Sawakita was also itching to go head-to-head with Shirasawa, but he knew that winning was the most important thing for the team. What pleased Goro Domoto the most was that Sawakita was obedient and didn't mess around despite his top-notch abilities.
Top players have to be like that; they can't act recklessly, or they'll narrow their options. In high-stakes matches, the star player has to call the shots, the head coach has to be good at timing, and he has to earn the star player's respect.
If you put Sawakita on another team, he definitely wouldn't be this obedient. Goro Domoto has that ability; he has status, strength, and charisma, so Sawakita submits to him.
Sawakita and Shirasawa tangled up near the left three-point line. In this offensive and defensive exchange, both players had figured out each other's weaknesses, making it an exciting duel.
The other players quickly took their positions, and with Shohoku switching to this smaller lineup, Sannoh had their first opportunity to play a positional game.
Goro Domoto stared at Coach Anzai, thinking to himself, " Shohoku's weakness is positional warfare. Once they're in position, we can crush them and disrupt their rhythm, making it impossible for their small lineup to operate."
In basketball, it's always a matter of who's taller and stronger. Goro Domoto glanced at Coach Anzai on the other side and sneered inwardly. As expected of senior Anzai. But I'm going to retaliate.
Minoru Matsumoto and Kazunari Fukatsu moved to the three-point line, with Miyagi and Mitsui following them. Their purpose was clear: to create space for the Kawata brothers. They also had shooters lurking outside the three-point line, putting Shohoku in a difficult position.
Hanamichi Sakuragi stood under the basket, no longer locked in a fierce battle with Mikio as before, but instead focused on the movements on the court.
One hand gripped Mikio's shoulder tightly, but her eyes seemed glued to Masashi Big Kawata.
Although he was almost thrown off his feet by Mikio's earlier collision, he couldn't abandon the mission.
Hanamichi Sakuragi hadn't forgotten; his current KPI was to shut down both Little Kawata. After all, Kogure's defense was only slightly better than being a filler.
At this moment, Masashi Big Kawata was squatting on the other side of the basket, with Kiminobu Kogure following behind him, who was desperately trying to block him but couldn't do anything about it.
Don't underestimate Kogure's strength. If it weren't for Big Kawata on the other side, anyone else would have been sent flying.
After all, Coach Anzai had said before the match that Shirasawa was specifically targeting the Sawakita, and that anyone else would just be tickling Big Kawata.
To put it bluntly, this isn't defense; it's just posing. If they can dribble Big Kawata a couple of steps toward the basket, they consider their mission accomplished.
The only one who could truly carry Big Kawata was number 92, that red-haired hothead.
The others had an even simpler task: just prevent the ball from getting into Big Kawata's hands.
That's easier said than done, much harder than getting Sawakita to dunk one less time, given that Sannoh's passing accuracy is top-tier nationwide.
Seizing the opportunity, Eiji Sawakita lobbed the ball directly to Big Kawata the basket.
Shirasawa scoffed lightly, a scoff that conveyed two words: admit defeat.
Seeing this, Sawakita sighed helplessly. He didn't want to spread it either, and even wanted to say to Shirasawa, "Brother, I really didn't mean to."
But what can you do when your teammates are all locked down?
Big Kawata caught the ball steadily and stood with his back to Kogure.
From this vantage point, he has a hundred ways to send Kogure flying if he wants to hit Kogure.
Sure enough, with a turn of his head, he used brute force to throw Kogure, causing him to stagger two steps.
Just as he was about to raise his foot to attack the basket, Hanamichi Sakuragi abandoned Mikio, who was still dangling beside him, and stepped forward to block Big Kawata!
With a dull thud, the two collided solidly.
Sakuragi frowned, feeling like he'd been hit by a truck, but he had indeed stopped Big Kawata, preventing him from making a smooth drive to the basket.
Suddenly, shouts of " Sakuragi!" came from the sidelines.
This is the real deal – one against two, now it's officially underway.
Big Kawata was thrown off balance by the impact, and Sakuragi took the opportunity to reach for the ball.
Big Kawata's eyes narrowed, and he quickly held the ball firmly, thinking to himself: No wonder my brother made a mistake, this red-haired guy's strength is really something!
With this defensive surge, combined with their previous offense, Shohoku scored an 8-0 run against Sannoh in just over a minute, extending their lead to 13 points.
What's most frightening during this period isn't how fierce Shohoku's offense is, but their defense!
You have to understand that Sannoh is the number one offensive team in the country, yet they couldn't even mount a decent attack.
They boast the strongest offensive lineup in the country, with Sawakita and Big Kawata being a formidable duo both inside and outside. It's a disgrace to Sannoh that they're being so frustrated by their defense.
The players probably didn't even realize it, but the fans in the stands were turning green with rage.
With 2 minutes and 41 seconds left in the first half, Sannoh finally got their best offensive opportunity during this period—the nation's top center, Masashi Kawata, went one-on-one against Hanamichi Sakuragi!
The two men paused for a moment as soon as they met, both inwardly praising each other's strength: This guy can really take it!
Hikoichi Aida in the stands stared wide-eyed, his voice cracking as he shouted, " Shohoku! Shohoku's plan is to have Sakuragi defend two opponents at once???"
This is outrageous! You know, Mikio alone can completely overpower Uozumi, yet Shohoku is letting Sakuragi carry both Little Kawata by himself?!
Hikoichi's reaction was just the beginning; all the fans in the stadium were just as confused as he was.
Kaede Rukawa spoke softly from the side, "If it's him, perhaps..."
He didn't believe in Sakuragi's skills, but rather in his reckless spirit.
With a bang, Masashi Kawata turned his back to Sakuragi again, and Sakuragi's face visibly scrunched up like a bun.
After playing the first half, his physical exertion was several times greater than usual. The muscles in his calves were almost bulging like balls, and he felt like he was about to cramp or even strain himself at any moment.
Coach Anzai clenched his fists on the bench, his eyes fixed on Sakuragi, his heart pounding.
Losing the game is fine, but Sakuragi absolutely cannot get injured!
Injuries can be devastating for players, especially for someone like Sakuragi who relies on his physical abilities; a serious injury could ruin his basketball career.
This is just the beginning; we absolutely cannot let this become the end.
Another muffled thud. Masashi Kawata had used all his strength. Sakuragi felt a sweet taste in his throat and almost vomited.
His position was pushed aside, and now he was truly unstoppable. Whenever Big Kawata attacked the basket, he would either be unable to stop him or have to commit a foul.
At this critical moment, Sakuragi suddenly had a brilliant idea and pounced on Big Kawata, giving him a bear hug...
That pose was incredibly cheesy.
Beep! The referee's whistle blew almost simultaneously. The scene was too shocking to bear; not a second longer was allowed. The whistle had to be blown!
But after he finished blowing, Sakuragi didn't let go; he clung to Big Kawata like a lump of mud...
The tense, suffocating atmosphere was instantly dispelled by this scene.
Sannoh fans immediately erupted. "What is this guy doing! Is he being cute?!"
"That's a foul! You cheat when you can't win! I remember Shohoku did that to Hiroshi Morishige before! But look at your opponent, can Big Kawata's free throws compare to Hiroshi Morishige's!"
"Referee! Are you blind?! Give me a technical foul!!"
In contrast, the Shohoku fans seemed unfazed, and some were even laughing.
After all, this guy is Hanamichi Sakuragi.
If we're talking about something even more outrageous than that bear hug, our Red-Haired Number Ten, Hanamichi Sakuragi, has done it before.
Masashi Kawata was still muttering to himself, "Despicable? This is just the beginning!"
When he was really pushed to his limit, he slammed the ball straight at Big Kawata's head! One shot and he was knocked off the court. Hanamichi Sakuragi traded one for Big Kawata, a huge win for him!
Sakuragi, panting as he clung to Big Kawata, yelled at the referee, "Hey, let go of me right now!"
If we're talking about who's most annoyed, it has to be the person involved.
The sweat mixed together, sticking together, which was incredibly uncomfortable.
Shohoku's number 10! The referee had barely finished speaking when he knew a technical foul was about to be called, since Sakuragi was clearly wasting time.
Before the referee could finish speaking, Sakuragi sighed and quickly got off Big Kawata.
He reached out to take the foul, and his breathing seemed less rapid than before.
A smirk played on his lips; the purpose of this move was obvious.
Whether it's three seconds or five seconds, it's a matter of life and death for Hanamichi Sakuragi.
As long as he can catch his breath, he can immediately come back to life and continue working.
Actually, this foul was committed because the defense couldn't stop it, so it was a good opportunity to rest for a while, which made perfect sense.
Masashi Kawata glared at him and cursed, "You bastard, you think that's all?"
He said that, but he didn't really think of Sakuragi as an easy target.
This kid is way more interesting to watch when he fights than Akagi.
However, he didn't make a shooting motion; it was just a regular foul by Sakuragi, Sannoh inbounded the ball in the frontcourt.
The two teams immediately started running around half the court. Masashi Kawata positioned himself at a 45-degree angle on the right side, blocking Sakuragi and creating space for himself to receive the ball.
Mikio passed the ball to his brother, and Sannoh had 4 seconds left on their shot clock.
No one noticed that Sakuragi's move had actually ruined the two-on-one opportunity in the paint.
However, Sakuragi's foul count is limited; he can't keep drawing fouls like that forever.
Don't forget, the first half is almost over.
Masashi Kawata receives the ball with 4 seconds remaining on the shot clock.
With a thud, he slammed the ball to the ground, thinking to himself: No matter what move I use, I'll just have to get a head hold first!
Let's see how many more hits this red-haired kid can take! Sakuragi gritted his teeth, shuffling his feet on the floor to tough it out.
Masashi Kawata feinted a shot to the right with his back turned, trying to shift Sakuragi's weight, then suddenly turned to the left!
With a whoosh, the ball protector pushed forward, leaving Sakuragi behind.
Only 2 seconds left!
Masashi Kawata didn't have time to drive to the basket, so he quickly pulled up for a jump shot, trying to finish the attack with a mid-range jumper.
But right in his line of sight, Sakuragi reappeared.
Sakuragi, who had been left behind, immediately rushed over and jumped up sideways!
"Too fast! "Masashi Kawata couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Not only him, but the audience in the stands were all shocked.
That's an absurdly fast reaction time!
Not only is his reaction time fast, but Sakuragi's shooting speed is also frighteningly fast!
With a snap, Masashi Kawata threw the ball, and Sakuragi's fingertips just barely touched it!
Clang! The ball bounced off the rim, and Sakuragi quickly sank down, twisting his foot as he landed and jumping back towards the basket.
At this moment, Big Kawata was a step too slow, and Sakuragi's opponent became Mikio Kawata.
Mikio was unblocked under the basket and easily grabbed the rebound, but he never expected Sakuragi to rush over and steal the ball from his hands!