This was the final game of Kanagawa Prefecture's final four, and almost every strong team in the prefecture had come to watch.
Kainan Team, Shoyo, Miuradai, Wuyuan High School, and others were all there.
Of them, Kainan certainly cared the most about this game, since the outcome directly affected them. Shinichi Maki stood with his arms folded across his chest.
With Shinichi Maki there, the rest of Kainan could still keep their composure. They watched expressionlessly as Ryonan Team psyched themselves up on the court.
Twenty minutes later, the game was about to begin, and the players from both sides took the court.
This time, Shohoku had returned to their old starting lineup.
Point guard-Ryota Kudo, shooting guard-Hisashi Mitsui, small forward-Kaede Rukawa, power forward-Hanamichi Sakuragi, center-Takenori Akagi.
Takenori Akagi and Kaede Rukawa had fully recovered from the injuries they had sustained a few days earlier. This was now Shohoku's strongest lineup.
Although Coach Anzai was absent, Shohoku Team's spirits were high.
Shohoku Team remained undefeated in Kanagawa, and they had even beaten the former champions, Kainan. They had the psychological advantage.
The opening tip was about to begin. Takenori Akagi and Jun Uozumi stood in the center circle.
Tweet! The referee blew the whistle to start the game and tossed the basketball into the air.
This time, Jun Uozumi jumped faster. He leaped high and tipped the ball toward Ryonan's half.
Tomoyuki Uekusa dribbled across half court before passing to their centerpiece, Akira Sendoh. Ryonan's performance today depended heavily on how Sendoh played.
Kaede Rukawa was matched up against Akira Sendoh, staring at him with icy eyes.
A proud person, Kaede Rukawa wanted to defeat every opponent, and Akira Sendoh, standing before him, was also on his list.
Even while playing basketball, Akira Sendoh wore a faint smile.
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