Although Kaede Rukawa has taken a backseat, he still managed to score 18 points.
Atsushi Tsuchiya scored 25 points, tying Sendoh's game.
The only difference might be how the final attack was handled.
On the same day, at the same time, two epic battles between five-star high school students unfolded simultaneously.
Kaede Rukawa was rated as a four-star high school student before the national tournament, but after the experience of the first two matches, his strength is definitely no less than that of some five-star high school students.
Many fans now jokingly call him a "near-five-star".
Tsuyoshi Minami, on the other hand, was known as "Hanging Five Stars" by everyone.
Fans are already looking forward to the next round of five-star high school player selections.
As the national competition progresses, this ranking will surely undergo a major reshuffle.
Northern Gymnasium.
With 40 seconds remaining in the first half of the Shohoku vs. Aiwa Academy game.
The ball is in Shirasawa's hands.
He dribbled past half-court and unleashed his signature "skipping stone" pass again. The basketball "whooshed" through Dai Moroboshi's crotch and slammed hard onto the ground!
But this time was different from usual. Shirasawa's pass was particularly powerful. The loud "thump" as it hit the ground made even Dai Moroboshi feel a tightness in his groin... That pass was too damn dangerous! It almost crippled me!
After bouncing off the ground, the basketball flew straight towards the basket.
At the same time, Hanamichi Sakuragi ran back from the left baseline, jumped up and caught the ball perfectly!
boom!!
Hanamichi Sakuragi's alley -Alley-oop pass dunk almost bent the rim out of shape!
This leaves each side with one last chance to attack.
" Dai Moroboshi is completely outmatched now. His ball-handling ability is nowhere near Shirasawa's level. Those two shots just now were forced attempts, even though his teammates were clearly open."
"In comparison, Shirasawa seemed much more at ease; his vision... seemed clearer than even those of us watching from the sidelines."
" Sawakita, this Shirasawa might become your formidable rival in the future. That's my current assessment of him."
Masashi Kawata looked at the field and spoke with a serious expression.
In just 10 minutes, Shirasawa completely changed Masashi Kawata's opinion of him.
It can be said that in Masashi Kawata's mind now, Shirasawa has been elevated to the same level as Eiji Sawakita, and is in a class of his own!
Not only Masashi Kawata, but everyone at Sannoh Industrial High School had their perception of Shohoku and Shirasawa completely changed.
This guy definitely has the extraordinary ability to carry an entire team single-handedly.
In their view, Shohoku's chances of advancing from the group stage are rising sharply.
Seeing the team members' reactions, Goro Domoto nodded in satisfaction.
It seems watching this game wasn't a waste of time; Shohoku's appearance finally gave them some fighting spirit.
Especially Eiji Sawakita.
Moreover, Goro Domoto himself also wanted to have a showdown with the former " White-Haired Devil " Mitsuyoshi Anzai.
Although Goro Domoto is widely recognized as the best coach in high school basketball, Coach Anzai is undoubtedly a benchmark for all coaches.
Defeating him on the national stage would be a completely different story in my coaching career.
For the first two years, Coach Anzai basically coasted along at Shohoku, and everyone knew that. Even when other teams beat Shohoku, those head coaches didn't feel like they had defeated Anzai.
This year is different. Coach Anzai just won the Best Coach award in Kanagawa Prefecture... Isn't this a clear signal that he's making a comeback?
On the field, Dai Moroboshi controls the ball, preparing for the Aiwa Academy's final attack of the first half.
He was still the same as always, dribbling between his legs repeatedly and pushing forward, trying to use rhythm to shake off Shirasawa.
When he got near the free-throw line, Dai Moroboshi made a half-turn, feinting to drive to the basket.
This did create some space for him, but instead of continuing to rush in, he did the opposite!
He lightly touched the ground with his toes and suddenly took a big step back.
But just as he was about to combine the balls, a shadow appeared like Ghost!
"Captain! Watch out!"
Fukumori Suzuki, who was watching from the side, was so shocked that he almost screamed.
Because he clearly saw that Ryota Miyagi, who was beside him, had appeared in front of Dai Moroboshi as if he had teleported at some point!
This is a ball that Aiwa really can't afford to lose!
The score at this point was 72-57, with Shohoku leading by 15 points.
There were only 17 seconds left in the first half.
Dai Moroboshi had finally managed to create some space between himself and Shirasawa, and it looked like he was about to unleash a priceless three-pointer.
But then a mushroom-headed guy suddenly appeared in front of him, and with Fukumori Suzuki's shout, Dai Moroboshi's first reaction was to hold onto the basketball tightly, hoping that the mushroom-headed guy wouldn't cut it off.
Even if the ball goes dead, they can still call a timeout and rearrange their final attack.
Even if there wasn't enough time on offense to call a timeout, Dai Moroboshi would rather commit a turnover and let Shohoku inbound the ball than let them launch a fast break, right?
But Dai Moroboshi never expected that this short guy with the mushroom haircut would possess power beyond his imagination!
Snap!
Miyagi swung his forearm sharply, his strike swift, precise, and ruthless, snatching the ball from Dai Moroboshi's hand!
What kind of monsters are the people from Shohoku?!
Dai Moroboshi's face was filled with astonishment.
By the time he came to his senses, Miyagi had vanished from his sight, as if a gust of wind had swept past him.
Swoosh~
Dai Moroboshi turned around sharply, and Miyagi had already rushed to the three-point line in the frontcourt!
That speed was so incredible that even a player with top-tier physical attributes like Dai Moroboshi found it unreal.
When Miyagi easily made the layup, Fukumori Suzuki hadn't even reached the three-point line yet.
74 to 57, Miyagi adds two more points for Shohoku!
"Great shot, Miyagi! No one can catch that speed!"
" Shohoku's lightning speed lives up to its name! Miyagi is amazing! So fast!"
The Shohoku bench erupted in cheers for Miyagi.
15 seconds left.
Fukumori Suzuki ran back to the baseline to prepare to inbound the ball, but no one noticed that Miyagi, who had just finished shooting, had quietly retreated to the vicinity of the sideline.
Aiwa Academy's attention was entirely focused on the frontcourt, with Dai Moroboshi particularly preoccupied with figuring out how to run down the clock for this final attack.
Fukumori Suzuki served the ball to Dai Moroboshi.
At the same time, Miyagi, who was lingering near the sideline, suddenly turned around and circled back to the baseline.
Then, that ridiculously fast speed happened again, and he pounced right behind Dai Moroboshi!
Not to mention Aiwa's teammates, even the Shohoku team members themselves were caught off guard!
Dai Moroboshi put the ball down to dribble, only to find his hand suddenly empty.
He hurriedly lowered his head, his mind racing with the thought: Holy crap! How did this mushroom-headed guy end up here?!
In the blink of an eye, Miyagi once again snatched the ball from Dai Moroboshi's hands!
At this moment, everyone seemed to have a sudden realization and finally fixed their gaze on Miyagi.
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, their faces filled with utter bewilderment—did this little guy possess some kind of invisibility magic? How could he suddenly pop out from the Aiwa area?
The moment Miyagi stole the ball, he turned and charged towards the basket. Fukumori Suzuki, startled, jumped out of bounds and lunged towards the basket. He was completely bewildered; just a second ago he clearly saw Miyagi retreating on defense, how did he suddenly appear so close in the blink of an eye?
Before he could think, Miyagi had already gotten up and was going for a layup. Fukumori Suzuki took advantage of his height and leaped up, while Dai Moroboshi rushed over to block him from behind, sandwiching Miyagi like a human sandwich.
With quick reflexes, Miyagi pushed the ball upwards, narrowly dodging Dai Moroboshi hand. The basketball shot into the air, soaring past Fukumori Suzuki was still rising, tracing an exaggerated arc before slamming vertically into the basket!
76 to 57! Miyagi scored 2 more points in just 3 seconds! In a total of seven or eight seconds, he scored 4 points and made 2 steals, widening the gap from 15 to 19!
This move completely stunned everyone present. No one from Aiwa expected to be dealt such a blow right before the end! Dai Moroboshi even made two consecutive mistakes, his face turning green.
The Shohoku fans erupted in cheers, chanting Miyagi's name. Who says high-level games only depend on the star player? Our 168cm tall Miyagi has given Dai Moroboshi a vivid lesson, hasn't he?
"Hahaha... Anyone who dares to underestimate Miyagi will definitely suffer a great loss." Coach Anzai laughed until his eyes were slits.
" The Ghost Defender! That title truly suits Miyagi!" Kogure's eyes gleamed with excitement. "He's like Ghost, appearing out of nowhere, impossible to catch! He's easily overlooked, and by the time you notice him, it's too late!"
" Miyagi! Miyagi!" Amidst the chants from the crowd, Miyagi's lips curled into his signature mischievous grin. Trying to steal another goal? Forget it, time to focus on defense. This is enough for him.
With 13 seconds left, Aiwa inbounds the ball from the baseline. This point loss was incredibly frustrating, completely demoralizing them— Fukumori Suzuki had been screaming in despair after just 15 points, and now, just seconds later, it's 19...
Fukumori Suzuki scanned back and forth like a camera, only daring to pass the ball out after confirming that Miyagi had truly returned to defend halfway. He was still mentally shaken.
Dai Moroboshi felt the same way; whenever he received the ball, he always felt a shadow swaying beside him, and a layer of cold sweat would involuntarily break out on his forehead.
"If Shohoku can defend well and launch a counterattack, they'll be leading by more than 20 points! Maki, do you think they have a chance?" Nobunaga Kiyota was jumping up and down. As Kanagawa native, he naturally sided with Shohoku. Putting aside regional pride, if Shohoku made it to the semifinals and secured a seeded position, wouldn't Kainan benefit from their return to their peak next year?
"The idea is nice, but not very realistic," Shinichi Maki scoffed. " Aiwa won't make the same mistake a third time, Moroboshi is on edge right now."
Dai Moroboshi steadily pushed the ball across half-court. Indeed, he was tense to the core—once or twice, but never a third time!
With 7 seconds left on the clock, Dai Moroboshi asked for a screen and launched an attack, shaking off Shirasawa and driving to a 45-degree angle. He turned and dribbled past Hisashi Mitsui, and facing Sakuragi's block, he spun in mid-air and scored. He used his exceptional individual skill to bring the score back to 76-59.
Because their opponent was Shirasawa, Dai Moroboshi didn't dare to press the clock too hard, leaving himself some leeway. However, he controlled the clock perfectly, stopping the clock when the ball went in, leaving Shohoku with only one second left.
Just then, Shirasawa suddenly rushed towards the frontcourt! Dai Moroboshi knew there was still time, so he didn't dare to relax and chased after Shirasawa closely. Fukumori Suzuki and Tōji Jun also ran towards the backcourt, determined not to give Shohoku a chance to attack the basket with a long pass.
Seeing Takenori Akagi, Akagi Takenori swung the basketball towards Shirasawa —the ball had tremendous power, a high arc, and high speed, flying straight to the right corner. He wasn't even sure if Shirasawa could catch it; it was just a reflex. As soon as Shirasawa ran, he threw the ball. He knew that Shirasawa wanted to try again!