Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 286 Drifting Backwards with a Negative Angle, Magic Ball
Kogure would naturally not miss the opportunity to get a quadruple-double, after all, he's not Bird.

Everyone says Larry Bird was a bad defender, but in reality, Bird was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team three times in his career.

In addition, Bird's defensive attitude was always good, unlike someone who just stares blankly and waits for the fast break.

1985年，凯尔特人对阵爵士的比赛，拉里·伯德三节轰下30分12篮板10助攻9抢断2封盖带领绿军大胜对手，随后打卡下班。

Coach Jones asked him if he wanted to go back in for another steal in the fourth quarter, and Bird waved his hand and said: I've already done my job for today!
This is why "King of Show" Larry Bird refused to record a quadruple-double.

You just find it too tiring!
If it were GOAT, he certainly wouldn't let this opportunity to make a name for himself pass by.

One was a three-time MVP, led his team to three championships, played for one city, and dominated the NBA in the 80s with Magic Johnson. If it weren't for his back injury, he would have been even greater.

One is to build a wandering dynasty, playing for more than 20 years and only winning 4 championships. He relinquished most of his power, refused to accept a championship without the Finals MVP, and needed a lot of All-Stars in their prime to help him win the championship. Even if he won the championship, the historical status of the stars he played with would be reduced.

You agree, right, Cheeky Wei!

During halftime, Coach Anzai highly praised the players' performance and reminded them not to underestimate their opponents and to remain focused in the second half.

The Shohoku players, led by Kogure, expressed their understanding, stating that the game was far from over and they would not underestimate their opponent.

Kogure doesn't want to become the next Sannoh Industrial, even though that's more like the protagonist's halo at work.

However, one thing is certain: Daiei Academy will not give up easily, and the second half of the game is likely to be even more intense.

They must be prepared to face even greater challenges.

The second half began shortly afterward!
Just like in the second half of the first half, neither side made any changes to their lineup.

During the jump ball, Kogure once again won the jump ball for Shohoku, passing the ball to Nobuhiko Okamoto.

As soon as the latter dribbled past half-court, Itakura immediately marked him closely.

Because Itakura was marking him too tightly, Okamoto Nobuhiko was under immense pressure and unable to pass the ball out.

Seeing this, Kogure stepped forward to help.

Nobuhiko Okamoto immediately passed the ball to Kogure hand-to-hand.

At the same time, he also shielded Itakura from Kogure.

On the other side, Junya Tsuchiya caught up.

Kogure took a step forward, assuming a dribbling and breaking through defenses, forcing Jun Tsuchiya to instinctively take a step back.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kogure stepped back and appeared beyond the three-point line, leaping up to shoot a three-pointer.

Jun Tsuchiya was taken aback, but it was too late to stop him.

shuh~
The basketball traced a beautiful arc and fell straight into the basket.

After Kogure made the shot, Shohoku's lead officially crossed the 30-point mark.

Suddenly, the pressure on the Da Rong players increased even more.

In high school leagues, many games only score around 60 or 70 points, so overturning a 30-point deficit is extremely difficult.

It's worth noting that in the Xiangshan match, Sannoh Industrial only led Xiangbei by 24 points. If it weren't for the protagonist's aura and the collective superhuman performance, Xiangbei really wouldn't have been a match for them.

Of course, Uozumi was also a key contributor, and could be considered the sixth man of Shohoku.

"Everyone, there are still 20 minutes left! We still have hope!"

As the team's ace, Jun Tsuchiya began to boost morale.

Actually, he wasn't very confident when he said that.

That's why he spoke of hope.

"Defeat Shohoku!"

Seeing that Tsuchiya Jun had not given up, the Daiei players rallied their spirits and focused their attention.

Soon, Daiei Academy launched an attack.

Perhaps it was the coach's guidance, or perhaps it was a review of the first half, but in any case, Jun Tsuchiya clearly learned his lesson.

Using a double screen, Jun Tsuchiya temporarily shook off Kogure and received the basketball.

However, Kogure quickly caught up.

Meanwhile, Kudo Shusaku, who was covering for Tsuchiya Jun, used another teammate's screen to easily get rid of Suzuki Ohno and cut into the basket from the other side.

As Kogure came to the front lines to provide support, Jun Tsuchiya promptly passed the ball to him.

Bang~
With a loud thud, Kudo Shusaku unleashed his full power, dunking the ball with both hands to score.

Shusaku Kudo's energetic dunking was mainly to further boost the team's morale.

Morale, though invisible and intangible, is undeniably real.

For Daiei Academy to change its current situation, it must boost the team's morale; this is the prerequisite.

Kogure hopes that Daiei Academy can continue to exist; otherwise, if it defeats its opponents too quickly, he might end up like Bird, for the sake of his reputation.

There was nothing he could do; he admitted he didn't have gOat's thick skin.

Offense and defense reversed!

Soon, Kogure broke through Tsuchiya Jun's defense and, after drawing a double team, immediately passed the ball to Kakuta Daisuke.

bang~
Unfortunately, Emperor Kakuta failed to capitalize on his opportunity, and his shot missed.

Shortly after, Kogure passed the ball again to Nobuhiko Okamoto, who was in an open position, but the latter also failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

The game continued, and after a few rounds, Shohoku not only failed to extend their lead, but Daiei Academy seized the opportunity to narrow the gap to 24 points.

Compared to the first half, Shohoku's role players were no longer on fire.

Left with no other option, Kogure began to increase the intensity of his attacks.

He first used cover to shake off Jun Tsuchiya and then threw the ball into the net.

In the next round, Kogure backed down Tsuchiya Jun in the low post and hooked the ball in.

Thanks to Kogure's outstanding performance, Shohoku regained their lead.

In this situation, Coach Daiei had no choice but to stand on the sidelines and call Jun Tsuchiya over to the sidelines to give him a strategy.

As soon as Kogure received the basketball, before he could pass it, Matsumoto Teru and Aotahama rushed up and instantly surrounded him.

Despite being surrounded by three people, Kogure remained calm.

They didn't lose the ball in such a small area.

His ball control is like Henry's, and his short-range maneuvering is like Yoshi's; this is no exaggeration.

During the rally, Kogure and Matsumoto Teru engaged in a fair exchange.

bang~
Matsumoto Teru felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't help but take a step back.

"not good!"

Jun Tsuchiya instinctively shifted his feet to the side, trying to block the opening that appeared, but he couldn't cover it up.

Suddenly, Jun Tsuchiya felt a chill in his groin.

Taking advantage of Tsuchiya Jun's momentary lapse in movement, Kogure once again transformed into a crotch-dribbling maniac, slipping the basketball between his legs.

He, on the other hand, went around from the other side, passing the ball and himself.

Suddenly, Kogure found himself on a smooth road ahead.

With astonishing explosive power, Kogure leaped high into the air and, while gliding through the air, delivered a stunning back-to-the-basket dunk for the score.

Bang~
Looking at Kogure hanging from the basket, Jun Tsuchiya stood with his hands on his hips, unsure of what to say.

At that moment, he sincerely hoped that what Kogure was hanging was not a basketball hoop, but a street lamp.

The poor kid, he's been so discouraged that he's started fantasizing.

Hua Hua Hua~
At the same time, loud cheers and applause erupted in the arena.

Kogure's outstanding performance greatly excited the audience.

At this moment, even Moroboshi's love and the coach's confidence began to waver.

Both were among the best freshmen last year, so is there really such a big difference between them?

To paraphrase Kogure, geniuses shouldn't be compared to "cheaters" (or "cheaters"), otherwise it's an insult to the latter. Furthermore, there are different levels of geniuses.

If we include American players of the same age, Moroboshi Dai could at best be considered a mediocre talent.

As they were switching back to defense, Kogure solemnly instructed them, "Everyone, focus on defense. I'll take care of the offense!"

The three giants of Shohoku had made a bet, and he certainly didn't want to wash Akagi and Mitsui's smelly socks.

Even if we can't surpass Mitsui, we can't be at the bottom either. Let Akagi wash the smelly socks.

The image of a gorilla washing socks inexplicably made Kogure feel a sense of amusement.

"As you command, Captain!"

The teammates responded in unison, saying that since they weren't having a good shooting night, they should focus more on defense. Besides, they had Kogure on offense, so there was no need to worry.

Soon, Daiei Academy launched another attack.

Because Shohoku suddenly increased their defensive intensity, it clearly caught Daiei Academy off guard.

Under pressure from Nobuhiko Okamoto, Itakura almost conceded a goal.

Nobuhiko Okamoto pressed himself tightly against Itakura, his hands groping all over her body, forcefully locking her in place.

Itakura exerted tremendous effort to barely break through Okamoto Nobuhiko's defenses, but he did not completely shake him off.

After Itakura drew Suzuki Ohno's defensive attention, Kudo Shusaku took the opportunity to cut to the basket.

Itakura immediately tossed the ball high toward the basket, and Kudo Shusaku jumped up, trying to catch it all the way.

The moment Kudo Shusaku touched the basketball, suddenly, a figure jumped up from the other side of the hoop and swatted the ball away first. Who else could it be but Kogure?

slap~
The basketball landed on the floor and bounced out of bounds!
Bang~
Shusaku Kudo attempted a two-handed dunk, but it was a futile effort.

The ball is gone!
After this block, Kogure's block count reached 8, and two more would bring him to a quadruple-double.

"Everyone must concentrate and stick with their assigned player."

Kogure glanced at Ohno Suzuki; if Ohno had been more focused, he wouldn't have had to clean up his mess.

"Sorry, Captain!"

Suzuki Ohno raised his right hand to indicate that the problem was his.

After Daiei threw the ball in from the sideline, Suzuki Ohno was no longer distracted and relentlessly pursued Kudo Shusaku.

For a moment, Kudo Shusaku had no chance to run out of space, so he had to step forward and set a screen for Itakura.

With the help of Kudo Shusaku's screen, Itakura took the opportunity to shake off Okamoto Nobuhiko.

Suzuki Ohno immediately switched defenses, but Itakura easily broke through.

For a moment, there was no one in front of Itakura.

He immediately rushed to the basket, ready to score a layup.

"careful!"

Suddenly, Jun Tsuchiya's anxious voice rang out.

Before Itakura could even react, a shadow loomed over his head, and a large hand slammed the basketball onto the backboard with a dull thud.

Ninth block, done!

bang~
At the same time, a tremendous force came from behind, and Itakura was sent flying involuntarily. After crashing onto the floor, he was dragged for a distance before finally coming to a stop.

hiss!
Itakura gasped, staring at Kogure with a terrified look.

When did this guy appear behind him? He hadn't noticed at all.

Before Itakura could think further, Kogure grabbed the basketball and immediately opted for a fast break.

Fast break!

The Shohoku players rushed towards the frontcourt together.

By the time Itakura got up from the ground, the entire Shohoku team had already rushed into the frontcourt.

In a five-on-four situation, Yamamoto Kuma ultimately scored with a layup.

"How can we fight this?"

Jun Tsuchiya stood with his hands on his hips, feeling utterly powerless.

They finally managed to narrow the gap by a few points while the opponent was having a bad day, but just a minute later, the opponent turned the tide again.

At this point, five minutes of the second half had already passed, and time was running out for Daiei Academy.

"A 28-point comeback in 15 minutes? How is that even possible?"

At this moment, Jun Tsuchiya looked dejected, and his heart felt utterly cold.

Because of Kogure, he felt that his performance in this match was like a pile of shit, and he began to have second thoughts.

On the sidelines, Coach Daiei seemed to notice Tsuchiya Jun's dejected expression and quickly shouted to the field, "Tsuchiya, you can lose the game, but you must never lose your fighting spirit."

Coach Daiei did not give up. He believed that the team still had a chance, since most of the players on the Shohoku team were substitutes.

Jun Tsuchiya didn't reply. Instead, he took a deep breath, tried to rouse himself, and focused his attention on the basketball.

As his mindset returned to normal, Jun Tsuchiya's performance improved, and he became even more energetic.

Under his guidance and example, Daiei was not defeated by Shohoku in one fell swoop, but instead showed great resilience.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long!
In the 8th minute of the second half, Daiei Academy once again surrounded and attacked Kogure.

This time, they sent four people.

Since three people aren't enough, we'll send out four. The important thing is to keep Kogure at bay.

We'd rather let other Shohoku players score than let Kogure score again.

They are betting that the Shohoku players haven't regained their form yet.

At this moment, Kogure is enjoying the same treatment as Maki from the original storyline!

Seeing the four people surrounding him, Kogure did not pass the ball out, but instead chose to go toe-to-toe with the man.

Although it was difficult to break through a four-man encirclement, their teamwork was ultimately lacking.

If it's Sannoh or Hakata, then that's a different story.

Soon, Kogure used all his strength and finally broke out of the encirclement.

However, he hasn't completely shaken off yet.

Jun Tsuchiya and Itakura chased after him relentlessly, putting Kogure on a tight watch.

Under their defense, Kogure was forced to drift backward and shoot from a negative angle.

shuh~
The basketball swished through the net, creating a splash.

"No way, they can get in here?"

Jun Tsuchiya and Itakura exchanged horrified glances. They had done their best, but Kogure had still managed to break through their defenses.

Seeing this, the two of them made the same move as if by unspoken agreement.

Four hands spread out!

The two players, one a point guard and the other a power forward, were reminiscent of GOAT and Doncic in later generations.

Kogure's incredible shot dealt a heavy blow to the Daiei players.

However, they suppressed their inner turmoil and continued their offensive.

As a combo guard, Itakura's offensive capabilities need no further explanation.

After breaking through Okamoto Nobuhiko's defenses, Itakura did not continue to advance and quickly threw out a shot.

bang~
The basketball hit the front edge of the rim and bounced out of the paint.

Itakura was very lucky; the basketball just happened to bounce right in front of him.

Without hesitation, Itakura caught the ball with both hands and jumped to shoot again.

(End of this chapter)