Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 339 The Physical Collapse Plan
In order to defeat Sannoh Industrial, Coach Taoka devised a strategy called the 'Physical Collapse Plan'.

A closer look reveals that Ryonan's offensive rhythm is far beyond what is usually seen, displaying more of the style of a run-and-gun team.

Even though Fukatsu tried his best to control the pace, their stamina inevitably depleted rapidly.

Beep~
At this point, Coach Taoka called a timeout, and both teams began to leave the field.

"Phew, these guys... they can run so fast!"

Kawada placed his hands on his knees, took a few deep breaths, and walked off the field.

Standing to the side, Nobe Masahiro wiped away a bead of sweat and said, "The main problem is that we suffered from yesterday's match, which severely depleted our physical strength!"

Among the teams that train the hardest, Sannoh, Ryonan, and Hainan are the most dedicated.

On the contrary, the training intensity of Shohoku can only be described as mediocre.

Unfortunately, Coach Anzai was inconsistent in his efforts, while Captain Akagi focused some of his energy on studying.

This is also the main reason why Aiwa Academy managed to snatch the victory after Shohoku defeated Toyotama and Sannoh, especially since Sakuragi, the only player still capable of playing, was no longer able to play.

On the Ryonan bench, Coach Taoka's gaze swept over every Ryonan player.

"Sannoh's main players are nearing their physical limits. You've done very well, but I hope you can keep up the good work. Now I'm asking you to further increase the pace of the game. We must go all out and completely crush them!"

The players nodded in unison and shouted, "Yes, Coach!"

Coach Taoka looked pleased and then turned his gaze to Minoru Matsumoto.

"Matsumoto, I'm entrusting Sawakita to you!"

Coach Taoka's words revealed his trust in Minoru Matsumoto.

Matsumoto Minoru's eyes were deep, and he simply nodded silently, his heart filled with determination.

He must give it his all to live up to his coach's expectations.

Furthermore, for him, this was not just a match, but the best opportunity to wash away the shame.

If it were Sawakita in his prime, Matsumoto wouldn't be confident, but the current Sawakita is clearly affected by physical factors, and his condition has declined significantly.

Nevertheless, Matsumoto Minoru still dared not let his guard down.

Even with his form declining, Zebei remains a formidable opponent.

Then, Coach Taoka said to Uozumi, "Uozumi, the team's defense is in your hands! Use your height and strength to intimidate the opponents and make them fear when they attack."

For this Ryonan team, Uozumi's importance even surpasses that of Sendoh and Matsumoto Minoru.

He is not only the team's defensive core, but also their spiritual pillar.

His presence reassured his teammates and instilled fear in his opponents.

Uozumi's height and wingspan made him an insurmountable barrier under the basket.

In terms of dominance under the basket, Uozumi is undoubtedly one of the top players in Slam Dunk.

Uozumi is the second tallest character in Slam Dunk, and has a fierce appearance. Just by sitting under the basket, he can exert a strong sense of intimidation on opposing players.

It is precisely because of Uozumi's presence that Ryonan's defensive system has become so impenetrable.

"Coach, watch my performance!"

Although Uozumi's voice was low, he was determined.

Coach Taoka patted Uozumi on the shoulder, his eyes filled with increasing satisfaction.

Ultimately, Coach Taoka set his sights on Sendoh.

This Ryonan team has three core players: defensive core Uozumi, offensive core Matsumoto Minoru, and ace Sendoh!
"Sendoh, I'm counting on you from now on. Your performance will determine the outcome of this match."

His voice, though not loud, was full of trust and expectation.

"Coach, we definitely will!"

Sendoh's eyes were unusually serious.

The thought of having a chance to defeat Sawakita's team made Sendoh excited.

Since junior high school, Sawakita has been a formidable rival that Sendoh has never defeated.

This is undoubtedly the best opportunity to wash away past failures!
If you miss this opportunity, it's hard to say what the next one will be like.

After the timeout, both teams returned to the court.

Ryonan replaced Ajin with Inoue Toyoki to assist Uozumi in anchoring the paint.

After the game restarted, it was Ryonan's offensive turn.

Soon, Matsumoto Minoru received Sendoh's pass at the corner position.

Minoru Matsumoto assumed a triple threat stance, ready to attack.

Sawakita stood a step away from Matsumoto Minoru, clapped his hands forcefully, and said, "Come on, you defeated opponent!"

Minoru Matsumoto remained silent throughout, his eyes showing no fluctuation, completely focused on the game.

The audience held their breath, their eyes glued to the two players on the court, afraid of missing a single move.

On the field, Minoru Matsumoto leaned slightly forward.

"coming!"

Zebei narrowed his eyes and immediately got ready.

The next moment, Matsumoto Minoru moved.

With his explosive power, Minoru Matsumoto is like an arrow released from a bow, breaking through with the ball.

Sawakita reacted quickly, shifting his feet to the side in an attempt to block Matsumoto Minoru's breakthrough route.

However, Matsumoto Minoru pulled the ball up, turned, and spun around, quickly completing the breakthrough.

Due to his heavy footwork, Zebei's speed was much slower than at his peak. Although he tried his best to defend, he was still a step too late.

Seeing Matsumoto Minoru break through Sawakita's defense, Nobe Masahiro was clearly taken aback, but he still subconsciously prepared to cover.

snort~
With a screeching sound of his shoes scraping against the floor, Matsumoto Minoru stomped his foot on the ground, leaped up, and flicked his wrist slightly.

The basketball leaped past Ye Bianjiang's fingertips, tracing a beautiful arc before accurately piercing the net.

The swaying of the net and the sound of the basketball going through the net seemed to become the most beautiful melody at this moment.

Call ~
After scoring, Minoru Matsumoto breathed a slight sigh of relief, and his confidence increased significantly.

"Sawakita's speed has slowed down!"

Minoru Matsumoto was certain of this; if Sawakita were still in his prime, he couldn't have broken through so easily.

He had fought against Zebei and knew very well how strong Zebei was.

Zebei stood with his hands on his hips, a hint of helplessness in his eyes, giving off a feeling of a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs.

With Matsumoto Minoru's pull-up jumper hitting the shot, Ryonan finally narrowed the gap to single digits.

For a time, the morale of the Ryonan soldiers soared.

Offense and defense reversed!

Soon, Fukatsu dribbled the ball past half-court and immediately called for Kawada to set a screen.

Kawada quickly stepped forward, which diverted Sendoh's attention.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fukatsu decisively pulled up and threw the ball.

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

shuh~
The basketball swished through the net, sending up a splash!
This goal brought Sannoh Industrial's lead back to double digits.

When it was Ryonan's turn to attack, Sendoh dribbled the ball past half-court and organized the team's attack.

Seeing that his teammates hadn't created any opportunities, Sendoh made a move to pass the ball to Matsumoto Minoru.

Because Sendoh's actions were too obvious, Fukatsu subconsciously wanted to intercept them.

Unfortunately, this was Sendoh's passing feint.

Without hesitation, Sendoh seized the opportunity to break through Fukatsu's defense.

Fukatsu immediately turned and gave chase, quickly pursuing Sendoh.

At the same time, Okawata immediately stepped forward to provide backup.

Sendoh leaped up in front of Kawada. "Get down here!"

Kawada also jumped up and slapped the basketball.

However, Sendoh did not shoot.

At the crucial moment, Sendoh passed the ball under Kawada's arm.

Bang~
With a loud thud, Uozumi made an aerial pass and delivered a classic dunk.

Hua Hua Hua~
Inside the stadium, Ryonan's fans erupted in loud cheers.

Sendoh contributed at least 80% of that goal.

Next round!
Ryonan also strengthened its defense, and for a time, Sannoh Industrial was unable to create any opportunities.

Left with no other option, Fukatsu passed the ball to Sawakita.

In terms of scoring ability, Zebei is undoubtedly the No.1 of Sannoh Industrial.

Zebei catches the ball with both hands, facing Ikegami's tight defense, looking for an opportunity to break through.

That's right, Ikegami is still keeping an eye on Sawakita.

Even though Sawakita wasn't at his peak, he still managed to get past Miike's defense thanks to his excellent ball control skills.

The moment Sawakita broke through the pool, Uozumi reacted immediately, stepping forward to cover.

Instead of being intimidated, Zebei rose to the challenge and launched the ball with a high-arcing shot.

shuh~
The basketball spun once on the rim and fell straight in.

Compared to the Autumn National Sports Tournament, Sawakita's high throw has improved considerably, at least his accuracy has become much more consistent.

"Well done, Zebei!"

The Sannoh players surrounded Sawakita, patting him on the shoulder repeatedly.

Zebei radiated confidence; he was certain he would lead the team to victory.

"Damn it, get back on defense!"

Suddenly, Fukatsu's slightly panicked voice rang out.

At this moment, Ryonan opted for a quick serve and launched a fast attack.

Minoru Matsumoto charged forward at an astonishing speed, like a wild horse unleashed.

Fukatsu tried desperately to get back on defense, but he was a step too slow in getting back on track.

In that brief moment, the two sides were separated by several meters.

At the same time, Sendoh received the ball and immediately chose to make a long pass.

The sound of the basketball cutting through the air was clearly audible, and it flew rapidly towards the front court like a cannonball.

The moment Matsumoto Minoru received the ball, Fukatsu seized the opportunity to close the distance.

He subconsciously assumed that Matsumoto Minoru would definitely choose to attack the basket.

However, Matsumoto Minoru's actions took everyone by surprise.

Instead of attacking the basket, he rushed towards the baseline corner two steps away.

"Oops!"

By the time Fukatsu reacted, Matsumoto Minoru was already standing outside the three-point line.

With no one guarding him, Matsumoto Minoru even had time to adjust before calmly throwing the basketball.

shuh~
The basketball drew a beautiful arc and went into the net.

Thunderous cheers erupted from the stands once again.

Soon, Sannoh Industrial made a comeback.

bang~
This time, Sannoh Industrial still didn't have a chance.

With little time left in the attack, Fukatsu passed the ball to Kawada.

Kawada had no choice but to force a shot against Uozumi's defense, but the shot missed due to Uozumi's interference.

Uozumi immediately turned around and easily trapped Okawata behind him.

Although Kawata is highly talented, he has only been an inside player for a short time and his positioning skills are limited, so he naturally can't out-steer Uozumi.

Uozumi easily grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Sendoh.

Regardless of whether there was an opportunity for a quick attack, Ryonan launched another quick attack.

The Sannoh players had no choice but to run for their lives, fearing that Ryonan would launch another fast break.

This made their breathing even more rapid, further depleting their energy.

Despite Sannoh Industrial's tough defense, Ryonan players still couldn't create any opportunities to run.

Soon, the basketball was passed to Minoru Matsumoto.

Minoru Matsumoto catches the ball with both hands, shifts his weight slightly, and assumes a triple threat stance.

Sawakita was well aware of Matsumoto Minoru's ability to break through defenses, so he didn't dare to get too close and stayed a step away.

His eyes were filled with vigilance; he was determined to defend against this shot no matter what.

Matsumoto Minoru leaned forward slightly, his eyes focused, searching for the best opportunity to attack.

He first made a feint, then showed signs of a dribble-breaking attack.

Sawakita quickly shifted his focus, ready to respond to any breakthroughs by Matsumoto Minoru.

However, instead of driving to the basket, Matsumoto Minoru quickly dribbled between his legs while standing still.

After successfully shifting Sawakita's center of gravity, Matsumoto Minoru pulled up and threw the ball.

Zebei's prediction was wrong; even with his excellent physical abilities, he couldn't immediately regain his balance.

Once he realized what was happening, Zebei quickly jumped up to interfere.

Although he acted quickly, he was still a step too late.

shuh~
The sound of the basketball swishing through the net filled the air, and countless spectators erupted in enthusiastic cheers for Matsumoto Minoru's outstanding performance.

81:86
After scoring another goal, Sannoh Industrial's lead was reduced to just 5 points.

Soon, Fukatsu stalled for time, steadily dribbled the ball past midfield, and began to organize an attack.

At crucial moments, Zebei took on the role of ace, continuing to lead the team's offense.

Despite Ikegami's best efforts, Sawakita easily broke through and hit a fadeaway jump shot near the paint.

At this point, there were two and a half minutes left in the game.

When it was Ryonan's turn to attack, Matsumoto Minoru came to the low post and called for the ball with his back to the basket.

Sendoh passed the ball without hesitation.

Aside from slowing down a bit, Sawakita's defense remained excellent, still putting immense pressure on Matsumoto Minoru.

Matsumoto Minoru caught the ball with both hands. He could feel Sawakita pressing close to him, trying to restrict his movements with force.

However, Matsumoto Minoru did not dribble the ball and attack one-on-one; he merely leaned on Sawakita and then passed the ball out again.

It turns out that after passing the ball, Sendoh immediately started his run towards the basket.

Fukatsu reacted a beat too slow, falling a full body length behind Sendoh.

Sendoh received the ball and stopped abruptly, allowing Fukatsu to rush inside.

Upon realizing Sendoh's intentions, Fukatsu instinctively chose to stop abruptly.

Just then, Sendoh started again, using his agile footwork and skillful ball control to easily break through.

Fukatsu was too late to stop him and could only watch helplessly as Sendoh passed by him.

As Sendoh charged into the paint zone, Nobe Masahiro wanted to cover him, but Sendoh glanced at Inoue Yukiyoshi.

Nobe Masahiro thought Sendoh wanted to pass the ball, so he instinctively stopped.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sendoh leaped up and scored with a tomahawk dunk.

Thanks to Sendoh's outstanding performance, Ryonan narrowed the gap to 5 points again!
(End of this chapter)