Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 304: A net win of 81 points!
Before we knew it, autumn had quietly arrived.

On this day, the Akita Dome was already bustling with activity and excitement.

Outside the stadium, a huge banner fluttered in the wind, reading "Autumn National Sports Rally".

The audience's faces were filled with anticipation and excitement as they looked forward to the upcoming rally.

Most of these spectators were from Akita.

That's right, the host of this year's Autumn National Games is Akita Prefecture, where Sannoh Industrial is located.

This year's Autumn National Sports Games is not only a national sporting event, but also a source of pride for the host Akita Prefecture.

Because of Sannoh Industrial, the people of Akita are passionate about basketball.

As the representative team of Akita Prefecture, Sanno Kogyo carries the glory and expectations of its hometown.

Therefore, the people of Akita all hope to win the championship on their home turf.

At 8 a.m., the Kanagawa representative team, last year's champions, made their grand entrance as the final team to take the stage.

Wearing matching team uniforms, they stepped into the stadium with firm and powerful strides.

With the Kanagawa team taking the stage, all 32 regional teams were finally assembled.

The Kanagawa team is positioned in the center, with the Fukuoka team to its left and the Akita team to its right.

As usual, Ayako, the basketball manager, stood at the front holding a sign with the area's logo.

The team captains followed closely behind, and the remaining players lined up in order of their positions within their teams.

As the captain, Kogure stood at the head of the group, with the vice-captain Kenji Fujima standing behind him.

At the bottom of the list are Ryoji Ikegami, Ichiro Sato, and Tomokazu Godai. Compared to the others, their strength is undoubtedly much inferior, and they belong to the category of functional players.

Although the island nation is known for its seniority system, athletic ability reigns supreme in competitive sports.

Therefore, Naito and Sendoh, as first-year players, were able to stand in a relatively high position in the rankings.

After taking his position, Kogure began to carefully assess the situation of his main rivals.

Just like last year, it's still Akita Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, and Osaka Prefecture.

As for the other teams, he saw them as no different from good-for-nothings.

Like Guan, he had also read the Spring and Autumn Annals!
Kogure first looked at the Akita team, and when he saw that Matsumoto Minoru had not left the school, he couldn't help but shake his head.

It's clear that Minoru Matsumoto still seems to have some lingering interest in Sannoh Industries.

"I wonder if Coach Taoka will succeed?"

Kogure couldn't help but think to himself that he hoped Ryonan would succeed.

If Minoru Matsumoto joins Ryonan, Ryonan might actually have a chance to defeat Sannoh Kogyo by next year.

As they were sizing up the Akita team, Kogure and Kawada locked eyes.

Okawada subconsciously shifted his gaze; it was purely a conditioned reflex.

When he finally realized what was happening, Kawada glared fiercely at Kogure.

"East African ape-man, are you feeling like dancing again?"

Kogure looked at Okawada with great interest.

Kawada shivered violently; he was genuinely afraid of facing Kogure again.

That's nothing short of a disaster!

Every time I face off against Kogure, there is only one outcome: I get completely crushed on both offense and defense.

Kawada is a normal person and naturally doesn't want to be tortured.

Don't be fooled by his fierce appearance; he's actually a coward.

"Don't go too far! I have a temper too, I just don't want to stoop to your level! If you're looking for an opponent, our Zebei would be more than happy to oblige. He's even boasted that he wants to beat you to a pulp!"

Kawada, in the hardest tone but with the most cowardly words, betrayed Sawakita to Kogure.

"I?"

Zebei first pointed at himself in disbelief.

He was well aware of his own limitations and knew he was no match for Kogure.

"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"

After realizing what had happened, Zebei issued a triple denial.

"East African ape-man, you just wait! Damn it, I shouldn't have come to Sannoh Industrial."

Zebei muttered to himself that not only did Dahetian often bully him, but now he was openly slandering him.

At that moment, Zebei even considered leaving the school.

However, he forcefully shook off the idea as soon as it came to mind.

Unless he goes to Shohoku and starts a peak team-up, brotherhood basketball mode, going to other schools is not as good as staying in Sannoh Industrial High School.

Kogure was unaware of Sawakita's thoughts. After teasing Kawada a few times, he then looked at the other opponents.

After observing for a while, Kogure shook his head; these main competitors were still the same as before.

Soon, Kogure's gaze fell on the big screen, which was showing the group assignments for this year's Autumn National Games.

The Kanagawa team was placed in Zone A, and their first opponent was the Iwate team.

The Iwate team is a typical underdog team. In last year's Autumn National Sports Tournament, they failed to advance beyond the first round and were eliminated in the round of 32.

In Basketball Weekly's rating of the various representative teams, the Iwate team was classified as a C-level team, receiving the same rating as Shohoku in the original work.

The difference is that in the original work, Shohoku's strength is far greater than its rating, while the Iwate team is an underdog that can't turn things around.

There is a huge gap between them and the Kanagawa representative team.

This round of the competition was practically a freebie.

Here are Basketball Weekly's ratings for the other teams.

AAA: Kanagawa Representative Team

AA: Akita Team, Fukuoka Team
A+: Aichi Team, Osaka Team, Tokyo Team
A: Shizuoka team, Kyoto team...

Compared to last year, the Kanagawa representative team has improved its rating, surpassing Akita and Fukuoka to become the only AAA-rated team.

Basketball Weekly also commented on the Kanagawa team: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Kanagawa team will win the championship in Akita Prefecture.

This shows just how highly Basketball Weekly regards the Kanagawa National Team.

This has made the Kanagawa team a strong favorite to win the championship!

Beep~
With a long whistle resounding throughout the venue, the Autumn National Sports Rally officially began.

As is customary, the chairman of the organizing committee took the stage to speak.

The process was the same as last year, and even the speech was the same as before, without any innovation, so I won't go into details here.

As it approached nine o'clock, the Autumn National Sports Rally officially ended.

Soon, the 32 teams began heading to the competition venue to prepare for the first round of matches.

Kanagawa and Iwate prefectures remained unchanged because their matches were held at the Tokyo Dome.

This is the lineup of a championship team!

After the rally ended, many spectators remained in their seats, not wanting to miss the game.

However, the vast majority of those who remained in the audience were from Akita, and naturally held a clear prejudice against the Kanagawa team.

This kind of regional competitive spirit is not uncommon in sports events, especially in large-scale national events like this.

As the Kanagawa team stepped onto the field, the atmosphere in the entire stadium instantly became subtle.

A loud chorus of boos erupted from the audience, the boos coming in waves.

They were all supporters of the Akita team, and their actions demonstrated their dissatisfaction and hostility towards the Kanagawa team.

The Kanagawa team players tried to remain calm and came onto the field with expressionless faces.

Nevertheless, the audience's reaction still brought them additional psychological burden.

Competing in this environment severely tests the players' mental fortitude. Unfortunately, most of the players on the Kanagawa representative team had experience in national-level tournaments, and the rest were also known for their strong mental fortitude, so the competition wasn't significantly affected.

"Let the storm come harder!"

Mitsui even imitated Kogure by placing his right hand near his ear as if listening.

Shh~shh~
Mitsui's provocation only intensified the boos from the audience.

Mitsui was not surprised but delighted, his lips curling into a wide grin as he mimicked the crooked-mouthed dragon king.

For some reason, Kogure felt an urge to tear Mitsui's crooked mouth apart.

Before the match began, Aida Yayoi, accompanied by her assistant Nakamura, approached Kogure to conduct their routine pre-match interview.

Aida Yayoi turned on the recording equipment, smiled, and asked Kogure, "Kogure, do you have time for an interview?"

"can!"

Kogure naturally wouldn't refuse, because of Aida Yayoi, "Basketball Weekly" had become his mouthpiece.

Furthermore, he was well aware of how important it was to control the media!
This can be seen from gOat.

Normally, as a non-sole core player who won four championships with Rangers, it would be difficult for GOAT to enter the top ten of all time. But he not only did, he even called himself GOAT and compared himself to Jordan.

However, the public has discerning eyes, and with diddy exerting influence behind the scenes, goat eventually became gOat!

His influence did indeed grow stronger, but he also became a clown.

To put it simply, he is unworthy of his position!

In competitive sports, strength is paramount, and gOat simply cannot produce convincing results.

"Kogure, before the match begins, I'd like to know the Kanagawa team's goals?"

Kogure answered without hesitation: "Our goal is naturally to retain our title as champions of the Autumn National Sports Tournament!"

Kogure's answer was exactly what Aida Yayoi expected; she knew that Kogure's words were not unfounded.

The Kanagawa team is incredibly strong; they've been undergoing intensive training for the past month.

At the same time, with the Kanagawa team's impressive roster, they could form two All-Star teams.

Even five water dispenser operators have a chance to win the championship.

This is what makes the Kanagawa team so strong!

"Then I wish you all the best in your second consecutive championship!"

"Thank you!"

Kogure smiled and expressed his gratitude.

After the interview, Aida Yayoi did not disturb her further and left with her assistant Nakamura.

Soon, the game officially started.

Kanagawa Representative Team
Center: Takenori Akagi

Ohmae: Tetsuya Naito

Komae: Hisashi Mitsui
Shooting Guard: Kiminobu Kogure

Point Guard: Kenji Fujima

Despite the weak opponents, the coaching team decided to use the matches as practice to further improve their teamwork.

Therefore, the Kanagawa team fielded its starting lineup.

The difference is that Kogure and Mitsui switched places.

Although the Iwate National Team is weak, it doesn't mean they don't have good players.

Because the ace of the Iwate team is shooting guard - Junichiro Kojima!
Based on pre-match information, Junichiro Kojima is known for his sharp offense and has won the MVP award in the Iwate Regional Tournament for two consecutive years.

Compared to his offense, Junichiro Kojima's defense was undoubtedly much weaker.

On the defensive end, his physical strength mainly consists of standing still with his hands on his hips, and sometimes he even has to pretend to be defensive when the defender is not in front of him.

What are you trying to protect against? Air!
In addition, he is extremely keen on fast breaks and defensive rebounds, and only plays simple open shots.

Therefore, even when he loses the game, his stats are still impressive.

Just like he said after the game: The team lost, but I didn't. Check my stats if you don't believe me!
Looking at Junichiro Kojima, Kogure couldn't help but think of gOat.

The two not only have similar styles, but also look somewhat alike.

Indeed, Junichiro Kojima has obvious black ancestry, which can be seen from his dark skin.

Upon discovering that he was facing off against Kogure, Junichiro Kojima was not surprised but rather delighted, seeing this as his opportunity.

He knew he was going to lose this match, but if his stats weren't much worse than Kogure's, it would be a very respectable thing.

Then, Junichiro Kojima revealed a warlike look in his eyes.

beep~
The referee tossed the basketball high into the air, and Akagi easily overpowered Iwasaka's center to win the jump ball.

Fujima quickly advanced with the ball and then passed it to Kogure, who was positioned in a low position.

Mitsui and the others dispersed, giving Kogure ample space for one-on-one combat.

bang~
Kogure activated his back-to-the-basket style, easily knocking Junichiro Kojima back, then turned and broke through, heading straight for the basket.

The Iwate power forward had to provide help defense, and Kogure didn't hold onto the ball; instead, he casually tossed it toward the basket.

Bang~
Naito's alley-oop was a brutal two-handed dunk.

Offense and defense reversed!

Soon, the Iwate point guard passed the ball to Junichiro Kojima.

Facing Kogure's defense, Junichiro Kojima dribbled the ball and changed direction to break through.

He was fast, but Kogure was even faster.

At the same time, Kogure also took the initiative to fight back.

Junichiro Kojima swayed violently and almost lost his grip on the basketball.

slap~
Kogure naturally didn't let this opportunity pass and easily made the steal.

Fast break!

The next moment, the Kanagawa team launched a fast-paced attack.

Kogure was far ahead of the pack, and despite Kojima's best efforts, he couldn't catch up.

His off-ball movement speed was comparable to Kogure's ball-handling speed.

In the blink of an eye, Kogure dribbled into the paint and finished with a tomahawk dunk.

The game on the field continues, but the subsequent matches are like a microcosm of these two rounds.

Under the strong defense of the Kanagawa team, the Iwate team, including Junichiro Kojima, was unable to score for a long time.

Furthermore, they were unable to stop the Kanagawa team from scoring, making the situation one-sided.

It's clear that this is destined to be a one-sided match.

The gap between the two teams was like a chasm, making them truly feel despair.

The worst off was Junichiro Kojima. Ten minutes passed, and not only did his five key data points show no improvement, but he also made a series of mistakes.

By the end of the first half, the Kanagawa team had built a lead of nearly 50 points.

In the second half, Coach Taoka made a bold move and fielded a reserve lineup.

Even the reserve lineup is still an all-star lineup, consisting of Uozumi, Hanagata, Kishimoto, Minami, and Sendoh.

This substitute lineup is entirely composed of Ryonan and Shoyo, similar to the Ryonan-Shoyo joint team from the storyline.

In the second half, the gap between the two sides continued to widen rapidly.

At that moment, the players of the Iwate team felt a deep sense of despair.

They were still powerless against the opponent's reserve lineup.

When the game ended, the Kanagawa team won by a huge margin of 81 points.

(End of this chapter)