Given the current situation, Shohoku has done a good job.
Even the most unreliable Hanamichi Sakuragi did his best and performed at the highest level he could.
It could even be said that Sakuragi's performance surpassed that of Masahiro Nobe.
But Moichi Taoka felt that things couldn't go smoothly forever.
"If I were..."
Moichi Taoka fell into deep thought, wondering how he would react if he were Goro Domoto.
"First, I'll field Minoru Matsumoto, who's better at offense."
Beep!! A ball out of bounds, Sannoh Industrial High School prepares to make a substitution.
The result was completely different from what Moichi Taoka had expected. Minoru Matsumoto didn't play; instead, the overweight Mikio Kawata took his place.
"Brother, I'm here."
Mikio Kawata replaced Masahiro Nobe.
This was the first time he had stood on the court with his brother, and his chubby face was full of fear.
An apology lingered on my lips, but I didn't know whether I should say it or not.
He hadn't done anything wrong; it was just a habit, as if his brother saw it as a mistake to even be alive.
But he knew perfectly well that Big Kawata was the person he feared most, but also the person who treated him best; fear and dependence each accounted for half of his feelings.
"Idiot, stop looking so pathetic!"
"Cheer up!"
As he spoke, Big Kawata subconsciously raised his hand and patted his younger brother.
A beating is a sign of affection, scolding is a sign of love, and when things get really heated, a kick is an option...
Clearly, they're at the stage of being close relatives now; it's more like the older brother's love.
"The fat pig is here."
Hanamichi Sakuragi frowned, feeling a bit disgusted. Coupled with Mikio's cowardly appearance, Sakuragi couldn't help but want to punch him.
"Don't underestimate him. Have you forgotten how he dealt with Uozumi?"
Akagi immediately realized that he had guessed Sakuragi's thoughts.
Compared to Masahiro Nobe, this big fat guy is the real hurdle Sakuragi has to overcome. Sakuragi's little advantage in the paint will probably be suppressed.
Coach Anzai sat quietly on the bench, watching the field. Moichi Taoka sighed, thinking, " Coach Anzai must be envious right now."
This envy naturally stems from the vast space for maneuvering troops; Sannoh Industrial High School has a large and well-equipped workforce, giving Goro Domoto an enormous amount of room for adjustment.
But Shohoku... had no choice but to tough it out.
But no one noticed that Coach Anzai's lips subtly curled into a smile.
Clap, clap, Sannoh attacks the frontcourt.
Kazunari Fukatsu, ranked fourth in the nation, could only dribble the ball across midfield and then pass it to his teammates.
This pass doesn't really connect the team; it's more like a routine pass at best.
But as soon as Shirasawa closed in on him, Kazunari Fukatsu was completely stunned—he had no way to deal with him! He had imagined many scenarios of facing Shirasawa, but none of them matched up; he had underestimated him completely!
Moreover, Shirasawa's defensive ferocity surpassed even the game footage Sannoh had watched. It's unclear whether he's evolved again or was deliberately holding back, but this "gift" truly landed Fukatsu's head.
To be honest, being able to steadily bring the ball to the frontcourt and pass it out immediately is something to brag about for years to come. After all, there aren't many players in the entire country who can do that kind of defense, especially Shirasawa. But it's still a long way from his fourth-place ranking in the nation!
Fukatsu's static talent was severely hampered here; this matchup was arguably the most frustrating moment of his career so far. After only ten minutes, Fukatsu was already sweating profusely; this job was even more difficult than stepping on a banana peel.
Even Shinichi Maki on the sidelines couldn't help but clap his hands, his admiration for Shirasawa overflowing. He even couldn't help but think that if he were in Fukatsu at this moment, he could definitely rely on brute force to charge forward, and would never be like Fukatsu, stuck and unable to even find his way. In the end, talent determines the ceiling, and the physique built up in the gym can also be considered a kind of talent.
Fukatsu was protecting the ball with all his might, waiting to pass the ball to his teammates. Sannoh's players were all in position, but Takenori Akagi didn't dare to go under the basket, and was even more worried. Under the basket of Shohoku, there was no sign of Hanamichi Sakuragi!
Then I saw a big, white, fleshy ball— Mikio Kawata! This guy can even Uozumi as a human shield, let alone Sakuragi's small frame!
"You fat bastard!"
Sakuragi's face was squeezed out of shape as he stared at Mikio with all his might, unable to move an inch. This was different from the confrontation with Hiroshi Morishige — Hiroshi Morishige was as hard as iron, you knew how to exert force, you just had to push. But Mikio was different; he was soft and fluffy, like cotton that had lost its strength. You had no way to exert your strength; when you squeezed him, he was all flesh, like a giant meatball that could swallow everything.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to play against you either, but I can't disobey my brother's orders."
Mikio's voice carried a hint of grievance, which only irritated Sakuragi further. This fatso, what's with the act of innocence?!
Thwack! Just then, Mikio received the pass, the ball in his hands like a toy. With a "thud," Mikio backed down and dribbled past Sakuragi, his shoes scraping the floor as he retreated, but he couldn't stop this mountain of flesh.
This was actually expected by Shohoku. The bench was full of worry, but not too surprised. After all, everyone had seen the Ryonan game, and Uozumi was being pushed around by this guy.
"This is bad! Captain Akagi can't come to help, Sakuragi can't hold on alone!"
Yasuda stared anxiously at the sidelines, shouting that this was Shohoku's most lopsided matchup. Then he turned to look at Coach Anzai, who was incredibly calm, like a stone that had been sitting still for ages—it was hard to tell what he was thinking, but it actually made people feel quite at ease.
Mikio easily advanced a few steps, then hooked a shot at Sakuragi. He didn't seem to use much force, but Sakuragi's face was contorted with rage, and he couldn't do anything about it. With a "swish," the basketball floated lightly into the basket, the easiest attack between the two teams since the start of the game.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, my brother will definitely be angry if I don't score."
After scoring, Mikio scratched his head, looking more ironic than sarcastic.
"Damn it! That damn fat pig!"
Sakuragi looked incredibly small, like a little monkey jumping around in front of a polar bear.
"Well played, Mikio."
Kazunari Fukatsu encouraged him. Mikio happily returned to defense, his small eyes unconsciously glancing towards Masashi Kawata, like a child who had done something wrong and was afraid of being scolded by his parents.
"Play good defense!"
Masashi Kawata frowned and ordered.
"Yes, yes, I will definitely try my best, brother."
Goro Domoto didn't send Minoru Matsumoto onto the court; instead, he chose Mikio Kawata. He saw Sakuragi's emerging advantage and wanted to nip the flames of Shohoku's rise in the bud.
After the first round, Domoto's choice seemed correct, but Moichi Taoka felt that Coach Anzai was being too silent.
Two days ago, Coach Anzai Moichi Taoka met at an izakaya (Japanese pub) and talked entirely about the national finals. Coach Anzai had some concerns and asked Taoka for his opinions on many things, such as how to use Miyagi. However, Taoka also knew that Anzai had the correct "instruction manual" in hand.
Moichi Taoka pondered that what he had just talked about with Anzai was probably just a bunch of nonsense, nothing more than keeping someone company and passing the time. But there was one thing that struck Taoka particularly deeply.
That confidence wasn't just empty talk like "have confidence in the team," it was a real, steady grasp of what was to come. Anzai had never shown that kind of determination before.
Taoka felt that the old man definitely had a foolproof plan, but he couldn't guess it no matter how hard he tried. Everyone knew Shohoku's lineup; it was just a matter of adjusting the players' form. After all, Shohoku relied on players being in good form, and then there was that number 890, Shirasawa.
If we really let Shirasawa unleash his full power, could he really become a national champion? While it's not impossible, it's highly unlikely. Besides, Sannoh still has Eiji Sawakita.
The game might become a clash of titans between two aces for a short period, but it certainly won't last the entire game. After all, basketball is a team sport, and Sannoh is the strongest team. So, Taoka still hasn't figured out what Anzai's backup plan is.
By this point, Taoka was even more certain of his judgment. Shohoku's form was clearly at its peak, and Mikio Kawata had added to the chaos, yet Anzai remained remarkably composed. There was definitely something fishy going on! And this wasn't Shirasawa playing recklessly! Taoka was itching to know what surprises this Kanagawa could pull off in the national tournament.
Anzai on the sidelines remained as steady as a statue. Even after Sakuragi suffered a loss, he didn't even flinch. No one knew what was hidden behind those reading glasses. Once the offense and defense transitioned, Mikio Kawata's role wasn't just on the offensive end; his defensive end was truly outrageous—his physique, when he stood under the basket, almost occupied half of the restricted area.
Regardless of his defensive skills, his sheer size alone is enough to earn him a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Don't even think about squeezing through! Shirasawa can dunk over Masahiro Nobe, but trying to block this fat guy would be a real struggle.
This is a defensive strategy; you can't just rely on your jumping ability and strength to overpower someone. But that doesn't Mikio is better than Nobe. Rebounding isn't his strong suit, and his mobility and jumping ability are practically nonexistent. At best, he's just a positioning tool, perfectly suited to deal with Shohoku and Sakuragi.
"What kind of rubbish are you playing? So you've just been loafing around in training all this time!"
Sakuragi was sweating profusely, carrying Mikio, but it was all for naught; he was just wasting his energy.
"Hehe, I practice too, otherwise my brother would scold me. But I ate a bit too much, I'm actually a little hungry now."
Mikio smiled broadly, acting as if nothing was wrong, her mind already filled with images of delicious food.
"Damn it! You think I'm just rambling on? Don't think you can actually defend against me. I'm a genius, and you're just a fat pig!"
Sakuragi unleashed his full verbal barrage, whether intentionally or not, trying to distract Mikio with his words; in any case, this was definitely not Akagi taught him.
"I don't like it when people call me a fat pig. If you keep saying that, I'll get angry too."
Mikio pouted slightly; even when she was angry, she wasn't very intimidating.
"What did I say? Fat pig! Fat pig!"
Sakuragi was still rambling on. Mikio's breathing became heavier; she looked like she was about to explode.
Just then, Masashi Kawata gave him a sharp look.
"Idiot! Stop wasting your breath on him, focus on defending yourself!"
Mikio instantly shrank back, her face changing color. Sakuragi Kakashi's negative status instantly disappeared.
"My brother told me not to argue with you, go talk to someone else."
Mikio left after saying that, leaving Sakuragi standing there, stunned, cursing inwardly. "What the hell... who am I supposed to talk to? Is this guy an idiot?"
Meanwhile, Shirasawa broke through from the outside and then drove into the paint. During this time, Hisashi Mitsui didn't say much, and on the offensive end, he was tightly marked by Satoshi Ichinokura, and had no chance to receive the ball. It wasn't that he lacked confidence in his shooting, but the ball simply couldn't be delivered to him. No matter how he ran, he was blocked by Satoshi Ichinokura.
Currently, Mitsui is the most unfortunate player on Shohoku. On offense, he's Satoshi Ichinokura, and on defense, he has to contend with Eiji Sawakita at full power. These two completely shut down Mitsui's abilities. Anyone who doesn't know the situation might think Shohoku is missing a key player. He can't attack, and he can't defend.