In the zone...

For a moment, Hasegawa recalled the former Mitsui who got involve w/ gang and almost run into trouble while looking at Mitsui's gang.

"Hey, what's up w/ that brat?"

"Anyone know that kid?"

"I don't him either!" Mitsui's gang said

"Let's have fun w/ that kid" Tetsuo said.

"Yah, brat!! What are you looking at?!" Mitsui shouted, this memory embedded into Hasegawa's mind until now.

"Hasegawa! You in fact trained harder than anyone else! The only thing you lack is confidence!!" Fujima said.

"Don't underestimate Shoyo High! Fujima!! Pass the ball to me!!" Hasegawa said.

He got the ball w/out interference and quickly shoots a three pointer.

"I won't let you do that easily!!" Mitsui got his hand on the ball.

''Rebound! Akagi and Sakuragi!!" Kogure and the rest of the bench shouted.

"It won't go in! Too much force and the form is a mess..." Coach Taoka said.

"Sakuragi!! It's up to you!" Akagi said while holding ground to give Sakuragi a higher chance getting the ball.

"It's Sakuragi vs. Hanagata and this is a battle for rebounds!!" Uozumi said.

Using his experience and bigger built to keep Sakuragi away from the rim.

"If I don't let you brat in the box, I won't lose to this kind of kid for sure!!" Hanagata said.

"Do you think you can beat me!!" Sakuragi replied.

He successfully boxing-out Hanagata, now he has obvious advantage over him and both of them jumped for the rebound.

"Dang!!" it bounces off the rim and players are fighting for the position.

"What?!" Hanagata and Shoyo players were shocked to see that he was outclassed during the rebound.

"I'm the rebound king! Sakuragi!!" he shouted.

"Pass the ball here, Sakuragi!!" Mitsui ran fast to the backcourt. Sakuragi quickly throws it to Miyagi and he almost lost it to Fujima who was aiming for the steal.

"Hanamichi!! Watch out for the steal!!" Miyagi shouted.

"Here, Miyagi!" Mitsui said, he didn't settle for an easy lay-up but stop a couple feet away from the arch. Arrived in his sweet spot, Mitsui look at the rim then raises his chest, and chin for the defender to make it look like his going to shoot.

Hasegawa never thought anything but block the shot and he jumped already. W/ one dribble, he sides step and release another quick three ball w/out interference.

"Swish!!" the ball bounces into the hoop.

"Fweeett!!" the referee whistled.

"Basket counted! One free throw! Flagrant one on Shoyo no. six!" referee said.

Hasegawa caught off guard, he bumped into Mitsui while chasing for the block and rewarded another ball possession. Both Hasegawa and Mitsui crash down the floor and was helped by their teammates to stand-up.

He was looked like in pain; even Ayako came to the court and checked his condition. Mitsui sold well the foul and acted limping while trying to walk it.

Hanagata and Fujima plead to the referee that it was all unintentional and want to lower it down to regular foul.

But the referee doesn't saw it that way; he awarded the flagrant 1 since it was excessive and not on the ball by Hasegawa.

Even Akagi got mad when he saw this, plus Miyagi, Sakuragi and Rukawa pushed away Hasegawa and other Shoyo players. The scene once again back to normal when he said something to his teammates.

"I'm fine!! 2x" Mitsui said, as he went to the free throw line and calmly shoot the bonus.

"Swish!!" the free throw entered and still ball possession on w/ Shohoku.

"Shohoku 55 vs. 44 Shoyo, Shohoku is leading by eleven points and completely controls the rhythm of the game." Coach Taoka said to Hikoichi.

"Hasegawa! Soon enough Mitsui won't able to take it anymore keep the pressure on him!!" A Shoyo player said.

Miyagi got the ball; he dribbles it cautiously while observing the defense and his teammate's position. Mitsui is feeling the fatigue; his movement is slow and breathing heavily.

"We're ahead now, Mitsui! Have for a moment!" Kogure said.

"Mitsui-senpai!!" Shohoku's bench said and reacted

"Time to rest, Mitsui!!" Ayako said.

After a series of running, screens and he finally got the ball via a behind the back pass from Miyagi's penetration.

The persistent Hasegawa is two feet away from him and at the same time he's gonna release the ball. Shoyo's another player came to double team him in the perimeter so he quickly shoots.

Another picturesque high-arching shot from rainbow country by Mitsui.

"Swish!!" the ball entered and hit nothing but the net.

"Yahhh!!" Mitsui shouted, he slides near the Shohoku bench and Akagi quickly pulled him up.

"Nice shot, Mitsui!!" Kogure along w/ Shohoku's bench and Sakuragi's gang are going wild.

"Awesome, Mitsui-senpai!! No wonder he was a star player before!!" Sakuragi's gang said.

"Come on ref... Shoyo is playing dirty!!" Haruko shouted.

"Haruko-chan!" Sakuragi said.

"You're the best, Mitsui-senpai!!" Yasuda said.

"Are you hurt, Mitsui?" Ayako asked and he shook his head to say he's fine.

"Fweeett!!" the referee whistled after two Shoyo players have contact w/ Mitsui during and after he released the ball in spot.

"Basket counted!! Foul! Shoyo's no. six Hasegawa fourth personal foul!" the game announcer said.

"One more and you're going home crying..." Mitsui approached the free throw line, while staring at the complaining Hasegawa w/ another Shoyo player to the referee and him gave a warning to both players.

Fujima and Hanagata pulled back the two to their bench and calmed them down or else a technical foul will be given to the team.

"Can you still play, Mitsui?" Akagi and the rest went to check him.

"Mitsui-senpai!" Miyagi said.

"Mit-chi!! Are you alright?!" Sakuragi asked.

"Don't worry about me... i can still play guys..." Mitsui replied.

"Mitsui..." Akagi knew the physical limit of Mitsui since Coach Anzai limits his playing time in the past games while Mitsui replied an okay sign to him.

"That's right! It was the same situation that time I won the MVP... I'm that kind who becomes stronger when I face a tough opponent!!" Mitsui looked at someone in the audience that caught his attention and winked to them.

"Swish!!" his bonus free throw entered smoothly, while Hasegawa returned to Shoyo's bench.

"Bang!!" he punched the seat and covered his face w/ the towel. Shoyo's no. nine replaced him; he marked Mitsui closely and tries to wear-out the already exhausted guy.

"Don't back off!! Hold your positions!!" Mitsui said, as they did a full court press while Shoyo inbounds the ball.

"Mitsui!!!" his teammates said.

"Using this press, Shohoku is already to go all out!!" Coach Taoka said.

"Noted, Coach!!" Hikoichi replied.

"If Shoyo doesn't try something new, then the game is already decided!" Maki of Kainan said.

"Shoyo is just weak-ass!!" Kiyota said.

"You're too reckless, Mitsue! Suddenly using this right now and strength won't hold up...!" Kogure said.

"Trust him and your other teammates on the floor, Kogure-kun!" Coach Anzai said.

"Anzai-sensei is correct, Kogure!" Ayako seconded.

"That's right!! Let me hear you're voices, Shohoku!!" Kogure fired the bench and crowd cheering.

"Shohoku!!! 3x" their bench, Sakuragi's gang and half of the crowd is cheering for them.

"Shohoku 59 vs. 44 Shoyo, Shohoku is leading by fifteen points and completely controls the rhythm of the game." Hikoichi said.

Mitsui scored 26 points (8/10 from downtown), the highest in the game and his current career high.

"He played like me when i was still young!" Sakura's dad said.

"Close to impossible, dear" his wife replied.

"Are you daydreaming, Dad?!" Sakura asked.