Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 338 McGrady's Possession!

Kogure's words made the Shohoku team members think deeply, and they began to reassess both sides.

For the team, the game is not only a contest of skills and tactics, but also a test of the players' physical fitness and condition.

Akagi spoke first: "Kogure, you make a good point!"

Mitsui rested his chin on his hand and continued, "We're looking at the problem too superficially. We need to analyze every detail of both sides in depth."

The other Shohoku players nodded in agreement, because all they could do was shout "666".

Kogure's words undoubtedly served as a wake-up call for them.

This season, Shohoku has had an incredibly smooth season, which has led some of the players to become arrogant and conceited.

At this moment, on the Sannoh bench!

"They pulled the score to over 15 points within the first three minutes of the second half!"

Coach Domoto crossed his arms and gave his final instructions.

His eagerness to unleash his killer move stemmed from his desire to prevent the team from playing too tough a game, as it would be detrimental to the players' physical condition and morale.

If this match goes to the very end like the last one against Shohoku, then Sannoh Kogyo shouldn't count on winning the championship.

At this moment, Coach Domoto was possessed by McGrady's spirit, already thinking about the opponent in the next game.

The second half began shortly afterward.

During the jump ball, Kawada leaped high and, with a slight advantage, passed the ball to his teammate first.

Despite Uozumi's height and long arms, he couldn't compete with Kawata's superior jumping ability.

Soon, Fukatsu dribbled the ball past half-court and began to observe the situation on the field, organizing the team's attack.

Sendoh did not approach Fukatsu, but stood a step away from her.

Fukatsu is capable of both attacking and throwing, so Sendoh must be prepared to defend against him.

It must be said that the consumption of immortality is far less than imagined.

There was nothing he could do; his opponent was Shen Bugong!

In the story's year, during the Xiangshan battle, facing Miyagi who was half a head shorter than him, Fukatsu only scored 5 points.

It's worth noting that the height difference between Fukatsu and Miyagi is greater than that between Mitsui and Ichinokura Satoshi.

Of course, this is also related to his teammates being too strong. He is not the team's main scorer, and he only needs to play a good role in organizing the offense.

If Sawakita, Kawata, and Matsumoto played the entire game, they could contribute at least 70 points per game on average.

In his matchup against Fukatsu, Sendoh discovered that Fukatsu would not easily make a move unless there was a very good opportunity.

This also resulted in Fukatsu scoring relatively low points, but his shooting percentage was comparable to that of an inside player.

Soon, Fukatsu realized that an opportunity had arisen in Okawada.

Compared to Uozumi, Kawata is faster and more agile, which makes it easier for him to find open spaces.

Furthermore, Uozumi doesn't seem to be very comfortable with Kawata's outside-oriented style.

In this game, Kawada mainly faced the basket, and he even ran to the three-point line to shoot three-pointers.

Despite missing the three-pointer, Uozumi still had to be on guard.

This time, Kawada was two body lengths ahead of Uozumi.

Upon spotting the opportunity, Fukatsu did not hesitate to pass the ball.

At the horns position, Kawata receives the ball, turns around, and pulls up for a shot.

Uozumi's expression changed drastically, but because he was two steps away, he could only watch helplessly as Kawada shot the ball.

shuh~
The basketball traced a beautiful arc and pierced the rim with perfect accuracy.

At that moment, the situation of the game changed, and the atmosphere of the entire stadium changed.

Hua Hua Hua~
At this moment, the fans of Sannoh Industrial erupted with astonishing momentum, overwhelming the supporters of Ryonan.

"Great throw, Kawada!"

The Sannoh players surrounded Kawada to congratulate him.

This is undoubtedly a significant turning point for the Sannoh players.

After scoring this goal, Sannoh Kogyo took the lead over Ryonan for the first time.

On the other side, the Ryonan players seemed to have been hit hard and appeared somewhat frustrated, especially the first-year players.

"Everyone, cheer up! It's only two points, it's no big deal!"

Coach Taoka noticed something was wrong and immediately stood on the sidelines shouting loudly.

Ryonan players must adjust their mindset as soon as possible, otherwise they are likely to allow Sannoh Industrial to further expand their advantage.

At this moment, Sendoh extended his right index finger and said, "The coach is right, everyone, let's play this ball well!"

In terms of resilience, Sendoh is definitely among the top in Slam Dunk, after all, Sendoh's ambition is fishing, not basketball.

For Sendoh, basketball ranks second at best among his hobbies.

The first one is naturally fishing!
As for the king of stress resistance in SD, it has to be Rukawa Kaede.

Just as Uozumi arrived at the baseline to serve, they suddenly realized that the Sannoh players had not returned to defense.

"Huh, they haven't come back to defend, could it be..."

The Ryonan players present felt a vague unease.

Because, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Sannoh Industrial will unleash their signature move – tight press defense!
Sure enough, Kawada immediately came in front of Uozumi, stood on tiptoe and waved his arms to interfere with Uozumi's serve.

On the other side, the Ryonan players started running, but no opportunity arose for a long time.

Just as he was about to commit a service violation, Uozumi suddenly had a flash of inspiration and immediately shouted to the referee, "Sir, this guy is too close to me!"

The referee stepped forward and exclaimed inwardly, "Wow!"

Because Kawada was practically glued to Uozumi.

The referee immediately warned Kawada, who had to step back a short distance.

Uozumi raised the basketball again, while Kawada stood a meter away, continuing to wave his hands to obstruct Uozumi's view.

Compared to before, Uozumi's vision was much clearer.

However, the situation remains grim.

The Sannoh players tightly marked the Ryonan players and effectively limited their performance through rapid rotations and positional changes.

For a time, the Ryonan players had almost no chance to appear.

Opportunities, though rare, are fleeting.

Despite Uozumi's excellent support abilities, he still struggled to capitalize on such opportunities.

Uozumi tried his best to remain calm and look for an opportunity to pass the ball.

"ball!"

Seeing that he was about to break the rules, Sendoh had no choice but to step forward to help Uozumi.

Uozumi quickly passed the ball, and just as Sendoh was about to receive it, suddenly, a figure pounced from the side and made the steal first.

slap~
He was none other than Zebei!

After gaining control of the basketball, Zebei immediately drove straight to the basket.

Sendou realized something was wrong and tried to stop Zebei, but it was too late.

Zebei quickly rushed to the basket, leaped high, and delivered a graceful tomahawk dunk.

Bang~
As a dull thud echoed, Zebei hung from the basket with one hand, looking down at Sendoh who had arrived late.

"Sendoh, you're doomed!"

Beep~
Just then, the referee blew his whistle.

"Player number 13, watch your words and actions!"

Zebei reluctantly released the basket, which landed back on the floor.

At the referee's signal, Uozumi returned to the baseline to serve.

"start running!"

At Coach Taoka's signal, the Ryonan players started running quickly and tirelessly.

During this process, they will also provide cover for their teammates.

The Sannoh players also increased their running frequency, relentlessly pursuing their opponent.

Seeing this, Coach Taoka, standing on the sidelines, could barely suppress a smile.

Pressing defense is already extremely physically demanding, let alone now. This is exactly what Coach Taoka wanted!

Soon, Sendoh used his teammates' cover to successfully run out of space.

Uozumi immediately passed the ball, successfully getting it into Sendoh's hands.

At the same time, the Ryonan players quickly dispersed, trying to take away as many Sannoh players as possible.

It was at this moment that Sawakita and Matsushita Tomo rushed towards Sendoh.

Sendoh didn't hold onto the ball; before they could surround him, he passed it to Fukuda first.

Immediately, Fukuda grabbed the basketball and rushed towards the frontcourt.

Unfortunately, just as he started, Zebei turned back.

This caught Futian completely off guard!
It turns out that Zebei had already made preparations to turn back before rushing towards Sendoh.

slap~
Zebei made another steal and then drove to the basket again.

Sendoh covered again, but Sawakita didn't force his way in; instead, he passed the ball to the left corner.

Beyond the three-point line, Fukatsu, unguarded, receives the ball and shoots.

shuh~
The basketball hits the net!

After this shot was made, Sannoh Industrial's lead reached 7 points.

Beep~
Coach Taoka immediately requested a substitution!

Soon, Matsumoto Minoru and Ikegami took the stage, while Fukuda and Inoue Toyoki left.

Center: Uozumi

Ohmae: Ikegami

Komae: Minoru Matsumoto
Shooting Guard: A Shen

Point Guard: Sendoh

Coach Taoka originally wanted them to rest a little longer, but unexpectedly, Sannoh Industrial launched a tight pressing defense at the start of the second half.

To avoid being swept away by Sannoh Industrial in one fell swoop, he had to replace Matsumoto Minoru and Ikegami ahead of time.

Ryonan served again, and with the help of his teammates, Matsumoto Minoru quickly shook off Sawakita, creating an opportunity.

Uozumi immediately passed the ball, and Matsumoto Minoru grabbed it and drove to the basket.

Matsumoto Minoru had only taken two steps when Sawakita pounced on him again.

Without hesitation, Matsumoto Minoru turned back and passed the ball to Uozumi, while he himself rushed towards the front.

At this time, Uozumi was left unattended because Okawada had gone to Sendo.

Uozumi caught the ball with both hands and, before Kawada could return, threw it forcefully towards the frontcourt.

Uozumi possesses an absolute advantage in vision, coupled with excellent support capabilities, allowing him to quickly assess the situation.

The basketball shot towards the right corner like a cannonball.

At that place, Ikegami was ready.

Not far away, Matsushita Satoshi, who was preparing to join forces with Sawakita to encircle Matsumoto Minoru, suddenly changed his expression and rushed towards Ikegami.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

After receiving the ball, Ikegami even had time to adjust.

By the time Matsushita Satoshi lunged at Ikegami, the basketball had already left Ikegami's hands and was flying toward the basket.

shuh~
The basketball traced a beautiful arc and fell straight into the net, creating a splash.

"Well done, Ikegami!"

On the sidelines, Coach Taoka excitedly pumped his fist.

After the national tournament, in order to deal with Sannoh Kogyo's tight defense, Coach Taoka went to Shohoku to consult Coach Anzai.

Coach Anzai: Give that damn basketball to Kogure!

Coach Taoka: If I had Kogure, would I still need to ask you for advice?

In the end, Coach Anzai shared all his knowledge and methods for dealing with tight defense with Coach Taoka.

Over the past few months, Coach Taoka racked his brains and designed several plans for Ryonan.

When Minoru Matsumoto transferred to Ryonan High School, he not only strengthened Ryonan's team, but also provided Coach Taoka with various details of Sannoh Industrial's tight defense.

This gave Coach Taoka hope of breaking the tight press.

Q: How to break the tight grip?
A: Hold the ball with both hands!

Soon, Sannoh Industrial launched another attack.

This time, Fukatsu used Kawata's screen to block Sendoh, and then suddenly fired a three-pointer.

Sannoh Industries continued its tight defensive strategy, and Ryonan immediately responded.

Among them, Sendoh and Matsumoto's playing styles tend to be combo guards, both possessing excellent ball-handling, passing, and offensive abilities.

Uozumi's playmaking ability should not be ignored; he is likely the best playmaker among centers in Slam Dunk.

In addition, Ikegami and Ajin were standing silently outside the three-point line. Sannoh Industrial had to send someone to guard them, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

In this situation, Sannoh Industrial's tight defense was significantly weakened.

Even so, Ryonan still made mistakes from time to time in their haste, allowing Sannoh Industries to firmly gain the upper hand.

Time passed slowly, and Sannoh Industrial continued to widen the score gap.

Three minutes later, with Sawakita scoring another goal, Sannoh Kogyo finally gained a double-digit lead.

Compared to Hainan Affiliated High School at the same time, Lingnan High School was undoubtedly in a much better position.

In the final four minutes of that game, Sannoh Industrial used a tight press defense, ultimately scoring a 24-4 run against Hainan.

A 20-point lead in just 4 minutes!
On the Sannoh bench, Coach Domoto frowned slightly.

Clearly, the pressing defense did not achieve the desired effect.

Coach Domoto's gaze involuntarily fell on Minoru Matsumoto.

If Matsumoto Minoru hadn't transferred to Ryonan High School, Sannoh Industrial would certainly have been able to achieve its expected goals given the shift in power.

"This can't go on!"

Just then, Coach Domoto came to the sidelines and made a gesture to the Sannoh players.

It wasn't that he didn't want to continue pressing the defense, but rather that the Sannoh players' stamina had been affected.

If this continues, it will do more harm than good to Sannoh.

The Sannoh players immediately signaled that they understood and did not continue their tight defense, turning back to defend.

The match is still going on fiercely, with both teams giving their all.

Time slowly passed, and every second seemed exceptionally precious.

The two sides went back and forth, constantly engaging in a physical and psychological battle.

The numbers on the electronic scoreboard fluctuated constantly, and each score caused the audience's emotions to rise and fall accordingly.

For a moment, the entire venue was filled with passion and energy.

Before they knew it, there were only five minutes left in the game.

Despite Ryonan's efforts to catch up, Sannoh Kogyo has maintained a double-digit lead.

However, Coach Domoto's expression was not very good.

The reason is simple: Sannoh Industrial has been unable to widen the score gap for a long time.

Furthermore, the performance of the Sannoh players was clearly affected.

Hu~hu~
Zebei stood with his hands on his hips, panting heavily.

He had already scored 40 points before the game was even over.

Without Matsumoto Minoru to share the burden, Sawakita and Okawata had an even heavier load on their shoulders.

Apart from Sawakita, the other Sannoh players are not in good form either.

At this moment, the Sannoh players appeared unusually tired, and their performance clearly declined.

The aftereffects of yesterday's game against Shohoku have finally hit, affecting the Sannoh players' physical reserves.

"It's time to sound the horn of counterattack!"

At that moment, Coach Taoka stood up from his seat.

(End of this chapter)