Kogure's defense... is basically negligible.
This loophole is too obvious; Kainan can catch them red-handed every time.
Before he could even finish speaking, Nobunaga Kiyota an off-ball cut and easily scored a reverse layup over Sakuragi.
Kainan quickly caught up again.
The stadium, which had just been set ablaze by Shirasawa, suddenly became much quieter.
Hikoichi Aida, watching from the stands, sighed in frustration, " Sakuragi- senpai can't defend Kainan's inside game! Shirasawa's effort just now was for nothing."
"If this keeps up, Shirasawa will be exhausted."
Uozumi crossed his arms and replied in a deep voice, "No one can fill Akagi's vacancy, and Sakuragi is still too inexperienced. If Kainan can drag the game out until Shirasawa runs out of energy, their chances of winning will be much higher."
"It's such a shame that Akagi isn't here."
The match went on for two more rounds.
Facing a double team, Shirasawa drove to a 45-degree angle and pulled up for a jump shot, scoring two points.
The ball was passed to Miyagi in the next possession, Miyagi cut in and made a floater.
Although the attacks were all successful, each one took almost 24 seconds to complete.
Kainan's situation is much easier – their overall defensive system is nowhere near as good as Akagi 'Shohoku, especially since Akagi isn't anchoring the paint. As long as Shinichi Maki keeps Shirasawa in check, Kainan can quickly create open shots.
As the score remained the same, Shirasawa's stamina was gradually worn down.
So Coach Anzai, who rarely calls timeouts, stood up.
The referee blew the whistle, Shohoku requested a timeout.
On the bench, the team members were all drenched in sweat.
Shirasawa was the main attacker, but the others weren't idle either, they just couldn't find any good opportunities.
Especially Mitsui.
He was genuinely anxious and wanted to help Shirasawa relieve some of the pressure. As the team's second-leading scorer, this was his job.
But Kainan's surveillance of him was even more ruthless than Hasegawa's back then.
Those guys seemed to have inexhaustible energy. With a tall and muscular guy like Jin standing in front of them, whenever they managed to create a gap, Shinichi Maki or Kiyota would immediately fill it.
Cut off the connection between him and Shirasawa completely.
Coach Anzai studied him for a moment, his gaze finally settling on Hanamichi Sakuragi.
" Sakuragi," he said slowly, "You're now the second pillar under the basket. With Akagi out, it's your turn to guard the paint."
"But what you've done... isn't enough."
Everyone was stunned by these words.
Coach Anzai publicly criticized his players for the first time.
The words were spoken subtly, but coming from the mouth of his usually kind father, it was already quite surprising.
Hanamichi Sakuragi immediately retorted, "Dad! I've already tried my best! They're passing the buck, and that monk-headed guy keeps bothering me! I can't keep up at all!"
"If the Gorilla were here, I wouldn't have been so easily fooled by them!"
Coach Anzai ignored his complaints and simply repeated, "Not enough."
Hanamichi Sakuragi was stunned. "Dad!"
Before he could finish speaking, Shirasawa interrupted him.
" Sakuragi, you didn't understand what the coach meant."
"The coach is saying that the only one who can replace Akagi is you—you are the King Kong No. 2 under the basket!"
Mitsui understood and replied with a smile, "If Akagi were here, he wouldn't complain about all this nonsense."
Miyagi nodded in agreement. "Of course, the boss will definitely take care of them. As for number two... well, that's hard to say."
Hanamichi Sakuragi looked at the group of people blankly, vaguely understanding, yet still somewhat incredulous.
"You mean...?"
"Can I fill in for the Gorilla?"
"I am... Gorilla No. 2? The second pillar of Shohoku's inside game?"
Neither Mitsui nor Miyagi spoke again, but they exchanged trusting glances.
Because Akagi was always there, they did indeed overlook Sakuragi's defensive abilities.
Although Akagi always reminds him to cover his position and teaches him defense...
But the one who actually carried it out was Sakuragi himself.
He definitely has the ability!
They now understand the purpose of Coach Anzai's timeout.
Activate Sakuragi!
Kogure looked at him firmly. " Akagi will definitely come back!"
" Sakuragi! Until then, you have to hold the paint for him!"
"I believe... this is Akagi would have wanted to see!"
"You're his most trusted partner!"
As his teammates cast their gazes at him, Hanamichi Sakuragi felt as if his heart had been set on fire.
Only by replacing the Gorilla...
I'm the King Kong No. 2 under the basket...
Gorilla don't complain...
The Gorilla will definitely come back...
After a long while, Hanamichi Sakuragi raised his head again.
That red hair was standing on end with an unusually vigorous air!
Although the kid's eyes were wide open like copper bells and his muscles were taut like iron, he looked exactly like a red-haired orangutan with its fur standing on end.
But the next second, he grinned and squeezed out the words, one by one, through gritted teeth:
"Damn it... lie down... in Hainan!"
King Kong No. 2 has officially issued its challenge!
In the medical room of the Kanagawa Prefecture Gymnasium.
The medical staff had just finished treating Akagi's ankle and were now applying a thick ice pack. Haruko, her eyes red, leaned closer to the doctor and asked, "Doctor, is my brother's foot... serious?"
"Ice it, and he'll be fine in a couple of days." The doctor packed his things. "It was a second sprain, but he's lucky he didn't break any bones."
Takenori Akagi heard "rest for two days," his heart skipped a beat.
Two days off? Then the competition...
The doctor caught a glimpse of his gaze and immediately understood. "Forget about the game, unless you don't plan to play anymore." The doctor's tone was firm. "This is only the first game; I can guarantee you'll make it to the second."
Haruko breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that it wasn't serious, "That's great! Thank you, doctor!"
But then, Takenori Akagi gritted his teeth.
"Doctor..." he looked up, "Is there any way I can continue playing?"
Both the doctor and Haruko were stunned by these words.
"Are you crazy?!" the doctor's voice suddenly rose. "The chances of getting injured again if you go on the field now are over 90%! Understand? You won't be so lucky next time, and it could affect you for the rest of your life!"
The doctor was so angry his hands were trembling. Haruko's tears welled up again, but she opened her mouth and said nothing—she knew her brother too well, knew how much he had sacrificed to get to where he was today.
Akagi took a deep breath, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"Don't we have painkillers? Re-bandaging and immobilizing it is fine too." His voice was deep. "Whatever method, as long as I can play, I'll take full responsibility for the consequences. Even if this leg is ruined, it doesn't matter!"
"... Please."
The doctor pointed at him, trembling with anger. "You, you... I will never help you! If you really act recklessly, I'll go find your coach right now!"
After saying that, he glared at Haruko and said, "Keep an eye on your brother!"
The door was slammed shut.
"Brother..." Haruko, her voice trembling with tears, "Please listen to the doctor, please..."
Takenori Akagi closed his eyes, as if afraid that seeing his sister's tears would make him waver. " Haruko, you understand." His voice was low, "This is an opportunity I've been waiting for for so long... not just for me, but also for Kogure, and those problem children."
They're all waiting for me. I promised I'd go back.
He suddenly raised his voice. "Come on, help me tie my feet!"
That resolute tone left Haruko at a loss. Just as she was panicking, a slow, leisurely voice came from outside the door.
" Akagi, the Shohoku of today isn't the Shohoku of the past." The mustachioed shopkeeper appeared at the door with a smile. "You certainly have a group of reliable teammates."
"The store manager?!" The brother and sister were both taken aback.
Akagi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
The store manager chuckled, his expression a little cheeky. "North of the city? Shangde?"
A memory flashed through Akagi's mind—it was the same trick the manager used to mock him back then. He said he would lead Shohoku to the top, and the manager deliberately misheard his name to make fun of him.
"Oh, it's you." Akagi suddenly smiled. "You've been following Shohoku... Thank you."
Just then, a deafening cheer erupted outside.
Akagi's heart tightened. Could it be...?
He knew how difficult Shohoku's defense would be without him. Haruko also nervously covered her mouth.
But the store manager just laughed even harder. " Akagi, you're overthinking it." He wagged his finger. " Shohoku is a completely different place now; you should know that better than I do... This is just worry making you confused."
Haruko's eyes lit up immediately. "You mean, this cheering is...?"
The store manager nodded at the two pairs of expectant eyes.
"That's right, this isn't the first time Shohoku has drawn cheers." He paused deliberately before continuing, " Akagi, I didn't expect that besides having a pretty little sister, you also have a nice little brother."
Akagi: "???"
Brother? If the cheers are for Shohoku, shouldn't they be for Shirasawa? Are there people who don't recognize Shirasawa? Why are they saying "my brother"?
"What are you talking about?" Akagi was even more confused. "Where did I get a younger brother? What happened on the field?"
The store manager raised an eyebrow mysteriously. "Red-haired number 10, the one under the basket from Shohoku... the King Kong's Little Brother!"
Let's rewind to when Coach Anzai called a timeout.
The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court. On the Kainan side, Coach Takato's instructions were very clear: Attack! Keep attacking! Attack relentlessly!
Strike while the iron is hot, and completely break down Shohoku's defense, even disrupting Shirasawa's mentality!
Ever since that ominous premonition arose in Riki Takato's heart, he made up his mind: no matter what trouble arises, he must nip it in the bud. It would be best to take advantage of the last few minutes of the first half to crush Shohoku.
The game continued, with Shohoku taking the first attack.
Shirasawa crossed the halfway line, three players from Kainan suddenly pounced on him—a pincer attack!
Shinichi Maki, Nobunaga Kiyota, and Tadashi Muto quickly surrounded Shirasawa at the top of the arc, effectively trapping him like a dumpling.
"Wow! A triple team?!" Hikoichi Aida shouted from the stands, " Kainan has been pushed to this extent? This is the first time I've seen this!"
It's quite rare to see Kainan resort to such a desperate defensive strategy. First of all, it's surprising enough that Shinichi Maki would set aside his ace status to do this.
On the sidelines, Moichi Taoka frowned. "Something's not right," he said, stroking his Takato. "Takato's trying to crush Shohoku in the last few minutes of the first half."
He wants a quick victory!
Before those words had even finished, something happened on the field.