Beep!
The timeout ended!
Up next, Teiko was led by Shiro with a lineup of substitutes, while Rokko's substitute lineup was led by Mibuchi. The face-off between these two was about to begin.
Both teams took to the court!
Mibuchi began the offense, but instead of a substitute shooting guard defending him, it was Shiro standing in front of him.
Shiro's aura intensified again, and his sharp gaze was fixed directly on Mibuchi—not on him exactly, but rather on the basketball in his hands.
"Animal instinct, huh? I refuse to believe I can't get past you!" Mibuchi scrutinized Shiro's defensive stance, searching for any opening.
Though Shiro's expression was calm, Mibuchi's anxious look revealed just how much pressure his was exerting.
Unable to find any gap, Mibuchi decided to act first, immediately dribbling to try to break through.
In an instant, Shiro's long arm reached toward Mibuchi's dribble with lightning speed, attempting to steal the ball.
'Not good!' Mibuchi instantly noticed his move and quickly protected the ball, leaving no opening for a steal.
Shiro sighed, frustrated he was so close to taking it, but he didn't give up, pressing forward to completely block Mibuchi's passing lanes.
Mibuchi clutched the ball tightly and called for a teammate to receive it.
After some struggle, he managed to pass it to the substitute point guard, who then passed it back to Mibuchi after he freed himself from Shiro's defense.
Mibuchi was much more cautious this time, creating some distance from Shiro to give himself space to dribble comfortably.
But Shiro wasn't about to give him an inch, constantly reaching in to disrupt Mibuchi's dribbling while standing just half a step away.
Facing his intense defense, Mibuchi tried a crossover, aiming to break through from the right. But it didn't faze Shiro, a defensive specialist who had also mastered the famous Iverson crossover. To him, Mibuchi's moves were full of flaws.
Watching Mibuchi's lead foot and direction, Shiro quickly extended his hand. With a crisp slap, he stripped the ball and launched a fast break.
Mibuchi, shocked, chased after him, but Shiroa's speed in animal instinct was beyond Mibuchi's reach, and their gap widened.
Near the three-point line, Shiro glanced back, noting that Mibuchi was only near mid-court, and decided to shoot a three.
Swish!
The ball went in cleanly.
65:62
When it was Rokko's turn, Mibuchi knew his dribbling was too weak to get past Shiro, so he decided to rely on his three-point shot. He called for a screen to switch defenders, hoping to distance himself from Shiro and increase his accuracy.
With a smooth shot, Mibuchi nailed the three-pointer over a substitute defender.
Watching from the bench, Midorima hadn't taken his eyes off Mibuchi, analyzing every move since he subbed out.
"What's the difference between his Earth Shot and Heaven Shot?" Midorima was close to the answer and kept observing.
Shiro held the ball beyond the three-point line again, knowing a three-pointer could close the gap. Facing Mibuchi's defense, he did a double crossover to create space, then stepped back behind his back to the right and shot, sinking another clean three.
68:65
Mibuchi brought the ball up and planned to call for another screen, but this time Shiroslipped past the screen to stay on him.
'So I'm left with an iso play?' Mibuchi thought, aware of Shiro's reputation as a formidable defender.
Mibuchi raised the ball above his head, preparing to shoot. Without hesitation, Shiro jumped straight up, opting for a vertical block rather than charging at him like Midorima, relying on his height and leap to interfere with the shot.
This threw Mibuchi off. He couldn't draw a foul as Shiro didn't lunge, and his view was obscured. As a result, his shot hit the front rim.
"I've got it!" Midorima stood up, finally seeing the difference. Mibuchi's Earth and Heaven shots looked nearly identical, but the center of gravity shifted—Heaven leaned back, Earth leaned forward. By watching his balance, you could predict his shot type.
After another steal, Shiro saw only two seconds left on the clock. He took two quick dribbles, stopping at mid-court and launching a buzzer beater.
'Beep!'
The horn sounded as the crowd watched the descending ball. "Bang!" Off the glass and in!
With that incredible half-court shot, Shiro tied the score at 71:71.
The crowd erupted, fully realizing Shiro had dominated Mibuchi in this quarter. The second quarter had been spectacular.
In the locker room, Shiro exited animal instinct, breathing heavily, sweat soaking his jersey as it dripped to the floor.
He felt dizzy, and his muscles were sore; Animal Instinct had drained his stamina considerably. Shiro's time using it was only slightly longer than Aomine's, yet it had taken a huge toll.
"Take a break, Shiro" Momoi approached Shiro, gently massaging his temples with concern in her eyes.
Shiro closed his eyes, relaxing as the faint fragrance from Momoi made him feel at ease.
"Aomine, how are you feeling?" After enjoying a moment, Shiro got up to check on Aomine resting on the bench.
"Not bad, just sore all over. I don't think I can go back out" Aomine chuckled wryly. The strain of animal instinct was still too much for their young bodies.
Shiro nodded, understanding all too well.
"Coach, I want to get back on the court!" Midorima, who had been silent, suddenly stands up.
"Are you sure you want to play in the third quarter? You only have one foul left!" Coach Shirogane hesitates, but still wants to hear Midorima's thoughts.
"I've found the flaw in Mibuchi's shot, Coach. Trust me, I'll beat him" Midorima's eyes burned with determination, his desire for payback clear.
"Alright, we trust you!" Shirogane encouraged Midorima with full confidence, echoed by his teammates who believed in his skills.
Shiro, however, sat quietly, seemingly detached. His senses grew clearer, and his mind was becoming serene, as if he were reaching a state of tranquility.
Beep!
The third quarter began as the whistle blew!