AN ELBOW PASS?! ARE WE IN THE NBA NOW?!"
Ayako covered her mouth.
"That was... that was straight-up theater."
Even Kogure couldn't help but mutter:
"That's not basketball... that's magic."
Akagi was frozen. He didn't even touch the ball.
As Nash walked back on D, he raised one eyebrow and stuck his tongue out mockingly at him.