Kainan's final play was a masterpiece of their system. With 10 seconds left and down 74-72, they ran a complex series of screens, designed to free up Maki for a game-tying jumper.
The play worked perfectly. Maki came off the final screen, catching the ball at the elbow with a sliver of space. He rose for his signature, high-release jumper.
But Teo had read the play. Instead of staying glued to his man, he took a calculated risk. He left Sorayama and took one long, lunging step, his 7'1 frame and massive wingspan extending towards Maki.
He didn't go for the block. He went for the contest.
Maki, seeing the giant's hand in his vision at the last second, was forced to adjust his arc. The shot felt good off his fingers, but it was just a fraction too high.
The ball hit the back of the rim, bounced once, twice, and rolled off.
Bornok secured the rebound with a vice-like grip as the buzzer sounded.
Final Score: Flowstate 74, Kainan 72.
For a moment, there was only the sound of their ragged breaths. Then, the reality hit them. They had done it. They had beaten the system.
They didn't celebrate wildly. They simply gathered at center court, leaning on each other, a unit held together by exhaustion and triumph. They had passed the test of fundamentals.
As they walked off the court, the bracket board glowed, updating once more. The final boss of the Slam Dunk bracket awaited.
SANNOH.
The name alone carried a weight, a reputation of invincibility. The cycle was ready to turn again. But first, a moment to breathe. A moment to recover. In The City, the breaks were just as important as the battles.