Kamishiro Ruki's Report: The Truest Self?! (1)

Koichiro Nansho dominated the low post, using his physical advantage to repeatedly attack the basket and cause Shohoku plenty of trouble in the paint.

On Shohoku's side, Akagi Takenori held down the basket, stabilizing the defense with several crucial blocks. Mitsui Hisashi's three-point shooting also picked up at the right time, and he engaged Tomokazu Godai in a fierce long-range duel.

Ryota Miyagi used his nimble speed to tear through the defense and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Even Sakuragi Hanamichi grabbed several crucial rebounds. Though he still made the occasional basic mistake, he also displayed astonishing explosiveness.

Throughout the first half, the score remained extremely close, and cheers from the crowd rose and fell without pause.

But as the game entered the second half, the balance gradually began to tilt.

Shohoku's coordination grew more and more seamless. Akagi Takenori's dominance in the paint became increasingly apparent, while Mitsui Hisashi's shooting touch grew hotter and hotter. He buried three consecutive three-pointers, stretching the gap into double digits.

In contrast, Kinku's three-point shooting began to falter. Koichiro Nansho's attacks in the paint were repeatedly neutralized by Akagi Takenori. The team's offense became increasingly powerless, while Shohoku's fast breaks threw their defensive rhythm into disarray, widening the gap bit by bit.

When the deficit reached twenty points, Tomokazu Godai finally lost control of his emotions and exploded. After accidentally committing another foul, he actually lost his head and began arguing directly with the referee. The dispute escalated, and after multiple warnings proved ineffective, the referee showed a red card and ejected Tomokazu Godai from the game.

No one had expected this. Having lost their core scorer, Kinku became like a kite with its string cut, completely losing the will to resist.

Shohoku seized the chance and pressed their advantage. Sakuragi Hanamichi