Inside the three-point line, only Akagi and Uozumi, two big guys, were left standing face to face.
Immediately afterwards, Shirasawa flicked his wrist, and the ball "whooshed" into the air!
It landed precisely in Akagi's hands.
The entire audience erupted in an uproar.
Moichi Taoka was stunned on the sidelines.
The whole team spread out, letting the two centers go one-on-one?
This playing style... is truly rare!
" Shirasawa, you trust Akagi that much?"
"But I have the same confidence in Uozumi!"
Moichi Taoka crossed his arms, but he seemed quite calm.
Uozumi's sudden move to flank and defend was purely coincidental.
But this coincidence allowed Shirasawa's passing route to be completely blocked.
If you force a pass at this point, it will most likely be intercepted.
Shirasawa was in mid-air, but his hands were still in the posture of passing the ball.
Moreover, the movement was extremely large, looking like he was about to forcefully throw it towards the inside.
This time, even Kaede Rukawa, who jumped up to block, was fooled.
But where's the ball? The ball never left his hand!
After the fake pass, he suddenly pulled the ball back, twisted his body, and sent the ball past Kaede Rukawa's side!
It was too late for Sendoh to react.
The ball headed straight for the three-point line at a 45-degree angle on the left.
Mitsui immediately understood when he saw the ball hadn't gone in.
He was the first to start, and charged straight in that direction!
The ball arrived just as the person did.
Mitsui received the ball, turned halfway, and stood up to shoot.
But Ikegami pounced at almost the same time!
Although he wasn't the first to see through Shirasawa, he stared intently at Mitsui.
As soon as Mitsui moved, he followed, managing to keep Mitsui from completely shaking him off.
Just as the ball was released, Ikegami's fingertips brushed against it!
If we were even a fraction slower, we probably wouldn't have touched it.
Mitsui's eyes narrowed; he knew the ball's trajectory was bound to be off course.
He didn't dare gamble, so he immediately yelled at the top of his lungs, "Rebound--!"
Sakuragi, standing on the sidelines, felt his blood boil and almost blurted out "Mine!", but unfortunately, he could only watch helplessly.
Under the basket, Akagi and Uozumi were completely entangled.
The two were locked in a tight embrace, their feet off the ground, relying solely on their physical strength to hold on.
They were acting like they were fighting over some treasure.
"Bang!"
The ball bounced off the rim.
Ryonan's entire team is ready to launch a fast break, just waiting for Uozumi to grab the rebound.
Shohoku was also focused intently on the opposing team, wary of a sudden counterattack.
Akagi and Uozumi tensed their muscles and jumped again, pressing against each other!
Whoever loses their strength first will fall.
The intensity of their scramble for the ball made even Sakuragi's heart skip a beat.
He had to admit that even if he were on the field, he might not be able to gain the upper hand against these two.
"Smack!"
Uozumi, taking advantage of his height and long arms, touched the ball first.
But Akagi's hand followed immediately, flicking the ball away again.
Now it's Akagi's turn to shine!
The two landed almost simultaneously, but Akagi's second jump was noticeably faster.
He leaped into the air again and grabbed the backboard firmly in his hand!
"Good job, Gorilla!!" Sakuragi jumped up from the bench and shouted.
With Akagi securing the rebound, Ryonan's counterattack opportunity was effectively over.
Shohoku immediately adjusted their formation, and the rhythm of offense and defense shifted instantly.
Both teams started running around the three-point line again, ready to provide support at any time.
From the stands Hikoichi Aida muttered nervously, "As expected... Shohoku is still going to let Akagi Uozumi him as captain!"
" Akagi's in top form right now!"
The meaning of those words couldn't be clearer—he already felt that Uozumi was about to be unable to defend himself.
Moichi Taoka didn't have time to care what Hikoichi.
He was the one who was most worried throughout the entire event!
Fukuda's mentality was shattered by Shirasawa, and the team's morale has been affected.
If Uozumi were to be attacked by Akagi again, the damage would be far more than just a simple cumulative effect.
If Uozumi also becomes discouraged because of this... then the match will be in real danger!
He's absolutely furious.
That Shirasawa is too calculating!
They're targeting them one by one; they're slowly dismantling Ryonan!
He completely forgot that when it comes to strategy, he was the real veteran...
Moichi Taoka jumped up from the coach's bench in a panic, yelling at the top of his lungs, " Uozumi! We have to stop that ball! Don't let him succeed!"
The entire Shohoku team was camping out on the perimeter. Even Miyagi and Kogure couldn't be ignored, since anyone could take an open three-pointer. As for Shirasawa and Mitsui, they couldn't be left unguarded.
In this situation, we can only hope that Uozumi his own!
There's not much time left in the first half; we have to hold on no matter what.
After Akagi grabbed the rebound, his momentum really kicked in.
In terms of both momentum and mentality, he completely overwhelmed Uozumi.
No matter how aggrieved he felt, Uozumi had to admit that he had always been overshadowed by Akagi.
The battle for the title of Kanagawa's best center will likely be decided in this round!
If they can defend against that ball, Uozumi still has a chance to turn the game around.
But if they can't stop him... then unless they can completely dominate Akagi in the second half, the battle for center position will be over.
But to crush Akagi? Anyone with a discerning eye knows that's impossible. So ultimately, it all comes down to defense this time!
Akagi feinted with the ball outside the penalty area, Uozumi immediately closed in, using both legs to block him and putting all his strength into the defense, making Akagi unable to move for a moment.
In contrast, Akagi appeared remarkably composed.
He needs to stay calm, find the right opportunity, and strike a fatal blow!
Akagi turned around, leaning against Uozumi, so they were facing each other, and he swung the ball from side to side with both hands.
Uozumi his center of gravity extremely low, his eyes fixed on Akagi's every subtle movement.
Akagi first swerved to the left, then charged forward from the right!
He used his left leg to block the Uozumi and stepped forward first, simultaneously slamming the ball to the ground.
At this moment, Akagi unleashed all his strength!
The two "mountains" collided solidly, and Akagi, using the momentum, managed to squeeze out a little space!
Uozumi frowned, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, and pushed back with all his might.
But it was this momentary lapse in positioning that gave Akagi the opportunity!
Akagi smoothly gathered the ball and took a step forward!
He stepped right up from beside Uozumi and walked to the basket!
Agility was always Uozumi's weakness, and now Akagi had it figured out perfectly.
By the time Uozumi turned around to cover, Akagi had already raised his arm!
"Roar!!"
With Uozumi lunged at the basketball, his tall frame propelling him forward.
Akagi also roared in anger!
He slammed the ball toward the basket with all his might!
At this moment, only four words were on Akagi's mind.
Dominate the whole country!
The basketball hoop made a loud bang.
Uozumi large hands swept across the top of the basket.
Obviously.
He couldn't stop him.
"Oh--!!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Akagi's dunk was absolutely dominant!
From grabbing offensive rebounds to scoring with a powerful dunk, he completely overwhelmed Uozumi.
Strength, judgment, and agility were all on display.
This goal is enough to prove who is the best center in Kanagawa!
Akagi released the basket, causing the backboard to sway violently up and down with a loud clanging sound.
Amidst cheers from the crowd, he raised his arms and roared!
Their faces were contorted with excitement.
He was venting his emotions, releasing all the pent-up doubts he had accumulated over the years!
He lived up to Shohoku, and even more so, he lived up to the expectations of his teammates!
The title of "number one center" is just a name.
But it meant something different to Akagi.
Only by standing at the very top of this position can he continue to protect the paint for Shohoku, the strongest team!
For Akagi, the phrase "We are the strongest" was a belief.
He was willing to risk everything to defend Shohoku's title as the "strongest".
Now, he's done it!
He proved to everyone that he was the best center in Kanagawa!
Even stronger opponents await him in the national competition; he can use his title of "strongest" to challenge the nation's top players.
Provide the strongest support for Shohoku, the strongest team!
Moichi Taoka immediately called a pause.
They had to break Shohoku's momentum; the deafening cheers from the crowd alone were enough to make the Ryonan players restless.
Moreover, Uozumi, standing next to Akagi, was clearly listless.
Akagi's brilliance completely overshadowed him.
It has to be admitted, Uozumi lost.
He lost a year ago too, but this time was different.
Back then, Uozumi wasn't as famous as he is now, nor did he put in as much effort.
The stronger Uozumi, the heavier the blow of defeat and the deeper the sense of frustration.
Moichi Taoka needed to let Uozumi come down and catch his breath.
The atmosphere was completely different as the two teams walked to their benches.
Several key players from Shohoku surrounded Akagi, hugging and punching him.
At this moment, Akagi was laughing like a silly kid weighing over 200 pounds; it was the first time he had ever been "tortured" like this by his teammates.
Kogure was laughing so hard, his arm around his neck, while Mitsui and Shirasawa were also vigorously rubbing his head.
Miyagi punched him in the chest repeatedly, and the harder he punched, the happier Akagi laughed.
In Akagi's mind, all of this was caused by these guys.
Walking to the bench, Akagi casually grabbed Hanamichi Sakuragi and smacked him on the head twice.
Sakuragi covered his head, looking completely bewildered. " Gorilla, what are you doing?!"
"This is a reward for you." Akagi grinned; this was probably their unique way of communicating.
Then he turned to Shirasawa, a smirk playing on his lips, and thrust his fist forward.
He knew in his heart that his success on the field today was largely due to Shirasawa's arrangements and trust.
Now is the time for him to repay that trust.
Shirasawa understood immediately, and with a smile, he clenched his fist and bumped into it.
"Boss, that was great!"
In the audience, Haruko Akagi was already sobbing uncontrollably.
No one understands what her brother has been through all these years better than her.
In the first match of last year's county tournament, my brother beat Uozumi, but the team lost by several tens of points, and nobody remembered his individual victory.
What "number one center"? Who even mentioned that back then?
But today is different. My brother won fair and square, and Shohoku is about to win as well.
"Brother... I'm so happy!" Haruko exclaimed, wiping away her tears.
Tatsuhiko Aota, standing nearby, seemed a little displeased and interjected, " Haruko, your brother Tatsuhiko is also the number one in Kanagawa, officially certified..."
Haruko was amused by him and stopped crying and started laughing.
"Brother Long is the best too! I have two super awesome brothers!"
Tatsuhiko Aota curled his lip. "Although I don't want to be mentioned in the same breath as Akagi... he really did a good job this time! Now he's worthy of being my opponent!"
The atmosphere on Ryonan's bench was much more subdued.
Everyone was secretly watching Uozumi, worried that he might have a mental breakdown.