"Idiot! Where are you going to shoot!"
Takenori Akagi jumped up and caught the rebound steadily. Looking at Sakuragi's stupid look, he wished he could smash the ball in his hand directly onto Sakuragi's red head.
It was this rebound that brought Takenori Akagi's total rebounds to ten in this game!
Adding the 28 points he had previously earned, he had finally completed the so-called "hidden mission."
Kazuo Karasawa leaned back in his chair, let out a long sigh of relief, and finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.
That's settled now. If Shota Sugiyama dares to cause any more trouble, this old man is really going to turn against him.
"Not bad, not bad. Akagi not only completed the original objective, but also took care of this side mission of mine. That's more like it."
Shota Sugiyama nodded in satisfaction, Kazuo Karasawa, hearing this, finally felt relieved; it seemed there were no problems.
" Shota, Akagi is a truly exceptional talent. I believe he can absolutely anchor Fukazawa University's interior defense."
Kazuo Karasawa spoke with certainty, making no attempt to hide his admiration for Akagi.
Even if Masashi Kawata is willing to come to Fukazawa, he won't give up on Akagi. Then it'll depend on whether Akagi is willing to be a substitute...
"Yes, I think so too. I'm very confident in my judgment."
Shota Sugiyama confidently curled the corners of his mouth, his expression a picture of smug satisfaction, as if he had just discovered a hidden gem.
"Oh? You were always finding fault with Akagi before, setting this goal and that condition. I thought you already had someone else in mind."
"There aren't any new candidates. We've discussed all the centers in the country, and Akagi is the most suitable. I'm pointing out his flaws because I have high expectations for him; setting this goal is also for that reason."
Shota Sugiyama's explanation left Kazuo Karasawa somewhat speechless.
"What if Akagi doesn't finish? Didn't you say you were going to take back your promise?"
Shota Sugiyama smiled faintly, "Hey, I was just saying. That's how you make the competition more suspenseful. Luckily, Akagi did a great job and finished it, otherwise I would have been a little disappointed."
Kazuo Karasawa: "..."
Damn it, I was on edge the whole time, and you were just messing with me?!
" Shota, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
"You said."
"You little brat, you're a real scoundrel..."
" Shohoku! Shohoku!"
With the game entering its final minute, all the Shohoku fans in the stadium stood up and chanted their team's name.
In one minute, Shohoku will officially enter the ranks of the top eight in the country!
The top 16? Who cares? Just like Shoyo, they're never called a top team in the country.
But the top eight are different; their prestige is genuine, and the title of being among the top eight nationwide is absolutely prestigious.
Moreover, Shohoku's journey will not stop here!
The score was now 131-96, with Shohoku leading by a full 35 points!
With Dai Moroboshi's final three-point attempt missing, Aiwa Academy's last offensive play came to an end.
With just over ten seconds left, Shirasawa maintained firm control of the ball.
The statement "We are the strongest" has been proven 75% accurate.
"MVP! MVP!"
Amidst a deafening roar of "MVP" chants from the entire arena, the final whistle blew.
Shohoku Basketball Team has successfully entered the national top eight!
Takenori Akagi raised his arms and roared excitedly. He not only led the team into the national top eight, but also secured a ticket to Fukazawa Sports University!
Although Akagi didn't receive many university invitations, this one was the one he wanted most.
A roar that expressed all the emotions and glory in Takenori Akagi's heart.
We've made it to the quarterfinals!
In the stands, Haruko Akagi and Yoko hugged each other tightly, tears welling in their eyes, and gave each other a high five.
This move by Shohoku is of paramount importance.
Congratulations, you played great!
Dai Moroboshi walked over to Takenori Akagi, and the two gave each other a friendly hug and patted each other on the back.
then,
They've made it into the top eight nationwide!
Then, Dai Moroboshi turned around and found Shirasawa.
He extended his hand to Shirasawa, his face showing some fatigue from a tough battle, but his smile was bright and cheerful, "Thank you for today, for letting me have a really enjoyable last game of my high school career."
Dai Moroboshi's performance in this game was truly phenomenal—he played 40 minutes straight without a break and scored a whopping 46 points! He showcased his full potential. In terms of offensive ability alone, he definitely ranks among the top three in the country, and no one would question that after the game video was released.
Shirasawa smiled and squeezed his hand back, his knuckles tightening. "I had a great time today too, you're really hard to defend against... If we have the chance, we should have another match."
For him, Dai Moroboshi's offense was indeed the most troublesome matchup he had ever faced; that strange rhythm still made him shudder when he thought about it. However, he basically figured it out in the second half, forcing Dai Moroboshi to frequently call for pick-and-rolls. Saying he wanted to play again wasn't just polite talk; there was no chance on the court, but 100-Point Battle was possible! He bet that from today onwards, no one wouldn't want to see the two of them go one-on-one.
Amidst the chants of "MVP!" from the crowd, Shirasawa stood in midfield, one hand on his ear, as if the cheers weren't loud enough. A newcomer might think this Shohoku number 9 was incredibly arrogant, but veteran viewers would definitely retort, "You know nothing! He has the right to be arrogant!"
Shirasawa played the full 40 minutes, delivering a performance that will etch a record in the history of the national tournament: 62 points, 16 assists, 5 rebounds, 7 steals, and 6 blocks! His 60+ points alone broke the record, not to mention the rest of the game. And the opponent was Aiwa, a perennial top-four contender, making this a truly epic victory. This game truly cemented his legendary status!
Reporters rushed into the scene like madmen, afraid of missing an interview opportunity, surrounding Shirasawa with cameras and microphones.
Dai Moroboshi took one last look at the court; his high school basketball career had come to an end. Judging by his own performance, this farewell was perfect, but unfortunately, he was just the backdrop for someone else's legendary rise to fame. However, although he was reluctant to leave, he had no regrets whatsoever—if you can't beat someone, you can't beat them, and you would still lose even if you played again. He lost without any temper, and he accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
He was so honest with reporters, his reputation as a "truthful person" is probably going to spread. A reporter asked him, "You said you couldn't beat Shirasawa and Sawakita, so who's stronger?" Dai Moroboshi smiled faintly and said, "We'll know in a few days." In his mind, Shohoku and Sannoh would definitely make it to the finals and meet, completely ignoring last year's runner -Hakata Shodai Affiliated.
After the game, in Aiwa's locker room, the head coach gave a somber summary filled with regret— Aiwa's era was coming to an end. Even winning the championship this year couldn't stop it, because the team's cornerstone Dai Moroboshi, was leaving. Of the three tactics the coach had, two were rendered useless without Dai Moroboshi... Aiwa's lineup and playing style relied entirely on him, entirely built on his "super" offensive ability.
Even if you put Shinichi Maki in Aiwa, the effect might not be as good as having him. That's the impact a super scorer has on a team. But players like Dai Moroboshi aren't available every year, and even if they are, they might not come to Aiwa. So Aiwa's demise was inevitable. They didn't make good use of Dai Moroboshi's last year to achieve better results, but reaching the semi-finals for two consecutive years is still glorious enough. Dai Moroboshi in Aiwa is only grateful to Moroboshi Dai.
When Dai Moroboshi left the locker room, an old acquaintance was standing outside the door— Shinichi Maki. The two had watched each other play in Kanagawa and Aichi Prefecture before, but had avoided meeting due to pride. Today, they finally bumped into each other.
Dai Moroboshi raised an eyebrow. " Maki, I didn't expect you to be here too."
Shinichi Maki shrugged. "Can't I play in the competition? Can't I at least join in the fun?" The two laughed, high-fived, and bumped shoulders.
" Kanagawa is really amazing this year. Shohoku made it to the quarterfinals, and Ryonan is about the same, right? It's rare to see two teams from one prefecture making it to the national quarterfinals." Add to that Kainan's quarterfinals and Shoyo of 16, Kanagawa will definitely be considered a strong basketball prefecture after the tournament, maybe even the strongest one.
"Yes, they're all teams that beat our Kainan team. I hope they go further." Shinichi Maki suddenly invited him mysteriously, " Moroboshi, want to have dinner together? Let's catch up. I'll tell you something interesting."
Dai Moroboshi waved his hand helplessly. "Eating is fine, but give me a hint first? Don't mess with my mentality after just losing the game, Maki."
Shinichi Maki laughed heartily, "Alright then—a new 100-Point Battle has started in Kanagawa, you can fight Shirasawa again there."
These words made Dai Moroboshi's eyes light up instantly.
He admitted he couldn't beat Shirasawa, but that was a completely different matter from wanting to fight him again! That kind of pressure that pushes someone to their limits isn't something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can provide. Even Shinichi Maki, wasn't he eagerly hoping to face Shirasawa again?
"Oh? We need to talk about this later! No wonder Shirasawa mentioned to me at the end of the match that 'we have a chance to play another match.' I thought he was just being polite, but it turns out there's a real possibility!" Dai Moroboshi eyes shone like light bulbs. What top player wouldn't want to spar with a strong opponent? Sparring with experts is the fastest way to improve.
"I knew you'd be interested. Shall we talk as we walk?" Shinichi Maki gestured with his chin.
"Let's go! Oh, and by the way, Maki, let's make this clear—this meal is on you."
"Did your mentality collapse because you lost the game?" Shinichi Maki raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"No, it's because you're rich," Dai Moroboshi said confidently.
The Kanagawa 100-Point Battle was temporarily suspended due to the start of the national tournament. After all, the next defender was Shirasawa, who was currently competing in the national tournament. Shinichi Maki had already sent out his registration information, confident that he would be the one to challenge Shirasawa in the end. After the national tournament, he could have a good fight with Shirasawa, which sounded exciting.
Shinichi Maki wasn't telling Dai Moroboshi this because he wanted him to sign up too—what if he didn't get selected because of this, wouldn't he be furious? He was talking to Dai Moroboshi about something else: the 100-Point Battle 1V1 consisted of three matches, with Shirasawa being the champion of the last match. After that match, they would enter the second stage, the Twin Stars mode. This news was announced live after Michael Okita and Koichiro Nango's duel, as a warm-up to let everyone find partners.
Shinichi Maki's first choice for partner is Dai Moroboshi! The Maki the Emperor and the Star of Aichi, this combination is absolutely top-notch. Although they have a good relationship, they have never cooperated before. Taking this opportunity to team up will also fulfill a wish. Shinichi Maki is certain that Dai Moroboshi will be interested after this match.
On the other side of the court, Ryonan was celebrating—they had followed in Shohoku's footsteps and made it into the national top eight! In the second half, Daiei 807 Academy launched several counterattacks, but Ryonan suppressed them all. The ten-point lead from the first half continued to widen, and the final score was 107-89, with Ryonan winning the game by 18 points and securing the last spot in the top eight.