Winning Every Step

Inside Shohoku's locker room, Sakuragi Hanamichi slammed a fist into a locker with a loud bang!, venting the frustration in his heart.

"Damn it!! That damned Chinese brat!"

Wu Yufei had undoubtedly been the best player of the entire first half, and for that very reason, he became the target of Sakuragi Hanamichi's rage.

"Ah! Sakuragi! Don't just damage public property!"

The ever-good-natured Kogure immediately stepped in to stop him and calm Sakuragi's anger.

"At least we successfully cut the gap to single digits by the end of the first half, didn't we? We're only down by seven points now! There's still an entire second half left, so our chances are still very good!"

"I know that without you telling me, Glasses! We'll definitely be the ones to win in the end! I don't care where that exchange student came from—the genius Sakuragi will definitely defeat him!"

"Well said, Sakuragi Hanamichi."

Miyagi Ryota joined in as well.

"In the second half, Hanamichi, you have to grab more rebounds!"

"Oh!! Don't worry, Ryo! Leave everything under the basket to this genius! In the second half, I'll grab ten... no, twenty rebounds!"

Rukawa Kaede and Mitsui Hisashi, meanwhile, said nothing. They sat on the bench, using every second they could to rest and recover.

At this rate, they definitely won't be able to last through the entire second half. Miuradai must be waiting for that moment as well...

Coach Anzai looked at the two players, already so exhausted after just one half, and thought helplessly to himself.

Shohoku's depth was simply too weak. Other than their current starting five, they truly had no one else they could rely on.

Kogure had a decent shot and could barely fill in during an emergency, but players like Kakuta, Yasuda, and Shiozaki simply were not up to the task.

If they were only playing in the quarterfinals or round of sixteen, they could barely be sent in to ease the starters' burden and burn some garbage time.

But now that they were in the semifinals, facing an opponent on Miuradai's level, Coach Anzai did not dare send them onto the court. He could only grit his teeth and keep riding the starters.

No matter how many strategies and schemes Coach Anzai had in mind, they were meaningless if the players could not carry them out. After all, the players were always the ones who decided the outcome of a game.

Meanwhile, in Miuradai's locker room, as the team leading at halftime, the mood was naturally much better than on Shohoku's side.

Aside from Wu Yufei, who had run all over the court in the first half and expended a great deal of energy, the other players were all in normal condition and none seemed overly tired.

"Keep playing like this in the second half. Expand our lead steadily, step by step!"

After sweeping his gaze over the group before him, Coach Harada spoke, then turned his attention to Wu Yufei.

"Rukawa Kaede is yours, Yufei. I know you're already exhausted, but I believe Rukawa Kaede is even more tired than you are! As long as we wear him out first and force him off the court early, victory will be ours!"

"I understand."

Wu Yufei answered, then said no more.

Like Rukawa Kaede, he had to make the best use of every second to rest and recover. Otherwise, even if he managed to wear Rukawa Kaede down and send him off first, he himself would not be able to stay on the court much longer.

Seeing this, Coach Harada did not disturb Wu Yufei further. Instead, he turned to Ishiyama Jun.

"Although Mitsui scored quite a few points in the first half, Ishiyama, I'm still very satisfied with your defensive attitude. You must be tired too, so rest a little longer at the start of the second half."

Coach Harada began arranging substitutions for the second half.

"Kuroda, you're going in. Keep wearing down Mitsui Hisashi! My requirement is simple: Mitsui Hisashi can score, but I want every point he gets to come at a huge price!"

"Yes!!"

Finally given a chance to play, Kuroda Yoshito naturally accepted the assignment without hesitation.

Coach Harada then announced another substitution, sending Kawasaki Akio in to replace Ohno Kazuki, who had also been heavily drained from taking turns dealing with Akagi and Sakuragi in the first half.

"When all is said and done, Shohoku relies on those five starters. So in the second half, they'll definitely keep riding their starters and won't make substitutions."

Coach Harada declared confidently.

"Compared to them, our greatest advantage is the strength and depth of our bench. In the second half, we must make full use of that advantage!"

Coach Harada naturally understood Shohoku's biggest weakness, which was why he was making exactly the right substitution strategy.

"Kuroda and Kawasaki, don't worry about conserving your energy. Give me everything you have on defense! You must be aggressive!"

"Understood!!" X2

Kuroda Yoshito and Kawasaki Akio immediately accepted their assignments.

The two of them were fresh legs, and they were Miuradai's foundation for continuing to battle Shohoku in the second half!

The ten-minute halftime break quickly ended, and the players from both sides returned to the court, appearing once again before the crowd.

"Miuradai has indeed made substitutions, while Shohoku still has the same five players. If Shohoku can't quickly tie the score or even take the lead, their chances of winning will only shrink as time goes on."

In the stands, after seeing the players on the court, Coach Taoka immediately reached his conclusion.

Miuradai gained possession, and Wu Yufei continued following the strategy set in the first half, slowing the pace and grinding them down bit by bit.

With fresh legs like Kuroda Yoshito and Kawasaki Akio joining the lineup, Miuradai was clearly much more active on defense.

At the 24-second mark of the second half, Wu Yufei used Kawasaki Akio's screen to break into the paint. After successfully drawing Akagi's attention, he immediately dished the ball to Naito Tetsuya, who spun for a successful layup. Miuradai struck first.

At the 44-second mark, Miyagi Ryota used a fake to shake Murasame Kengo and drove straight into Miuradai's paint. Avoiding Wu Yufei's steal attempt, he made a behind-the-back pass to Rukawa Kaede.

Facing Wu Yufei's defense, Rukawa Kaede faked a drive, then stepped back and fired without hesitation.

Although Wu Yufei reacted immediately and leaped up with all his strength to contest it, he still could not stop the shot from falling. Rukawa Kaede's personal score rose to 13 points.

At 1 minute 6 seconds, Wu Yufei powered through Rukawa Kaede into Shohoku's paint and directly unleashed the Serpentine Step. After getting past two defenders, his floater off the glass went in.

At 1 minute 22 seconds, Miyagi Ryota tried to pass to Rukawa Kaede again, but this time Wu Yufei completely sealed off every possible spot where he could receive the ball.

Left with no choice, Miyagi shifted his target to Mitsui Hisashi.

Against Kuroda Yoshito's relentless, sticky defense while he was at full strength, the exhausted Mitsui Hisashi simply could not find a suitable chance to shoot. After wasting several seconds, he could only helplessly pass the ball back to Miyagi.

Seeing this, Miyagi hardened his resolve and took matters into his own hands, shaking Murasame Kengo and driving straight into Miuradai's paint.

After successfully breaking into the paint, Miyagi Ryota drew the attention of both Naito Tetsuya and Kawasaki Akio, then made a motion as if passing to Akagi.

Murasame Kengo recovered in time and cut him off.

"Tch!"

However, Miyagi did not give up. He changed direction and passed the ball once more to Mitsui Hisashi, who was waiting in position beyond the three-point line.

This time, Mitsui finally got his shot off.

Swish!!

That three-pointer poured a ladle of oil onto the small flame of hope burning in Shohoku's hearts.

At 1 minute 46 seconds, Wu Yufei and the pulled-out Naito Tetsuya executed a give-and-go. After getting past Rukawa Kaede, Wu Yufei drove into Shohoku's paint and feinted a layup, forcing Akagi to jump for the block as well. He then passed to Naito Tetsuya beside him, who instantly cut under the basket and rose easily for a thunderous dunk.

During the first five minutes of the second half, both sides fought fiercely. The score rose back and forth, neither willing to be the first to let up.

But once the five-minute mark passed, Shohoku's disadvantage gradually became clear.

Spotting his chance, Wu Yufei immediately increased the pace of the offense, forcing Shohoku's players to run more frequently and further intensifying their physical exhaustion.

Although this allowed Rukawa Kaede to capitalize on an opening and sneak in four straight points, Wu Yufei was not afraid.

He could see that Rukawa Kaede's stamina had already fallen below the red line.

Wu Yufei began repeatedly relying on his individual skills to force his way into Shohoku's paint, making Rukawa Kaede jump with him again and again, then sprint back and forth after him.

The gap between the two teams continued to fluctuate within a range of 6 points—8 points—5 points—7 points—9 points—6 points.

Although Miuradai never managed to widen the gap further, Shohoku's chances of mounting a comeback were being worn away step by step as time passed.