Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 335 A Dream Start!

Under Sawakita's desperate gaze, Uozumi swung his hand and delivered a volleyball spike.

The basketball flew over Sawakita's head and headed towards the frontcourt.

Zebei: I just want to show off once, why is it so hard!
At that moment, Zebei felt like he had been tricked.

At the same time, two figures rushed toward the basketball.

They are Minoru Matsumoto and Fukatsu, who are also the players closest to basketball.

Neither of them would give way, and they both rushed toward the basketball at top speed.

The audience held their breath, watching the scene with bated breath.

Minoru Matsumoto had a bit more explosiveness and touched the basketball first.

Without hesitation, he tapped the basketball with his fingertip, changing its trajectory.

In an instant, Minoru Matsumoto caught up with the basketball and quickly rushed towards the basket.

Fukatsu immediately gave chase and engaged in a fierce confrontation with Matsumoto Minoru.

Despite Fukatsu's tough defense, Matsumoto Minoru did not back down.

Minoru Matsumoto's performance was equally impressive, and he was not significantly affected.

Under Fukatsu's tight defense, Matsumoto Minoru first made a sudden stop, then started again, trying to shake off Fukatsu's defense.

Unfortunately, they were too familiar with each other.

Fukatsu was not completely fooled and remained close by.

Minoru Matsumoto quickly adjusted his footwork and leaped up the moment he approached the basket.

Fukatsu also jumped up, raising his hands high in an attempt to interfere.

Minoru Matsumoto had to perform a difficult layup, and after avoiding Fukatsu, his right hand twitched slightly.

The basketball traced an arc through the air, piercing the rim with a crisp sound.

Hua Hua Hua~
As Matsumoto Minoru successfully made this difficult layup, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the stadium.

"This is a headache!"

Fukatsu shook his head, helpless.

Even with the tightest defense, it's difficult to stop such incredible shots.

However, Fukatsu was not affected.

Offense and defense reversed!

As soon as Zebei crossed the halfway line, Ikegami immediately clung to him.

"This guy is really troublesome!"

Zebei was very uncomfortable being pestered by Ikegami, because Ikegami would occasionally fight back against him.

After the national tournament, Zebei further strengthened his competitive abilities.

However, compared to Ikegami, who is hailed as having the greatest muscle strength, he is still somewhat inferior.

This also caused Zebei to expend more physical energy.

"Should I keep throwing? Don't worry, that was an accident. No one will help me this time!"

In order to entice Sawakita, Ikegami continued to gently persuade him.

To be honest, Zebei was actually a little tempted, but he still asked again to confirm, "Really?"

“Realer than real gold!”

Seeing that Zebei had taken the bait, Ikegami immediately patted his chest and tried his best to show a sincere look in his eyes.

So, Zebei went to the same spot again and reached out for the ball.

This time, Fukatsu couldn't help but hesitate.

Because of Zebei, Sannoh Industrial has fallen behind.

If Sawakita hadn't scored that shot, Sannoh Kogyo's morale would definitely have been negatively affected.

Trusting Sawakita, Fukatsu still passed the ball to him.

The moment Sawakita received the ball, Ikegami immediately rushed over, adopting a strategy of defending against the shot but not the drive.

Sawakita was feeling uncomfortable being squeezed by Ikegami. Just as he was about to lose his footing, Matsumoto Minoru rushed up from the side and reached out to try and steal the ball.

Sawakita reacted quickly, successfully avoiding Matsumoto Minoru's steal by dribbling behind his back.

slap~
Suddenly, Zebei's hand went empty as someone had stolen the ball from him.

It turns out that Matsumoto Minoru's main purpose was to attract Sawakita's attention, but his real killer move was Sendoh, who had sneaked up on him.

"Defense!"

Before Ryonan could launch a quick attack, Sannoh Industrial quickly retreated to defend under Fukatsu's orders.

Seeing that there was no chance for a quick attack, Sendoh teased Sawakita, saying, "Kitazawa, I didn't expect you to be so stupid, falling into the same trap three times in a row!"

"You bastard, you fisherman, you'd better go home and fish!"

Returning empty-handed once again filled Zebei with resentment.

However, compared to Sendoh, he resented Ikegami more.

"You wicked fellow with thick eyebrows and big eyes, if I ever trust you again, I'll wash my hair upside down!"

Zebei was furious and immediately turned around to defend.

Don't ask whether you're washing the big head or the small head.

Sendoh quickly advanced with the ball, and in less than five seconds, all the Ryonan players were back in position.

Without the slightest hesitation, Sendoh quickly passed the ball to Matsumoto Minoru.

To avoid being face-shot again, Ichinokura Satoshi immediately pressed closer.

However, Minoru Matsumoto used his skillful ball control and precise grasp of rhythm to complete the breakthrough.

Before Kawada could provide any assistance, Matsumoto Minoru suddenly stopped and quickly adjusted his rhythm.

Pull-up jump shot!

The basketball traced a beautiful arc in the air and pierced the net with perfect accuracy.

The net then emitted a crisp sound, like a gentle whisper of the wind.

Beep~
It was only then that Coach Domoto called a timeout. In the stands, Kogure couldn't help but shake his head: "The timeout was a step too late. If it were Coach Anzai, he probably would have called a timeout much earlier."

Coach Domoto's advantage lies in his youth; he possesses the energy and passion unique to young coaches.

However, his coaching experience was ultimately limited.

He seemed somewhat overwhelmed when dealing with complex match situations and players' psychological issues.

In contrast, Coach Anzai's insight into the game and his accurate grasp of the players' psychology enable him to make the right decisions at crucial moments.

This is also the main reason why Shohoku was still able to come back from a 24-point lead during the storyline.

Ultimately, the fault lies not with the players, but with the coach!

Coach Domoto must take the blame!

On the Sannoh bench, Coach Domoto slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over each Sannoh player.

"Sawakita!" Coach Domoto's voice carried an undeniable sternness.

"Ryonan is clearly targeting you. Stop worrying about personal gains and losses! Basketball is ultimately a team sport. What we need more is teamwork, not individual heroism."

"I understand, Coach!"

Despite his resentment, Zebei still lowered his proud head.

He wanted to successfully show off, but he wanted to win even more.

Coach Domoto paused slightly before continuing, "Your skills are undeniable, but without teamwork, you won't go far. Remember, each of us is an indispensable part of this team."

Coach Domoto hopes that Sawakita can learn from his mistakes and combine his personal talents with the team's.

Zebei nodded silently, seemingly understanding something, yet also seemingly understanding nothing at all.

Seeing Sawakita's reaction, Coach Domoto felt like he was talking to a brick wall.

He subconsciously glanced at Sendoh across from him and had to admit that Sendoh appeared more mature than Sawakita.

Although Sendoh's strength is not as good as Sawakita's, his contribution to the team may be even greater than Sawakita's.

Before the timeout ended, Coach Domoto made a substitution, replacing Satoshi Ichinokura with Satoshi Matsushita.

In the time just now, Ichinokura Satoshi performed very poorly, and could even be described as utterly useless.

Satoshi Ichinokura sat dejectedly on the bench, beginning to question his life.

Because his five key statistics haven't even broken zero yet.

"Sawakita, Matsumoto is in your hands now. I have faith in your abilities and I'm sure you can limit his performance!"

Before going on stage, Coach Domoto solemnly instructed Sawakita.

Minoru Matsumoto is the core of Ryonan's offense. If Matsumoto is completely silenced, it will pose a great threat to Ryonan.

"Coach, watch my performance in a bit."

Zebei patted his chest forcefully, his expression full of confidence.

Matsumoto Minoru is a defeated opponent and not worth worrying about.

During this period, Sawakita, apart from Kogure, saw everyone else as a nobody!

After the timeout, both sides returned to the field.

To Sawakita's utter surprise, Matsumoto Minoru wasn't even there.

He was substituted off the field, and Matsumoto Minoru was replaced by a tall, thin, and handsome young man—Jin Soichiro!
This was naturally Coach Taoka's plan. In order to reduce the burden on Minoru Tsukamoto, he chose to let Jin take on the scoring responsibility.

After serving, Fukatsu began to organize an attack.

Seeing that Sawakita hadn't asked for the ball yet, Ikegami couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to keep shooting?"

Zebei rolled his eyes but remained silent.

He feared falling into the trap on the pond again.

Soon, Fukatsu passed the ball to Kawata, who was one body length ahead.

Uozumi gave chase with all his might, but it was too late.

Kawata quickly broke through Ryonan's defense, and after approaching the basket, he leaped high into the air, stretching his body out in mid-air.

He gripped the basketball tightly with both hands, then slammed it towards the rim, executing a spectacular dunk by the East African ape.

Bang~
With a loud bang, Kawada hung on the rim, his body swaying slightly in the air. The sound of the basketball hitting the rim echoed throughout the stadium, a truly awe-inspiring moment.

Kawada gripped the rim tightly with both hands, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he were enjoying the feeling of dunking.

"Well done, Kawada!"

After Kawada landed on the ground, the Sannoh players rushed forward to cheer for his outstanding performance.

Kawada's dunk quickly restored the morale of Sannoh Industrial, which had been somewhat sluggish.

When it was Ryonan's turn to attack, Ryonan launched a rapid offensive at Sendoh's signal.

Sannoh Industries had to speed up their defensive retreat, which also caused them to expend more energy.

During this attack, A-Shen started moving around with Ze-Bei.

At that moment, Zebei's heart sank, but he had no choice but to chase after him with a bitter face.

Because he knew very well how accurate Ah Shen's three-point shot was!
Compared to the national competition, A Shen's positioning ability has improved, but due to his physical limitations, he has never been able to shake off Ze Bei.

In the storyline, A-Shen was completely shut down by Sakuragi, failing to score a single point; all his skills were rendered useless by Sakuragi's defense.

Of course, this is also related to Ah Shen's lack of one-on-one offensive ability.

One thing is certain: Ah Shen is most afraid of encountering players with explosive physical abilities.

Without a doubt, Sawakita is such a player, possessing defense far exceeding that of high school players.

On the other hand, Matsushita Satoshi made a mistake.

During a counter-run, Ikegami successfully shook off Matsushita Satoshi, gaining a two-body-length lead.

Sendoh feinted and then passed the ball smoothly to Ikegami, who appeared in the right corner.

Beyond the three-point line, Ikegami swiftly and easily sank a three-pointer.

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

Ryonan has a dream start, temporarily taking the lead over Sannoh Industrial.

(End of this chapter)