Akagi had actually returned quietly a while ago, during the last defensive round.
Everyone's attention was focused on the speeding basketball; nobody noticed him at all.
Sakuragi reminded Kogure to go after Kiyota, and Akagi saw that scene clearly.
His eyes immediately felt hot.
That loud, overconfident red-haired kid, without his protection, has actually become capable of standing on his own.
And then there's Kogure, his seemingly weak and quiet brother who always stood silently by his side, who also did his best to shoulder the responsibility when he was absent.
A thousand words raced through Akagi's mind, but in the end, they all boiled down to one sentence. "You still have a long way to go."
Some things don't need to be said explicitly; we both understand.
"What are you all standing there for? Get ready for the free throws!" Akagi straightened his face, reverting to his usual serious demeanor.
Kogure and Sakuragi exchanged a smile, then turned and ran towards the front of the court.
As Sakuragi ran, he shouted at the top of his lungs, " The Gorilla is back! The Gorilla is back!"
That shout immediately drew everyone's attention.
Everyone looked and saw that Takenori Akagi was standing firmly on the baseline!
With his arms crossed over his chest, his imposing presence remained unchanged.
It's still the same familiar Shohoku's pillar of strength!
" Akagi... I knew you wouldn't fall so easily," Jun Uozumi murmured from the audience.
Akagi was his most respected rival, and to be honest, Uozumi really wanted to make it to the national tournament with him.
Of course, that's on the premise that Ryonan wins the championship and Shohoku is the runner-up.
Then, on the national stage, the two continued their competition.
Coach Moichi Taoka nodded in agreement. " Akagi's injury has ironically become a turning point for Shohoku."
"They widened the gap while he was away, and that brat Sakuragi got some practice too. If Akagi returns healthy in the second half, Shohoku will have a huge psychological advantage."
Hikoichi Aida weakly interjected from the side, "Coach... Sakuragi -senpai, he's not a brat..."
Coach Taoka chuckled and glanced at him, " Hikoichi, I think you're tired of Ryonan..."
Akagi's return brought immense joy to Shohoku's supporters.
But Coach Riki Takato, who was on the bench for Kainan, had a furrowed brow.
He Taoka had the same idea: Shohoku would probably have a morale advantage over Kainan now.
We must establish an advantage at the start of the second half, otherwise...
Kainan's undefeated record is facing an unprecedented challenge today.
At this moment, Shirasawa stepped up to the free throw line.
That shot was exhilarating, but now that I've calmed down, my arm, which Shinichi Maki pulled, is actually a little sore...
Shinichi Maki's mind was in turmoil. He knew exactly how much force he had used in that attack, yet he hadn't managed to stop it? And the opponent had even scored...
He glanced at his palms instinctively. Had all those years at the gym gone to waste?
Shirasawa stretched his right shoulder, raised his hand, and took the free throw.
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
51 to 44.
Shohoku has extended their lead to 7 points!
Both sides only had one attacking opportunity left in the first half.
Although Akagi hasn't played yet, just his presence on the sidelines has given the whole team confidence.
Shinichi Maki controlled the ball, calculating the time, wanting to score the goal while also trying to prolong the game by a few more seconds.
Ideally, we should make Shohoku's final attack rushed.
The Kainan Team kept weaving and running inside the three-point line, just waiting for Shinichi Maki to start.
We'll then decide where to place our troops based on the direction of his breakthrough.
These people are all highly trained; every movement they make is purposeful, and they never waste their time.
Takenori Akagi stood outside the baseline, his mind entirely on the court—no, his mouth was entirely on the court...
" Kogure! You're slowing down, hurry up and catch up!"
" Miyagi, keep an eye on their cover! Keep a close watch on your right!"
"What are you spacing out for! Don't let the person who's blocking you get back online so easily!"
Akagi's sideline coaching might not make Shohoku stronger immediately, but it's enough to distract Kainan.
As an observer, he could see things clearly. He knew his teammates might not always follow through on his words, but things did sound rather chaotic in Kainan.
As a result, Kainan's positioning has begun to show signs of impatience.
Having failed to land two consecutive blows, Mu Shinichi Maki had calmed down and was determined not to waste any more opportunities.
He shielded the ball with his body, and seeing that the time was almost up, he suddenly lowered his center of gravity and started his breakthrough!
First, as usual, find physical contact.
Then he abruptly stopped between his legs, changed direction, and charged at Shirasawa again.
The two men jostled each other as they charged toward the inside; similar scenes had played out countless times today.
But this time, Shinichi Maki changed his playing style.
He leaned against Shirasawa and took a slow three-step step.
The pace was slow, but just as Shirasawa jumped to block, the ball was pulled away, and a half-turn hook shot was executed.
With the rhythm alternating between fast and slow, even if Shirasawa jumped high, his fingertips were still a bit off.
This offensive style is old-fashioned. The movements are not fast, and the jump is not high, but you just can't block it.
Goal!
Kainan finally managed to stop the bleeding thanks to Maki Shin's goal.
There are 7 seconds left in the first half.
51 to 46.
Shohoku launched their final attack.
Shirasawa dribbles the ball forward.
With little time remaining, Shinichi Maki immediately began a full-court press.
The two battled from the backcourt to the frontcourt, and the ball never left Shirasawa's hands.
Slap! Slap!
After a series of changes of direction, Shirasawa jumped forcefully from a step beyond the three-point line and threw the ball out over Shinichi Maki's defense!
His movements were already somewhat distorted; even Shirasawa himself felt the ball was in danger.
The basketball bounced off the front edge.
At the same time, the final whistle blew.
The entire stadium's attention was drawn to the bouncing ball, and the same was true for the second viewing area off the court.
The ball was falling, and the stadium was unusually quiet.
If that ball goes in...
The weather in Kanagawa is probably about to change.
Swish!
No doubt about it, the ball went in!
Shirasawa's hand gesture instantly transformed into a celebration pose.
The Shohoku supporters, both inside and outside the arena, formed a continuous line and cheered wildly for that buzzer-beating three-pointer!
" Shirasawa! Shirasawa!"
At this moment, Shirasawa is the protagonist on the court, receiving everyone's cheers!
His teammates all swarmed around him, shouting and jumping.
The first half was tough; everyone was determined to win.
Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and vent my frustrations.
Takenori Akagi smiled as well, standing outside the sideline, clapping vigorously with both hands.
This situation couldn't be better for Shohoku.
54 to 46!
Shohoku became the first team since the Shinichi Maki era to lead Kainan in the first half!
Of course, the scope is limited to Kanagawa Prefecture.
But this is already astonishing enough.
At this moment, no one doubted whether Shohoku was qualified to challenge Kainan.
Not only do they have it, but they've already completed more than half of it!
Shinichi Maki looked up at the scoreboard.
An 8-point gap may not seem like much, but given the level of both teams, catching up won't be easy.
He has already admitted that Shohoku is an opponent of the same level as Kainan.
This is a true battle for the title of King of Kanagawa.
The Kainan Team stood on the court, watching Shohoku celebrate. No matter how strict their discipline or how high their morale, they couldn't help but show some disappointment at this moment.
Especially Shirasawa's incredible buzzer-beating three-pointer was a huge blow to morale.
Shinichi Maki calmed himself down and called to his teammates, "It was my fault for not being able to stop Shirasawa. I will continue to strengthen our defense in the second half. You guys did a great job and didn't give anyone else any chances. This is only the first half, and the final victory will definitely belong to us!"
"Let's go, back to the locker room."
After speaking, he led the Kainan Team off the court, joined Coach Riki Takato, and returned to the locker room.
Takenori Akagi waved his hand and led the Shohoku team away.
Both teams' players returned to their respective locker rooms for halftime adjustments.
The fans, having recovered from their initial excitement, took a break and prepared to cheer again in the second half, eager to witness the miracle unfold!
Kainan locker room.
Bang!
Riki Takato didn't say a word; the first thing he did upon entering was smash the tactics board.
The team members immediately sat up straight and stood ramrod straight, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Shinichi Maki, on the other hand, was quite unfazed. He covered his face with a towel and leaned back against the wardrobe.
He scored 17 points and had 7 assists in the first half, which was a normal performance.
But Shirasawa, who was matched up against him, managed to score 29 points and 6 assists, almost twice as many points as him.
However, this is related to the two teams' playing styles. Kainan has many offensive options, especially after Akagi left the field, when they were all firing on all cylinders.
Shirasawa almost single-handedly carried Shohoku forward, forcefully breaking through Kainan's defenses.
What's even more crucial is that almost all of those 29 points were scored in front of Shinichi Maki, including some goals scored while he was double-teamed.
Therefore, Shinichi Maki's dissatisfaction was not with the offense, but with the defense.
In those 20 minutes, he was indeed completely overwhelmed by Shirasawa.
Riki Takato certainly wouldn't blame Shinichi Maki for this, since everyone could see that if it weren't for Maki, the match would probably have been over long ago.
Shirasawa's strength completely exceeded his expectations.
It can now be confirmed that the 51-point performance against Shoyo was not Shirasawa's full-power mode at all.
Shirasawa is clearly much stronger today than he was that day.
Riki Takato let out a heavy sigh and suddenly slammed the tactical board onto the ground.
"Shame!"
He scanned all the team members, "Don't you feel ashamed playing like this while wearing Kainan Team?"
"Think about it carefully, how many balls could have been defended but weren't! How many balls should have been scored but were missed!"
"Last year we lost to Sannoh by 30 points, are we going to lose to Shohoku by 30 points this year?!"
Upon hearing this, Nobunaga Kiyota clenched his fists so tightly they cracked. "Impossible! We must win!"
"I don't care about last year, I must win this year!"
Riki Takato glared at him directly. "Then show me!"
"You have 20 minutes left, so bring out your best!"
"Each of you is an elite handpicked by Kainan. Remember, Kainan never accepts defeat in Kanagawa!"
When it comes to Kainan's glorious history, this trick is always the most effective.
Every year, so many players are eager to come to Kainan for trials, all in order to become a part of this history.
Anyone who dares to ruin this history has crossed the line and offended everyone!
No one wants to destroy a myth with their own hands.
The team members' fighting spirit was completely ignited.
Run faster, jump higher, even if it means fighting to the death on the field, we absolutely cannot lose!
Riki Takato looked around, and his expression finally softened a bit.
In fact, he knew in his heart that the players' performance in the first half was not a big problem.
In competitive sports, there is no such thing as perfection.