Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 337 I love seeing you jump up and down in a panic, yet utterly helpless!

Thanks to Kogure's persuasion, Coach Taoka was no longer as harsh on Fukuda as he was in the original story, but instead showed more tolerance and encouragement.

Therefore, Fukuda did not attack Coach Taoka with Mantis Boxing again, and the relationship between the two not only did not break down, but they also respected each other.

Under Coach Taoka's careful guidance, Fukuda received systematic basketball training, a stark contrast to the original story where he could only learn on his own in the amateur courts and work in isolation.

Coach Taoka not only taught him basketball skills, but also how to play a role in a team, as well as how to communicate and cooperate with his teammates.

It must be said that although Fukuda is ugly, his talent is indeed outstanding.

Having spent a year on the amateur basketball court, even with a strong offense but weak defense, he was still at the level of a starting player for a strong team.

Now, under Coach Taoka's tutelage, his skills are far better than they were at the same stage, and he has made up for his poor defense.

Fukuda's progress is not only reflected in his technical skills, but also in his more mature and stable mindset.

Even in Kanagawa Prefecture, where many masters gather, Fukuda can still hold his own.

These changes are inseparable from Coach Taoka's patient guidance and Fukuda's own unremitting efforts.

Fukuda's progress has undoubtedly brought new vitality and hope to Ryonan.

Watching Fukuda enjoy the applause and cheers on the field, Coach Taoka gained a deeper understanding of him.

Fukuda seems to be a player with a big heart!

The bigger the scene, the better Fukuda's performance.

The game continues, and Fukuda's performance continues.

In the next round, Fukuda received a pass from Sendoh once again.

His eyes were sharp, fixed intently on the basket.

Matsushita Satoshi dared not relax for a moment. He quickly moved closer to Fukuda, trying to use his body to limit his performance.

However, Fukuda displayed astonishing explosive power, as if his feet were equipped with springs, launching a swift and explosive shot that bypassed Matsushita Satoshi and headed straight for the basket.

Bang~
Fukuda drove into the basket and delivered a tomahawk dunk.

Although he's ugly, his dunks are really cool.

Hua Hua Hua~
The next moment, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the stadium.

Fukuda held his head high, thoroughly enjoying the spotlight.

Time passed slowly, and Fukuda's scoring bursts made Matsushita feel desperate.

Whether it's a mid-range jump shot or a layup, Fukuda seems to handle it with ease.

It's unstoppable, absolutely unstoppable!
In just five minutes, Fukuda scored 10 points, helping Ryonan maintain their lead.

This brought the atmosphere inside the stadium to a fever pitch.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long!
Under Coach Domoto's arrangement, Sawakita and Matsushita switched positions, with Sawakita personally guarding Fukuda.

Despite being soundly defeated by Fukuda, Matsushita Tomokazu was no match for Ajin.

Ah Shen is slender and lacks explosive power. In particular, his height advantage is not obvious, because Matsushita Tomoya is also 186 cm tall.

In addition, Tomoya Matsushita is a player who excels at positioning.

In this situation, even if A-Shen tried his best, he still found it difficult to shake off Matsushita Satoshi's pursuit.

On the other hand, after discovering that his opponent had changed to Sawakita, Fukuda showed a strong desire to win.

If he defeats Zekita, he can become the second-best high school student in the country and reach the pinnacle of his life. Just thinking about it makes me a little excited.

So, Fukuda asked Sendoh for the ball.

Sendoh stared blankly at the scene, almost causing Fukatsu to steal the ball from him.

Under Fukatsu's pressure, Sendoh had no choice but to hold the ball high with both hands.

Sendoh never expected that Fukuda would be so arrogant as to challenge Sawakita.

The most qualified person to say how strong Zebei is is Sendoh.

Throughout his three years of junior high school, Sendoh never won a single match, whether it was a one-on-one duel or a competition.

Even he was no match for him, let alone Fukuda.

To avoid conflict with the extremely sensitive Fukuda, Sendoh still passed the ball over.

Fukuda catches the ball with both hands, assuming a triple threat stance.

Has anyone ever told you that you're brave?!

Sawakita smiled; apart from Kogure, he didn't believe anyone else could defeat him.

Fukuda remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Sawakita.

Suddenly, he noticed that Zebei's stance was somewhat loose, and he thought his chance had come.

Fukuda immediately took action, first making a feint with his hands in an attempt to confuse Sawakita.

Immediately afterwards, Fukuda quickly launched an attack, attempting to break through Sawakita's defense.

slap~
Just as the two passed each other, Fukuda subconsciously wanted to continue dribbling the basketball, but his hand hit the air instead.

Zebei's reaction was astonishing; he quickly made a steal and then launched a fast break without hesitation.

Fukuda followed closely, glaring at Sawakita's retreating figure with gritted teeth.

Just as Sawakita was about to charge into the basket, Fukuda finally caught up.

Fukuda's athletic ability is not as good as Sawakita's, but he is still in the top tier.

He tried to block the shot, but Zebei easily dodged it.

Zebei leaped high and ended the fast break with a graceful tomahawk dunk.

The next moment, a burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

Fukuda stood under the basket, feeling extremely frustrated.

"Kid, you're still too green!"

Zebei really liked Fukuda's current expression. He loved seeing his opponent jump up and down in frustration and helplessness, which gave him a greater sense of accomplishment.

This effectively alleviated Zebei's frustration at failing to force a fight at the beginning.

Fukuda did not reply; naturally, he would not easily admit defeat.

Soon, Sendoh dribbled the ball across half the court again.

Fukuda leaned against Sawakita and reached out for the ball again.

"This is a headache!"

This scene gave Xiandao a huge headache.

Fukuda's unconventional approach rendered the team's tactics ineffective.

After hesitating for a moment, Sendoh still passed the ball over.

Fukuda receives the ball with both hands and uses a back-to-the-basket move.

He has excellent physical strength, but Zebei's physical strength is equally impressive.

For the past two months, Zebei has been doing strength training every day to prepare for his trip to the United States.

Bang~bang~
After leaning against it twice, Fukuda realized that the cauldron was not moving, so he tried to forcefully turn around to break through.

slap~
Just as Fukuda pulled the ball back and turned, Sawakita made another steal.

This time, Ryonan made preparations in advance.

The moment Zebei made the steal, A Shen immediately rushed forward to meet him.

Just as A-Shen approached, Zebei suddenly accelerated and burst forth, like a gust of wind.

"So fast!"

Before A-Shen could react, Ze-Bei walked right past him.

Zebei grabbed the basketball and rushed towards the frontcourt.

In the blink of an eye, Sendoh returned to the basket first.

In addition, Fukuda is also desperately trying to catch up.

As Sawakita entered the three-point line, Fukuda finally caught up and actively sought physical contact.

The two men, locked in combat, rushed into the paint area.

snort~
Just as he approached the basket, Zebei jumped high into the air.

Sendoh and Fukuda leaped up simultaneously, raising their hands to block Sawakita's shooting path. However, at that moment, Sawakita executed a reverse layup, slipping the ball under Sendoh's armpit and flicking his right hand slightly, sending the basketball flying towards the basket.

shuh~
The basketball spun half a circle on the rim before slowly falling into it.

After Sawakita scored this difficult goal, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

The Sannoh fans cheered with joy. Many of them had come all the way from Akita Prefecture just to witness Sawakita's brilliance.

Of course, what they most wanted to see was a matchup between Sawakita and Kogure.

"Zebei, well done!"

"This kid should be kept in check!"

The Sannoh players quickly gathered around and gave Sawakita a high-five.

Zebei's performance not only boosted the team's morale but also put considerable pressure on the opponents.

Beep~
At this point, Ryonan requested a suspension.

Coach Taoka, his face ashen, looked at Minoru Matsumoto sitting to the side.

He originally wanted to let Matsumoto Minoru rest for a few more minutes so that he could exert his strength in the second half.

"Matsumoto, I'm counting on you from now on."

Minoru Matsumoto didn't speak, but nodded solemnly.

After being substituted by Matsumoto Minoru, Fukuda looked extremely unhappy and sat on the bench with a displeased expression.

If Shohoku is known for its problem children, then Ryonan is no exception.

Uozumi, Fukuda, and even Sendoh all fall into the category of problem children.

Unable to calm his emotions, Fukuda simply covered his head with a towel, as if that would shut him out from the outside world.

He felt that his emotions were a tangled mess and needed some time to sort them out.

Fukuda's action drew the attention of those around him, and his teammates cast concerned glances at him.

Coach Taoka frowned, dissatisfied with Fukuda's reaction.

Meanwhile, the match on the field was still in full swing.

After returning to the court, Minoru Matsumoto was exceptionally active, constantly running around the court looking for scoring opportunities.

Sawakita took the initiative to defend against Matsumoto Minoru, closely pursuing him and trying to restrict his movements.

However, despite Sawakita's best efforts, Matsumoto Minoru was still able to find an opportunity.

As former teammates, they knew each other's playing styles and habits very well.

Therefore, Matsumoto Minoru could always find openings in his attacks, preventing him from being completely shut down by Sawakita like Rukawa Kaede.

In addition, Minoru Matsumoto is happy to share the ball.

Even Sawakita would find it difficult to completely limit Matsumoto Minoru's performance.

In the following period, Matsumoto Minoru continued to play his role, leading Sawakita around various positions.

He doesn't like running, but he likes walking his dog!
The thought of Sawakita's furious expression seemed to alleviate Matsumoto Minoru's anger.

On the Ryonan bench, Fukuda secretly observed the situation on the field through the gap in the towel.

He felt a mix of emotions, appreciating Matsumoto's performance but also feeling resentful and regretful that he couldn't continue playing.

After some internal struggle, Fukuda's emotions gradually calmed down.

He took a deep breath, silently made up his mind, took off the towel covering his head, and stood in front of Coach Taoka.

"Coach, I want to play!"

"Have you figured it out?"

Coach Taoka stared sharply at Fukuda, his voice carrying a hint of seriousness.

"Coach, I shouldn't have acted impulsively!"

Fukuda realized that his previous actions were too impulsive and that he had not considered the interests of the team.

As a player, he needs to put aside his personal emotions and consider the overall interests of the team.

Coach Taoka looked at Fukuda, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Alright, get ready to go on stage!"

After speaking, Coach Taoka immediately requested a substitution.

Soon after, Fukuda replaced Ajin.

Huhuhu~
Ah Shen was breathing heavily, clearly feeling unwell.

Matsushita Tomota's ability to run made it almost impossible for him to score easily.

Thinking about this, Ah Shen seemed a little frustrated, feeling that his performance on the field had not met expectations.

"Ah Shen, you've done very well. Don't be too hard on yourself!"

Perhaps sensing A-Shen's thoughts, Coach Taoka gently patted him on the shoulder and offered a word of comfort.

Ah Shen raised his head, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes.

"Coach, I understand that I have many shortcomings. I will work hard to improve my skills and provide more support for the team."

"Ah Shen, I've seen your hard work and progress, and I believe you can do it!"

Coach Taoka nodded approvingly.

Despite his mediocre physical attributes, A-Shen is the most hardworking player in Ryonan.

Under his influence, even the usually lazy Sendoh became much more serious about training.

Hua Hua Hua~
At this moment, cheers erupted again in the stadium.

Coach Taoka looked up and saw that Fukuda was hanging on the rim with one hand.

Fukuda's appearance had an immediate effect, leaving Sawakita unable to keep up and constantly chasing after Matsumoto Minoru.

This was tough on Matsushita Satoshi, who, despite his best efforts to defend, could not avoid being overwhelmed by Fukuda.

The key is that Fukuda has learned his lesson. He no longer fights alone and becomes disconnected from the team as before, but instead integrates directly into the team's tactical system.

In this situation, both sides are showing a tendency to bomb each other.

A closer look reveals that Sannoh Industrial is scoring more efficiently and is gradually eroding Ryonan's lead.

Beep~
As Zebei made the buzzer-beater, the referee blew the whistle to end the first half.

Coach Taoka stared intently at the electronic scoreboard. Ryonan's hard-won lead from their dream start had been completely eroded by Sannoh Industrial.

48: 48!

This is the score for the first half.

In the stands, the Shohoku fans were also discussing the performance of the two teams in the first half.

"Sannoh's momentum is rising; Ryonan is probably no match for them!"

"Once Sannoh Industries implements a tight defensive strategy, the situation will become even more unfavorable for Ryonan!"

"It seems that Lingnan is in grave danger!"

……

The Shohoku players discussed the first half of the game in hushed tones, their eyes revealing their skepticism towards Ryonan.

"I can't see!"

Suddenly, Kogure's voice rang out.

"My opinion differs from yours; I have more faith in Ryonan!"

The Shohoku team members all turned around and stared at Kogure with incredulous looks.

Their eyes were filled with doubt and confusion, as if they were questioning Kogure's judgment.

Kogure was not swayed by these looks and began to state his opinion: "Haven't you noticed that Sannoh's main players have hardly played? In their current state, if they were to use a tight press defense, their stamina might not even be enough to guarantee playing the entire game."

Kogure paused slightly, then continued, "Relatively speaking, Ryonan's Matsumoto Minoru and Ikegami have both been given a rest. This means they will have more energy and will be better able to cope with the second half of the game."

When two teams are evenly matched, the outcome of the match depends mainly on the players' form.

Clearly, the Ryonan players are in better form.

(End of this chapter)