Takeishi vs Furukawa

As the whistle blew, signaling the official start of the match between the two teams, which had refrained from any extra activities during the pre-match warm-up, the jump ball ensued. Tokuo Horita, shouldering the dream of his younger brother, gained a clear advantage by overpowering his opponent, Mitsuaki Iwata, and successfully passing the ball to Kobayashi. Takeishi initiated the first attack.

During this initial offensive move, Kobayashi opted for a deliberate approach, slowing down his pace to assess the opponent's defense. However, Furukawa Middle School players retreated to their own three-second zone, leaving a significant gap in the front.

Following the old rule, Mitsui received the first ball as the ace player. Despite facing a double defense from Minami and Tsuchiya, Mitsui remained composed, highlighting his superior skills. Ikegami supported Tokuo in blocking Iwata, and Mitsui capitalized on the opportunity, passing the ball to Tokuo, who scored, securing an early points for Takeishi.

As Furukawa took their turn, Itakura threw the ball from the baseline. Takeishi, anticipating Furukawa's run and gun strategy, defensively retreated. Despite Furukawa's attempt at a fast break, Ikigami assistance aided Katsumi in blocking Kishimoto's shot, showcasing Takeishi's resilience.

Witnessing Mitsui's successful layup during the counterattack, Furukawa players, particularly Minami and Kishimoto, recognized the familiar run-and-gun tactics of Coach Kitano. The game intensified as both teams engaged in an exhilarating run-and-gun battle, drawing excitement from the audience.

At halftime, the teams remained closely matched, with Takeishi leading 51 to 45. The break revealed a notable difference in the players' conditions, with Furukawa appearing more fatigued due to a previous game and the pressure of chasing points. Coach Yamada, satisfied with the starters' performance, strategically substituted players to preserve energy for the upcoming games.

In the second half, the teams shifted to a positional battle, with Furukawa relying on Tsuchiya Jun's individual skills. Facing Takeishi's substitutions, Furukawa struggled with fatigue, leading to a more tactical and strategic phase in the game.

Here, Takeishi resolutely implemented Mitsui's tactical thinking as the core, covering Mitsui in the second and even third quarter. Mitsui also lived up to the trust of his teammates. Despite his declining physical strength, Mitsui shot more accurately, especially three-pointers. Among junior high school students, besides him, the only one using three-pointers as a means is Teiko's Shintaro Midorima. However, even if Midorima's physical strength decreases, his shooting rate will not increase. This buff belongs exclusively to Hisashi Mitsui! In the end, in the second half, Takeshi Junior High School, who replaced the starter, quickly widened the point difference and made the final decision, winning with a high score of 89 to 70.

Osaka's dream team also announced its disbandment. Tsuchiya, Kishimoto, and Minami were at odds due to ideological differences. Osaka's leaders considered dismissing Kitano because facts proved that run and gun could not bring victory. Why are you saying that Takeshi is also run-and-gun? Takeishi is not from Osaka! Moreover, the school leaders have long been dissatisfied with Kitano's so-called happy basketball. However, because of Kitano's ability, Osaka could not directly fire him without any reason. They made a request to Kitano: if Osaka reaches the top four in the country in two years, Kitano Eiji will not be fired. If they fail to reach the top four, Kitano will leave!

This dirty world among adults has not affected the ongoing National Junior High School Conference. Kitano will be fired next year. Takeishi Middle School, which defeated Furukawa, successfully entered the top eight in the country. Their next opponent will be from Shizuoka prefecture, Shotai Middle School. In this middle school, Hisashi Mitsui will face his first opponent and challenge since returning to junior high school - Kenji Fujima, MVP of Shizuoka Prefecture and one of the future top players of Kanagawa! In addition to Fujima Kenji, Shizuoka Prefecture's power forward is also an old acquaintance of Mitsui Hisashi. Ozu Shiba is a rare offensive power forward in the country. In terms of personal strength, he is even better than Minami and Kishimoto it should not be underestimated either.

Faced with such an opponent, Takeshi naturally made a series of adjustments.