Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

In the stadium locker room, Ayako placed her sneakers on a bench and looked at Akagi's swollen ankle with a worried expression.

"Captain, you need to go to the infirmary. Your ankle is so swollen; what if you've broken a bone..."

"Use bandages."

Akagi's voice was forced out through clenched teeth. He sat on the bench, not looking at Ayako. The veins on his forehead were throbbing.

"Just make sure the bandage is tight."

Ayako's eyebrows furrowed: "Captain..."

"I told you, just tie it tight."

Akagi looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice hoarse and low. "Ayako. Three years. Three years to finally get this far, and you want me to sit on the sidelines and watch them compete?"

"Even if this leg is broken," Akagi's voice echoed in the locker room, making the hands of the wall clock jump, "I'm still going to play. I've waited three years for this chance to beat Hainan, and I can't let it all go to waste."

Ayako bit her lower lip. She knew every word Akagi said was true. But with her ankle so swollen, how could she possibly play the second twenty minutes with a bandage on? And what would happen after that? There were still two matches in the prefectural tournament, and then the national tournament…

A hand landed on Akagi's shoulder with such force that Akagi was momentarily stunned.

Sakuragi Hanamichi walked up to Akagi without anyone noticing, and his usual carefree expression had completely vanished.

He bent over, his eyes level with Akagi's. Those eyes, which usually only showed silly smiles or agitation, were now serious and unlike his usual self.

"Gorilla."

"Listen to Ayako, go to the infirmary for a checkup."

Akagi opened his mouth as if to say something. Sakuragi tightened his grip on Akagi's shoulder, pressing him back onto the bench.

"Even if you're not here, I'm still the genius." Sakuragi's lips slowly curled up, but that smile was different from his usual boastful one.

It's not boasting or arrogance, but a sense of responsibility that puts everything on my shoulders. "I will lead the team to defeat Hainan. This genius keeps his word."

Akagi looked into Sakuragi's eyes, which held only determination and confidence.

Akagi remained silent for a long time, then nodded.

"it is good."

Then he looked up at Sakuragi. "Hanamichi, hurry back. The game is still going on."

Sakuragi nodded, turned, and ran towards the door. He paused at the door, glancing back at Akagi.

"Gorilla, you better get a good check-up. By the time you get back, this genius will have already crushed Hainan."

When Sakuragi ran back to the court, the roar from the stands was still surging.

The purple-clad team from Hainan rekindled their hope... They saw Akagi being carried away and knew that Shohoku's inside pillar was gone.

"Shohoku's inside game is finished!"

"No one can stop Amu from charging in!"

"There's still a chance!"

Sakuragi strode up to Coach Anzai. "Dad! The Gorilla said he'll be back! Let this genius hold the fort!"

Coach Anzai looked at Sakuragi. "Then, Sakuragi, you'll play center."

"Position five?" Sakuragi was taken aback.

"Center." Anzai's voice was unhurried, as if he were saying something very ordinary. "Akagi's not here, you'll fill in. The paint is yours."

Then he turned to Rukawa. "Rukawa, you play power forward, help protect the rim. Guard the basket with Sakuragi."

Rukawa Kaede didn't say anything; he just nodded.

The referee blew his whistle, and the game continued.

Shohoku has possession of the ball. Ryota Miyagi receives the inbound pass from the baseline and dribbles across half-court.

With Akagi out, the offensive system lost its most stable anchor. Maki Shinichi waited for him with his arms outstretched at the top of the key. Hainan's defensive formation had expanded outwards by an inch because of Akagi's absence... They were no longer afraid of Shohoku's interior defense.

Then Miyagi saw Rukawa Kaede on the right side of the three-point line, crouching slightly, raising his right hand with his fingers spread to indicate that he wanted the ball.

Miyagi sensed something burning in Rukawa's eyes and promptly passed the ball to him.

Rukawa Kaede receives the ball and faces Kiyota Nobunaga.

Kiyota lowered his center of gravity and spread his arms. He had been suppressed by Rukawa for the entire first half of the game and had not gained any advantage in any matchup.

Rukawa receives the ball, takes a step forward with his right foot, and shifts his shoulder to the left. Kiyota follows suit, shifting his weight accordingly. Then Rukawa pulls the ball back, pushes off with his left foot, and cuts directly past Kiyota on his right side.

step.

Kiyota was only a shoulder's width away from being faked out. But Rukawa had already broken through. He cut a step inside the free-throw line, and Takasago came to help from the side, his hands raised high. Maki Shinichi shrank back into the paint from the top of the arc and jumped to block.

Hainan's two tallest defenders simultaneously closed in, completely sealing off the space in front of Rukawa.

Rukawa switched the ball to his left hand in mid-air. His entire posture in the air was sideways, his shoulder brushing past Takasago's arm. He switched the ball from his right hand to his left, and lifted the ball out from under Maki Shinichi's fingertips.

The basketball bounced off the backboard and then fell into the basket.

"Aww... Lukawa... Lukawa..."

On the west side of the stands, Rukawa Kaede's cheerleading squad went wild. The girls holding "Rukawa's Destiny" banners jumped up at the same time, their screams almost lifting the roof off the stadium.

Rukawa ran back expressionlessly, and as he passed Sakuragi, the two exchanged a glance.

The two monsters shared a single, unspoken thought: "Destroy Hainan!"

Hainan attacks. This time, Maki Shinichi is facing Miyagi's defense. Miyagi is almost 20 centimeters shorter than him, and his center of gravity is very low. He keeps interfering with Maki's dribbling rhythm with both hands.

Maki Shinichi used a crossover step to shake off Miyagi and drove straight for the basket. Sakuragi pounced and jumped to block him, his timing earlier than anyone else's, his body blocking Maki Shinichi's layup path in mid-air.

Maki Shinichi didn't force the ball; instead, he flicked it to the right in mid-air.

Takasago receives the ball on the right side of the basket, and there's no one next to him... Sakuragi goes to tackle Maki Shinichi. Takasago pushes off the ground with both feet and jumps for a layup against the unguarded basket.

A black shadow suddenly appeared from the bottom line.

Rukawa Kaede.

His jump height caught Takasago completely off guard. Rukawa spread his right hand and slammed the ball against the backboard the instant Takasago released his shot.

The backboard thudded with a dull thud. A devastating block.

But the ball bounced off and landed right in the hands of Kiyota Nobunaga, who was rushing into the paint. Kiyota caught the ball, and without hesitation, he jumped up and put it back in for a putback.

He jumps very high, his body spreads out in the air, and he sends the ball toward the basket with his right hand.

A red-haired shadow rose up from the side of Kiyota.

Sakuragi Hanamichi.

He pounced on Kiyota the moment he landed, leaping from Kiyota's side to the wing of the basket, his right arm fully extended, and slapped the ball away just as Kiyota released it.

The roar of the stadium reached its peak at this moment, with two consecutive blocks: Rukawa blocked Takasago's shot and Sakuragi blocked Kiyota's shot.

Shohoku's interior defense is even tougher than before, even without Akagi.

Kogure retrieved the ball near the sideline, held it in his arms, and looked up to find Miyagi.

Miyagi had already started from the flank. Kogure passed the ball forward with both hands, Miyagi received it, and accelerated past midfield.

Hainan's retreat defense was quick... Maki Shinichi and Muto were already positioned outside the three-point line.

Miyagi didn't force a shot; instead, he passed the ball to Mitsui on the right. Just as Mitsui received the ball and was about to raise it, Muto pounced on him, sticking to him and constantly interfering with his shot, giving him no space to shoot.

Mitsui glanced at the situation on the field and then passed the ball across to Rukawa, who was chasing up from behind.

Rukawa receives the ball outside the three-point line.

In front of him was Kiyota, who had returned to his defensive position. Kiyota took a step back, lowering his center of gravity, focusing on defending against drives but not shots. Rukawa immediately pulled up for a jump shot, flicking his wrist out at the peak of his jump.

Swish... Three points into the net.

"Beautiful!" The entire Shohoku bench jumped up.

Hainan attacks. Maki Shinichi once again breaks through Miyagi's defense, drawing a double-team from Sakuragi and Rukawa before passing the ball to Ajin on the outside. Ajin receives the ball beyond the three-point line, and Mitsui rushes over to block... but Ajin's release is too quick.

Swish... Three-pointer made.

The numbers on the timer kept ticking away, and the whistle blew to end the first half.

A sharp electronic sound echoed through the stadium, and everyone in the stands looked up at the scoreboard at the same time.

Hainan 36:59 Xiangbei.

23 points difference.