His happiness stemmed partly from Akagi and Shohoku, and partly from some old grudges with Kainan. Seventeen years ago, when the Kainan dynasty was just beginning, they rose to power by defeating the team led by the mustachioed shopkeeper. That year, the two teams were evenly matched, and although the shopkeeper wasn't a regular starter, he got the last shot opportunity. That shot decided the game, even the future... If he had made it, the Kainan dynasty might never have risen, and their subsequent sixteen-year championship streak would never have happened.
Unfortunately, he missed the shot, indirectly paving the way for the Kainan dynasty. Seventeen years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the shopkeeper has carried this regret for seventeen years. This year, Shohoku defeated Kainan, avenging him, and the regret can finally be put down. Giving away a few pairs of shoes? No problem!
But when they got to the store, they realized that everyone's feet are different sizes... They couldn't just give away ill-fitting shoes as decorations, could they? They had to give away shoes that could be worn in public; that would be meaningful. As a result, Ayako and Haruko made a wasted trip...
The store manager was very kind; he spent two days gathering shoe sizes from the list Ayako provided and personally delivered them to the county stadium. That's how this scene came about.
The team members' eyes lit up. Not everyone is as wealthy as Akagi's family; they dream of owning Jordan basketball shoes! The moment the mustachioed shop manager arrived, everyone swarmed around him, practically shouting "Hooray!"...
Shirasawa didn't react much; he had more shoes than he could wear, and the ones Sanae had given him were piled up like a mountain. However, he was quite touched by the shop manager's thoughtfulness... These shoes weren't just shoes; they carried a story.
This halftime break unexpectedly gave Shohoku a huge boost of energy. Back on the court, everyone was full of fighting spirit.
In the second half, Coach Anzai benched Shirasawa and announced that he would not play. He wanted Shirasawa to rest and also gave the substitutes a chance to shine.
Miyagi returned to point guard, Tetsushi Shiozaki took over as shooting guard. Hisashi Mitsui shouldered the offensive burden, firing away from beyond the arc. Takezato double-teamed him, Mitsui didn't force it; he drove to the basket when necessary and passed the ball when appropriate, displaying remarkable composure. He used this half to show everyone: Hisashi Mitsui is more than just a shooter!
Led by Mitsui, Shohoku's offensive continued unabated. Without Shirasawa or Akagi, they still managed a 51-24 lead in the second half. With a depleted roster, they won by 27 points against last year's semifinalists in the first half, demonstrating their superior strength.
The final buzzer sounded, 118-35. Shohoku won by 83 points, a comfortable victory. Just like Coach Anzai said, they didn't worry too much about the point differential; otherwise, if they had kept Shirasawa on the court, they could have blown them out even more...
Shohoku is pushing themselves to win every game and advance to the national championship! Takezato Basketball Team is completely out of the running; playing Kainan in the third round is pointless.
Amid cheers, the entire Shohoku team left the court and returned to the locker room. The fans in the arena changed, with Ryonan and Kainan each occupying half of the court, and their rivalry began from the moment they entered.
The intensity of this match was absolutely palpable.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and both teams officially entered the field.
The entire Shohoku team returned to their seats and focused on watching the game. If Ryonan won this match, they would automatically qualify for the national tournament without even having to fight for tickets.
Shirasawa's seating arrangement this time was a bit interesting. The first row was packed with his teammates. Since the others were too embarrassed to sit next to Sanae, he naturally wandered over to the second row.
On the left is Sanae, and on the right is Ayako...
His mind raced: What if they both say their legs are cold...?
What if we both want to sit in the car for a bit...?
Is the bus a bit crowded...? No, isn't it still too early...?
Just as he was pondering this, a thunderous cheer abruptly pulled him back to reality.
On the court, Nobunaga Kiyota started showing off again, holding the ball and standing outside the three-point line, clearly about to show off his skills!
The ball bounced off the ground, and he strode towards the basket.
Take off and catch the ball!
He folded his back to the basket and delivered a thunderous dunk!
They showcased their jumping ability and hang time, thoroughly heating up the atmosphere for the Kainan Team.
This time, Shinichi Maki didn't say anything to him, pretending not to see it and letting him make a fuss.
However, before the cheers in Kainan had subsided, there was movement again in Ryonan.
Sendoh and Kaede Rukawa have entered the arena together!
The Ryonan Twin Stars are clearly ready to take on the challenge!
Actually, it wasn't Coach Taoka who arranged for them to go up.
It was purely on a whim; they exchanged a knowing glance and walked out side by side.
"My God! Did they plan this together?!" Hikoichi Aida's eyes were practically sparkling.
He clearly remembered how arrogant Nobunaga Kiyota had been in the locker room in Kainan.
Now they're provoking us again before the game; our own Twin Stars are clearly going to retaliate!
Moichi Taoka, a slight smile playing on his lips.
It's clear he's quite pleased with the two children's initiative.
Regardless of how well they buttoned it, their perfect teamwork alone is enough to make him happy.
If they could cooperate like this in official matches, Ryonan would definitely rise even higher!
Besides, Taoka didn't want that guy Takato Riki Takato to steal the spotlight.
On the field, Sendoh simply gestured to Kaede Rukawa, Kaede Rukawa nodded and took a few steps back.
then...
Sendoh dribbled the ball and charged straight for the basket!
"Huh? In the end, Sendoh- senpai gets to deduct the penalty?" Hikoichi Aida exclaimed.
Jun Uozumi squinted and exclaimed, "Something's not right!"
After Sendoh rushed out a few steps, Kaede Rukawa suddenly accelerated and followed closely behind!
"Two people working together?!"
The entire audience was stunned.
Two-man dunks are incredibly difficult; positioning, timing of the jump, and passing height are all crucial. A slight miscalculation and the ball will crash.
Unless you're just doing the simplest Alley-oop pass.
Judging from the way they're running, they're clearly not taking an easy route!
Sendoh took two steps inside the free-throw line and jumped. It looked like he wasn't using his full strength, but he jumped really high!
He caught the ball in mid-air with his left hand, his legs spread apart, one in front of the other.
The ball goes around his legs and he switches to his right hand, while simultaneously curling up in mid-air!
"This... isn't that Xiao Bai between-the-legs dunk that Shiro did the other day?!" Kiminobu Kogure his glasses, looking surprised.
Sendoh's movement was almost identical to Shirasawa's that day, only slightly less fluid.
"The real culprit is yet to come," Shirasawa smiled calmly.
That's Sendoh, this was just a feint by the Immortal Path!
After the crossover dunk, he didn't dunk; instead, he slammed the ball onto the backboard!
at the same time...
Kaede Rukawa, who was following behind, suddenly took off!
Catch the ball, turn 180 degrees, and fold the back dunk!
Boom!
The basketball was slammed into the hoop!
The audience erupted instantly!
Their teamwork is truly exceptional; anyone who didn't know better would think they'd practiced countless times in private.
And upon closer examination, it becomes clear: Sendoh used Shirasawa's technique, Kaede Rukawa used Kiyota's technique!
The Ryonan Twin Stars pulled off a combination move that was both flashy and embarrassing.
Teamwork is inherently much more difficult than solo work, and considering the level of execution and the underlying meaning of their performances, it's immediately clear who is superior.
Nobunaga Kiyota has once again lost a complete defeat in the dunk contest he himself started.
"Damn it! These two actually pulled this trick!" Nobunaga Kiyota clenched his fists, his face contorted with rage.
After twice embarrassing himself, even someone as thick-skinned as him was starting to feel the strain...
Shinichi Maki didn't seem to care much, saying the same thing: no amount of pre-match gimmicks could affect Kainan's performance.
If we lose, we can treat it as a game and let Kiyota show off his skills.
Besides, there are no referees to score, so who wins and who loses depends entirely on which side's fans are the loudest.
We Kainan fans are mostly older, so we can't out-shout you young guys...
Don't overthink it, just play well.
Shinichi Maki's attitude left Kiyota somewhat bewildered.
Just two days ago, during the game against Shohoku, the team leader clearly said, "There can be no next time."
Kiyota himself acted impulsively and forgot about this...
Thinking about it afterwards, I felt really uneasy. I never expected that Shinichi Maki wouldn't scold him!
"Could it be that the boss has also forgotten..." Kiyota muttered to himself.
After saying that, she quickly covered her mouth, afraid of being overheard.
Sendoh and Kaede Rukawa's coordinated attack caused a stir among the crowd, but the two involved parties remained largely unresponsive.
After they finished scoring, they didn't even look at each other before turning around and leaving the court.
Their teamwork just now was so seamless, it was as if it had been rehearsed beforehand...
Uozumi excitedly high- Sendoh, "Great job!"
Sendoh smiled. "That guy's delivery was pretty accurate."
Kaede Rukawa glanced at him, "Your shot wasn't bad either."
Watching from the side, Moichi Taoka's lips unconsciously curled upwards.
The referee's whistle blows.
The starting fives from both sides entered the game one after another.
In Kainan, Riki Takato fielded his usual lineup.
Ryonan is quite interesting: Uozumi, Ikegami, Sendoh, Kaede Rukawa, plus a Koshino.
"Huh? Ryonan didn't put Uekusa at point guard, but instead fielded the more offensively-oriented Koshino?" Kogure adjusted his glasses, staring at the court and muttering, "He's going to be matched up against Shinichi Maki."
Shirasawa chuckled, leaning against the back of his chair. " Four-Eyes, whether it's Uekusa or Koshino, it's all free for Shinichi Maki, isn't it?"
"If you ask me, Ryonan will definitely have Sendoh or Kaede Rukawa organize the offense, most likely Sendoh..." He paused, then shrank back into his seat, "... If Kaede Rukawa has the ball, he'll probably be locked in a battle with Shinichi Maki in no time."
After saying that, he leaned back...
Different fragrances wafted from both sides, mixing together and making him a little dizzy.
Thankfully, I could occasionally strike up a conversation with Kogure in front of me, otherwise it would have been really hard to concentrate.
However, on the other hand, Shirasawa is quite looking forward to seeing the Ryonan Twin Stars team up to deal with Shinichi Maki.
In his eyes, Shinichi Maki was probably in for a headache this time.
The two coaches weren't idle either; as soon as the players stood still, their eyes met.
These old rivals, after so many years, still sparked with wit when they looked at each other at their age. They exchanged disdainful glances, marking the first round of their duel.
The whistle blew, and the referee tossed the ball up into the air.
The crucial battle has officially begun!
As soon as Uozumi the arena, he bared his teeth and bared his teeth, his fierceness written all over his face. Takasago, who was not small in Takasago in front of him.
Uozumi predictably swung his racket towards his own half of the court.
In Kanagawa, apart from Akagi, no one really could snatch the jump ball from Uozumi.
Sure enough, after catching the Uekusa, Uekusa passed it to Sendoh without hesitation.
Riki Takato unfolded his folding fan with a "whoosh," a smug look on his face.
His thoughts were exactly the same as what Shirasawa had just said: Ryonan definitely had to get Sendoh to switch to point guard; that was their only option.
Otherwise, Shinichi Maki could have kept them at bay until they were desperate!
However, Riki Takato felt that even if Sendoh came to organize it, it would probably be difficult for him to withstand it.