Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 95 Oh my god! Taoka actually started using a triangle offense.

At halftime, the players from both sides filed out of the player tunnel.

The moment the players stepped back onto the wooden floor of the court, the roar from the stands exploded like a powder keg being ignited.

The drums in Ryonan's blue support zone beat in unison, the rhythm of banging empty water bottles resembled the marching drums of an army, and the screams of hundreds of people chanting "Ryonan will win! Ryonan will win 3" were extremely penetrating.

Tokuo Horita, carrying the "Flame Man" flag on the right, led a group of delinquent students, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Rise up, San! Go San!"

The four members of Sakuragi's gang stuffed small steel balls into empty water bottles, banged them together, and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Go Hanamichi! Go Shohoku!"

The three forces fought independently, their shouts completely out of sync, and their morale was a whole level weaker than the well-trained blue army on the other side.

The referee blows the whistle. The second half begins, and Shohoku has possession of the ball.

As Miyagi Ryota dribbled past half-court, his gaze instinctively swept towards the inside, and then he saw Rukawa Kaede already in position beyond the three-point line on the wing, his body slightly crouched, his right hand raised high, beckoning for the ball.

Seeing this, Miyagi passed the ball over.

Rukawa received the ball, and Sendoh was already closing in. The two formed a one-on-one situation on the right side of the arc, the blue and white number 7 and the red number 11, and all eyes in the arena were drawn to them in that instant.

Sendoh lowered his center of gravity, spread his arms, and the lazy smile on his lips was still there, but his eyes no longer had the relaxed look they had in the first half.

He looked into Rukawa's eyes and said, "You decided in the first half to save your energy for the second half, didn't you?"

Rukawa Kaede, holding the ball, his medium-length black hair obscuring half his face, spoke: "That's right, it's my turn to step up in the second half. I won't back down from the championship trophy."

As soon as he finished speaking, Rukawa pushed off the ground with his right foot. The explosive power of his first step tore apart Sendoh's defensive balance, not through feints, but through pure, unreasonable speed.

He cut past Sendoh on the right, dribbled once, and had already broken into the free-throw line.

Ryonan's zone defense quickly contracted, and Jun Uozumi pressed forward from under the basket, arms raised high. Hiroaki Koshino immediately abandoned his defense on Miyagi and rushed over from the weak side to help defend, simultaneously covering Rukawa's shooting space with both hands.

Three people, surrounded from three sides.

Faced with a double team, Rukawa did not pass the ball. Instead, he stopped abruptly and jumped through the gap between Uozumi and Koshino's blocks, leaning his body slightly backward in the air and flicking the ball out with his right hand.

The ball passed through the narrow gap between the fish-like fingertips and the off-roader's arm, hitting the backboard and going into the basket.

In the press box, Aida Yayoi nearly flung her pen away.

"Three people are surrounding you and you still force a shot? That's too reckless!" Her eyes widened, and then she saw the ball fall steadily into the basket. Her mouth opened and closed for a moment.

Are young people these days so confident?

The Rukawa Kaede fan club, which had been silent for the entire first half, suddenly erupted. Dozens of girls in white short skirts and cheerleading uniforms jumped up from their seats, their screams piercing the noise wall of the stadium like an awl, even disrupting the drumbeats on Ryonan's side by half a beat.

The shouts of "Aww—Lucawa! Lukawa! LOVE, Lukawa—" grew louder and louder.

The four members of Sakuragi's gang were startled by the sudden sound, and almost dropped the empty bottles in their hands.

In the stands, Kenji Fujima watched as Rukawa Kaede, after being triple-teamed and making a powerful shot, ran back to the backcourt expressionlessly and uttered two words: "As expected."

Hanagata Toru pushed up his glasses beside him but didn't say anything.

On the other side of the stands, the Hainan University Affiliated Team sat silently. Mu Shenyi stood with his arms crossed, his face expressionless.

Kiyota Nobunaga stood beside him, watching Shohoku's number 11 player who was retreating to defend on the court. His lips moved several times before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "This guy—was he deliberately conserving his energy in the first half?"

Maki Shinichi didn't say anything. He was in a bad mood because he was eliminated and couldn't go to the national competition. He hadn't said a word since he sat down.

But as his gaze swept across Ryonan's triangular passing and Shohoku's Rukawa Kaede's individual plays, and the close score difference between the two teams, he had to admit that Shohoku and Ryonan were indeed a cut above Hainan this year.

Offense and defense transitioned. Sendoh Akira dribbled the ball across half-court, his expression the first truly serious look on his face all game. The lazy arc of his foot disappeared, replaced by a calm focus.

Facing Rukawa's defense at the top of the arc, Rukawa's center of gravity was lower than in the first half, and his arms were spread wider.

This time, Sendoh didn't call for a screen from Koshino. He glanced at the paint and lobbed the ball to Jun Uozumi in the low post with one hand. The moment the ball left his hand, Sendoh began his off-ball movement. He cut towards the paint, with Kaede Rukawa closely following, their footsteps clashing at the edge of the restricted area.

Sendoh made a reverse run, pushed off the ground with his feet, and his body suddenly turned back to the outside of the three-point line. Rukawa was faked out by half a step, but immediately pounced on him again.

Sendoh received a pass from Uozumi beyond the three-point line and assumed a shooting stance. Rukawa leaped in mid-air to block the shot, but Sendoh gathered the ball and faked a move. He lowered his center of gravity, cut past Rukawa, and drove towards the basket.

Sakuragi Hanamichi lunged from the weak side, immediately releasing Fukuda Kichijou. His red buzz cut left a trail of afterimages under the lights as he blocked Sendoh's path of breakthrough.

Just as Sakuragi lunged at him, Sendoh slammed the ball hard onto the floor, delivering a bounce pass. The ball bounced off Sakuragi's feet and flew precisely into Uozumi Jun's hands.

Uozumi received the ball and, without hesitation, tossed it to the right side of the basket with both hands. Fukuda Kichou received the ball on the completely open weak side, jumped up with both feet, and slammed it in with one hand.

The entire offensive play, from Sendoh's run to Fukuda's dunk, involved the ball changing hands three times between the three players in less than four seconds, flowing smoothly like water.

On the sidelines, Shigeichi Taoka crossed his arms, a slow smile spreading across his face, his chin held high.

That's it! The triangular attacking combination of Sendoh, Uozumi, and Fukuda is his secret weapon specially prepared for this championship battle.

Uozumi's low-position support, Sendoh's organization and coordination, and Fukuda's cut to finish the attack.

Sendoh doesn't need to use his individual skills to score one-on-one; he just needs to keep passing the ball between the three players, and every pass stretches and pulls at Shohoku's defensive formation.

Rukawa was caught off guard by Sendoh's counter-run, leaving Fukuda open when Sakuragi came to help defend. Akagi was pulled out by Uozumi to provide support. There was bound to be a gap in the chain.

Once you find a weakness in the defense, you can strike and kill.

He turned his head and glanced at the empty folding chair on the Shohoku bench. Coach Anzai wasn't there, and with Shohoku's group of high school players, they wouldn't be able to find a way to cope.