Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 109 Coach Anzai of Dihua

The atmosphere was relaxed and lively during halftime.

Sendoh Akira sat down next to Miyagi Ryota, draped a towel around his neck, and wore that lazy smile on his lips: "Miyagi, your timing for that breakthrough pass just now was perfect. Akagi hadn't even turned around when I received the ball, fantastic."

Miyagi grinned: "Your pass to the basket was brilliant. I had barely seen Uozumi open when you had already passed the ball to him."

Sendoh then turned to Mitsui Hisashi, who was drinking water next to him: "Mitsui-senpai's subsequent defensive rotations were also crucial. Fukuda couldn't find an open space at all in the later rounds."

Mitsui put down his water bottle, a hint of smugness on his lips but not too arrogant: "You flatter me, you flatter me. Your organizational skills are truly impressive. Being your teammate today is much more comfortable than being your opponent."

On the White Team's side, Sakuragi, Ikegami, Uekusa, Fukuda, and others were also happily boasting to each other.

On a folding chair by the sidelines, Coach Anzai turned to look at Shigeichi Taoka beside him: "Coach Taoka, your arrangement is brilliant. Mixing the players from both sides together, allowing them to quickly learn from and absorb the strengths of other teams through competition, is a good approach."

Taoka Shigeru paused for a moment, a subtle expression flashing across his face.

He originally just wanted to create the lineup he had always dreamed of and have some fun with it, never expecting that Coach Anzai would think that way.

He coughed lightly, trying to make his voice sound like he was agreeing: "Coach Anzai is indeed a shrewd judge of character; that's why he put them in mixed teams."

Coach Anzai's chin twitched twice: "Hehehe."

Taoka also laughed out loud: "Hehehe."

After a short halftime break, the second half began.

The Red Team immediately intensified their defense, with Sendoh Akira personally dribbling the ball across half-court to act as point guard, and Miyagi Ryota starting to cut to the basket without the ball.

Sendoh faced Sakuragi's relentless pursuit at the top of the arc, with Sakuragi sticking close behind and keeping pace with him.

Sendoh dribbled behind his back, then spun around, his body spinning like a top as he brushed past Sakuragi, drawing Akagi's help defense before tossing the ball high above the basket.

Jun Uozumi leaped into the air from the weak side, caught the ball with both hands in mid-air, and slammed it down.

During the White Team's offensive possession, Sendoh suddenly appeared from the side, his long arm reaching out to intercept Sakuragi's pass to Ikegami.

Fast break, long pass, the ball flies across half-court like a cannonball, Rukawa Kaede catches the ball, pushes off the ground, and slams it down with one hand in one smooth motion.

The Red Team's defensive intensity is escalating. Miyagi has begun marking Uekusa the entire court, sticking to him like a plaster, using both hands and feet to disrupt every possible angle of the ball's play.

The grass had difficulty passing the ball twice in a row and was almost forced to commit an 8-second violation.

Seeing this, Sakuragi simply dribbled the ball across half-court himself, using Akagi's screen to shake off Sendoh, and rushed into the penalty area.

Uozumi rushed out from under the basket to help defend, his massive body completely blocking the layup route.

Sakuragi jumps up with the ball, then pulls his right hand down, fakes a pass and shoots, fakes out the fish, and then lays it in with a low hand.

Immediately after Sakuragi's breakthrough, he passed the ball to Ikegami Ryoji on the outside. Ikegami caught the ball and took a mid-range shot, but Mitsui Hisashi's fingers almost blocked his face, successfully interfering with the shot, which bounced off the rim.

However, Takenori Akagi overpowered Uozumi under the basket to grab the offensive rebound, and without pausing after landing, he immediately jumped up and scored on the second-chance opportunity. The White Team regained their composure.

The game reached a fever pitch. Rukawa and Fukuda traded baskets on the wing, with Rukawa breaking through Fukuda's defense and slamming a one-handed dunk. On the other end, Fukuda responded with a layup after an assist from Sakuragi.

Mitsui Hisashi's stamina began to decline, and he missed two consecutive three-point attempts. After the second miss, Sakuragi rushed out from the side, grabbed the offensive rebound over Uozumi's head, and immediately passed it to Ikegami, who was fast breaking down. Ikegami scored on a fast break layup.

Miyagi intercepted Uekusa's cross pass, raced down the court, jumped for a layup, and then a red shadow chased after him from behind.

Sakuragi Hanamichi leaped into the air, his right hand outstretched, and the instant the ball left Miyagi's fingers, he slapped it against the backboard. A spectacular block.

The ball bounced back and Sakuragi caught it himself. After landing, he didn't even look and made a long pass across the court. The ball flew across half the court, passed twice, and landed precisely in Fukuda Kichijou's hands. Fukuda easily made a layup.

The white team took the lead again, 35 to 33.

At the crucial moment, the Red Team's ace stepped up.

Sendoh Akira called for a screen from Uozumi, shook off Sakuragi, and then, facing Akagi's help defense, made a fadeaway jump shot.

In the next round, Sendoh intercepted Uekusa's pass to Akagi and passed it to Mitsui Hisashi on the wing during a fast break.

Mitsui receives the ball and hits an open three-pointer.

The Red Team went on an 8-0 run, bringing the score to 41-33.

At this moment, Sakuragi Hanamichi also began to erupt, actively calling for the ball two steps away from the three-point line.

As soon as Sakuragi received the ball, Sendoh lowered his center of gravity and closed in. Sakuragi didn't dribble or take a probing step; instead, he took a pull-up jump from two steps outside the three-point line, his body straight, and flicked his wrist at the highest point.

A long-range three-pointer, swish—the sound of the net flipping up was crisp and clean.

In the next possession, Sakuragi received the ball again at the top of the arc. Sendoh's defense tightened, but Sakuragi used a change of direction and acceleration to cut past Sendoh on his right side and penetrate into the paint.

Uozumi came into position to help defend, Sakuragi jumped up with the ball, and then passed it behind his back without looking. The ball flew out from behind him and landed precisely in Akagi Takenori's hands, who slammed it down with both hands.

The atmosphere in the entire venue was completely ignited.

With three minutes left in the game, both teams were running out of steam. Rukawa started going solo, dribbling between his legs before pulling up for a jump shot, but Sakuragi used his speed to dive in from the side and interfere, his fingers brushing the edge of the ball.

Rukawa missed the shot, Akagi grabbed the rebound, Sakuragi quickly advanced the ball, and set a screen with Fukuda at the top of the arc, then bounced a pass to Fukuda who was cutting to the basket.

Fukuda attempted a layup despite Rukawa's defense, but the ball bounced off the rim and missed.

But Sakuragi suddenly appeared from the side, his red buzz cut soaring high under the lights, overpowering Uozumi to score a putback.

Miyagi's layup attempt was once again disrupted by Sakuragi and went wide.

With 8 seconds left, Sakuragi faced Sendoh and dribbled between his legs repeatedly, quickly switching the ball between his left and right hands.

Then he stepped back to the three-point line and jumped. Sendoh's fingers were just inches from the ball as he lunged forward, and the ball swished through the net.

The white team is leading by 4 points. There are only 5.2 seconds left.

In the final attack of the Red Team, Sendoh served from the sideline, Mitsui Hisashi circled out from the baseline to receive the ball, and Ikegami Ryoji desperately rushed to block it.

Mitsui forced a shot from an extremely long distance, leaning slightly forward and flicking the ball with his wrist. The ball traced a high, graceful arc through the air, bouncing once, twice, three times on the rim before falling into the net.

The final whistle blew simultaneously, ending the 20-minute match.

The white team defeated the red team 49-48, winning the game by a single point.

The substitutes from both sides jumped up from their chairs, and applause and cheers mingled together. They were cheering because they had witnessed a wonderful match, not because of the win or loss, since both teams had their own teammates.

Taoka Shigeichi stood up from his chair, put his hands behind his back, and watched the two teams of players high-fiving each other on the court. After a moment of silence, he turned to Coach Anzai and said, "Coach Anzai, I dare not predict the results of the national tournament. But if it were the Autumn National Sports Festival, even if only Shohoku and Ryonan formed an allied team..."

He paused for a moment, then said with absolute certainty, "I am fully confident that I will win the national championship."

Coach Anzai placed his hands on his stomach, his eyes behind his glasses narrowing into slits: "Hehehe, that's right."

Ryonan also has some very strong players, such as Sendoh and Uozumi.

After exchanging pleasantries with Coach Anzai, Taoka's gaze fell on the man with the red buzz cut on the field.

Sakuragi Hanamichi was surrounded by Fukuda and Ikegami, still boasting about his super long-range three-pointer, his arrogant laughter audible across half the court.

Taoka looked at him, and he had a clearer understanding of the situation than anyone else. In the mixed team competition, Sakuragi led the White Team to defeat the Red Team, which included Sendoh, Rukawa, Mitsui, Miyagi, and Uozumi.

He had 6 points and 5 assists in the first half, but in the second half he showed more long-range three-pointers, big blocks, no-look passes, and clutch plays.

He played all three roles in this 20-minute match: playmaker, defensive anchor, and attacking playmaker.

His current strength has surpassed that of the current Sendoh. Taoka Shigeru swallowed these words, crossed his arms, and sighed deeply.

"Damn the school board! This was the guarantee of the national championship! And we just missed it like that."

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