Now, Miyagi's efforts over the past half game have paid off. He didn't sit idly by; he maintained his focus throughout, pushing himself to his absolute limit. Finally, near the end of the first half, he seized an opportunity to completely disrupt the Chariot Country's offensive plan, laying a solid foundation for Shohoku's victory in the first half!
The audience in the stands were cheering wildly for him, Hikoichi Aida was even gesturing wildly, forgetting that he had underestimated Miyagi just a few minutes earlier. Of course, this was just a highlight moment, and it's too early to say that Miyagi's performance in the first half was particularly explosive, but this was certainly something he could brag about for a long time.
Amidst the cheers of the fans and teammates, Miyagi took off, using his absolute speed to get past two defenders in a row. Tall defenders feared this move of his; calling him "The Ghost" was no exaggeration. In Miyagi's eyes, there was no space but the basket.
On the other side, Hoffmann was desperately trying to get back on defense, his long legs swinging incredibly fast. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that one of his steps was equivalent to three of Miyagi's. He wasn't that explosive, but his long legs were an advantage, and his speed wasn't slow either.
It was this number 7, this unknown kid, who ruined his perfect plan. He was determined to teach Miyagi a lesson and show him that on the basketball court, length matters, and this wasn't a place for him to run wild!
Whoosh!! Miyagi ran faster and faster, like a red lightning bolt, and in the blink of an eye he reached the free throw line in the frontcourt. Thump, thump, Miyagi caught a glimpse of Hoffmann catching up, but he had no other choice but to bite the bullet and attack the basket.
With any other defender, Miyagi might slow down to shake off his opponent, but Hoffmann is different. He's too tall. If Miyagi pauses to try some fancy moves, he'll definitely get blocked. Hoffmann doesn't even need to jump. So, he can only rely on sheer speed to gain the upper hand!
Whoosh! Miyagi gritted his teeth and suddenly stood up to attack the basket. At this moment, Hoffmann's long legs were almost catching up with him.
The hearts of the entire audience were in their throats.
On the stands, Sota Miyagi his knuckles turned white, barely daring to breathe—he knew all too well his younger brother's small frame, and this goal was very close.
Ryota Miyagi in mid-air, dared not glide any further; every extra millisecond he wasted increased the risk of being pinned down by Hoffmann's long arms.
He threw the ball out the moment he pushed off the ground, his timing more precise than an alarm clock.
But then Hoffmann jumped up.
He wasn't particularly good at jumping, but his arms were like telephone poles; when he stretched them out, they covered most of the rim.
Just as the ball was about to reach its highest point, Hoffmann pressed down with half of his palm, and it exploded with a crisp crack.
Miyagi frowned deeply, cursing inwardly: Damn it, there's no way to fix this!
After chasing him for half a day, Hoffmann finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smug smile spreading across his face.
The message was clear: You think you can score points against me? No way!
The basketball bounced off the backboard and traveled a long distance with a dull thud.
The entire stadium went silent instantly—had the point that was almost in their grasp just vanished like that?
Actually, you can't blame Miyagi; Hoffmann is just too freakish, his arms are longer than other people's legs.
Hoffmann steadied himself as soon as his feet touched the ground, turned around to launch a fast break, and Miyagi immediately turned back to defend, bringing this round of pursuit to an end.
But when the two of them came to their senses, the scene before them made their eyes widen in disbelief, and the entire stadium was stunned.
Someone was running towards the free-throw line, and the rebounded basketball just happened to land in his hands—it was Shohoku's number 9, Shirasawa!
Shirasawa caught the rebound ball steadily. Standing in front of him was Hoffmann, who had just blocked Miyagi's shot. This guy, relying on his height and long arms, had really messed up Miyagi's game.
If it were any other player from Shohoku, they would have just sighed at most, but who is Shirasawa? His abilities are known throughout the league, and the Chariot Country probably remembers it today.
Shirasawa took a step forward, facing Hoffmann under the basket without hesitation, and suddenly leaped into the air.
The entire arena erupted, adrenaline surged to its peak— Shirasawa was a renowned inside weapon, having dunked on countless famous inside players in Kanagawa and even nationwide. His previous role as the backdrop was none other than Mikio Kawata in the country!
Hoffmann is now half a head taller Mikio. This ball will either be a spectacular dunk by Shirasawa or a desperate block by Hoffmann. It all depends on who is tougher.
Hoffmann, standing under the basket, subconsciously twitched his lips. He had no time to think and could only go for it head-on with Shirasawa!
"Hah! "Hoffmann roared, unusually, and stretched out his long arms to charge at Shirasawa.
Bang! The two collided violently in mid-air. Shirasawa's eyes widened, and he slammed the ball down with such force that it seemed he was going to smash through the rim!
boom!!
Shirasawa dunked over Hoffmann! It was an absolute dunk! Relying on his air superiority and impact, Hoffmann was completely unable to move, instinctively covering his head, looking just like a bullied little wife.
Hoffmann is 215 centimeters tall. If he had dared to take another half step forward or be even slightly weaker, Shirasawa would probably have flown right over his head. That wouldn't just be humiliating; it would leave him with psychological trauma.
The impact was so strong that Hoffmann was knocked back three steps before his back hit the backboard and he stopped, while Shirasawa landed steadily, causing the rim to shake violently.
The cheers from the crowd were deafening, and everyone jumped up, shouting and yelling like madmen.
The entire stadium erupted like a volcano, drowning out the referee's whistle; all that could be seen was his gesture— Hoffmann committed a defensive foul, the goal stands, a penalty kick is awarded!
Hoffmann leaned against the backboard, panting heavily. This dunk had completely broken down his mental defenses.
Having played basketball for so long, this was the first time he had ever experienced something like this, especially in this particular setting.
The players on the field all gathered around. Ryota Miyagi was still in a daze. He was the closest to see it, and even he, as a teammate, was stunned by Shirasawa's aura. He had only one thought in his mind: even if there was a wall in front of him, Shirasawa would smash it to pieces.
He exhaled, raised his hand and walked towards Shirasawa, and with a loud slap, the two gave each other a firm high five.
The sound of the slap was as crisp as a firecracker, and the force was so great that it could numb your hand.
For the two of them, this was more than just a dunk; it was a bond between brothers and teammates—you block my brother, I dunk on your ace, that's the Shohoku!
Shirasawa stared at Hoffmann, who was panting heavily under the basket, raised his chin and shouted, "Then I'll dunk on you!"
Shirasawa had no intention of waiting, let alone holding a grudge; he immediately retaliated.
Ryota Miyagi, who had been watching the ball closely the entire time, was so excited he felt like his head was about to explode. This was what brotherly basketball should be like; for him, it felt even better than making the game-winning shot himself.
Hikoichi Aida in the stands had been jumping around like a spring since early morning, shouting until his voice was hoarse.
Jun Uozumi clenched his fists and shook his head, muttering to himself that Shirasawa hadn't treated him well earlier, which was practically showing mercy. He was now even considering treating Bai Ze to a good meal.
Compared to this group, Sota Miyagi not far away, appeared much calmer, not jumping around recklessly, but the shock in his eyes was impossible to hide. He truly hadn't expected there to be such ruthless characters in the country.
Although Shirasawa had scored quite a few points before and was incredibly tough on both offense and defense, in the eyes of someone like Sota Miyagi who had traveled all over the world, after this play, Shirasawa's level had already surpassed that of an ordinary high school student.
To put it bluntly, after that play, he felt that Shirasawa's basketball skills and physical attributes had surpassed the global high school basketball standard. However, he also knew that Shirasawa wasn't the only monster like this in the world. For example, Alex, the star Cheetah Team, had given him a similar feeling before, but he hadn't realized that Alex was also here.
Sota Miyagi stared at Shirasawa's retreating figure, his eyes gleaming, with only one thought in his mind: I really want to play a match against him. He was probably the only guy in the stands who, after watching the game, didn't react with excitement and cheers, but rather wanted to spar with someone.
Sitting not far away, Moichi Taoka saw through Sota Miyagi's little scheme, and a smile instantly crept onto his face. He could sense what the kid was thinking; this desire to challenge the strong was exactly what he valued.
Moreover, he had already devised a perfect plan in his mind.
If we go by the timeline, if Sota Miyagi hadn't gone missing, he would be graduating high school this year, just like Uozumi and the others. Given his basketball skills, he would either drop out of school like Uozumi to take over the family business, or go to university; he would definitely be a hot commodity sought after by all the top universities.
The problem is that the kid has disappeared. Taoka doesn't know where he's been all these years, but he's certain that Sota Miyagi is definitely not in the country.
According to the domestic college entrance system, people without a high school registration in their own country cannot directly enter a university in their own country. Sota Miyagi is currently just graduating from high school, and if he wants to go to university, he will have to study for another year of high school, either by taking the entrance exam based on his grades or by being specially admitted based on his special talent. Thinking of this, Moichi Taoka's blood boiled.
In this way, there's a very high probability that Sota Miyagi will choose a high school in Japan and complete a full year there. Even if he doesn't want to go to university, Taoka will have to recruit him to Ryonan! With Sendoh and Kaede Rukawa Ryonan in the new season, that's a super trio. Neither Sannoh nor Shohoku can stop Ryonan from taking off!
Taoka's heart was pounding like a firecracker; how could he not be excited?
Sota Miyagi is currently suffering from amnesia and is unfamiliar with the situation in the country. At this time, the success rate of poaching him is absolutely maximized. As long as he comes quietly, no one can beat him. So much so that he didn't take Shirasawa's amazing dunk too seriously. If it were a young girl, she would probably have already thought of the name for her child with Sota Miyagi.
The whistle blew sharply, ending the first half. Under the relentless pressure of Shohoku's full-court defense, the Chariot Team could only manage a desperate shot from the top of the arc, but the ball slammed against the backboard without even touching the rim. The score remained 59-54, with Shohoku leading by 5 points.
Although it was only halftime and they were only leading by 5 points, Shohoku had previously led by 50 points at halftime in other games. A 5-point difference is almost negligible on the ever-changing basketball court; it could be erased in two possessions, and they might even be able to take the lead.
But those 5 points have a completely different meaning in today's game! After Chariot Team is an internationally strong team and ranks among the top in the high school league. Shohoku's 5 points in the first half are a groundbreaking achievement for domestic basketball.
The roar of the fans throughout the stadium is the best proof; everyone is enjoying this hard-won lead, even if it's only for half the game. Even if they lose in the end, there's nothing to regret; let's enjoy this moment first.
Shohoku returned to the locker room amidst cheers from the crowd.