Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 322 A World Where One Person Is Wounded!
On the field, Maki stood still, watching Uozumi being helped off the field in pain by his teammates, his heart filled with guilt and self-blame.

It's inevitable to feel guilty the first time, but you'll naturally get used to it after a while.

You're right, gOat!

Amu felt like a jinx. Since joining Hainan High School, Hainan High School's 14-year reign as the top school in Kanagawa Prefecture had been ended.

In the past two years, Hainan High School has not even made it into the national competition.

He began to doubt himself, wondering if he was really suited to be the team leader.

As the team's ace, Amu carries the trust of the coach and the expectations of his teammates, and the pressure on his shoulders is getting heavier and heavier.

In his pursuit of victory and a spot in the Winter Tournament, Maki accidentally tripped over Uozumi.

Coach Taoka frowned on the Ryonan bench.

With Uozumi leaving the court, Ryonan's situation became extremely dire.

For Ryonan, Uozumi was even more important than Sendoh and Matsumoto Minoru.

Because Ryonan's inside game mainly relies on Uozumi, unlike Shohoku in the storyline years which had Sakuragi to help out.

This is disastrous for Ryonan; for details, please refer to the storyline after the battle of Hailing Zhanyu.

If Uozumi hadn't been knocked out of the game, Ryonan would have had a better chance of winning.

"The only hope now is to change tactics!"

Coach Taoka looked towards the bench, and under the eager gazes of the players, his eyes finally fell on Ajin.

"Ah Shen, you're replacing Uozumi!"

"Ah I?"

Ah Shen pointed to himself, looking bewildered.

What makes him worthy of replacing Uozumi on the field?
That's right, he did play center in junior high school, but his performance was terrible.

"From now on, I want you to completely abandon your positional awareness and focus on run-and-gun tactics!"

Coach Taoka scanned each player and began to arrange the lineup, his voice filled with unwavering determination.

Whether it's Sendoh, Matsumoto Minoru, Ikegami, Fukuda, or Ajin, they all have one thing in common: their height is between 185 and 190 centimeters.

After a pause, Coach Taoka continued, "We need to use speed to break through the opponent's defense. I hope that you can create open scoring opportunities by quickly moving the ball and getting into position before the opponent has time to set up their defense."

Coach Taoka continued to explain his tactical philosophy: "Each of you is both the initiator of the attack and the key to the defense. We want to keep them constantly on the move and unable to keep up with our pace."

Remember, we're not playing traditional basketball; we're creating a new way of playing. I think Sendoh, Matsumoto, and Ikegami should be quite familiar with this.

That's right, this is Kanagawa's 'small five lineup' for the Autumn National Sports Games!

While the Ryonan players were nervous, they all appeared unusually excited.

This is a completely new challenge, but also an excellent opportunity to showcase one's abilities.

After the match resumed, Ryonan immediately launched a swift offensive.

They had no concept of position and quickly started running around the field.

At the same time, each of them possesses solid passing ability, easily creating scoring opportunities through rapid ball movement.

The Hainan players were having a real headache, with Kazuhiro Ikeda and Kazuma Takasago constantly running around trying to catch up with their defensive targets.

Although they all possess excellent athleticism, their large physiques limit their agility, a significant disadvantage compared to the Ryonan players.

Soon, an empty seat appeared for Ah Shen.

Sendoh passed the ball at the right moment, and Ajin raised his hand to shoot.

His release point is very high, and his release speed is faster than ever before.

Before Ikeda and Hiroshi could pounce, he threw the basketball in his hand first.

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

"yeah!"

Ah Shen waved his arm vigorously, expressing his excitement.

This shot was undoubtedly very important for Ryonan, as it not only extended their lead but also stopped the decline in morale.

In the audience, Fujima, Mitsui, and others watched this scene in astonishment.

They were very familiar with Ryonan's lineup and tactics.

Kanagawa Prefecture fielded the "Death Five" at the Autumn National Sports Tournament, and they were among the participants.

Of course, Coach Taoka is one of them, which is why he is familiar with this style of play.

"I never expected Ryonan to choose this kind of strategy, it's truly astonishing!"

Mitsui couldn't help but sigh.

Kogure spoke up at the right moment: "This is more like a combination of run-and-gun offense and the Princeton offense."

There's one thing he didn't say: the philosophy of modern basketball, represented by the future Warriors.

In reality, Ryonan's "Death Five" lineup is by no means small.

While the group was discussing, Hainan High School launched its offensive.

Normally, Hainan High School should seize this opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack and turn the tide.

Unfortunately, someone dropped the ball.

To everyone's surprise, it was none other than Amu who messed up.

slap~
He seemed to feel guilty and couldn't concentrate, and Ikegami saw the opportunity and quickly made a steal.

The moment the ball was stolen, the Ryonan team immediately switched from defense to offense and rushed towards the frontcourt.

"not good!"

Hainan High School tried to get back on defense, but their two big men were a step too slow, resulting in a local five-on-three situation.

Ryonan seized the opportunity and quickly passed the ball to Matsumoto Minoru, who was in an open position.

shuh~
Minoru Matsumoto pulled up for a jump shot and easily scored two points.

Hua Hua Hua~
Inside the stadium, cheers and applause from the audience rose like a tidal wave.

Compared to slow-paced, high-scoring battles, audiences prefer fast-paced, run-and-gun style of play, just like the future Phoenix Suns, which are very popular with viewers.

Ryonan Locker Room!
Yu Zhu sat on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

After taking off his basketball shoes, you could see that his right foot was visibly swollen.

Looking at his right foot, Uozumi was filled with resentment, and then made up his mind.

"In spring, wrap my feet in bandages until I can't feel them anymore!"

Uozumi's voice was full of determination; he was unwilling to give up the game.

"Uozumi, you're being too reckless!"

Harukami Rei-Ting, the basketball manager of Ryonan High School, refused Uozumi's request. She was in the same grade as Uozumi.

She knew very well that doing so could worsen Uozumi's injury and even affect his basketball career.

However, Uozumi still insisted on returning to the field.

"Whether it's a broken bone or not being able to walk, this qualifier is our best chance to win the championship. I don't want to let down my teammates' hard work and the coach's trust!"

Uozumi stared at Haruka Rei-ting, his eyes filled with determination and resolve.

If he can no longer play basketball, he will go home and inherit the family business, becoming a chef.

His culinary skills may not be the best in the future, but they will definitely be the best!

Hmm, altitude!

Haruka Rite looked at Uozumi with concern, feeling both moved and admiring, but still filled with hesitation.

It was at this moment that the two faintly heard cheers from the audience. However, neither of them could make out what the audience was cheering for.

"This is bad. It seems the situation is very unfavorable for Ryonan. Haru, Ryonan needs me. Hurry up and get involved!"

Uozumi thought that Hainan High School had launched a counterattack, and his words were full of anxiety.

"Okay, I'll bandage you up, but you have to promise me that you'll get off the field immediately if you feel any discomfort."

Haruka Rie finally agreed to Uozumi's request.

"Thank you, Manager Chun Shang."

Yu Zhu nodded. He knew that Chun Shang Liting was doing it for his own good. As for whether or not it would end up in a bad way, that was up to him.

Haruhisa Rita didn't say anything, and silently began to wrap bandages around Uozumi.

Uozumi appeared expressionless, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that his hands were clenched tightly, clearly indicating that he was trying to endure the pain.

After the bandages were wrapped, Uozumi stood up from the ground.

"Let's go, let's win the game together!"

Uozumi pounded his muscular chest and walked toward the arena.

Although he felt excruciating pain with every step he took in his right foot, he persevered.

When he walked out of the locker room, his back was soaked with cold sweat.

Chun Shang Liting walked behind, watching this scene with concern.

In Uozumi's imagination, he will fight despite his injuries, leading Ryonan to turn the tide and ultimately defeat the inherently evil Hainan High School.

However, when he looked at the scoreboard, he was completely dumbfounded!
Chun Shang Liting was so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth; the gaping hole was big enough to fit a whole cucumber.

Uozumi rubbed his eyes, refusing to believe it, and looked at the electronic scoreboard again.

86:68
Lingnan comes first, Hainan comes second.

"Lingnan, Lingnan!"

At this moment, Matsumoto Minoru scored again on a fast break, extending the lead to 20 points, and the stadium was filled with cheers for Ryonan.

At that moment, Uozumi finally understood.

Lingnan High School still leads Hainan High School, but that's not the embarrassing part.

Before he was injured, Ryonan had barely built a double-digit lead.

After he was injured, Ryonan further extended their lead to 20 points.

At that moment, Uozumi felt superfluous.

A world where only one person is injured has been achieved!
Uozumi was a little discouraged and plopped down on the bench.

"Uozumi, enjoy the game!"

Coach Taoka crossed his arms, looking confident of victory.

He glanced at Uozumi, then turned his gaze back to the court.

"Uozumi, I'll take it down for you!"

Chun Shang Liting finally realized what was happening.

"Let's talk about it after the match!"

Uozumi shook his head, believing he still had a chance to play, and then turned his attention to the field.

What surprised him was not only the lineup sent by Ryonan, but also Maki's lack of composure on the court.

To everyone's surprise, Amu messed up; it was truly unexpected.

Therefore, Coach Gao had to request another timeout.

In just five minutes, he had called for a timeout three times, hoping that Amu could get back on track.

Unfortunately, the effect is not very good.

Despite his efforts to concentrate, Amu's state of mind fluctuated, and he was always subconsciously filled with regret.

The current Maki has never experienced a big stage or the baptism of a national-level competition. His mental attributes are obviously not as good as in the story. He is always worried about Uozumi's injury and is unable to concentrate on the game.

Seeing that Maki had not recovered his form, Coach Takato had no choice but to substitute him off the field.

In this way, Hainan High School seemed to be back on track, using its inside advantage to stabilize the score.

However, without Amu, they could only barely keep the score from widening further, and were unable to narrow the gap at all.

During this process, Coach Gao Tou began to lecture Amu.

It's unclear what Coach Gao Tou talked to him about, but with seven minutes left in the game, Amu finally returned to normal.

With Amu returning to the court, Hainan High School gradually gained the upper hand.

Ryonan's "Death Lineup" lineup is decent, but their interior defense is too weak, and no one can stop Ikeda and Hiro from dominating the basket.

In this situation, Ikeda Kazuhiro's offensive end can be described as having everything he wants, with a hit rate as high as 70%.

On the defensive end, in order to avoid being caught out by Ryonan's fast break, Hainan High School significantly increased their speed of returning to defense. Regardless of whether they scored or not, they would return to defense as quickly as possible.

The grueling training has given the Hainan players ample physical strength to handle such situations.

For a time, Ryonan's offensive was significantly contained.

Ryonan's players were ultimately not very familiar with the "death lineup" style of play, resulting in a persistently high turnover rate.

Therefore, Hainan High School launched a counterattack and began to quickly narrow the score gap.

If things continue like this, Hainan High School really has a chance to turn the tide.

"coach!"

On the Ryonan bench, Uozumi subconsciously looked at Coach Taoka, hoping to be put on the court.

"Uozumi, no matter what the situation, I will not send you onto the field!"

Coach Taoka was well aware of Uozumi's thoughts, but he resolutely chose to refuse.

Uozumi's presence on the field did indeed stabilize the situation, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to do so.

Even if they lose the game, he will not let the players play while injured.

This is Coach Taoka's bottom line!
"Uozumi, you have to trust your teammates."

Coach Taoka added another sentence.

Although Hainan Affiliated High School is gradually narrowing the gap, Lingnan High School still has a clear lead.

Most importantly, among the Ryonan players on the field, there is more than one player who can turn the tide with his individual ability.

Both Sendoh and Matsumoto Minoru possess the ability to end a match.

As Coach Taoka expected, Minoru Matsumoto began to explode.

Just like Rukawa Kaede in the original story, Matsumoto Minoru single-handedly led the team forward, forcefully halting Hainan High School's momentum to catch up.

After Matsumoto Minoru scored 8 consecutive points, Maki had no choice but to switch to defend Matsumoto Minoru.

While Maki's attention was focused on Matsumoto Minoru, Sendoh began to exert his power!
He first hit a three-pointer with a surprise attack, and then drove to the basket to draw a foul and complete a 2+1 play.

Minoru Matsumoto and Sendoh's outstanding performance rendered all of Hainan High School's efforts futile.

Coach Gao slumped down on the bench, scattering fragments of paper fans all over the floor.

This shows just how bad his mood was.

Soon, in this thrilling competition, Ryonan emerged victorious, winning their ticket to the Winter Tournament.

On the field, Amu glanced at Uozumi, gave a self-deprecating smile, and then walked dejectedly toward the locker room.

(End of this chapter)