To be honest, if he were to ask himself honestly, he wouldn't think that last year's peak Kainan had a definite chance of beating Hakata Shodai Affiliated.
It's at most a 50/50 situation.
Judging from the course of their match against Sannoh, the situation was roughly the same.
Kiyota then asked, "How did Sannoh manage to suppress these Twin Stars last year? Was it because of Eiji Sawakita?"
To this day, Kiyota still has only a vague understanding of Sannoh's true strength, including the fact that everyone is praising Sawakita to the skies, but he still can't figure out what makes that guy so strong.
It's really not Kiyota's fault; it's just that Sannoh and Sawakita were too good at hiding their true intentions.
The semifinals are just around the corner, and Eiji Sawakita is only averaging 6.4 points per game so far...
Tell me, what kind of strength is this?
Is its strength in precise score control?
Or is he the "long-lived general" of the national competition, representing six-tenths of humanity's essence?
Shinichi Maki chuckled lightly, "You'll probably see the real Sannoh in the semifinals. I think Ryonan might be able to force them to show their strength. As for last year's final, Eiji Sawakita didn't care about the Twin Stars at all; he just dominated the offensive end and went on a rampage."
Upon hearing this answer, Nobunaga Kiyota's eyes widened in disbelief.
"So... those ordinary members of Sannoh were able to defend against the Twin Stars?"
Shinichi Maki shook his head helplessly, with a hint of disappointment. " Kiyota, you should only say things like this behind closed doors. If you say it outside, people will laugh their heads off. Does a team like Sannoh even have the concept of 'ordinary players'? Forget about starting players, even a substitute would be an ace on any other team."
He paused, then continued, "Last year, it was Sannoh's point guard Kazunari Fukatsu and center Masashi Kawata who combined to break up the Twin Stars's pick- Eiji Sawakita didn't even get a chance to shoot."
Nobunaga Kiyota gasped, clicking his tongue, "I've heard of Masashi Kawata, and that Kazunari Fukatsu... Maki, you've faced him before, haven't you?"
"Yes, I've fought them." Shinichi Maki's expression suddenly turned serious.
"So... what was the result?" Nobunaga Kiyota's eyes darted around, his thirst for knowledge completely overriding his will to survive...
" Shirasawa shouldn't have passed that ball," Shinichi Maki said casually, glancing back at the field.
" Maki... stop keeping me in suspense, what was the result?" Nobunaga Kiyota pressed on relentlessly.
"Let's watch the game." Shinichi Maki frowned slightly, clearly not wanting to mention that match.
The more he acted this way, the more itchy Kiyota felt inside, his curiosity scratching like a cat's claws. He took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and was about to ask again, "Ah~~"
The moment the word "Ah" left his mouth, Maki Shinichi Maki's face darkened instantly.
Kiyota jumped in fright and quickly corrected himself. "Achoo!"
He rubbed his nose and chuckled awkwardly, "Heh heh, the air conditioning in this gym is really strong..."
Shinichi Maki sighed, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips, " Kazunari Fukatsu is currently the best defensive player among all the guards in the country. In that game last year, I did have a lot of trouble being guarded by him for a while."
"It was during that period that Sannoh went on a scoring spree, directly setting the tone for the match."
" Kiyota, I don't want to talk about that match because I feel the responsibility for that loss lies primarily with me."
"If I had been able to break through Kazunari Fukatsu's defense earlier, the outcome might have been different, but of course, that possibility is actually quite slim."
The camera returns to the field.
Hajime Chiba and Ken Hoshino used the same trick again, setting a high screen. Ken Hoshino used the screen to retreat to the three-point line and took a shot!
The pick-and-roll not only allows you to drive to the basket, but it can also create shooting opportunities for the perimeter.
However, while Ken Hoshino's shooting range covers the three-point line, his accuracy is relatively lacking.
As soon as the ball left his hand, he sensed something was wrong and immediately sprinted towards the paint to grab the rebound.
"Clang!"
The basketball bounced off the rim; it was a long backboard.
Hanamichi Sakuragi seized the opportunity, leaped forward, and reached out to catch the ball.
But just then, Ken Hoshino's large hand moved faster, successfully rebounding and returning the ball to himself on top of Sakuragi's roof.
He grabbed the rebound, took a small step towards the inside, and facing Akagi's defense, hooked the ball in!
The point difference between the two teams narrowed again to just one point.
Hanamichi Sakuragi was so angry that his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and his eyes were practically spitting fire.
Whether it was scoring or rebounding, he was completely outmatched by Ken Hoshino in this game.
So far, Sakuragi hasn't scored a single point, only grabbed two rebounds, and has also been blocked once.
Meanwhile, Ken Hoshino had already scored 16 points, playing with absolute ease. All of Sakuragi's bold words at the beginning of the game turned out to be empty boasts. Recalling what happened at the night market, the genius felt that his dignity had been trampled underfoot for the second time.
"Damn it! Unforgivable! I must defeat him, I must stop him!" Sakuragi gritted his teeth and muttered fiercely. In terms of anger, he was almost at his limit.
On the offensive transition, Shirasawa dribbled the ball across half-court, and the Shohoku players settled into their positions. Shirasawa used a series of crossovers and behind-the-back dribbles to break past Hajime Chiba and drive towards the basket. Ken Hoshino deliberately left Sakuragi some space, then turned to help defend Shirasawa. In his opinion, Shirasawa was simply relentless—every Hakata Shodai scored, he would score again. How could he be so good at it? If he could just stop this one, Hakata Shodai could take the lead. In such a close game, even a two-point advantage could have a huge impact on mentality.
Ken Hoshino arrived to cover, but was a little puzzled: Hanamichi Sakuragi hadn't moved? Normally, Sakuragi should have been charging towards the basket by now; he could have easily blocked him by turning around. Just then, Shirasawa suddenly passed the ball from behind! The basketball grazed Ken Hoshino's arm and headed straight for Hanamichi Sakuragi at a 45-degree angle to the left!
Thwack! Sakuragi caught the ball steadily. A hint of surprise flashed in Ken Hoshino's eyes, but he still immediately lunged forward. Sakuragi, however, remained unusually calm, his knees slightly bent as he assumed a shooting stance. Just as Ken Hoshino attempted to block the shot, the ball slipped from his grasp.
Many people in the audience were stunned. Sakuragi's shooting motion was clearly practiced; it was very precise and neat, completely unlike his previous haphazard throws. Sakuragi... can shoot now?
Coach Anzai on the sidelines had a sharp eye. After the grueling training week, Sakuragi hadn't shown this skill in a game yet. Whether this shot went in or not depended on his week of hard work! The players from Hakata Shodai couldn't believe it either—yesterday's pre-game analysis clearly stated that this red-haired guy couldn't shoot at all, and usually didn't even dare to take a shot.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire arena, the basketball slowly flew towards the basket. "Go in! Go in! Go in!" The Shohoku bench began to pray collectively. Although this shot wouldn't decide their fate, it made Shohoku particularly concerned. Sakuragi, on the other hand, remained quite calm. Shirasawa knew that he was completely in the zone!
Swish! The basketball swished through the net! Sakuragi made his first mid-range shot of his professional career!
"YEAH!" Sakuragi celebrated with a wave of his arms after the ball went in, but unlike usual, he wasn't overly arrogant or carried away. It was as if this was just an ordinary score, nothing special. Is this... still Sakuragi?
*Clap! Sakuragi and Shirasawa high-fived, then turned and ran back to the backcourt to prepare for defense.
"Oh... what was that just now? Sakuragi made a mid-range shot?" The entire Ryonan team in the stands looked shocked. They knew Sakuragi's "iron hands" all too well; in just one month, did he get new hands?
" Sakuragi- senpai... it turns out he's been secretly training and perfecting himself all along! Compared to him, I've put in so little effort!" Hikoichi Aida even had tears in his eyes, feeling that Sakuragi had taught him another lesson and set a good example.
"If this guy could shoot, he'd be incredible," Sendoh remarked. Sakuragi already possesses top-tier physical attributes, which are enough for him to establish himself on the court. He's also quite talented and has made many impressive plays. If he could add a shot, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, directly addressing his biggest weakness and expanding his range of movement. The impact this would have on Shohoku is self-evident.
Sakuragi's shot was seen by everyone as another big step forward for Shohoku. Only Kaede Rukawa remained calm; Sakuragi's improvement was exactly what he had expected—if he couldn't even reach this level, he wouldn't deserve to be on the team.
"It's my fault." Ken Hoshino raised his hand, his tone indifferent. It was just a mid-range shot; it wasn't enough to make him worry. At most, he'd just be more careful on defense next time.
In the transition between offense and defense, Hajime Chiba moved to the top of the key to face Shirasawa. Ken Hoshino, as usual, led Sakuragi around to the high post, waiting for an opportunity. After the two set a screen, Hajime Chiba immediately passed the ball, Ken Hoshino simultaneously cut into the middle. The whole play was executed smoothly without any hesitation.
As usual, Ken Hoshino received the ball and immediately went for the basket. But this time was different! Just as he was about to shoot, a "red hard-boiled egg" suddenly appeared, its large hand blocking his shooting path!
"Wow, so fast!" Yasuharu Yasuda exclaimed excitedly. This time, he wasn't praising Hajime Chiba, but Hanamichi Sakuragi! Sakuragi finally caught up with the opponent's rhythm and wasn't even a beat behind anymore—the moment Hajime Chiba passed the ball, he rushed straight towards Ken Hoshino.
Sakuragi completely blocked Ken Hoshino's shooting route, arriving with the ball at the perfect time.
" Sakuragi has finally found his rhythm!" Kiminobu Kogure sigh of relief, a slight smile appearing on his face.
Although he had been attacked by the opponent for almost ten minutes and had been running for ten minutes, it was good news that he had managed to stop Ken Hoshino.
This is a good start. If Sakuragi can maintain this form, the opponent's pick-and-roll tactic might be broken.
"Hehehe, well done, Sakuragi!"
Coach Anzai chuckled, a satisfied smile spreading across his chubby face as he nodded slightly. This kid, whether on offense or defense, had finally met his expectations.
In that case, the one with the headache will be the Hakata Shodai Affiliated School.
Ken Hoshino's attack was suddenly interrupted, leaving him with no choice but to pass the ball.
However, Hajime Chiba was already completely entangled with Shirasawa and had no chance at all.
Before Ken Hoshino could think, he flicked his wrist and tossed the ball to the other side.
A dark figure suddenly darted out and intercepted the ball; it was Hisashi Mitsui!
After Mitsui intercepted the ball, he immediately passed it to Miyagi, launching a fast counter-attack!