The meaning behind these words is clear: Fujima is convinced that Shohoku will definitely make it to the national tournament, regardless of their final ranking.
Dai Moroboshi was not surprised to hear this.
He came all this way specifically to see Shirasawa from Shohoku with his own eyes.
Both being point guards, Shirasawa scored 51 points, forcing Fujima into retirement, which made him quite curious.
He had a good relationship with Shinichi Maki, and he was very clear about Maki's strength.
That's why he decided to make this trip.
Shirasawa's true worth will be revealed once Mu Shenyi, the touchstone, puts Shinichi Maki to the test.
Dai Moroboshi arrived late, just in time for the intense duel between Shirasawa and Maki.
That's why he couldn't help but utter that exclamation.
Now it seems that the rumors about Shirasawa were probably not entirely unfounded...
Dai Moroboshi smiled faintly, "Thanks, but whether it will give you a headache or not, we'll only know after we try it."
Fujima didn't say anything more. He was a top player himself and understood these people's temperament all too well. No amount of persuasion would work unless he personally confronted them.
The two weren't particularly close to begin with, so that was about it.
They nodded to each other knowingly, then turned back to watch the game.
On the field, the offense and defense switched positions again.
The duel between Shirasawa and Shinichi Maki was reaching its most intense moment.
The cheers from both sides were so loud they were practically lifting the roof off; everyone felt the outcome was about to be decided.
But at this critical juncture, Shinichi Maki changed his tactics.
Once again facing Shirasawa in the frontcourt, he suddenly gave up on continuing to play one-on-one and raised his hand to call for a screen.
In the previous rounds, the two teams' aces fought fiercely, while the other team members were basically just there to make up the numbers.
Although they participated in the offense and defense, they mostly did back-and-forth running, essentially serving as a backdrop for the two main characters.
As a result, it's inevitable that one's attention will become somewhat lax.
But as soon as Shinichi Maki gave the order, the entire Kainan team was like a clockwork mechanism, instantly deploying their offensive formation and catching Shohoku completely off guard.
The difference in sportsmanship between the two teams is immediately apparent.
Using the cover, Shinichi Maki successfully shook off Shirasawa, and immediately felt a sense of relief, as if he had been freed from his shackles.
He drove straight to the basket, and without slowing down when facing Takenori Akagi's help defense, he got up and went for it!
Akagi roared and leaped into the air with all his might, colliding squarely with Shinichi Maki in mid-air!
This collision made Akagi instantly understand the kind of impact Shirasawa had withstood in those previous rounds...
Even Shinichi Maki's explosive power!
Akagi jumped from a stationary position, while Maki Shin rushed up at full speed. In this collision, Akagi's center of gravity was immediately thrown off balance.
Shinichi Maki's hang time was clearly superior; he waited until Akagi had completely fallen and was no longer a threat before calmly tossing the ball towards the basket.
Two points were easily scored.
Akagi, who was thrown off balance, instinctively put all his weight on the foot he was landing on in order to regain his footing.
The moment he landed, his already injured ankle gave way and twisted inward!
A piercing pain shot through him, and Akagi groaned, staggered backward, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
At first, the audience thought that Akagi had lost his footing or was trying to draw a foul, since it's common for players to fall during physical battles in the paint.
However, Kiminobu Kogure's eyes suddenly widened on the sidelines!
His heart skipped a beat; he knew something was wrong!
" Akagi!!!"
Kogure suddenly stood up, his face deathly pale, and cried out in shock.
Takenori Akagi collapsed to the ground, clutching his right ankle tightly with both hands, his jaw clenched, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
The excruciating pain was unbearable even for a man as strong as an iron tower.
The Shohoku Team all rushed over, and only then did they realize that Akagi's ankle was wrapped in thick bandages.
"Captain! You're injured in the foot!?"
Mitsui stared at the thick bandage around Akagi's ankle, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.
Injuries are what he fears most!
Shirasawa and the others were also dumbfounded. None of them expected that Akagi was fighting while injured. He was fine during training yesterday, so no one knew when he got injured.
Logically speaking, Akagi did injure his ankle during the fight in Kainan. But ever since Shirasawa arrived, many things have changed. But fate is a mysterious thing, sometimes truly unpredictable.
In any case, Akagi is in a lot of pain right now, so there's no way he'll be back to his old self and keep fighting.
Coach Anzai quickly called a timeout.
Kogure was the first to rush into the arena. His worst fears had come true, and it seemed even worse than he had anticipated!
He had thought that Akagi would at most run out of stamina and gradually become unable to play, at which point the coach would substitute him. Who would have thought that he would be injured a second time during a scrimmage!
You know, Mitsui's downfall was precisely because of a second injury...
Kogure was extremely flustered at that moment, and his mind went completely blank.
Shinichi Maki squatted down next to Akagi. He played aggressively, but his movements were clean; he never resorted to any underhanded tricks. So he didn't feel guilty, and it was obvious to everyone that Akagi was carrying an old injury.
" Akagi, are you alright?" Shinichi Maki asked with concern.
Akagi gritted his teeth and nodded, his eyes still closed, wincing in pain. "It's nothing... it's my own fault."
Shinichi Maki patted him on the shoulder, and this tough-guy reply earned him even more respect. "I'll wait for you to come back."
After saying that, he led the Kainan players back to the bench. Serious players don't like seeing anyone get injured on the court; everyone understands how difficult that is. So, no one on the Kainan Team was secretly happy about Akagi's injury.
Of course, if Akagi really can't play, they will definitely attack Shohoku's inside game without hesitation. After all, this is a game, and while injuries are certainly annoying, they are also part of competitive sports. Sympathy is one thing, but what matters in a game is the result, and the losing side can only accept defeat.
Akagi had calmed down a bit, and his face wasn't as ferocious anymore. "I'm fine, don't worry," he said in a low voice, but his words didn't sound very convincing.
Anyone could see that he was having a hard time even walking.
Kogure didn't complain about him. Saying things like "I told you so" or "You wouldn't listen to advice" was pointless. He only cared about how serious the injury was.
Shirasawa had Akagi try rotating his ankle. He could still move it, but it hurt and was a little swollen. Fortunately, there were no unusual deformities around it, so the initial assessment was that it wasn't a serious injury. It was probably just a regular sprain, but given Akagi's weight, that sprain was definitely going to hurt.
Ayako arrived with the on-site medical staff. After a quick check at the sidelines, the conclusion was similar to everyone's guess: the problem shouldn't be serious. This relieved everyone, especially Akagi, who could finally relax a little.
The medical staff need to take Akagi to the infirmary for further examination to determine if he can return for the game. The on-field medical staff are different from hospital doctors; their job is to treat injuries on the field and respect the athlete's wishes as much as possible. But if they say he can't play, then no matter how much Akagi shouts his dreams, it won't matter.
Finally, Kakuta and Shiozaki supported Akagi on either side as he limped off the field. Before leaving, he said, "I'll be back soon!"
How long is "soon"? Everyone probably has a different idea in mind. This is the first time that Shohoku has lost their captain and the pillar of their inside game in a match, and everyone's mood has sunk.
Before leaving the court, Akagi had scored 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, making him the team's second-highest scorer after Shirasawa. Moreover, his impact went far beyond the statistics; his dominance under the basket and his command and control of Sakuragi were crucial. His performance was a devastating blow to Shohoku.
This also exposed Shohoku's pitifully shallow roster depth. With only one backup center, Satoru Kakuta, they clearly couldn't withstand this level of competition. Otherwise, Kazuma Takasago might have given the illusion of being the best center in the nation...
Ultimately, Coach Anzai substituted Kogure, moving Sakuragi from power forward to center to match up against Kazuma Takasago. Mitsui and Kogure, on the other hand, played without regard to position, adapting to the situation.
The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.
At this point, 12 minutes into the first half, the score was 30-28.
Shohoku was still leading by 2 points, but it was clear to everyone that the situation had changed.
"With Akagi on the court, Shohoku is in serious trouble, especially their defense," said Moichi Taoka on the sidelines, arms crossed, his voice tinged with regret. " Shirasawa might still hold his own on offense, but on defense, just dealing with Maki will be a nightmare for him. Without Akagi anchoring the offense, do you think they can stop Kainan's offensive onslaught? I doubt it."
Akagi's departure was like removing a weight from one side of a scale; the delicate balance on the field was instantly shattered.
The game continued, and Shohoku had possession of the ball.
Shirasawa received the ball in the attacking third, facing the towering Maki Shinichi Maki.
Without a key inside player, Shohoku's offensive strategies suddenly seemed somewhat ineffective. Hanamichi Sakuragi was completely outmaneuvered by Kazuma Takasago's experience, unable to even get a decent chance to receive the ball. As for Jin, he was completely superior to Kiminobu Kogure, as if he were strolling through his own backyard.
Kainan didn't even need to use any complicated tactics; a simple man-to-man marking system was surprisingly effective.
Shinichi Maki didn't need to make any special arrangements.
Given the current situation, Shirasawa is well aware that the team's offense must first rely on him to break the deadlock.
However, he wasn't particularly panicked.
Regardless of whether Akagi can return, he is confident in leading the team forward. Besides being certain of his own abilities, he also trusts his teammates.
Shirasawa executed two quick crossovers in quick succession, the basketball obediently passing behind him. With a powerful push, he blew past Shinichi Maki!
The startup speed this time seemed even faster than before, which surprised even Shinichi Maki.
He drove into the paint and, before the help defense could arrive, Shirasawa flicked his wrist and launched a light, easy floater.
Two more points!
Shinichi Maki leisurely picked up the ball and served it to the baseline, while casually calling Nobunaga Kiyota over to his side.
" Kiyota, you don't need to worry about Miyagi for now." Shinichi Maki's voice was very calm.
He's really not in a hurry. Even if Shirasawa scores a few more goals, he won't be worried.
He believed that Shirasawa alone couldn't defeat Kainan. No matter how amazing Bai Ze's abilities were, Kainan had plenty of ways to make him wear down and sweat before Akagi returned.
Once Shirasawa's stamina bar runs out, Shohoku's good days will be over.
Therefore, he decided to call on Kiyota to double-team Shirasawa! He wanted to make him pay twice the physical price.