However, he received a reply as soon as he said it.
"Don't ask such pointless questions about geniuses; I still need to deal with that Bald Gorilla and that fat pig!"
Sakuragi said this, but his body remained motionless, as if he were... recharging?
Coach Anzai looked at his players and smiled with satisfaction.
"I predict that Sannoh will continue to rely on Masashi Kawata as their main offensive weapon in the second half."
If Shohoku manages to close the gap to within ten points, Sannoh will definitely switch their offensive focus to a fully-rested Sawakita, hoping he can deliver the decisive blow and turn the tide.
So, Xiao Bai, you need to put all your effort into offense at the start of the second half!
Shirasawa nodded, meaning he completely understood— Anzai was telling him to go all out and not hold back.
He needs to firmly maintain the current safe point difference and prevent Sannoh from catching up. However, the longer the game goes on, the more advantageous Shohoku becomes. After all, the less time there is left, the more the players' fighting spirit is stimulated. They will definitely unleash their full strength in the last 5 minutes and 2 seconds to hold onto the score!
Alright, everyone get up, stretch your legs and get ready to go on stage!
Everyone stood up. They had recovered quite a bit after resting for a while. They could definitely hold on for the first ten minutes, and for the next five minutes they had to grit their teeth. For the five minutes in the middle, they relied entirely on Shirasawa!
Everyone huddled together, Takenori Akagi shouted at the top of his lungs, " Shohoku!!!"
"Champion!!"
As soon as the whistle blew, the starting players from both sides entered the field, and the second half officially began.
Sannoh didn't change their starting lineup: Sawakita, Matsumoto, Fukatsu, Big Kawata, and Mikio. This is their most potent offensive arsenal, and they must erase the deficit in the first ten minutes of the second half!
Goro Domoto knows this perfectly well; the last five minutes are the most crucial. If they haven't caught up by then, even Sannoh will be defeated!
Shohoku didn't change their lineup; it was the same starting eleven. The only change was that Sakuragi moved to the center circle to replace Akagi the jump ball. This was Akagi's own choice, as he believed Sakuragi was a better jumper than him!
Sakuragi was incredibly smug and shouted at Kawata, "Hey, Bald Gorilla, get ready to admire this genius's leap!"
But while he was talking nonsense, his demeanor wasn't as carefree as usual.
Masashi Kawata smiled, his face full of confidence. "Kid, don't get too cocky. Don't think you can get ahead just because you had a few good plays in the first half. Let me tell you, the second half is a completely different story!"
With a whistle, the referee tossed the ball into the air, and Sakuragi and Kawata jumped up with their arms crossed. Akagi had chosen the right person this time!
Sakuragi successfully tipped the ball to the backcourt, let out a shout, and the ball flew back.
Shirasawa caught the ball steadily, and Shohoku launched their first attack of the second half. The Shohoku fans in the stadium shouted like thunder. Everyone was staring at their watches, feeling that with every second that passed, Shohoku was one step closer to the championship!
Just as Anzai predicted, Sannoh started with maximum offensive and defensive intensity. As soon as Shirasawa crossed the halfway line, Sawakita closed in, ready to lock him down.
Goro Domoto was no pushover either; he could think of anything Anzai could think of. Since Shirasawa wanted to attack, then they would have to compete in stamina and see who could outlast whom!
Sawakita was incredibly excited, shouting, "Come on! Try me! I've never lost a one-on-one game since I started junior high!"
Once they reached the three-point line, his teammates spread out, and Sakuragi moved to the waist position. Akagi Mikio remained in the paint. In terms of absolute strength, Akagi could still go toe-to-toe with Mikio.
Shirasawa dribbled between his legs repeatedly, looking for an opening. Suddenly, he dribbled the ball to the right, shifted his body, and seized the opportunity to exploit Ze Sawakita's weakness. With his super-fast first step, he rushed out and surged towards the basket, overpowering Sawakita!
He caught the ball in the paint, stopped abruptly, and threw it in with a powerful shot, scoring Shohoku's first point of the second half!
Shirasawa shrugged and said to Sawakita, "That's it? Let's have some real competition. It's no fun fighting you like this."
During the offensive and defensive transitions, Sawakita, acting as point guard, didn't waste time; he would pass the ball to Big Kawata whenever there wasn't a perfect opportunity. Shohoku the defensive end, Akagi and Sakuragi switched positions again, with Sakuragi guarding Mikio and Akagi guarding Big Kawata. The two took turns wearing down Big Kawata, saving their energy for crucial moments.
But no one could stop Big Kawata when he was in full firepower. Facing Akagi, he made two consecutive turnaround jump shots. He had his own strategy: when attacking Sakuragi, he would attack inside; when attacking Akagi, he would circle around to the outside, targeting weaknesses. This was the terrifying aspect of his offense, which had no blind spots.
After several rounds, it was basically a back-and-forth battle between Shirasawa and Big Kawata. Of course, Sawakita and Akagi's defense was also not bad, preventing the two from getting a 100% shooting percentage. Sawakita's defensive ability was completely overshadowed by his explosive offensive ability.
No one expected that if Eiji Sawakita had used half of his offensive ferocity on defense, he would definitely be firmly in the top five in the country. Now, Shirasawa is experiencing this firsthand. The pressure from Sawakita's defense is so intense that even Shinichi Maki can't withstand it, and neither can the two Twin Stars from Ryonan. It's ridiculous.
Shirasawa didn't hold back, unleashing every offensive tactic imaginable, attacking relentlessly. His moves were varied: hard drives, sudden stops and leans-backs, mid-range spins—each move was different. Sawakita was completely bewildered, but he remained focused on one thing: never double-team Shirasawa. This way, at least one of Shirasawa's three threats would be rendered useless.
Everyone remembers that Shirasawa's rise began with that absurd pass. On the other side, in the paint, Takenori Akagi was also finding a way to grow through being beaten. After being hammered by Masashi Kawata so many times, he finally figured out some defensive tricks. But he still couldn't stop him, though it was better than the first half—back then, anyone could walk past him like they were in their own backyard, but now he could at least hold his own for a couple of steps.
Five minutes into the second half, the point difference narrowed to 10. This time, Sannoh Industrial High School had possession of the ball.
At the start of the second half, the score difference was 11 points, and for the next few minutes, the difference hovered around 10 points. It wasn't until Masashi Kawata made a 2+1 play that the score was narrowed to 10 points.
Immediately after, Shirasawa's shot missed, giving Sannoh a fast break opportunity. Big Kawata moved to the inside, then suddenly burst out from inside, received a pass from Eiji Sawakita, and immediately launched a three-pointer.
Takenori Akagi rushed forward like a madman, jumping to block the shot. He had to jump; Masashi Kawata's three-pointers were accurate, and he couldn't let it go. But Masashi Kawata smiled, took a step to the side after receiving the ball, dodged Akagi's block, and launched a three-pointer.
Sakuragi and Mikio Kawata were vying for position, but unfortunately the pass didn't go to them, and the ball went straight into the basket. The score was 73-66, with the difference narrowing to 7 points.
For the trailing team, 10 points is a watershed moment; for the leading team, 7 points is the watershed moment. If they score two more points, the difference is still in single digits, but if they can't defend and the opponent launches a fast break, the chance to turn the game around is there.
In a top-level match, a 5-point difference is practically negligible, so the pressure is now entirely on Shohoku. More precisely, it's on Shirasawa.
Xiao Bai! Charge!
Don't rush! This ball has to go in!
The players on the Shohoku bench went crazy, all holding their breath for Shirasawa. Anyone in that position couldn't hold on.
The entire Shohoku fanbase was chanting Shirasawa's name; everyone knew how crucial this attack was. But everyone also knew that Shirasawa was facing Eiji Sawakita!
Shirasawa dribbled the ball across half-court, and Eiji Sawakita spread his arms, ready to defend. For the first time, he realized that defense could be so interesting. After all, the target of his defense was Shirasawa, and successfully defending him was even more satisfying than scoring himself.
Moreover, if he could just hold off this round, Eiji Sawakita would be able to take over the offense in the next round. He was incredibly excited at that moment.
It's not that Sannoh doesn't use Sawakita; it's that Masashi Kawata's inside firepower can match Sawakita's offense. Given the current situation on the court, if Sawakita were to constantly match up against Shirasawa for offense, things definitely wouldn't be as smooth as they are now.
Shirasawa stood between midcourt and the three-point line, the ball dangling back and forth in his hands. Sawakita stared intently at the ball, following its trajectory. He had considered all sorts of tactics Shirasawa might use for this attack, but he never expected Shirasawa to simply raise his hand and throw the ball from that position.
This play was so crucial for Shohoku, how could he be so reckless? He wasn't this careless even when they were leading by 15 points. Have you gotten cocky?
Not only was Sawakita stunned, but everyone in the stadium was equally bewildered. This was a do-or-die shot! Why did Shirasawa choose the most unpredictable attack?
The ball flew out under everyone's watchful eyes, until with a thud, it swished through the hoop! All the doubts instantly turned into cheers from the arena!
Holy crap! It went in! That guy's got an iron heart!
Who would have thought of this fighting style! Shirasawa is so daring! Awesome!
Shirasawa! Shirasawa!
The best way to respond to criticism is to let the game do its thing. And if you brought that criticism upon yourself, that's truly satisfying. That's just Shirasawa's personality.
The best solution in this round is a long-range three-pointer. Eiji Sawakita didn't expect that, and the defense would definitely leave that spot open. Shirasawa's shooting range covers the entire half of the court! Once he gets into a hot hand, scoring is a natural outcome.
Those first five minutes of one-on-one play had already put him in a good shooting rhythm. Of course, there was a chance he might miss, but that's okay. Focus on defense and look for another opportunity in the next possession. When the opportunity comes, take it decisively; there's nothing to regret.
Shirasawa's three-pointer brought the score difference back to double digits. Shohoku's hearts finally settled down.
13 minutes!
On the sidelines, Kiminobu Kogure stared at the timer; Shohoku was getting closer and closer to the championship trophy. Meanwhile, Sannoh Industrial High School was growing increasingly anxious.
They no longer had that feeling of being in control of the entire game. In the last seven minutes of the second half, they were actually held back by Shirasawa alone!
Possession has returned.
Sannoh must keep the score difference close and absolutely cannot allow Shohoku to widen it again.
Although that long-range three-pointer just now blew everyone away, Eiji Sawakita wasn't fooled at all—from this point on, he completely took over Sannoh's offense.
The sound of dribbling balls clicking and thumping filled the air.
Eiji Sawakita had the ball at the top of the arc, Masashi Kawata made a run to get the ball, but failed to get it.
Sawakita picked up the pace of his dribbling and drove straight to Shirasawa. The two collided in the paint, and Sawakita used the momentum of his jump step to create half a body length, grabbing position and hooking the ball in for two points, bringing the score difference back to 8 points.
Akira Sendoh, watching from the stands, kept rubbing his hands together and muttering to himself.
"The duel between these two is about to begin, and the real conflict is about to start."