This is clearly meant to give those players on the field a boost.
After all, dunking is the most morale-boosting activity.
You want us to sit down? Fine, let's deduct one first!
Cheers erupted suddenly.
The matchup everyone's been waiting for is finally here!
Shirasawa crossed the center line, Shinichi Maki was already blocking the top of the arc with his body positioned sideways.
He was just waiting for Shirasawa to step into his defensive range.
" Fujima, do you think Maki can defend against Shirasawa?" Although the bandages on Hanagata's hand had been removed, the bruise on the back of his hand was still very obvious.
Fujima is now purely in the audience's mindset; he's lost his usual edge and looks like an ordinary high school student.
"Both Maki and Shirasawa are the type to unleash their power right from the start; you can tell their strength after just one round."
He paused, then added:
"But I think Shirasawa is more powerful."
Fujima smiled.
"It's not because I lost to him, it's because no one knows better than me just how strong Shirasawa is."
That's true. So far, in official matches, only Fujima has truly experienced the terror of Shirasawa.
and!
He wasn't even sure if that was Shirasawa's full strength.
The more unpredictable something is, the more unsettling it becomes.
On the court, Shirasawa faced off against Shinichi Maki at the top of the arc.
It's a bit absurd that Shinichi Maki, with his physique, would play as a guard.
He was not only tall, but also frighteningly strong.
Although Shirasawa was taller, he had a lean and muscular build with well-defined muscles and low body fat.
It looks pretty, but it doesn't appear generous or substantial.
Shinichi Maki was different; he was all dark-skinned and muscular, with large, prominent muscles. His shoulders alone looked wider than Akagi's.
You don't even need to test it to know that this guy's strength is ridiculously exaggerated.
Shirasawa couldn't help but feel worried for the other point guards across the country.
Facing a monster like that would be absolutely brutal.
However, Shirasawa seems to have forgotten that he himself is quite terrifying in the eyes of others...
Shirasawa shielded the ball with his body, dribbling while observing his teammates' positioning.
Tsukubu is known for playing team basketball, but Kainan's teamwork is far superior.
On the defensive end, no one was idle; they were all constantly running and entangled.
Nobunaga Kiyota protected Miyagi, his body was not weak at all, and his speed did not slow down much.
Mitsui is Kainan's second key offensive target, and is specifically guarded by defensive expert Tadashi Muto.
Having honed his skills in the national tournament, Tadashi Muto is already one of Kanagawa's top defensive players.
He didn't have particularly outstanding physical attributes, but his defensive skills were extremely refined. Coupled with Kainan's seemingly endless stamina, he made things quite difficult for Mitsui.
In comparison,
Sakuragi and Akagi faced less defensive pressure.
Sakuragi was matched up against Jin.
In terms of static talent, Jin's only advantage is that he is one centimeter taller than Sakuragi, which is basically negligible.
In terms of dynamic talent, Sakuragi is far ahead of him.
Jin could only rely on his experience to try and block Sakuragi's running route, but he wasn't panicking.
Because teammates could come to cover or delay at any time.
This is the chemical reaction in Kainan.
The teamwork between the players has been honed through countless matches and training sessions.
These players are all mobile enough. When Shohoku sets off off-ball screens, they switch on every screen and immediately switch back. No matter how you look at it, there's never a gap in their defense.
Akagi Kazuma Takasago, Akagi theoretically has the advantage in every aspect.
But that's only the surface.
Kazuma Takasago, who has secured a starting center position on a national top-four team, is certainly no pushover.
Otherwise, Riki Takato wouldn't have let him play this position.
However, Kainan has enough offensive options and a strong defense, making Takasago seem less conspicuous.
You only realize how troublesome this guy is when you actually face him.
In terms of strength alone, he's no less than Akagi.
Takasago consistently used a half-circling maneuver to block Akagi, preventing him from receiving the ball comfortably.
The two players were clashing muscles inside, resulting in a very intense contest.
Shirasawa already had a general idea of the situation on the field.
He gradually increased the pace of his dribbling.
Shinichi Maki tensed up, his eyes fixed on Shirasawa's every move like an eagle's.
Snap! Snap!
Shirasawa made several quick changes of direction before suddenly accelerating and forcing his way through Shinichi Maki's defenses! Shinichi Maki reacted extremely quickly, taking a step to the side, his thick chest meeting Bai Ze's attack head-on.
The two collided with a thud, the dull thud sounding painful.
Both were secretly surprised by each other's strength, but neither retreated, and they clashed again. This head-on style of fighting suited Shinichi Maki's taste perfectly, and his blood was boiling. He thought to himself, it has been a long time since anyone has given him this kind of intense confrontation.
However, Shirasawa had no intention of continuing the contest. He suddenly stopped abruptly and dribbled twice with his back to the basket to regain his rhythm. Shinichi Maki touched the ground with one foot and instantly closed in, leaving no gap whatsoever.
Just then, Shirasawa dribbled behind his back for the third time and scooped the ball up with his right hand, slightly shifting his body to the side... and the ball flew from behind him toward the basket!
This turn of events was completely unexpected by Shinichi Maki. Based on his understanding of Shirasawa, the ball would definitely be passed to a precise spot. Under the basket, Akagi! But when Shinichi Maki turned his head, he found that Akagi was still wrestling with Takasago, both of them looking up at the ball in the air, desperately trying to get a position on the backboard.
Shinichi Maki's eyes suddenly widened!
Because on the other side of the basket, Hanamichi Sakuragi had already taken to the air!
Sakuragi caught the ball in mid-air with one hand, and it looked like he was about to complete an Alley-oop pass dunk.
But!
Suddenly, Soichiro Jin appeared in front of him!
This completely blocked Sakuragi's offensive routes.
Bang~
Sakuragi's waist collided with Jin's shoulder. The referee squinted and examined the play closely, determining that both players' actions were clean. Sakuragi hadn't lost his balance, but he wasn't far enough to dunk. He stretched his arm out as far as he could, and with a thud, his fingers grazed the rim, and the ball bounced off the hoop!
The Shohoku fans, who had already half-stood up, had no choice but to sit back down. Jin took the opportunity to trap the landing Sakuragi behind him, while Akagi and Takasago jumped up together to fight for the rebound.
"Ugh!!"
A gasp suddenly erupted from the audience.
Suddenly, Shirasawa appeared out of nowhere!
After Sakuragi's dunk went wide, Shirasawa bypassed Shinichi Maki and leaped into the air. At this moment, he was suspended in mid-air, taller Takasago and Akagi! He grabbed the rebound with one arm, straddled Takasago, and slammed the ball into the basket!
boom!!
Shirasawa is riding Kazuma Takasago!
He scored the first point for Shohoku and grabbed the first rebound!
The impact of that putback dunk even made Shinichi Maki's pupils shrink. Shinichi Maki's physical attributes were already recognized as top-notch, but compared to Shirasawa, he admitted that he was still somewhat lacking... at least in terms of jumping ability.
The Shohoku fans had long forgotten to sit down, cheering wildly for this play. Kazuma Takasago shrank his neck and ran a few steps quickly; that last dribble had really impacted him. Even Riki Takato on the sidelines couldn't help but shake his head. Shirasawa's talent was truly terrifying; if only they had been able to recruit him back then. Regret aside, Riki Takato wasn't too bothered. The future was uncertain, but at least for now, he had Shinichi Maki!
"Good, you've caught my attention."
Shinichi Maki smiled faintly on the court. His words were naturally directed at Shirasawa, but Shirasawa didn't pay much attention, glancing at him before turning back to defense. To be honest, after this brief exchange, Shirasawa had gained a new understanding of Shinichi Maki's physique. To be able to suppress Fujima, dominate Kanagawa for two years, and lead Kainan to the national semi-finals... this man certainly had his reasons.
This was the first time Shirasawa had felt pressured on the offensive end.
" Shohoku has taken the lead! Now it's up to Maki to respond. Although it's only the first round, this play is crucial for Kainan's mentality." Ryonan's Koshino expressed his opinion from the stands.
But Moichi Taoka. "You're talking about most teams, Kainan isn't included." "They won't lose their composure over a single goal." "On the contrary, it will only ignite their fighting spirit."
Shinichi Maki dribbles the ball forward.
Kainan fell into a positional offensive.
Everyone thought that Shinichi Maki would challenge Shirasawa to a one-on-one match to prove his unshakeable status. However, Shinichi Maki did not. He dribbled the ball steadily at the top of the arc, and Kainan's offensive formation slowly changed accordingly.
Kazuma Takasago and Tadashi Muto moved to the sides of the free-throw line, drawing Akagi and Sakuragi out. Jin and Nobunaga Kiyota then positioned themselves on the left and right three-point lines respectively. Seeing that they were in position, Shinichi Maki suddenly pushed off the ground and started moving!
Without any fancy dribbling, just a perfectly ordinary crossover, he charged straight towards Shirasawa's left side. The explosive power he displayed was completely disproportionate to his massive size... In an instant, Shirasawa felt like he'd been gored by a bull.
Their bodies collided, causing them to sway slightly. Neither of them yielded, continuing their close-quarters struggle!
Just as the two entered the three-point line, Kazuma Takasago suddenly took a step to the side, blocking Shirasawa's path like a wall.
Shirasawa felt himself being attacked from both sides and abruptly stopped in his tracks.
The collision really hurt Takasago; his face contorted in pain, and his stomach churned. However, the pick-and-roll had its purpose: Shinichi Maki used the opportunity to create mismatches, shake off Akagi, and drive straight to the basket!
Sakuragi hurriedly covered the area, but Tadashi Muto a run and cut inside at the same time. Shinichi Maki glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and delivered a bounce pass.
Tadashi Muto received the ball and made a layup, easily scoring two points.
2 to 2 draw.
Riki Takato, standing on the sidelines, nodded in satisfaction, then unfolded his folding fan and began to slowly wave it.
This is what makes Shinichi Maki so great—he doesn't get carried away by Shirasawa's outstanding performance at all; instead, he makes the most reasonable arrangements on the offensive end, making scoring easy.
In terms of individual ability, Kainan in many positions are not as good as those in other strong teams. But when these players come together, they can create an impenetrable wall of defense.
Of course, all of this is inseparable from Shinichi Maki's role as a pillar of strength.
Riki Takato usually teaches verbally, but Shinichi Maki is giving Nobunaga Kiyota a live demonstration on the field.
"Damn it! That guy who looks like an old man!" Hanamichi Sakuragi muttered angrily.
Takenori Akagi patted him on the back. "Don't worry about it, just stay focused."
"And your timely defensive cover was very effective."
Sakuragi was stunned, pointing to his own nose in disbelief.
In his view, Tadashi Muto the player he was guarding, and the point conceded was entirely his responsibility. But Akagi knew in his heart that it really wasn't Sakuragi's fault— Kainan's teamwork was just too perfect.
Akagi even started to wonder if he should continue to follow Takasago to a higher position if Kainan played like this in the next round.
Shohoku reorganized their attack.