Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 151 Monkey Boss VS Fat Gorilla

Seeing that Uozumi wasn't falling for his tricks, Kawata Masashi also gave up floating on the outside and started diving into the paint.

The two giants began a physical battle for position under the basket, and the two sides entered into a positional offensive and defensive battle.

Akira Sendoh has the ball at the top of the arc, facing Kazunari Fukatsu's close marking.

Fukatsu lowered his center of gravity and spread his arms wide. He had given Maki Shinichi a hard time in the semifinals of last year's national tournament.

Sendoh didn't call for a screen, but instead lowered his shoulders and used his body to force his way through, his right shoulder slamming into Fukatsu's chest.

Fukatsu was pushed back half a step, his brows furrowing sharply. He was all too familiar with this feeling; it was the same way he was physically overpowered and pushed into the paint when he was defending Maki Shinichi in last year's semifinals.

However, unlike Maki Shinichi, when he tried to lead Sendoh into the defensive trap set by Sannoh and have Nobe and Matsumoto close in from both sides, Sendoh used his height advantage to throw the ball high with one hand just as the double team was about to close in.

The pass went over Fukatsu and Matsumoto's heads, arcing past Nobe's fingers.

Fukuda Kichou used his speed to cut from the bottom corner, shaking off Nobe Masahiro, and received the ball in mid-air.

Masashi Kawata immediately rushed out from under the basket to help defend, but Fukuda didn't force his way in. Instead, he threw the ball with both hands to Jun Uozumi, who was left open to receive it.

Uozumi received the ball, took two steps, and leaped into the air, slamming a two-handed dunk over Nobe Masahiro who was coming to help defend.

Bang! With a loud thud, the ball went in.

"Yay! Boss Monkey dunked!" Yan Yi and the others jumped up and cheered.

"Uozumi—Uozumi—Uozumi—" The Ryonan students in the stands also erupted in cheers.

Ryonan's attack was fluid and seamless; the three-man link-up caught Sannoh off guard.

During Sannoh's offensive possession, Masashi Kawata, after securing his position in the low post, raised his right hand to call for the ball, ready to go head-to-head and return the ball.

Seeing this, Fukatsu lobbed the ball in, and Kawata, after receiving the ball, leaned against Uozumi and began to forcefully push in. After pushing twice, Uozumi did not budge.

Kawada pushed harder, but it still wouldn't budge.

Jun Uozumi couldn't help but speak up sarcastically from behind, his voice laced with undisguised mockery: "Is this all you've got for back-to-the-basket moves? Are you just tickling me?"

Masashi Kawata gritted his teeth and could only turn around and take a step back to shoot. Uozumi jumped to block the shot immediately, but he was too late. The ball flew over his fingertips and fell into the basket.

Ryonan's offensive was centered around Sendoh, Fukuda, and Uozumi.

Sendoh plays a more connecting role. He rarely chooses to finish directly, but instead uses his breakthroughs to draw the defense and then passes the ball to Fukuda for a cut and Uozumi for a finish under the basket.

Every time Uozumi receives the ball in the low post, he doesn't force a shot against Masashi Kawata. Instead, he steadily protects the ball and passes it out as soon as his teammates make an open run.

While his playmaking may not be as flashy as Sendoh's, it is simple, solid, and effective. Every handoff, every off-ball screen, and every high-post reception is precisely timed to coincide with the moment his teammates need it most.

Masashi Kawata received the ball with his back to the basket under the rim, made two back-to-the-basket moves to create space, then turned and shot a jump shot that bounced off the backboard and went in – a smooth and seamless motion.

After landing, he looked at Uozumi and said, "Why do you keep passing the ball out? Come and have a head-to-head battle with me under the basket."

A center should fight for victory at that position. What's the point of you just passing the ball around? Are you afraid to go toe-to-toe with me?

Jun Uozumi glanced down at him, then snorted expressionlessly, his disdain practically overflowing from every word. His words struck Kawata's sore spot precisely: "So what was the point of you just floating around outside shooting at the beginning? Why didn't you come to the basket and challenge me then?"

Masashi Kawata opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. This big guy from Ryonan, how come he's so cunning?

Ryonan launched an attack, and this time Uozumi took the initiative to pull out and set a solid screen for Sendoh. He stood firmly with his feet on the ground and turned his body to the side, like a wall that suddenly grew out of the ground.

Sendoh used the cover to shake off Fukatsu's entanglement and cut towards the bottom corner. Uozumi set a screen and then cut down, spreading his arms to simultaneously block Kawata Masashi behind him and Nobe Masahiro on the flank.

His massive 202-centimeter frame created a passage to the basket for Fukuda.

Fukuda cut in from the other side to receive a pass from Sendoh and easily made the basket.

In the stands, Tsukuba University basketball coach Satoshi Ohno watched Uozumi's entire process, from playmaking to screens to positioning to rebounding, and his eyes shone with the scrutinizing gaze characteristic of evaluating players.

He turned his head and whispered to his companion, his admiration undisguised: "Although Uozumi's offense under the basket is mediocre, he really can't gain an advantage in a one-on-one matchup against Kawata Masashi."

However, his rim protection, rebounding, and most importantly, his high-post playmaking ability are all superior to Kawata Masashi's. In terms of his contribution to the team, he is no less important than Kawata.

Kawata is indeed the best high school center in the country, and his abilities are more comprehensive, but in terms of role, Uozumi is more suitable for our system.

A center forward who can do so many unassuming things in the penalty area—that's exactly the type of player we at Tsukuba need. Offense can be developed gradually, but defensive instincts and playmaking awareness are the most important.

On the court, Sannoh's offense was multifaceted, with Fukatsu's mid-range shots, Sawakita's drives, Kawata's finishing under the basket, and Matsumoto's open shots, each capable of creating scoring opportunities independently.

The ball moved smoothly between them, and the pace of the attack varied greatly, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

Their scoring relied heavily on the defense of Fukuda and Koshino. Fukuda's lateral movement was slow and easy to break through, while Koshino's size was not an advantage when facing Matsumoto.

However, thanks to Sendoh's control of the rhythm, Fukuda's tireless cuts, and Uozumi's steady play in the paint, Ryonan kept the score difference between two and four points, never allowing Sannoh to pull away to a safe distance.

In the stands, whispers began to circulate. A sports reporter wearing glasses lowered his voice and said to his colleague next to him, "Ryonan from Kanagawa, this team that's made it to the national tournament for the first time, is actually putting up a good fight against Sannoh. They're quite impressive."

On the sidelines, Sannoh coach Goro Domoto crossed his arms and gently stroked his chin with his fingers.

His gaze swept from Sendoh on the field to Fukuda, and then from Fukuda to the three members of Ryonan's trident: Uozumi.

Sendoh's organization, Fukuda's off-ball movement, and Uozumi's rim protection defense—all three are ace-level players.

He mentally assessed that the Ryonan team in front of him was much stronger than the Hainan team last year. Last year, Hainan's offense was relatively simple, relying more on Maki Shinichi to break through and attract double teams before passing the ball.

However, Ryonan has three core players, and their center, number 4 Uozumi Jun, is not afraid of Kawata at all. He is even better at protecting the rim and making plays, making them a formidable team.

With 13 minutes played in the first half, the score difference was only 3 points, with Sannoh in the lead.

During a dead ball situation, Goro Domoto stood up, made a substitution gesture toward the scorer's table, and then called Satoshi Ichinokura to the sidelines.

"Go up and mark Sendoh. Your only task is to wear him down. Whether he has the ball or not, whether he's in the attacking or defensive third, stick to him. By the end of the first half, I need to see his stamina waning."

Satoshi Ichinokura nodded, then ran onto the field expressionlessly and high-fived Matsumoto as he came off.

>