Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 341: Killing
shuh~
Just then, the basketball traced a beautiful arc and fell straight into the basket.

With Ikegami hitting a three-pointer, Ryonan finally took a one-point lead.

Hua Hua Hua~
At that moment, countless Kanagawa spectators erupted in cheers.

"Well done, Ikegami!"

Uozumi grabbed Ikegami's shoulder, so excited he forgot himself.

"Uozumi, the game isn't over yet, get back on defense!"

Seeing that Kawada was quickly approaching the baseline to serve, Ikegami immediately led Uozumi back to defend without saying a word.

After realizing what had happened, Uozumi looked at the scene with lingering fear.

Seeing their sneak attack fail, the Sannoh players couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

At this moment, only 32 seconds remain in the game!
Time seemed to stretch out, and every tick of the second hand tugged at the heartstrings of everyone present.

At this critical moment, Fukatsu showed his composure.

His every move was so calm and unhurried; he didn't rush to attack, but chose a more prudent approach.

He must make the most of these last 32 seconds.

Therefore, Fukatsu chose to stall for time, almost holding the ball past half-court at the last minute, not wanting to give Ryonan a final chance to attack.

If you didn't see the score, you'd think Sannoh Industrial was in the lead.

The spectators on the sidelines held their breath, watching every move on the field with bated breath.

Sendoh tried to press forward, attempting to force Fukatsu into making a mistake through aggressive defense.

Unfortunately, Fukatsu's every dribble was perfectly timed, and his composure and experience left him with no openings.

Meanwhile, the Sannoh players gave it their all, running around the field, trying to create easy scoring opportunities.

The Ryonan players were also fighting hard, doing their best to intercept.

At this moment, Fukatsu carefully observed the situation on the field, looking for the best opportunity to attack.

Seeing no opportunity presented, Fukatsu decisively called for a pick-and-roll.

With the help of Kawada's screen, Fukatsu quickly shook off Sendoh.

It was at this moment that Uozumi immediately went to meet Fukatsu.

He didn't approach Fukatsu, but deliberately kept two steps away.

In this way, he will have a chance to intercept Fukatsu's drives or shots.

Compared to Sendoh and Matsumoto, Fukatsu's offensive skills are relatively inferior.

At this moment, there are only ten seconds left in the game.

Fukatsu did not hesitate to pass the ball, but his target was not Kawada, but Sawakita!

With the help of his teammates, Sawakita successfully shook off Matsumoto Minoru.

"not good!"

Inoue Toyoki, who was closest to the incident, suddenly changed his expression and rushed towards Sawakita at top speed!
The moment he received the basketball, Zebei raised his hand to shoot.

After successfully tricking Inoue Toyoki, he went straight to meet him.

Draw a foul!
Seeing that a foul was inevitable, Inoue Toyoki did not hold back and slapped Sawakita's arm hard.

slap~
As the crisp sound of a slap rang out, Zebei's smile instantly froze, replaced by a look of panic.

Despite Zebei's best efforts to maintain his balance, he completely lost his balance.

However, he still managed to throw the ball in time.

Beep~
The referee's whistle sounded.

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on the basketball flying through the air.

Then, the basketball not only missed the rim, but also failed to touch the backboard or the net.

Three things to avoid!
Just as Zebei was about to fall heavily to the ground, a figure caught him in time, preventing him from getting injured.

Surprisingly, the person who offered help was none other than Minoru Matsumoto!
The surprise that Zekita felt upon seeing Matsumoto Minoru was indescribable.

When he first enrolled at Sannoh Industrial High School, he passionately challenged Matsumoto Minoru, ultimately humiliating him in front of everyone.

It was that incident that strained the relationship between the two, creating a rift between them.

In addition, Zebei knew very well that Matsumoto Minoru's transfer to Ryonan School was also partly due to him.

Now, Matsumoto Minoru, without hesitation, came to Sawakita's rescue just as she was about to be injured. This act of repaying evil with kindness shocked Sawakita immensely.

"Thank...thank you!"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Sawakita stammered as he expressed his gratitude to Matsumoto Minoru.

Despite past disagreements between them, at this moment, Sawakita truly felt Matsumoto Minoru's kindness and magnanimity.

This is a noble person!
"I'm so damned good!"

At that moment, Zebei was filled with guilt.

Compared to Minoru Matsumoto, he felt like a smug little man.

At this point, the referee announced his decision, awarding Sawakita two free throws.

"No, no!"

When Sawakita stepped to the free-throw line, countless Kanagawa spectators shouted in unison, creating a wave of cheers.

Besides, the Ryonan coaches and players were also silently cursing.

At the free-throw line, Zebei took the first shot.

bang~
Perhaps due to excessive excitement or the influence of the audience, Zebei failed to capitalize on his first free throw, and the basketball bounced off the rim.

"Nani!"

Zebei looked incredulous and clutched his head tightly with both hands.

He knew the importance of this penalty; it was the key to deciding the outcome of the game.

He should have easily put the ball into the basket, thus overtaking his opponent and securing the game-winning free throw.

However, fate played a cruel joke on him.

At this moment, Zebei's heart was filled with regret and self-blame; he could not accept this outcome.

Just then, Fukatsu stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, "Sawakita, we still have a chance!"

Teammates also stepped forward to encourage Zebei.

"I see!"

Zebei took a deep breath, forcibly calming his turbulent emotions.

Now is not the time to wallow in self-blame. He still has a chance, and he must win for the team.

He absolutely must make the second free throw, or he'll really have no chance.

He slowly stood up, quickly adjusted his breathing, and stood at the free throw line again.

shuh~
This time, Zebei made the free throw with ease.

Zebei clenched his fists, and a weight was finally lifted from his heart.

With this penalty kick successfully converted, the score is now tied.

"Looks like we're going to have to go into overtime!"

At that moment, most players had this thought in their minds.

Because there were only two seconds left in the game.

Beep~
However, Coach Taoka still requested a timeout.

This was also Ryonan's last timeout!
"What can you do in two seconds!"

On the Sannoh bench, Coach Domoto glanced at Coach Taoka with surprise, then shook his head.

He is preparing in advance for the upcoming overtime.

The timeout ended quickly, and both teams returned to the court.

At this point, the Ryonan lineup consisted of Uozumi, Ikegami, Matsumoto Minoru, Ajin, and Sendoh.

"Keep an eye on Jin Soichiro!" As soon as he saw Jin return to the court, Coach Domoto immediately signaled to Matsushita Satoshi to be on high alert.

Coach Domoto was extremely impressed with Ajin's three-point shooting.

According to the rules of the game, Uozumi stands outside the center circle to serve the ball inbounds.

The Ryonan players immediately started running.

"Stop them!"

Led by Fukatsu, the Sannoh players mustered their remaining strength and kept chasing closely.

Suddenly, Ikegami and Ajin simultaneously provided cover for Sendoh.

"not good!"

Seeing that Sendoh was one or two steps ahead of Fukatsu, Nobe Masahiro's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly went to meet Sendoh.

It was at this moment that Uozumi threw the basketball.

His serve wasn't aimed at Sendoh, but at Ikegami!

After setting a screen for Sendoh, Ikegami chose to drive to the basket.

From the very beginning, Sendoh, Jin, and even Matsumoto Minoru were just decoys to draw the defense away!
"Oh no, what's Ikegami doing there!"

On the Sannoh bench, Coach Domoto suddenly stood up from his seat, looking flustered and bewildered.

Uozumi's best partner is undoubtedly Ikegami.

The pairing of Uozumi and Ikegami is similar to that of Akagi and Kogure!
Ikegami received the pass perfectly.

With extremely limited time, Ikegami immediately chose to shoot the ball the instant he received it.

It was a floater; the basketball sliced ​​through the air and headed straight for the basket.

The moment Ikegami made his move, a long whistle signaling the end of the match echoed throughout the stadium.

At that moment, everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the orange basketball.

As the basketball flew towards the hoop, Ikegami's thoughts seemed to travel through time and space, returning to a moment he could never forget.

He and Uozumi were not only teammates, but also classmates and deskmates, sitting together in the last row.

Needless to say, the relationship between the two was such that, because Uozumi was so intimidating, the delinquents on campus never bullied him.

What impressed him most was that Uozumi, who had just joined Ryonan, performed extremely poorly and would even vomit after each training session.

What Uozumi found most unbearable was the assessment from his teammates that he was 'good at nothing except being tall,' which led him to consider leaving the team.

Coach Taoka then chose to stay and had an in-depth conversation with Uozumi.

Coach Taoka recounted his experience, saying that he coached Ryonan for ten years and that Uozumi was the most talented player he discovered.

He believes that Uozumi's height is an extraordinary talent, and hopes that Uozumi can lead Ryonan to the national tournament when he enters his senior year of high school.

Coach Taoka's words were like a warm current, gradually melting the frost in Uozumi's heart.

Out of concern for Uozumi, Ikegami stood in a corner and silently watched this scene.

Coach Taoka probably didn't know that his words not only inspired Uozumi, but also Ikegami.

It was these experiences that forged their unwavering will.

To realize Coach Taoka's dream, Ikegami and Uozumi encouraged each other and often practiced extra with the team.

In order to improve their skills quickly, the two often went to Shohoku to ask questions without hesitation.

Ultimately, under Kogure's guidance, the two understood their place in the world.

Once Sendoh and Matsumoto were in place, for the sake of the team's performance, the two were willing to become supporting players.

These memories played out in Ikegami's mind like a movie.

"You must come in!"

At that moment, Ikegami screamed wildly in his heart!

shuh~
Perhaps it was Ikegami's belief that moved the heavens, for the basketball pierced straight into the hoop, creating a beautiful splash of net paint.

Lore!

At that moment, Ikegami scored the decisive goal.

After a moment of stunned silence, the stadium erupted in cheers.

Unexpectedly, the one who decisively defeated Sannoh Industrial was not the 'genius' Sendoh, nor the 'Avenger' Matsumoto Minoru, but the nobody Ikegami Ryoji!
Ikegami not only made the crucial three-pointer, but also sealed the victory.

"Won!"

The Ryonan players could hardly contain their excitement; they embraced tightly, celebrating their hard-won victory.

They defeated the invincible Sannoh Industrial High School and successfully advanced to the finals against Shohoku High School.

In the stands, the Ryonan supporters erupted in thunderous cheers, shouting wildly as if they wanted to release all their passion.

This is the first time in the decades-long history of the Winter Tournament that two teams from the same region have met in the finals.

For many Kanagawa fans, this scenario is something they can't even imagine.

Meanwhile, the Sannoh players all wore expressions of disbelief.

They stood on the field, their eyes filled with confusion and disappointment, unable to accept the fate of being defeated in the final moments.

Unfortunately, they had no choice but to accept this cruel reality.

They exchanged complicated glances, their hearts filled with resentment and frustration.

This defeat will be an indelible memory for them.

Losing to Shohoku was somewhat understandable, but losing to Ryonan was something they simply couldn't accept.

On the Sannoh bench, Coach Domoto was extremely frustrated and casually threw his tactical board on the ground.

On the tactics board, he had drawn up the tactics he had prepared in advance for overtime, so all his work was for nothing!
Coach Domoto had no idea, but Coach Taoka was so bold as to give the last throw to Ikegami!
He thought of Sendoh, Matsumoto Minoru, and even Ajin, but he forgot about Ikegami.

As for Uozumi, he also has to focus on serving, so we can ignore him.

Not only did Coach Domoto not expect this, but everyone present did not expect it either.

At that moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Sendoh, Matsumoto Minoru, and even Ajin.

"We should head back and prepare for tomorrow's match!"

In the stands, Kogure was the first to stand up and lead the Shohoku players away.

Not far away, watching the Ryonan players celebrating wildly on the field, Maki felt extremely complicated.

He also wants to compete in national-level competitions!

At this moment, Maki experienced Akagi's feelings from the original work ahead of time!

So frustrating!

He clearly has great strength, but he just can't make it into the national competition.

Seeing Maki's gloomy expression, Moroboshi Dai couldn't help but smile.

"Amu, you still haven't given me an answer?"

Since Aiwa Academy was eliminated, Moroboshi Dai secretly approached his best friend and rival, Maki, and made a suggestion on the spot.

Only the two parties involved know what the proposal was.

"Moruhoshi, this matter is of great importance, I will consider it further!"

Amu hesitated and could not make up his mind.

"Amu, you don't want to be unable to qualify for the national tournament forever, do you?"

The stars guided him patiently and skillfully.

If Kogure were there, he would be surprised to find that Dai Moroboshi had the same expression as Puff Daddy.

Amu felt a pang of anxiety, because Moroboshi Daisuke had hit a nerve.

He believed his strength was no less than that of Moroboshi Dai, but he lacked a bit of luck.

"I see!"

Maki seemed to have been persuaded by Moroboshi Dai, and nodded with difficulty.

(End of this chapter)