The score on the field was 60 to 22.
Shohoku's lead is now as solid as an insurmountable barrier.
But the storm did not subside.
Shohoku attacks, Kaede Rukawa pushes the ball quickly, passing it to Kawamoto on the left.
Kawamoto received the ball without hesitation, ignoring Hasegawa's long arms waving in front of him, and shot!
Swish!
63:22.
Another three-pointer, like a meteorite crashing into the basket, also struck the hearts of every spectator.
The point difference has reached 41 points.
"Ah--!!! Kawamoto! Kawamoto! Kawamoto!"
In a corner of the stands, Nozomi Takamiya from the Sakuragi Gang was the first to jump up.
He didn't care that the potato chips in his hand were scattered all over the ground. He waved his chubby arms and roared with all his might.
Yuji Okusu, Chuichiro Noma, and even the usually calm Yohei Mito had already stood up and shouted along with Takamiya.
"That's amazing! Kawamoto- kun!"
Haruko Akagi and her best friends Fujii and Matsui hugged each other tightly.
The three girls jumped and shouted, Haruko's eyes glistened with tears of excitement.
They had never seen such a devastating and exhilarating match.
" Rukawa! Kawamoto! Rukawa! Kawamoto!"
The girls in Rukawa Mikoto shouted themselves hoarse, but their cries were no longer limited to Kaede Rukawa alone.
Shoyo serves, Fujima has just crossed half-court, Kawamoto steals the ball and flicks it with his fingertips.
Kaede Rukawa picked up the ball and threw it forward, Kawamoto caught it and shot.
Swish!
66:22.
Hollow.
Shoyo attacked again, barely managing to score two points with a hook shot from Hanagata.
66:24.
The game was effectively over as Kawamoto's hot streak continued to improve.
This ball.
Shohoku's defense was successful, they secured the rebound and made a long pass.
Kawamoto had already sprinted down to the baseline, received the ball, and faded back before sinking another three-pointer!
83:26.
"Good shot!!! Shohoku!!! Kawamoto!!!"
Kengo Murasame suddenly jumped up from his seat, waving his fists and roaring furiously, as if he himself had scored the point.
Kazuo Araki, startled by his outburst, quickly pulled him aside. "Hey! Murasame, calm down! Didn't we come to see Shohoku get crushed? Why are you cheering Shohoku on?!"
"Smash my ass!"
Murasame flung Araki's hand away and glared at him from behind.
He pointed into the arena, his voice hoarse but full of power:
"Look the fucking at this! This is real basketball! What we were playing before was worse than dog shit!"
"Get up! All of you, get up!"
He yelled at the Miuradai team members, including Miyamoto, Kawasaki, and Takatsu, who were also stunned.
"Go Shohoku! Go Kawamoto! They're the pride of Kanagawa! They're the opponents we acknowledge even after being thrashed! Go for it!!!"
Infected by Murasame's emotions, Araki and the others were initially stunned, but then a strange surge of passion rushed to their heads.
Yes, losing to such a monster is nothing to be ashamed of!
It's truly a privilege to witness such a performance in person!
" Shohoku --!!!"
" Kawamoto --!!!"
"Kill them--!!!"
The Miuradai Entrepreneurs' Alliance also joined the boiling sea of activity.
The final 48 seconds of the first half.
Shohoku 83:26 Shoyo.
Shoyo attacked, Fujima, having run out of time, hastily took a shot but missed.
Akagi grabbed the rebound.
Shohoku's final attack.
Mitsui controlled the ball to run down the clock, and with 7 seconds left on the shot clock, he passed the ball to Kawamoto, who had run to the top of the key with the help of two screens.
Kawamoto received the ball, and in front of him was Hasegawa, whose eyes were already glazed over, but who still instinctively lunged at him.
There were no feints, no hesitation.
Bend your knees, jump, and release the ball.
The basketball spun in the air, drawing a high arc.
"Whoosh--!"
A buzzer-beater!
My 21st three-pointer!
71 points!
The scoreboard throbbed with excitement.
Shohoku 86: 26 Shoyo.
A 60-point difference!
The neutral audience had already switched sides, and the applause, shouts, and whistles rose like waves of a tsunami, completely overwhelming the scattered and weak tapping of beverage bottles by the Shoyo cheerleaders.
The entire county stadium seemed to have become Shohoku's home court, a grand celebration dedicated to the perfect combination of ultimate individual heroism and team basketball.
Blood is boiling, passion is roaring.
At this moment, victory or defeat is no longer important.
Most importantly, they witnessed a legendary massacre that will surely be recorded in the history of Kanagawa basketball!
"Beep--!!!"
The halftime whistle blew like a death knell in the hearts of every Shoyo player.
Fujima looked up at the scoreboard.
Hanagata bowed his head and took a deep breath.
Takano and Nagano collapsed to the ground.
Hasegawa braced himself on his knees, trembling all over, and finally collapsed to his knees, burying his face in his arms.
Akagi hugged his shoulder tightly, Kaede Rukawa's eyes burned with fighting spirit, Mitsui laughed loudly, and Sakuragi danced excitedly.
Anzai chuckled softly and clapped.
The crowning of Kanagawa's scoring champion ended in a stunning display of 71 points on 21-of-23 shooting in the first half.
Those two missed shots did nothing to diminish Kawamoto's terror.
This, on the contrary, highlights the immense trust and support within the entire Shohoku team, as well as Kawamoto's ruthless and efficient adjustments and responses.
The second half may no longer be in suspense.
But everyone wants to know where this incredible individual scoring display will ultimately leave the score.
To the disappointment of the audience, Kawamoto did not return to the field after halftime.
He was replaced by Ryota Miyagi.
Kazushi Hasegawa's confidence and stamina were completely shattered by Kawamoto in the first half, his defensive focus dropped significantly, and he could no longer use that annoying blindfold defense.
Hisashi Mitsui was completely liberated.
He constantly found open spaces to receive passes through off-ball movement, hitting three-pointers and mid-range shots in succession, his touch getting hotter and hotter.
"Great shot! Mitsui- senpai!" Cheers erupted from the bench.
Kaede Rukawa also fully demonstrated his offensive capabilities.
Facing Mitsuru Nagano, he effortlessly employed a variety of singles techniques.
Crossover dribble, pull-up jumper, fadeaway pull-up jumper.
Nagano was completely ineffective in front of him, and could only watch the basketball go into the net time and time again.
Rukawa Mikoto was in tears, and Rukawa's cries were hysterical.
Ryota Miyagi was also holding back a lot of energy.
He was on the bench for the entire first half, but now he's been given the opportunity to play.
Despite facing a physically and mentally exhausted Fujima, Miyagi still maximized his speed advantage, frequently breaking through defenses and showcasing his hard-earned mid-range shooting ability.
Although the accuracy of his pull-up jump shot remains abysmal, he does manage to make two or three shots by sheer luck.
Even if Miyagi misses, it doesn't matter.
Takenori Akagi roared as he dominated the paint, firmly marking Hanagata behind him and grabbing one offensive rebound after another.
They can either score on a second-chance opportunity or quickly pass the ball to the perimeter to create new offensive opportunities.
Hanamichi Sakuragi has finally found his own stage.
His newly trained ability to quickly shoot after off-ball cuts was fully demonstrated.
He ran tirelessly, yet with remarkable efficiency.
Just ten minutes into the second half, he made 3 of 4 shots, scoring 6 points and grabbing 3 offensive rebounds.
"Did you see that, Haruko? This genius scored a goal!"
Every time he scored, Sakuragi would shout loudly towards a certain spot in the stands.
Although he couldn't hear Haruko's response at all, he still enjoyed it immensely.
Shohoku's offense flowed like mercury, with attacks coming from multiple points.
Shoyo's defense was overwhelmed and collapsed even faster than in the first half.
90:30, 110:35, 128:40...
The point difference not only failed to narrow, but continued to widen relentlessly as Shohoku unleashed their full offensive firepower.