Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 312 Intentional or Accidental?

"Captain, I'm counting on you from now on!"

Before leaving the field, Naito gave a solemn response.

As for what he was asking for, only he and Kogure knew.

The fewer people who know about this, the better; otherwise, if it gets out, both of them will be suspended.

After Naito left the field, Coach Taoka substituted him with Hanagata.

Among the four great centers in Kanagawa, Hanagata's physical strength is arguably the worst. He is not only inferior to the thick and hard Akagi and Uozumi, but also to Takasago Kazuma.

Kazuma Takasago was, after all, the player personally selected by Takehiko Inoue as the second-ranked in terms of muscle strength.

Although the flower-shaped shape is relatively weak in physical confrontations, if placed in the power forward position, it has certain advantages compared to the ordinary power forward.

In addition, the flower shape has advantages that are difficult for ordinary inside players to match.

First, flexibility!
Second, the feel!

In the physical tests, Hanagata's speed and explosiveness are between those of a power forward and a small forward, and he has agility comparable to a guard.

As for his shooting touch, it goes without saying that among the interior players in Slam Dunk, his shooting touch is definitely one of the best.

After Hanagata entered the game, the Kanagawa team became a combined team of Shohoku and Shoyo.

On the Akita bench, Coach Domoto looked at the referee with suspicion.

He hadn't expected the referee's decision to be so biased towards the Akita team.

As for why the referee did that, he didn't know; the only thing he was certain of was that it had nothing to do with him.

In short, he did not bribe the referee, nor would he stoop to doing so.

He believes that referees should stay away from personal relationships and make the game more pure, especially since this is non-professional college basketball.

However, as a beneficiary of the existing system, he cannot publicly express his opposition.

Not far away, several leaders of the National Organizing Committee were sitting on the dais, preparing for the upcoming awards ceremony and closing ceremony.

"Despicable, filthy, and obscene!"

As Naito was substituted off the field, the chairman of the Kanagawa organizing committee expressed strong dissatisfaction in his words.

He is not only the chairman of Kanagawa Prefecture, but also a strong contender for the vice chairmanship nationwide.

If Kanagawa wins the Autumn National Sports Tournament, it will be a significant asset for his promotion.

"Who are you scolding?"

The chairman of the Akita organizing committee nearby showed signs of stress.

He is also a strong contender for the position of Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Simply put, this is a classic power struggle!

The chairman of the Kanagawa organizing committee had a sharp gaze and a serious tone that left no room for argument: "You know what you're doing, you've lost all sense of shame!"

"you……"

The chairman of the Akita organizing committee was about to retort when the chairman of the national organizing committee raised his hand to stop him.

He could only shut up in frustration, not daring to disobey his superior's orders.

However, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth slightly upward, revealing a smug and self-satisfied expression.

Unbeknownst to him, his superiors looked at him with eyes full of disappointment.

After Hanagata entered the game, Kanagawa launched another attack.

Soon, Fujima passed the ball to Kogure.

"Everyone, start running!"

At Kogure's signal, his teammates began to run quickly, hoping to shake off the opponent's marking.

Zebei immediately went to meet him, and Kogure leaned against him, quietly waiting for the right moment.

Suddenly, Mitsui gained a significant advantage by half a body length thanks to Akagi's screen.

Unexpectedly, Kogure did not pass the ball.

Because the timing wasn't good!

Suddenly, Hanagata managed to break free from Ito.

Compared to Ito, Hanagata is faster and more flexible.

"It's now!"

Kogure seized the opportunity and, using his waist strength, delivered a powerful looping pass.

In an instant, a high-speed spinning basketball flew out, like a cannonball, hurtling towards the flower shape.

Unfortunately, the referee happened to be in the passing lane.

At this moment, the referee was intently observing the game.

By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.

Then, the accident happened!

bang~
In an instant, the basketball slammed hard into the referee's ugly face.

The impact was so powerful that the referee jerked his head back and almost lost control of his feet.

"Wow!"

The referee clutched his face in pain and let out a piercing scream.

The scream shattered the noise in the stadium, and the audience fell silent instantly.

The players stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the referee.

Kogure looked panicked and stood there, unsure of what to do.

Tick-tick~tick-tick~
Drops of blood trickled from between the referee's fingers and dripped onto the floor.

Beep~
At this moment, the first assistant referee immediately blew his whistle, forcibly suspending the game.

The second assistant referee immediately signaled to the medical personnel on the sidelines to prepare for emergency treatment of the referee.

A basketball game is usually officiated by three referees: the head referee and two assistant referees.

After initial treatment by medical personnel, although there was still obvious redness and swelling on her cheeks, the gushing nosebleed was finally stopped.

The referee seemed to remember his 'duty' and chose to play despite his minor injury.

That's some serious professionalism!

The referee immediately wanted to call a technical foul on Kogure and send him off the court.

However, the second assistant referee forcibly stopped him.

The second assistant referee focuses on observing whether a player's actions constitute a foul and records the team's score.

He saw it clearly; Kogure hadn't looked at the referee at all, it was just an accident!
In this situation, the referee was left speechless and unable to express his grievances.

He waved his hand, signaling for the game to continue.

"Pity!"

Kogure shook his head, seemingly regretting something.

After a brief interruption, the competition resumed its tense and exciting pace.

Soon, Kogure received the basketball again.

This time, he did not proceed with the plan.

Don't ask why. The answer is that doing it that way is too deliberate, and you have to wait a while before doing it.

Zebei went up to meet him again, his defensive positioning and awareness were at a top level.

Kogure calmly dribbled the basketball, his eyes fixed on Sawakita's every move, searching for an opportunity to break through.

The next moment, Kogure changed direction in front of him.

Sawakita's attention seemed to be drawn to Kogure's feint, and his center of gravity shifted.

Taking advantage of this brief opening, Kogure made a quick cross step and instantly broke through.

Immediately, Zebei turned and chased after Kogure, ready to block the shot at any moment.

Kogure's ears twitched slightly as he heard Sawakita's footsteps.

Just before entering the paint, Kogure made a sudden stop and then bent his knees to shoot.

Kogure's sudden stop seemed abrupt, but Sawakita managed to halt himself and immediately jumped. Only when he jumped did he realize something was wrong: Kogure hadn't jumped at all, but instead started moving again.

Under these circumstances, Kawada had no choice but to bite the bullet and meet the challenge head-on.

Before Kawada could get close, he jumped up first, leaned his body slightly back, and flicked his wrist.

shuh~
The basketball traced a beautiful arc and landed perfectly in the basket.

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, applauding Kogure's brilliant performance.

Zebei stood there, a look of regret in his eyes.

"Ze Bei, keep an eye on your people. I don't want to clean up your mess!"

Hearing Kawada's self-righteous voice, Sawakita dared not speak out, pretending to ignore it, and rushed towards the front of the field.

In fact, Kawada is the number one high school student in the nation in Slam Dunk.

Because Sawakita can't beat Kawada, not in a physical sense!

Soon, the competition reached its climax.

Both teams' players were giving their all, vying for every possession of the ball.

The atmosphere in the stadium reached a fever pitch, with shouts and applause rising and falling.

Throughout this process, the referee continued to interfere in the game, and his rulings were clearly biased towards the Akita team.

With the referee's intervention, the game became a 6-on-5 situation.

Fortunately, the two assistant referees didn't cause any trouble, otherwise it would have been 8 against 5.

Even so, the Akita team gained the upper hand, not only extending their lead to double digits but also heading towards 20 points.

If this continues, the situation will be extremely unfavorable for the Kanagawa team.

This has also caused extreme dissatisfaction among supporters in Kanagawa.

Their emotions gradually escalated, and boos of discontent began to echo throughout the stadium, expressing their dissatisfaction and protest.

As time went on, the boos grew louder and louder, almost drowning out all other sounds from the field.

They used this method to support their team, hoping that the referee would make fairer decisions in the upcoming matches.

The referees were indeed affected, which reduced controversial calls to some extent.

Even so, Kogure would not let him off easily, after all, there is no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days!

However, Kogure failed to get a suitable opportunity before the end of the first half.

During halftime, Kogure peeled a Brazilian banana to replenish his energy and fluids.

In the first half, even though he toned it down a lot, he still committed two fouls.

Even so, he was the player with the fewest fouls among the starting players.

In the first half, the Akita team had already taken a total of 27 free throws.

In contrast, the Kanagawa team only had 5 appearances.

With an extra player on the court, the Akita team won by a full 18 points in the first half against Kanagawa.

During halftime, Coach Taoka, holding his tactical board, looked around at the players with a serious expression.

The next moment, Coach Taoka took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and then pointed out the problems the team had encountered in the first half.

Next, he began to devise the team's strategy for the second half, such as avoiding the referee's line of sight and reducing the possibility of fouls.

While explaining, he also encouraged the players, hoping they would unite, adjust their mindset, and not be affected by unfair rulings.

"In the second half, let's work together and fight for victory!"

Inspired by Coach Taoka, the fighting spirit was rekindled in the eyes of the Kanagawa players.

Coach Taoka watched this scene with satisfaction, but his eyes still couldn't hide his deep worry.

Like Coach Hetaoka, Coach Kazumi Kawasaki was also filled with anxiety.

Coach Anzai, on the other hand, remained calm and was clearly unaffected.

Coach Anzai gazed at Kogure, his eyes filled with trust.

The second half began shortly afterward.

During the jump ball, Akagi and Kawada both dribbled the basketball.

Under the pressure of the two players, the basketball flew directly to the side.

Just as Matsumoto Minoru was about to receive the basketball, Kogure suddenly rushed out from the side and snatched it first.

Kogure grabbed the basketball, quickly bent down, and charged towards the frontcourt like an arrow.

Without hesitation, Zebei pressed forward, doing everything in his power to stop Kogure's attack.

At the same time, Minoru Matsumoto rushed up from the other side, his eyes fixed on the basketball, ready to steal it at any moment.

Despite being surrounded by the two men, Kogure remained calm.

In this situation, passing the ball becomes the best option.

Kogure quickly assessed the situation on the field and forcefully passed the ball out.

The basketball flew towards Mitsui like a precision-guided missile.

At the top of the arc, beyond the three-point line, Mitsui calmly caught the basketball passed to him by Kogure.

The next moment, Mitsui leaped into the air, his body stretching out dramatically.

At the critical moment, Fukatsu rushed over just in time.

Mitsui was affected by Fukatsu's interference.

bang~
Finally, the basketball hit the edge of the rim with a crisp sound.

In an instant, Akagi, Kawada, and others rushed towards the basket.

However, the rebounding basketball just flew over them and landed on the edge of the paint.

At that moment, players from both teams rushed toward the basketball.

From a positioning standpoint, Zebei's position is clearly the best.

Zebei stretched out his hands, ready to catch the basketball.

Suddenly, Kogure appeared in front of him and blocked him from behind.

On the other side, Minoru Matsumoto rushed up, trying to grab the rebound.

The two jumped up at the same time, and Kogure grabbed the rebound first thanks to his superior jumping ability.

Taking advantage of Kogure's unsteady footing, Sawakita stealthily approached him, ready to steal the ball.

Seemingly to avoid being snatched by Sawakita, Kogure immediately raised his elbows and swung them wildly from side to side as the basketball fell to the ground.

Zebei was startled and awkwardly dodged to the side.

bang~
Suddenly, a dull sound rang out, with the faint sound of bones breaking.

Kogure felt as if his right elbow had hit something. He turned his head and saw the referee lying on the ground in pain.

In that instant, Kogure feigned surprise, squatted down, and asked with feigned concern, "Sir, are you alright?"

The referee curled up on the ground, writhing in agony, a posture that reminded Kogure of Yamcha.

Kogure had just elbowed him hard in the left chest, and he felt his ribs break.

Unfortunately, he wasn't Jordan, who could maintain his composure even after Artest broke his ribs.

"Do I look like I'm okay? You bastard, did you do it on purpose or was it an accident?"

The referee glared fiercely at Kogure; the swordsman's eyes couldn't hide his true feelings.

If looks could kill, Kogure would have died countless times already.

"Sir, this was just an accident. I didn't know you were behind me."

Kogure wore an innocent expression, as if it really was just an accident.

In truth, only he himself knows that he is not innocent at all.

Just now, while fighting for the rebound, Kogure caught a glimpse of the referee out of the corner of his eye.

So he slightly changed his position and, taking advantage of the rebounding opportunity, seriously injured the referee.

(End of this chapter)