Kaede Rukawa didn't even look, and forcefully jumped towards Takezato's center!
He sidestepped the opposing center in mid-air, flicked the ball with his left hand, and sent it backboard into the net.
Just five seconds into the game, Kaede Rukawa scored Ryonan's first point.
Koshino wasn't a problem, but Fukuda was a little annoyed. In terms of opportunity, he had a clear opening, but Kaede Rukawa hadn't even glanced in his direction.
As for Sendoh, he never even made it past the halfway point, ever since Kaede Rukawa started his breakthrough...
" Rukawa, don't be too hasty, pay attention to teamwork," Uozumi, as the team leader, reminded him.
Kaede Rukawa nodded absentmindedly...
"There's absolutely no need to worry about this guy. I reckon his fame will skyrocket after this match. Several brands are already in contact with him," Sanae reported happily to her boss.
Shirasawa nodded, deciding not to worry about these matters. He'd let the professionals handle it; Sanae would naturally manage it well.
Shirasawa's thoughts were actually drifting to the audience seats. Sanae was wearing denim shorts today, her long legs crossed, and her Air Jordan 1 basketball shoes were particularly eye-catching. Looking at her slender ankles, he felt inexplicably worried, so he casually put his hand over to cover them.
Sanae's face flushed slightly; there were people watching. She didn't say anything, but subtly moved her bag over, placing it right on the back of Shirasawa's hand.
On the field, the Takezato Team finally managed to advance past the halfway line. However, Ryonan's defensive formation was spread out quickly and wide, and the players were all quite tall, making the guard with the ball very nervous. He glanced around and finally realized that only Kiccho Fukuda's side seemed to have a relatively relaxed defense.
Fukuda was currently playing as the power forward. The ball was passed to him, and Takezato's power forward was matched up against him. At first, the attacking player was a little intimidated by Fukuda's appearance, but after a few feints, he realized that this guy was just a paper tiger—he feinted to the left, and Fukuda shifted his weight to him, then suddenly cut to the right, easily getting past him in one step.
Fukuda merely turned his head and symbolically "intercepted" the ball with his eyes. Takezato's power forward then jumped and made a layup.
However, the next second, a roar suddenly erupted from under the basket! Jun Uozumi suddenly rose up like a mountain, his massive shadow completely enveloping the attacker. With a crisp "smack," the ball was slapped across half-court and sent directly to the frontcourt!
Coach Moichi Taoka on the sidelines closed his eyes in anguish and sighed. " Ikegami," he ordered without turning his head, "Go and substitute Fukuda."
Fukuda's defensive gaze was driving Coach Taoka to his breaking point. If Fukuda had just stretched out his arm or moved a little, the opponent wouldn't have gotten past him so easily. If Uozumi hadn't intervened in time, those two points would have been lost long ago. However, Taoka changed his strategy this time. Instead of yelling at Fukuda, he used a different method—a silent form of violence.
In defense, technique and awareness are secondary; the most important thing is attitude. You have to have that mindset first before you can talk about anything else. Obviously, Fukuda doesn't have that. Given that his defensive awareness and judgment are already quite average, he doesn't even bother to show any attitude. To put it bluntly, he just doesn't want to defend.
Taoka could probably guess Fukuda's thoughts: firstly, he wanted to conserve his energy for offense; secondly, it was probably his fragile pride at play. Being unable to defend and not defending at all are two different things. Being unable to defend is a matter of ability, a sieve; but not defending means his defensive ability will forever remain a mystery. In comparison, Fukuda probably preferred to be told he "doesn't defend" rather than hear that he "can't defend."
This is a psychological issue; talking about it won't work. He needs to realize it himself. In short, if he's not going to be proactive, he shouldn't participate. Just sit on the sidelines and watch Rukawa and Sendoh perform.
Fukuda walked off the field dejectedly, having only been on the field for less than half a minute. "Coach, I..." he tried to explain.
Moichi Taoka simply smiled faintly, "Perfect, let's take this opportunity to see how Rukawa and Sendoh fight. Take a break."
"I'm not tired..."
"Sit." Taoka's tone left no room for argument.
Ryonan's all-out offensive lineup was only tested for thirty seconds before it was over. With Ryoji Ikegami, the team's offense and defense immediately became much more balanced.
Hiroaki Koshino dribbled the ball up the court, and Kaede Rukawa reached out for the ball as soon as he crossed half-court. His cold gaze swept over Koshino felt a chill run down his spine, involuntarily passing the ball to him. Kaede Rukawa received the ball, started moving, changed direction, turned, and broke into the paint, switching hands for a layup and scoring two more points in one fluid motion. Takezato's defense was practically non-existent in front of him, and because they were wary of Sendoh, they dared not easily double-team him.
In the stands, the Kainan Team players weren't in the mood to discuss tactics; they simply watched quietly, assessing Ryonan's true strength this year.
On the defensive end, once Ikegami the game, Ryonan no longer had any obvious defensive weaknesses. Since his one-on-one duel with Shirasawa, Kaede Rukawa seemed to have gained a new understanding of defense, and his focus had improved a lot. At this moment, he was sticking tightly to the player he was Takezato, making it difficult for the opponent to even receive the ball. The guard from Takezato dribbled for a long time but couldn't find an opportunity, so he had to lob the ball to the inside to try to reorganize the offense.
But just as the ball left his hand, a figure suddenly leaped up from the side! With his outstanding height, wingspan, and jumping ability, Akira Sendoh intercepted the ball in mid-air. Without pausing, he immediately launched a counterattack. Facing the guard who came to intercept, he easily bypassed the defense with a behind-the-back dribble and drove straight to the basket, ending the attack with a one-handed dunk!
It's worth noting that Sendoh rarely dunks. In his view, scoring two points is much easier with a layup. Clearly, he came here today with a lot of energy.
" Ryonan is ridiculously strong," Kiminobu Kogure, adjusting his glasses. " Sendoh and Kaede Rukawa are both top-tier players who excel on both offense and defense; either of them has the potential to be the team's ace. Having them both together is simply a luxury."
Akagi didn't say much about it, but simply nodded silently.
Last year, Sendoh single-handedly led Ryonan to the semifinals, something he knew all too well. That kid looked calm and collected on the court, but once he wanted to score, it was as easy as pulling something out of his pocket. He still remembered clearly one time when Sendoh scored more than forty points against Akagi.
Kaede Rukawa's skills are beyond question. During the practice match, this kid scored more than ten points in a short time. Now, he's even better than before. The key is that once Kaede Rukawa steps onto the court, he only has scoring in his eyes, like a tireless machine.
With these two together, Ryonan's offensive firepower is simply unmatched. And their defense is just as formidable!
Akagi turned his head and spoke to Kogure.
" Kogure, to be honest, I don't think Kainan will be able to get past Ryonan this time."
Kogure adjusted his glasses, indicating his agreement.
"I think so too, but Akagi, this is good news for us."
He paused, then continued.
"If Kainan loses to Ryonan in the next game, and we beat Takezato, then the top two spots will be ours!"
Akagi, the academic genius, instantly went through the schedule and points in his mind; Kogure was indeed right. But being cautious as always, he waved his hand dismissively.
"Stop thinking about useless things, let's just focus on our own game. Besides, our goal is the championship!"
Twelve minutes into the game, the score was 42-12.
Ryonan led by a full thirty points. Sendoh and Kaede Rukawa, the Twin Stars, completely took over the game, scoring twenty-four and eighteen points respectively, tearing Takezato's defense to shreds. Ikegami, Koshino, and Uozumi didn't score a single point, didn't even have a chance to shoot, and were just there to fill the void on the defensive end, letting the two of them do their best.
In the audience, Riki Takato frowned, his expression not looking good.
The Ryonan duo put pressure on him, or rather, he felt pressure for Shinichi Maki. These two took turns firing, their power no less than that of Shirasawa, and Ryonan's roster depth was also considerable, making him uneasy. Most importantly, Ryonan's head coach happened to be his old rival Moichi Taoka.
The two have been rivals since their school days playing basketball, neither willing to concede to the other. Last year in the semifinals, Riki Takato watched the entire court with a smile, waving his fan, and let Moichi Taoka suffer a complete defeat, not to mention making sarcastic remarks afterward. This year, they absolutely cannot let that guy get his revenge.
The match is still ongoing.
Moichi Taoka sat on the bench with his legs crossed, in a very good mood. He was satisfied with the team's current state. Although there wasn't any particularly brilliant teamwork, that was because there was no need for it. With Sendoh and Kaede Rukawa as his two aces, plus Uozumi the paint, how many teams could withstand them?
He was already planning his lineup for the second half. In Moichi Taoka's eyes, the Takezato players on the court had long since become shadows of Kainan and Shohoku. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could easily crush those two teams; rather, he was pondering how to play against Kainan or Shohoku, and what lineup he should field to counter them.
Riki Takato has a nickname in coaching circles. " The Wise General." He excels at adapting to changing situations on the court. Moichi Taoka, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He prefers to plan ahead, anticipating all possible scenarios and always having a solution in hand. This seems somewhat out of place in the ever-changing nature of basketball.
While Coach Taoka and Takato were secretly vying for dominance, Coach Anzai stood out from the crowd, not even bothering to watch the game. As soon as the match against Kainan ended, Mrs. Anzai came to the stadium to pick him up.
Coach Anzai's health has never been good, which is no secret within the Shohoku Team. Therefore, he rarely appears during training, and Akagi usually takes Akagi. Now that Shohoku is about to enter the national tournament, Coach Anzai needs to pay even more attention to his health, since he will have to travel with the team to Hiroshima, where there won't be the conditions for him to recuperate slowly.
Mrs. Anzai drove the car, a smile playing on her lips.
" Mitsuyoshi, you must be... really looking forward to it right now."