Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 412 Matsumoto Minoru's Redemption!

Hu~hu~
Zebei's breathing became more and more rapid. Although he had rested for a few minutes, it was difficult to guarantee his condition.

Soon, Sannoh Industrial launched an attack.

Ikegami specifically guarded Fukatsu, and with Ikegami constantly harassing him, Fukatsu had no chance.

In terms of offensive ability, Fukatsu ultimately cannot be compared with players like Rukawa and Sendoh.

This is also the main reason why Fukatsu only scored five points in the Xiangshan match.

Left with no other option, Fukatsu passed the ball to Sawakita.

After receiving the pass, Sawakita attempted a one-on-one attack against Sendoh.

Due to excessive physical exhaustion, Zebei's steps became quite heavy, losing the agility he had in his prime.

Sendoh is different; he spends most of his time organizing the team's offense and maintains a very good form.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sendoh imitated Kogure's Death Coil technique.

Under his persistent entanglement, Zebei not only couldn't shake off Xiandao, but was even almost dispossessed.

He is really too tired!
Left with no other choice, Zebei reluctantly passed the ball to Okawata.

Because he was often bullied by Kawada, he rarely passed the ball to Kawada during the game.

Kawada launched an attack using a dough basket, which was clearly better than the traditional carrying basket.

Unfortunately, he only served as the starting center for a short year, and his back-to-the-basket skills were barely up to par.

Uozumi was on high alert, but unfortunately, the results were not good.

Kawada possesses the agility of a defender, excellent ball control, and easily breaks through Uozumi's defense.

Bang~

Kawada drove into the basket and unleashed a thunderous dunk, like an East African ape.

Under his pulling, the basketball hoop was visibly deformed, giving people a sense of dread.

"Roar!"

Okawada landed on the ground, slapped his chest hard, and roared loudly.

Under Okawada's influence, the morale of Sannoh Industrial was significantly boosted.

Sannoh Industrial's tight defense continued, and Coach Domoto clearly didn't want to give up so quickly.

Although Ryonan had countermeasures against the tight defense, ultimately, it is people who execute the plan, and they also make mistakes.

pop~
When Nango received the ball, Kawada rushed out from the side and made the first steal.

Kawada quickly caught up with the rolling basketball and made a mid-range shot from 14 feet away.

Thud~ Swish~
The basketball bounced off the backboard before falling into the basket.

This is a classic bank shot!

When it comes to bank shots, most people's first reaction is probably Tim Duncan, the "fundamental skill".

With Kawada scoring again, Sannoh Industrial finally tied the score.

The Sannoh players were in high spirits, seeing a glimmer of hope for victory.

On the other side, the morale of the Ryonan team plummeted. After leading for so long, they were humiliated by the opponent tying the score in the last few minutes of the game. It would be impossible for them not to be affected.

At the crucial moment, Xian Dao finally shouldered the responsibility of being the ace.

Facing the tight defense of Sannoh Industrial, he was fearless and broke through the double blockade of Sawakita and Fukatsu with his excellent dribbling skills and precise grasp of the game rhythm.

Of course, this is also related to Zebei's heavy footwork, which greatly reduces his defensive ability.

This also greatly annoyed Zebei!
Soon, Sendoh accelerated his dribbling and drove straight to the basket.

Kawada appeared under the basket first, but Sendoh did not back down at all. The moment he stepped under the basket, he leaped up.

"Get down here!"

Kawada roared and jumped up as well, quickly slapping the basketball with his right hand.

In a critical moment, Sendoh displayed amazing physical coordination, using a beautiful reverse layup to gently flick the ball into the basket.

sigh~
The basketball hit the net.

哔～
At the same time, the referee's whistle blew.

At the referee's signal, Sendoh's score was valid, and he was also awarded an additional penalty.

At that moment, enthusiastic applause suddenly erupted from the audience.

At the free-throw line, Sendoh easily made the free throw!

This 2+1 play greatly boosted the morale of the Ryonan team.

The Ryonan team seemed to have been injected with new vitality, and they began to show a more tenacious fighting spirit in the following games.

Unfortunately, Kawata was in hot form and broke through Uozumi again, scoring with a dunk.

Compared to Okawata, Uozumi's speed and agility are undoubtedly inferior.

Because of Sawakita's influence, Kawada rarely exerted himself in this game and did not score 20 points.

Before Ryonan served, Coach Taoka came to the sidelines and said to Nango, "Nango, you'll guard Kawada!"

Among the Ryonan team, only Nango and Okawada were the closest.

Nanxiang, 192 cm tall, 88 kg.

Okawada is 194 cm tall and weighs 93 kg.

In addition, both of them possess outstanding physical qualities.

"I?"

Nanxiang was startled, then pointed to himself in disbelief.

Although Nango is known for his arrogance, it doesn't mean he's brainless.

The opponent was vaguely known as the best center in the country, and even Uozumi was at a disadvantage, let alone him.

"Nanxiang, I don't expect you to completely restrict him, just keep him occupied and lower his accuracy!"

Coach Taoka did not have very high expectations for Nango.

Nango had no choice but to agree and begin to compete against Okawada.

Since Kawata was in excellent form, Fukatsu was naturally willing to pass the ball to him when there was no opportunity.

Soon, Kawada received the basketball again.

Bang ~ bang ~
Kawada tried a backhand attack, but Nango held him off firmly, refusing to back down an inch.

After realizing that the effect was not good, Kawada decisively turned around and broke through.

Nango tried his best to defend, but he was ultimately a bit impulsive. Under Okawada's enticement, he subconsciously reached out to intercept.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Okawada changed direction and broke through, narrowly missing Nango.

As Kawada stepped into the paint, he wanted to score again with a dunk to boost the team's morale.

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Kawada and forcibly hugged him.

He was none other than Uozumi.

哔～
The referee blew his whistle and signaled that Kawada would have two free throws.

Uozumi fouled to stop Kawata from dominating the basket.

"Nanxiang, you must be more decisive!"

Uozumi patted Nango on the shoulder and then walked to the side.

Nango silently made up his mind; he didn't want Uozumi to clean up his messes again.

Swish~swish~
At the free-throw line, Kawada seemed unaffected, making both free throws.

His shooting touch has remained excellent and has not been lost despite the sudden increase in height and weight.

That's what makes Kawada so twisted!
In Kogure's view, the pillar of Sannoh Industrial is not Sawakita, but Okawata.

Kawada's strength is in no way inferior to Sawakita's, and unlike Sawakita, he does not have any personality flaws.

Furthermore, we are still in the era of the center forward, and the importance of the center forward is self-evident.

For Sannoh Industrial, Okawada is even more important than Sawakita.

At this point, Coach Domoto called Fukatsu over.

"Fakatsu, abandon the tight defense!"

Due to the ineffectiveness of the pressing defense, Coach Domoto had no choice but to give up.

There was no way around it; Ryonan's lineup was in no way inferior to Sannoh Industrial's, and more importantly, they had the 'traitor' Minoru Matsumoto, whom they knew inside and out, which greatly reduced the effectiveness of their press defense.

At Fukatsu's signal, all Sannoh players returned to their own half.

The Ryonan players visibly breathed a sigh of relief and began to control the pace of the game as they entered their half.

At this point, there were three minutes left in the game.

Soon, Matsumoto Minoru received the basketball and immediately made a mid-range shot. Thump!
Unfortunately, Matsumoto Minoru's shot missed.

Offense and defense reversed!

Fukatsu passed the ball to Kawada again, who then drove to the basket once more.

However, Okawada did not leave Nango behind.

The two raced side-by-side towards the basket.

Suddenly, Kawada abruptly stopped, leaped high into the air, and flicked his wrist slightly.

The moment he made his move, Kawada's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile.

However, his smile instantly turned serious the next moment.

After stopping in Okawada, Nango quickly stomped on the floor to forcefully halt his advance.

pop~
While the basketball was still rising, Nango delivered a powerful volleyball block, knocking the ball away first.

Fast break!

Minoru Matsumoto has an excellent sense for fast breaks and seems poised to become a fast-break player in the future of gOat.

Fukatsu was the first to react and rushed toward Matsumoto Minoru at top speed.

Soon, the two charged in side by side, heading straight for the basket.

Minoru Matsumoto stared at his close friend, showing no mercy, and delivered a reverse layup.

sigh~
The basketball swished through the net, creating a splash.

"This is a real headache!"

Fukatsu sighed softly. If Matsumoto Minoru were still with Sannoh Industrial, they wouldn't have been in such a tough fight in this match.

The game continued, and in the next two minutes, both sides scored.

sigh~
Kawada hit a mid-range jumper, tying the score again.

Not only that, Kawada also earned a free throw.

In the previous round, Kawada deliberately drew a foul from Nango.

This play was similar to Sendoh guiding Maki to draw a foul.

The difference is that Amu realized his mistake in time, and thus failed to achieve immortality.

sigh~
Kawata was in excellent form, easily hitting his serve and taking a one-point lead over Ryonan.

This was also the first time Sannoh Industrial had come back from behind in this match.

At this point, there were more than twenty seconds left in the game.

This is almost fatal for Ryonan.

"hateful!"

Nanxiang was filled with remorse. If it weren't for him, the team wouldn't have been in such a dangerous situation.

哔～
Coach Taoka had to use his last timeout.

"Nanxiang, this isn't your fault, and besides, we still have hope!"

Under Coach Taoka's guidance, Nango felt much better.

However, he was still very unwilling to give up and was determined to help the team win no matter what.

"Next, we..."

Coach Taoka began to arrange the final tactics.

On the other side, Coach Domoto was also busy arranging the defense.

If they can defend against this shot, Sannoh Industrial will likely win.

After the timeout ended, both teams returned to the court.

Ryonan launched an attack, and Sendoh steadily controlled the basketball, starting to stall for time.

Fukatsu naturally guessed Sendoh's intention and immediately pounced on him.

The two became entangled, and Sendoh, not daring to take any risks, passed the ball to Matsumoto Minoru.

However, Matsumoto Minoru's rival is Sawakita.

Even though Zebei was no longer at his peak, he gave it his all in the final moments.

pop~
At the crucial moment, Zebei disregarded the danger and reached out to steal the ball.

The basketball bounced off the floor and flew directly towards the sideline.

In the critical moment, a tall figure leaped up and lunged at the basketball.

He was none other than Nanxiang!

The moment he caught the ball, Nango forcefully twisted his body.

Before landing, he noticed that Minoru Matsumoto was the closest person to him.

Even though Matsumoto Minoru was dispossessed by Sawakita, Nango still passed the ball to him without hesitation.

Crash! Bang!
The next moment, a loud crash rang out, and Nanxiang, by sheer coincidence, knocked the referee's table to the ground, scattering the documents on it everywhere.

Along with this came an indescribable, excruciating pain from my back.

Despite the pain in his back, Nanxiang kept his eyes glued to the field.

On the court, Minoru Matsumoto received the basketball again.

At this moment, there are only three seconds left in the game.

Minoru Matsumoto raised his hand and bent his knees to assume a shooting posture.

"Don't think about it!"

Zebei jumped up instinctively because he thought Matsumoto Minoru would definitely choose to shoot.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Minoru Matsumoto crouched low to break through, then unorthodoxly shot the ball with a 38-style shot, sending it flying out of his hand at top speed.

The basketball sliced ​​through the air and headed straight for the basket.

The moment the basketball left my hand and flew out, the long whistle, symbolizing the start of the game, finally sounded.

At that moment, the orange basketball, still in flight, attracted the attention of everyone present.

The instant the basketball flew out of his hands, Matsumoto Minoru's thoughts seemed to transcend the boundaries of time, returning to that unforgettable moment.

During his junior high school years, he shone brightly and was highly sought after by many strong teams. In the end, he was moved by Coach Domoto and resolutely chose Sannoh Industrial.

In his first year of high school, he continued his outstanding performance from junior high, becoming the second ace after Kashima Fusou.

It's a pity that we were born in such a ripe season, yet now we're born in such a late one.

In his second year of high school, he was on the verge of becoming the ace of Sannoh Industrial High School, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and Zebei came along.

He suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zebei in full view of everyone.

At that moment, he felt immense self-blame and disappointment.

From then on, Matsumoto Minoru's status within the team plummeted.

Because he shared the same role as Sawakita, Coach Domoto began to force Matsumoto to learn off-the-ball skills.

However, Minoru Matsumoto had limited talent in this area.

He began to feel lost during training and was no longer as confident as before.

This has put his position within the team in jeopardy, and he may even lose his starting position.

In one important match, Matsumoto Minoru was even benched, and Coach Domoto sent out Ichinokura Satoshi, whom he had always favored.

Watching his teammates fight on the field, he felt unprecedented anxiety and helplessness.

He no longer had the same high spirits as before, and could no longer even feel the joy of basketball.

Until that moment, Coach Taoka approached Minoru Matsumoto repeatedly.

Ultimately, with Coach Taoka's sincerity, he chose to transfer to Ryonan High School.

At Ryonan High School, he rediscovered himself and found joy in basketball.

When the Winter Tournament came, he finally seized the opportunity and helped the team defeat Sannoh Industrial with his outstanding performance.

These memories played back in Matsumoto Minoru's mind like a movie.

"Go in! We absolutely have to go in!"

As he watched the basketball hurtle towards the basket, Minoru Matsumoto was screaming with excitement inside.

shuh~
Matsumoto Minoru's determination seemed to move the heavens, and the basketball finally went into the basket smoothly.

Lore!

(End of this chapter)