Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 352: Score Mode Unlocked

The first half finally ended just as Coach Stephen began to target Kogure.

With Mitsui's buzzer-beating three-pointer from beyond the arc, the Japanese team successfully narrowed the gap to 6 points.

During halftime, both coaches began to strategize.

On the Farragut bench, Coach Stephen stood in front of the players, his gaze unusually serious.

He looked around at each player, hoping they would take this friendly match more seriously.

"Our opponents are about the same strength as us. I hope you will take their strength seriously. I believe you don't want to be defeated by them."

"Yes, Coach!"

The Farragut players, led by Ronnie Fields and Garnett, responded with a shout of determination and fighting spirit.

They knew that Coach Stephen was not exaggerating.

Coach Stephen nodded in satisfaction, then took out the tactics board and began to lay out the tactics.

The tactics board was covered with various lines and markings, and his explanations were very detailed, ensuring that the players understood their responsibilities.

At the same time, he particularly emphasized close cooperation on the defensive end, reminding the players to always be vigilant, especially to watch out for the opponent's fast counterattacks.

In the final five minutes of the first half, Kogure and Naito scored ten points in a fast break.

This is also the main reason why the score difference between the two sides is getting closer.

Finally, Coach Stephen also specifically pointed out that as the team's ace, Ronnie Fields needs to shoulder the scoring responsibility in crucial moments.

Not far away, Coach Taoka was also holding a tactics board.

Surprisingly, he talked about the tactics that Shohoku was best at.

As the coach of Ryonan, he had carefully studied Shohoku and knew their tactics like the back of his hand.

Only your opponents truly understand you!
"In short, if no opportunity arises, then pass the ball to Kogure. Do you all understand?"

After outlining the tactics, Coach Taoka gave a serious reminder.

Coach Taoka highly values ​​Kogure, believing him to be invincible even in the American high school basketball scene.

This can be seen from Kogure's performance in the first half.

Ronnie Fields, a top-five high school student in the nation, was clearly outmatched in his matchup against Kogure.

This can be seen from their shooting percentages.

Kogure's accuracy is as high as 60%, while Ronnie Fields' is less than 50%.

This was only because Ronnie Fields was avoiding Kogure's attacks; otherwise, his accuracy would likely have been even lower.

Kogure's defensive abilities were further demonstrated against Ronnie Fields.

His offensive ability goes without saying; even when targeted by Farragut, he remained highly efficient.

In Coach Taoka's words, Kogure is an all-around warrior who has reached the pinnacle in every aspect!

Even in the NCAA, he would definitely have a place.

As for the NBA, Coach Taoka dared not even imagine it.

At this time, Asian players have never proven themselves in the NBA.

The first player to join the NBA was Japanese-American Wataru Misaka, who played for the New York Knicks in 1947, 54 years earlier than Wang Zhizhi.

However, Misaka Wataru never proved himself in the early days. In the 1947-48 season, he played 3 games for the Knicks and scored a total of 7 points before being cut by the Knicks.

This was back in the early days of the NBA, when the intensity of the games was far less than it is now.

In the early days of the NBA, basketball was mostly a side job for players who also had to earn a living, so their skill levels varied greatly.

The strong are very strong, and the weak are very weak!
After halftime, the players from both sides returned to the field.

Garnett won the jump ball again, giving Farragut possession.

Arnold Johnson dribbled the ball past half-court and began to orchestrate the team's attack.

Immediately, Farragut players began to pull and pull away their opponents.

Among Farragut players, Garnett has the most obvious advantage in matchups.

Garnett sprinted off, and Akagi, steeling himself, gave chase.

Although Akagi could hold his own against Garnett, Garnett was taller, faster, and had a precise mid-range shot.

Soon, with the help of his teammates, Garnett took a two-and-a-half-body lead over Akagi.

Arnold Johnson passed the ball to Garnett without hesitation.

Garnett caught the ball and was about to shoot when Akagi instinctively jumped up.

Fake action!
When Akagi jumped, he found that Garnett not only didn't jump, but instead gathered the ball and drove to the basket.

Bang~
Garnett strode into the paint, faced an unguarded basket, leaped up, and delivered a tomahawk dunk.

"Roar!"

After letting go of the rim and landing on the ground, Garnett pounded his chest and roared at Akagi.

Judging from Garnett's behavior, he acted very tough.

Of course, this is only the surface!

This is why Garnett is jokingly called "Hard Garnett" by fans.

A poem testifies to this: pounding chest and roaring as he does push-ups, a powerful jump shot from the iron-blooded guard!
Before Akagi could respond, Garnett slipped away and quickly returned to defense.

"This person is sick!"

Akagi scratched his head, staring blankly at Garnett's retreating figure.

Kogure had told Garnett about his background last night, and that he should pay special attention to his 'toughness'.

Offense and defense reversed!

Kogure steadied himself and then dribbled the ball past midfield.

Surprisingly, he was no longer guarded by Ronnie Fields, but by Arnold Johnson.

Ronnie Fields stood in front of Mitsui, not because he didn't want to defend Kogure, but mainly because of the coach's arrangement.

In the latter part of the first half, Mitsui made four three-pointers, becoming the main target of Farragut's defense.

Ronnie Fields is a significantly better defender than Arnold Johnson.

Furthermore, Ronnie Fields is taller and faster than Mitsui, and even his physical strength surpasses Mitsui's.

Under his close defense, Mitsui felt very uncomfortable and had no opportunity to play for a long time.

"Wow, this is the strength of a five-star high school student?"

Mitsui was breathing heavily. Ronnie Fields' strength did not make him back down; instead, it aroused his competitive spirit.

In fact, there is still a significant gap in ability among five-star high school students, just like there is a gap between NBA stars.

However, fame doesn't mean everything.

There are many people whose fame exceeds their ability; gOat is a prime example.

Every time a player loses in the finals, whoever is matched up against gOat always manages to put on a stellar performance and land a big contract. In particular, gOat even helps his matched-up player become the Finals MVP!

He is the undisputed GOAT in NBA history for his acts of kindness!

Kogure was very curious about how gOat managed to get so many first and second defenses.

They really vote with their feet, voting for whoever has the biggest name, or perhaps the league or Nike are pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Apart from Mitsui, all the other teammates were also tied up.

Seeing that his teammates hadn't shown any opportunity yet, Kogure decided to take matters into his own hands.

Kogure changed direction in front of him and broke through to the right.

Arnold Johnson quickly shifted his feet to the side, but Kogure didn't change direction and continued his relentless charge. Thud!
As soon as the two made contact, Arnold Johnson involuntarily took a step back.

The two were clearly not on the same level; it felt like Maki was facing off against Fujima!

After successfully breaking through, Kogure strode into the basket and easily scored a layup.

Throughout the entire process, the opponent did not provide any backup defense.

"Thinking that by marking my teammates, you can isolate me and easily win the game? You're sorely mistaken!"

Kogure glanced at Arnold Johnson, his eyes filled with undeniable confidence.

He immediately saw through his opponents' plans; they had clearly devised a specific tactic to cut off Kogure's connection with his teammates.

Unfortunately, they underestimated Kogure's strength.

Kogure was not bothered; he quickly adjusted his playing style, focusing on scoring and showcasing his scoring ability without reservation.

In the Shohoku team, with the sudden rise of his teammates, Kogure was not able to play to his heart's content due to the need to coordinate relationships with them.

This friendly match was different; his teammates didn't have a chance, so he naturally didn't hold back.

Farragut Academy's offense remained sharp, with Ronnie Fields and Garnett's inside-outside combination consistently causing trouble for their opponents.

shuh~
Soon after, Garnett received a pass from Ronnie Fields and made a mid-range jumper.

Offense and defense reversed!

Kogure did not dribble the ball across half-court, but instead passed it to Sendoh.

At this moment, Sendoh became the 'old fish', and his main task was to dribble the ball across half the court.

Once Sendoh had the ball across half-court, Kogure began running off the ball.

His positioning ability is also top-notch, almost equivalent to Reggie Miller in high school basketball.

The difference is that Kogure's physical condition is not weak.

With the help of his teammates' screens and his ability to read defensive gaps, he constantly changed positions, looking for openings and leaving Arnold Johnson constantly on the defensive.

In the blink of an eye, Kogure had his chance.

Sendoh kept part of his attention on Kogure, and the moment an opportunity arose, he immediately passed the ball to Kogure.

Beyond the three-point line, Kogure caught the ball and shot, and Arnold Johnson reached out but couldn't stop him.

shuh~
The basketball traced a beautiful arc and plunged into the basket.

Arnold Johnson shrugged, indicating his helplessness.

Arno Johnson is a senior in high school and has been practicing at Farragut Academy for two and a half years.

However, he believed that even if he practiced for another two and a half years, he would still not be a match for Kogure.

Arnold Johnson couldn't help but look at Ronnie Fields, hoping the other could lend him a hand.

Unfortunately, Ronnie Fields looked helpless.

It's not that he doesn't want to help, it's that he can't.

In fact, even he could hardly limit Kogure's performance.

This is also the main reason why Coach Stephen matched up against Mitsui, so as to free up Ronnie Fields.

In short: A superior horse versus an inferior horse!
Kogure's performance continued, and soon, through a series of passes and runs, he once again tore apart Farragut's defense.

shuh~
He shook off Arnold Johnson again and hit his second three-pointer.

His three-point shooting is no less impressive than Mitsui's, and perhaps even more consistent due to his title and skill level.

Ronnie Fields, not to be outdone, used his speed and physical advantages to break through Mitsui's defense and score with a pull-up jump shot.

The competition was in full swing, with both teams' aces starting to score points in unison.

Whether it's Kogure, Ronnie Fields, or Garnett, they all showed their best selves.

The three of them were also the most active players on the field.

Kogure performed better.

Ronnie Fields is strong, but there is still a gap between him and Kogure; his scoring efficiency is not as good as Kogure's.

Furthermore, Ronnie Fields' three-point shooting is inconsistent, which means that his scoring methods mainly rely on drives and mid-range shots.

As for Garnett, he's too thin now and can't dominate Akagi in physical duels, so he often just floats around the perimeter shooting.

Before long, Farragut Academy's lead dwindled to just three points, and they no longer had possession of the ball.

Soon, Sendoh passed the ball to Kogure hand in hand.

Using Sendoh's body as cover, Kogure made a feint to break through, and Arnold Johnson instinctively took a step back.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kogure leaped high into the air, stretching his body to its limit. With a slight flick of his wrist, the basketball flew towards the hoop.

shuh~
The basketball once again mercilessly pierced the rim.

In just five minutes, Kogure scored 15 points.

Ronnie Fields only scored 9 points, clearly demonstrating the difference in skill level.

Thanks to Kogure's outstanding performance, the score was officially tied.

Beep~
In this situation, Coach Stephen had to request a timeout.

Otherwise, if this continues, Farragut's morale may plummet.

He must stabilize morale as soon as possible in order to have a chance to compete.

At the same time, he also needs to change his defensive strategy to further target Kogure's performance, especially on the defensive end.

Kogure sat on the bench without blushing or panting, his breathing rhythm remaining steady.

For him, this kind of performance could continue until the end of the game.

He's not Mitsui, how could he possibly be exhausted in just a few minutes?

His stamina has reached 99 points, just one point away from the maximum.

Moreover, Kogure focused on organizing the team's attack in the first half and didn't attack much himself, which allowed him to conserve a lot of energy.

However, Coach Taoka still showed some concern for Kogure.

After confirming it several times, Coach Taoka visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Kogure's performance gave him even more confidence.

Coach Taoka couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of leading his team to defeat Farragut Academy.

At the same time, this will also allow him to get closer to Kongmu.

Given Kongmu's age, he has a good chance of becoming the head of the national organizing committee in the future. Having a good relationship with him will definitely benefit Ryonan.

Thinking of this, Coach Taoka couldn't help but glance at Coach Domoto, who was still sulking.

He believes that Coach Domoto's coaching career has been too smooth!
In his debut year, he was able to coach Sannoh Industrial and even win two championships.

On the contrary, Coach Taoka led Ryonan step by step to become a national powerhouse.

The two coaches have completely different mindsets.

Sometimes, things going too smoothly isn't necessarily a good thing.

In order to limit Kogure's performance, Farragut implemented a more targeted defense.

Unfortunately, whenever there is a need for help defense, rotation defense, or even a double team, Kogure will pass the ball to an open teammate first.

In this situation, Farragut College began to lose sight of its priorities.

Kogure and his teammates gradually took control of the game, breaking through the opponent's defenses time and time again through a series of exquisite teamwork.

(End of this chapter)