Inside the National General Gymnasium in Tokyo, the epic clash between Shohoku and Sannoh Industry had reached halftime.
On the scoreboard, the numbers read: Shohoku 56, Sannoh Industry 40.
Carrying a 16-point lead, Shohoku headed back to the locker room.
Yet everyone knew full well that this was far from over.
In the Shohoku lounge, all the players sat panting on the benches, towels draped around their necks as sweat dripped from the ends of their hair.
Takenori Akagi breathed heavily, but his gaze was sharper than ever. "You all did a great job! Keep it up, don't let them turn the tables!"
"There are only 20 minutes left in the game!" Mitsui wiped his forehead with a towel, gritting his teeth. "Once we get through these 20 minutes, we'll stand at the peak of the nation!"
"Ha—number one in the nation, huh..." Miyagi leaned against the wall, panting as he looked up at the ceiling with a soft sigh. "I can finally seriously picture those words now."
Shin Saionji said nothing, simply standing before the tactical board, drinking water while quietly watching the score and statistics. His gaze remained calm, much like a commander analyzing the terrain before a battle.
Coach Anzai walked in slowly, hands behind his back, wearing a gentle smile with an unshakable determination in his eyes.
"Very good... Your first half was even more perfect than I anticipated."
"Especially you, Shin," he looked toward Saionji. "You let the whole arena know why Shohoku is able to make it this far."
"…
Chapter 87