Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 381 Run-and-gun vs. Run-and-gun
On the Shohoku bench, Coach Kitano frowned, sensing something was amiss.

Compared to Shohoku, Ryonan's bench is significantly better, allowing for reasonable substitutions.

The situation is different for Shohoku. If Fujima were replaced by Ito Taku, the efficiency of Shohoku's run-and-gun tactics would be greatly reduced.

The problem with Takano and Nagano is that they are not fast enough and their mid-to-long-range shooting is poor, which makes them not very suitable for the run-and-gun offense.

Unless they abandon their run-and-gun tactics, Xiangyang will have no choice but to continue relying on their main players.

"Hopefully we can maintain a larger lead!"

Coach Kitano was somewhat worried and decided to observe for a while before making a decision.

On the field, Ryonan launched an attack.

Surprisingly, Ryonan significantly increased the pace of their attack.

It took Ryonan just ten seconds to complete the attack.

In this lineup, Sendoh still plays a pivotal role, organizing the team's offense.

In this offensive play, Sendoh and Fukuda used a pick-and-roll tactic.

After drawing the defense, Sendoh quickly passed the ball to Fukuda, who cut to the basket and scored with an alley-oop dunk.

Hua Hua Hua~
The duo's performance drew attention from many viewers, who cheered and shouted encouragement.

Fukuda landed on the ground, listening to the cheers of the audience, and appeared extremely excited.

He longs for the audience's approval!
"Fukuda, what are you waiting for? Get back on defense!"

A-Shen's voice rang out, waking Fukuda from his self-pity.

It was at this moment that Shohoku saw an opportunity and tried to catch Ryonan off guard by serving quickly.

Among them, Kishimoto, who was matched up against Fukuda, rushed forward at high speed.

However, they underestimated Fukuda's athletic ability.

Fukuda possesses explosive physical abilities, and upon realizing he might be holding the team back, he quickly returned to defense at top speed.

Almost in the blink of an eye, Kishimoto, who was unguarded, received the basketball and took a mid-range shot.

At the crucial moment, Fukuda arrived in time, leaped high, and successfully blocked Kishimoto's shot.

pop~
The basketball flew straight out of bounds!
"Phew, it's so dangerous!"

Fukuda took a deep breath, still shaken.

Because of him, he was almost ambushed by Xiangyang.

"Fukuda, concentrate! If you lose focus again, I'll take you off the field!"

At this moment, Coach Taoka stood on the sidelines, looking troubled, and issued a warning to Fukuda.

It's no wonder Coach Taoka is having a headache, because Ryonan also has its own group of problem children.

Of the five players present, only A-Shen was obedient and well-behaved; the other four caused Coach Taoka a lot of worry.

"I understand, Coach!"

As Fukuda admitted his mistake, he slapped his cheek hard to focus his attention.

He didn't want to be substituted in such an important game!
Soon, Xiangyang served again.

Fujima received the basketball, and Hanagata came up to set a screen.

Sendoh collided with Hanagata, and Fujima broke through the barrier.

Nango immediately switched positions, but Fujima easily broke through.

Fukuda had to cover, but Fujima assisted Kishimoto to score two points easily.

After Shohoku finished their attack, Nango followed his coach's instructions and quickly went to the baseline to serve.

Following its usual pace, Xiangyang retreated and defended at a leisurely pace, only to be caught off guard!
Ryonan launched a quick attack, and Nango immediately took off after serving.

This guy, like Sakuragi, has plenty of stamina.

To be precise, Nango is a player whose design was directly copied from Sakuragi by the animation team.

It must be said that the three monkeys are quite similar; not only are they exceptionally gifted, able to run and jump, but they are also all single-celled organisms.

Kiyota Nobunaga's first appearance in the manga was hilarious. This guy appeared by riding on the back of a bicycle, doing a 360° mid-air spin and braking with his butt, and was then knocked to the ground by Ajin's bicycle.

From Kiyota's first appearance, it's clear that this guy is meant to be a goofball.

It has to be said, number 10 is a born comedian!

Because of his height disadvantage, Kiyota Nobunaga, the "wild monkey," is more like a low-budget version of Sakuragi Hanamichi.

"Oh no! Get back to defend immediately!"

Fujima was the first to react, but it was too late.

In just three seconds, all the Ryonan players, including Nango, rushed across the halfway line.

Although the Shohoku players reacted quickly, Hanagata was overtaken by Nango.

With a five-on-four advantage in the area, Sendoh casually tossed the ball toward the basket, and Nango caught it and dunked for a score.

Bang~

"Cool!"

Nanxiang released the basket and landed on the ground, hands on his hips, beaming with pride.

"Damn it, get back to defend!"

Coach Taoka's roar rang out at just the right moment.

After fielding this lineup, Coach Taoka stood on the sidelines to supervise and prevent any problems from arising within the Ryonan Problem Children's Team.

Sure enough, within just one minute, two troubled children started causing problems.

"Yes, Coach!"

Under Coach Taoka's roar, Nango quickly returned to defense at an even faster pace.

However, Xiangyang did not launch an attack immediately.

Nan Lie looked at Fujima with suspicion: "Are they also using a run-and-gun tactic?"

Fujima's heart sank, and he had a vague sense of foreboding.

Although they can defeat their opponents with their greater experience, the opponents can maintain the form of their key players through rotation.

Shohoku is different; unless they switch to positional warfare, no one can replace them.

This is also a weakness of Xiangyang.

"It would be great if these two freshmen joined our Shohoku team."

Fujima sighed softly, his gaze falling on Nango and Kiyota Nobunaga.

Besides the two monkeys, Fujima also thought of Sakuragi and Rukawa from Shohoku.

These three monkeys and the fox are a perfect fit for Xiangyang's run-and-gun tactics.

Unfortunately, they joined other teams.

The thought of this made Fujima feel very uncomfortable.

Compared to other strong teams, Shohoku's first and second year students are undoubtedly much weaker, with only one player, Taku Ito.

Even Ito Taku, limited by his talent, will have limited future achievements.

The game continued, and through teamwork, Fujima assisted Minami to score a three-pointer.

After Chi Xia left the field, Nan Lie was completely unsealed.

Compared to Ikegami, Kiyota Nobunaga was ultimately a bit too inexperienced.

"Return to defense!"

Having learned from the previous round, the Xiangyang players quickly returned to defense.

As expected, Ryonan launched another quick attack.

Even though Shohoku returned to defend in time, Ryonan still did not slow down.

In less than ten seconds, Kiyota Nobunaga pulled away from Minami Ryō by running back.

Sendoh immediately passed the ball, and Kiyota Nobunaga dribbled into the basket.

Hanagata subconsciously assumed that Kiyota was going to make a layup, so he prepared to block it.

Kiyota rushed to the basket and jumped up to face Hanagata.

When Kiyota jumped up, Hanagata then jumped up as well.

He believed that with his height and wingspan, he could definitely intercept the ball.

However, Kiyota's jumping ability and speed clearly exceeded Hanagata's expectations.

Hanagata had barely jumped up when Kiyota had already reached the highest point.

The key is that he jumps very high; his jumping height is quite exaggerated.

Bang~

Under the astonished gazes of the audience, Kiyota dunked the ball into the basket over Hanagata.

Hua Hua Hua~
After they realized what was happening, loud applause and cheers erupted in the stadium. "That was a really high jump!"

The flower-shaped object landed on the ground, revealing an expression of disbelief.

Unexpectedly, Kiyota, who is only 178 cm tall, was able to dunk, and even dunk over him.

"See? I'm the next captain of Ryonan!"

Kiyota Nobunaga laughed heartily.

Nango immediately retorted, "Kiyota, let me reiterate, I am the next captain of Ryonan!"

Both of them believed they were the rightful next captain of Ryonan, and so they began to argue endlessly.

"You two big idiots, get back to defend!"

Coach Taoka's furious roar rang out again.

At this moment, Xiangyang has already served.

"Oops!"

The two monkeys sensed something was wrong and quickly retreated to defend themselves.

Watching the two monkeys running around, even Coach Taoka, who is known for his boundless energy, couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

Among the Ryonan Problem Children's Group, Sendoh is lazy and lacks competitiveness; Fukuda has poor stress tolerance, likes to show off, and cares a lot about what others think.

However, compared to the two lively and noisy monkeys, Sendoh and Fukuda are at least easier to manage.

The thought of having to teach them for another two and a half years made Coach Taoka feel that the future was bleak.

Despite the two monkeys' desperate efforts to get back on defense, they were too late and could only watch helplessly as Nan Lie hit another three-pointer.

"If you make the same mistake again, I'll put you on the bench!"

Coach Taoka gave the two monkeys a stern warning, saying that he hated players who weren't focused on the game.

"Yes, Coach!"

The two monkeys replied somewhat dejectedly, but then perked up and dared not be distracted any longer.

Having finally gotten playing time, they don't want to be benched again!

The game on the field was still in full swing, with both teams employing a run-and-gun tactic.

The game was full of exciting moments, with players from both sides chasing each other on the field, and almost every attack was completed within ten seconds.

The audience's emotions rose and fell with the score, and each time a point was scored, a loud cheer would erupt.

Compared to Shohoku, Ryonan's teamwork was much weaker.

After all, this Ryonan roster consists of two first-year players and three second-year players.

In contrast, Shohoku's team consists entirely of three third-year players.

In this situation, relying on their richer game experience and teamwork, Xiangyang gradually overtook the score.

By the end of the first half, the Xiangyang team had finally taken the lead.

Huhu~

The Xiangyang players left the court panting heavily, clearly exhausted.

There was no way around it; both sides were moving at such a fast pace, almost like they were doing a shuttle run, so their stamina was naturally depleted faster than usual.

Coach Kitano became increasingly worried upon seeing this.

On the other side, Coach Taoka was holding a tactics board, spitting as he prepared tactics for the second half.

After halftime, the players from both sides returned to the field.

The thing that Coach Kitano was most worried about has happened: Coach Taoka has changed the lineup again.

Center: Uozumi
Ohmae:Nango
Komae:Ikegami
Shooting Guard: Minoru Matsumoto

Point Guard: Kiyota Nobunaga
Of the five Ryonan players, only Nango remained on the court.

Surprisingly, Kiyota replaced Sendoh as point guard.

Seeing Ryonan make another lineup change, the Shohoku players on the field didn't know what to say.

This is a complete war of attrition!

During the jump ball phase, Uozumi once again overpowered Hanagata and passed the ball to Kiyota.

After bringing the ball across half-court, Kiyota immediately passed it to Matsumoto Minoru.

Kiyota's main role is similar to that of Derek Fisher, the future Lakers' "old fish," focusing on ball control across half-court and defense.

Minoru Matsumoto's role is naturally that of Kobe Bryant!

Minoru Matsumoto immediately displayed excellent form, and even though Hasegawa tried his best to defend, he was still unable to limit his performance.

sigh~
Minoru Matsumoto broke past Hasegawa and scored two points with a pull-up jumper.

Ryonan quickly retreated to defend, giving Shoyo no chance for a fast break.

Compared to the first half, Ryonan significantly strengthened their defense.

Through a series of coordinated actions, Nan Lie quickly found an opening.

Just as Nan Lie was about to shoot a three-pointer, Qing Tian arrived in time and jumped high into the air.

As he felt the touch on his fingertips, Kiyota couldn't help but smile.

Nan Lie's heart skipped a beat, and after landing, he quickly shouted a reminder: "Backboard!"

However, it was all for naught. The difference in strength between the two sides' interior players was too great. Unless they bounced out of the paint, Xiangyang simply couldn't grab any offensive rebounds.

As expected, Uozumi positioned himself behind Hanagata and easily grabbed the rebound.

Xiangyang quickly retreated to defend, a completely subconscious action on their part.

However, they did not get the quick attack they were waiting for, because Ryonan started fighting positional warfare again.

Soon, Minoru Matsumoto received the ball again.

Even though Hasegawa tried his best, Matsumoto Minoru easily broke through his defense.

Although Hasegawa is taller than Ikegami, his physical abilities are ultimately inferior.

As Matsumoto Minoru broke through Hasegawa's defense, Hanagata hurriedly covered for him.

Minoru Matsumoto jumped up to face Hanagata, but instead of shooting, he passed the ball under Hanagata's armpit.

Bang~

With no one guarding him, Uozumi dunked for a score!
Call ~
Hanagata took a deep breath and went to the baseline to serve.

bang~
Shohoku's attack ultimately ended in failure.

Perhaps due to excessive physical exertion, or perhaps because Ryonan's defense was too strong, their shooting touch was no longer on fire.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ryonan quickly overtook the score.

Among them, Ryonan's ball possession was mainly concentrated in the hands of Minoru Matsumoto.

Even if Matsumoto Minoru misses, Uozumi and Nango have a good chance of grabbing the offensive rebound.

Compared to Ryonan's tough inside game, Shoyo's inside game was ultimately too soft.

Beep~
As Ryonan took the lead, Coach Kitano immediately called a timeout.

When the timeout ended, Xiangyang made significant adjustments.

Center: Shoichi Takano
Ohmae: Mitsuru Nagano

Komae: Hasegawa

Shooting Guard: Fujima
Point Guard: Taku Ito

In order to give his beloved students enough rest, Coach Kitano temporarily abandoned the run-and-gun tactics and switched to positional warfare.

In this lineup, the offensive core is naturally Fujima.

Shohoku can only suffer for Fujima, because Fujima is the player with the best scoring explosiveness in the Shohoku team.

In this attack, Ito Taku passed the ball to Fujima.

The Shohoku players scattered, each taking their own players with them, leaving Fujima with the final offensive space.

"bring it on!"

Kiyota Nobunaga stood in front of Fujima, his face full of confidence.

If he can defeat Fujima, he will definitely become the next captain of Ryonan.

Unfortunately, Kiyota's idea was good.

Fujima first took a probing step, making a move as if he was going to break through with the ball, and Kiyota subconsciously took a step back.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fujima immediately stepped back and jumped to shoot.

Kiyota, suppressing his discomfort, immediately jumped high into the air.

To his utter bewilderment, Fujima threw the ball before he even reached the highest point of his jump.

In addition, Fujima is also left-handed!

(End of this chapter)