Hiroshima Central Gymnasium.
In the square, the sunlight cast two clear figures on the ground, one tall and one short.
The tall individual was extremely towering, estimated to be about two meters tall. He wore a baseball cap with the brim pulled down slightly, covering part of his eyes. He donned a yellow T-shirt that fit snugly, outlining his sturdy figure. His shorts revealed unusually robust arms and legs, with muscle lines clearly visible, highlighting his strong physique. Although he was tall and strong, his face exuded youthful vigor.
The shorter figure next to him was a middle-aged man who looked a bit unkempt. His face was untidy, and his hair was graying, with a few strands of silver gleaming in the sun, making him appear somewhat disheveled.
The two walked slowly while conversing.
The boy tilted his head slightly, with a hint of confusion on his face, and asked, "What is that Sannoh?"
The middle-aged man was slightly startled, a hint of helplessness on his face, and said, "How can you say that? Your words have already aroused the disgust of the reporters. They think you have insulted the king in their hearts."
The boy shrugged and said calmly, "But I didn't know that anyway!"
The middle-aged man was speechless for a moment. After a brief silence, he slowly said, "Anyway, I just need talents like you. In order to defeat the Sannoh Dynasty..."
At that moment, a deafening cheer and scream suddenly erupted from the gymnasium, the sound resonating like a wave.
When the boy heard the noise, his eyes lit up, and he said, "It seems quite lively."
The middle-aged man nodded and explained, "Sannoh is very popular."
The boy asked curiously, "Who are their opponents?"
The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said, "I think it should be Shohoku! It seems that there was a very interesting little guy mentioned in the previous report!"
Soon, the two crossed the square and entered the gymnasium, arriving at the venue for the Shohoku vs. Sannoh High game. When the two saw the score on the electronic scoreboard, the boy maintained a calm expression, not seeming to feel anything special. However, the middle-aged man next to him couldn't help but widen his eyes, a look of surprise on his face.
How could Sannoh fall behind?
His expression suddenly became serious, and he thought to himself, "The first half is over, and Sannoh is still behind. Shohoku is quite capable..."
He slowly turned his gaze towards Shohoku's bench, his eyes revealing a hint of solemnity, thinking in his heart, "It seems that I have to investigate Shohoku carefully after returning."
From the faces of the Shohoku players, he saw only confidence and excitement, and there was no fear of Sannoh at all.
"It's amazing that No. 9 Shohoku can throw a ball like that."
"I'm afraid Sannoh is really in trouble this time. I don't know what the final game will be like."
"That's right! That Jack Carter is really as good as the reports say. He's truly amazing."
Listening to the discussions of the people around him, the middle-aged man felt something in his heart and looked towards Shohoku's bench again.
This time, he was searching with a clear purpose. Soon, he saw Jack Carter sitting there. The player was wearing Shohoku's No. 9 jersey and had a white towel on his head, so his face could not be seen.
"Is it because of him that Sannoh fell behind in the score?" The middle-aged man frowned, his eyes full of thought.
At this point, some viewers had already recognized the teenager and middle-aged man standing there.
"Strange, aren't those the coach and center of Meihou Industry? They're actually here to watch the game, too."
"That big guy... could he be this year's super center, Shigehiro Mori? He's so tall!"
"I heard they crushed Aiwa Academy in the preliminaries! It seems that Aiwa Star's Dai Moroboshi is in the hospital!"
Shohoku bench.
There was a relaxed atmosphere here at the moment. For Shohoku, being able to play against Sannoh High in such a situation in the first half was something they had never dared to think about before.
Everyone knew that if they could maintain this state in the second half, they might have a chance to defeat the strong opponent Sannoh High.
And all this is undoubtedly attributed to Jack Carter. The players knew that without Jack Carter, Shohoku would be badly beaten by the two 'wild' main players of Sannoh.
Takenori Akagi sat quietly in his seat, staring up at the score on the electronic scoreboard, with anticipation glittering in his eyes. His basketball dream seemed to be within reach.
As long as Shohoku can beat Sannoh in this game, it will mean that they have reached the pinnacle of high school basketball in the country. At this moment, his heart was beating violently, his breathing became rapid, and the excitement in his heart could not be calmed for a long time.
Hisashi Mitsui closed his eyes slightly, resting quietly and recovering his strength as much as possible. He knew in his heart that this year was the last year of his high school basketball career, and he didn't want to be substituted out midway due to exhaustion and leave any regrets. He is eager to exert his full strength in this game.
Kaede Rukawa looked across the field at Eiji Sawakita of Sannoh across the field. The words Mitsuyoshi Anzai once said to him kept echoing in his mind. First, become the strongest player in the country. And the Eiji Sawakita in front of him is the opponent he must defeat to achieve this goal.
Jack Carter had a towel covering his head and was sitting motionless, as if he had fallen asleep. The team members were no longer surprised by Jack Carter's behavior. Jack Carter always becomes like this after a fierce battle with his opponents in a game.
Kanon Shimizu stood in front of the players, looking serious and earnest, and said, "Everyone has done a good job, just keep doing it now. There is no need to make any adjustments to the personnel for the time being. If you have a chance in the second half, try to increase the score as much as possible! But be careful with the shouting, Sannoh's strength is not limited to this; they must have other tricks that they haven't shown yet."
After hearing what Kanon Shimizu said, the team members who were originally immersed in the joy of leading Sannoh gradually lost their smiles, and their expressions became serious. Everyone then realized that they had been too optimistic before.
Although Shohoku has the powerful helper Jack Carter, throughout the first half, Sannoh's score was always close to Shohoku, which was enough to show how terrifying Sannoh's strength was.
Thinking about it from another perspective, what would the first half of the game be like if there was no Jack Carter?
Hiss...
Thinking of this, the team members couldn't help but gasp and break out in a cold sweat. Everyone in Shohoku, who was originally filled with joy, suddenly became nervous again.
Takenori Akagi took a deep breath, his eyes revealed a determined look, and he said loudly, "Cheer up in the second half. It's the last 20 minutes. If we win this game, we will be the strongest. This is also the last chance, so... we have to defeat Sannoh."
"Down with Sannoh..." everyone responded in unison.
Shohoku's movements also attracted the attention of everyone in the audience.
Sannoh High bench.
Everyone turned their eyes to the opposite side.
Kazunari Fukatsu sighed, a trace of regret and helplessness on his face, and said softly, "You really don't give us a chance to breathe!"
Goro Domoto had a serious expression, his eyes revealed a hint of solemnity, and he said in a deep voice, "Such a motivated and powerful opponent is the most terrifying."
Eiji Sawakita looked exhausted, frowned slightly, and complained, "Really, why do we have to work so hard!"
Masashi Kawata glared at Eiji Sawakita and said unhappily, "Sawakita, be more serious and don't let the opponent's No. 9 outshine you."
Goro Domoto glanced at the players with a deep gaze. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We need to change our strategy. We can't focus all our attention on the opponent's No. 9. We need to be more versatile."
As he said that, he turned his gaze to Minoru Matsumoto and said firmly, "Matsumoto, you change with Mikio Kawata."
Minoru Matsumoto nodded without any comment.
Goro Domoto turned his attention to the tallest and most sturdy guy in the team and said, "Kawata, you will be in charge of the main attack from now on. Sawakita, Fukatsu, you two will be responsible for restraining the opponent's No. 9. If there is a chance, pass the ball to Kawata."
Eiji Sawakita and Kazunari Fukatsu straightened their bodies at the same time and answered in unison, "Yes..."
Time passed by unknowingly. The halftime break passed quickly. Players from both teams returned to the court and gathered at midfield, preparing for a jump ball.
The two teams responsible for the jump ball were Takenori Akagi of Shohoku and Mikio Kawata of Sannoh High. Mikio Kawata is over 2 meters tall and is the only player in the game who is over 2 meters tall. He just stood there, and his huge body gave people a strong sense of oppression.
Takenori Akagi looked at Mikio Kawata, who was half a head taller than him, and felt a huge pressure in his heart, but his eyes also revealed a hint of determination, and he had no intention of retreating.
The two men stood face to face, leaning forward slightly, silently waiting for the referee to announce the start of the game.
The next moment.
Beep...
The referee blew the whistle in his mouth. Then, the referee threw the basketball in his hand high into the air between Takenori Akagi and Mikio Kawata.
The second half of the game officially begins.