Slam Dunk: My physical abilities can be increased indefinitely.

By the seventh minute of the first quarter, Sendoh had taken five shots and made three: a three-pointer, a mid-range jumper, and a layup.

I got seven points, which isn't a small number, but it took a lot of effort to score each point.

Unlike Takezato and others, Maki Shinichi's defense is not like that of the others, who can be easily beaten in one step. His positioning is always in the most uncomfortable angle for Sendoh, forcing Sendoh to make unnecessary movements, forcing him to dribble the ball a couple more times, and forcing him to take unfamiliar routes.

Taoka called a timeout, called Sendoh to the sidelines, didn't give him water, and grabbed his shoulder to push him into a chair.

Sendoh's breathing was heavier than usual, his chest heaving greatly, and sweat dripped from his chin onto the floor.

"You're too eager to prove you're faster than him." Taoka squatted down, his voice not loud, but each word was clearly enunciated. "You don't need to prove that. You just need to play to your own rhythm. Don't follow his rhythm. Maki Shinichi is forcing you to speed up. If you go too fast, your changes of direction will become distorted."

Sendoh didn't speak. He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the Endurance B+ on the system panel flashed in the corner of his vision.

"I know how to fight now." Sendoh stood up.

Taoka glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions. He patted him on the back and said, "Go."

Sendoh walked back onto the field.

Maki Shinichi stood slightly to the right of the arc, in the same defensive position, neither too far nor too close, neither too far forward nor too far back, with his palms open and his center of gravity lowered, like a fully drawn bow.

Sendoh received the ball two steps outside the three-point line. He stood there, dribbled with his right hand, once, twice, three times, at a very slow pace. The sound of the ball hitting the floor was particularly clear in the noisy arena.

Maki Shinichi took a step forward, and Sendoh called for a screen.

Uozumi stepped up and blocked Maki Shinichi's right side. This time, Sendoh didn't take the left path; he took the right path, cutting past Uozumi's body.

Maki Shinichi was blocked and was a beat too slow, allowing Takasago to switch onto the defensive line.

Sendoh did not slow down when facing Takasago, and broke through in a straight line. Takasago retreated, and Sendoh suddenly stopped. Takasago's center of gravity stopped as well. Sendoh accelerated again, changing his rhythm, stopping and starting, fast and slow. Takasago tripped and his body leaned to the left. It was in that moment that Sendoh cut in from his right side.

Kiyota Nobunaga flew over from the weak side to help defend, just as quickly as last time. This time, Sendoh didn't go for a layup; he jumped from the free-throw line. Kiyota Nobunaga was waiting for him in the air, but Sendoh didn't go for the basket. Instead, he passed the ball to Koshino in the corner.

When Yueye received the ball, there was no one two meters in front of him. He adjusted his footwork, took the shot, and hit a three-pointer.

Goal!

The Ryonan supporters in the stands went wild. Some were shouting, some were banging drums. The drumbeats were chaotic but the sound was loud.

Yueye held up three fingers as he ran back, his expression not one of excitement, but of relief at surviving a close call, the kind of "I actually made it" look on his face.

He ran up to Sendoh and held out his palm. The two of them high-fived, their palms clapping together with a loud "smack".

Hainan offensive.

Maki Shinichi dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, where Sendoh defended.

This time, Maki Shinichi didn't pass the ball; he wanted to take the shot himself. He dribbled with his right hand and broke through to the right side. Sendoh followed with a slide step, and Maki Shinichi suddenly stopped, leaned back, and took a mid-range shot.

Sendoh jumped up to block the shot, but his fingertips missed by a few centimeters. The ball flew over his head, hit the backboard, and bounced into the basket.

After landing, Maki glanced at Sendoh, said nothing, turned around and went back to defense, answerball.

Sendoh stared at Maki Shinichi's back for two seconds, then raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Maki Shinichi's attack point was too high, and he also leaned back in mid-air.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 18-16, with Ryonan trailing by two points.

Sendoh walked off the court, picked up a towel from the bench, and covered his head. In the darkness beneath the towel, he opened the system panel and looked at his bounce rating: B+. If he could get it to A- with another boost, he would at least have touched that ball.

But I don't have enough points. After adding flexibility yesterday, I only have 15 points left. One jump requires 5 points, and after adding those, I only have 10 points left. There are still three games left, and my stamina will be depleted more and more. I also need to reserve points for stamina.

He turned off the panel, pulled the towel off his head, stood up, and walked over to Taoka.

"Coach, I want to play more off-ball in the second quarter."

Taoka looked up at him. "Positioning?"

"Yeah. Holding the ball is too tiring. Maki Shinichi's defense doesn't give me any space, so I run and let him chase me to wear him down."

Taoka thought for a moment and drew a few circles on the tactics board. "Koshino, move up to the high post to provide support. Uekusa, dribble the ball across half-court and pass it to Koshino. Sendoh, come out from the weak side to receive the ball after the screen. Fukuda, stand in the corner to create space. Uozumi, stand in the low post on the strong side. If Kiyota Nobunaga dares to help defend Sendoh, just lob it to Uozumi."

At the start of the second quarter, Ryonan launched the first attack.

Yuzuru dribbled the ball across half-court and passed it to Yueye in the high post.

Sendoh started from the left baseline, ran a lap around the baseline, and went around an off-ball screen. Fukuda helped him block Maki Shinichi who was chasing. The block only lasted for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Sendoh ran to the right 45-degree position to receive the ball. When he received the ball, Maki Shinichi was still about a step behind him.

Sendoh received the ball and jumped to shoot a three-pointer. Maki rushed over from behind and touched his arm.

The whistle blows, and the ball goes in.

3+1.

Sendoh stood at the free-throw line, rubbing his arm that had been slapped red. He took the ball from the referee, slapped it twice, and shot. The free throw went in, and he scored four points in one possession.

Ryonan took a two-point lead, 18-20.

The drums in the stands started again, this time even more frequently than before. The drummers were probably getting excited, and the rhythm was twice as fast.

Off-road shouted "Defense!" and Uekusa followed suit. Then the whole team started shouting. It was hard to hear clearly when all five of them shouted the word at the same time; it was just a cacophony of buzzing sounds that made your eardrums itch.

Hainan attacks, and Sendoh continues to move around, not to defend against Maki Shinichi, but to front him and prevent Maki Shinichi from receiving the ball.

Hainan's point guard dribbled at the top of the key for a long time, but couldn't pass the ball in, and finally passed it to Kiyota Nobunaga.

Kiyota Nobunaga faced Koshino's defense, dribbled twice and then pulled up for a shot. His jumping ability was indeed good; after jumping, his knees were almost up to Koshino's chest. However, he released the shot too hastily, and the ball bounced off the front edge of the rim.

Uozumi grabbed the rebound from Takasago and passed it to Uekusa.

Sendoh was running, from the backfield to the frontfield, running without the ball, without slowing down, with Maki chasing behind, the two of them making a rapid clattering sound on the floor.

Sendoh bypassed a screen, and Maki bumped into Fukuda's shoulder, slowing him down slightly, allowing Sendoh to catch the ball.

This time, after he got the ball, he wasn't facing Maki Shinichi, but Kiyota Nobunaga who had switched onto him.

Although he was 10 centimeters shorter, he had a good jump, quick hands, and agile feet. Sendoh did not underestimate him. He dribbled the ball with his right hand and took a step to the right. Kiyota followed with a slide step. Sendoh stopped abruptly, crossed his legs and switched to the left. Kiyota followed again. Sendoh stopped abruptly again and switched his legs behind his back to the right.

After three consecutive changes of direction, Kiyota's footwork completely went haywire, and he veered slightly to the left.

Sendoh broke in from his right side, and this time no one could help defend him. Takasago was stuck under the basket by Uozumi and couldn't get out, while Jin Soichiro on the weak side was too far away.

Sendoh jumped with both feet, raised the ball above his head with his right hand, and the dunk wasn't the kind of exaggerated dunk over someone, but a very steady one-handed dunk. When the ball hit the rim, he didn't even use much force with his wrist.

When he landed, Sendoh glanced at the scoreboard: 20 to 22.

He turned to look for Maki Shinichi, who was standing outside the three-point line looking at him with a blank expression, but his fingers were touching his wristband, turning it slowly in circles.

Sendoh knew that gesture; when Maki Shinichi was nervous, he would touch his wristband, not by pinching it with his fingers, but by clenching it with his whole palm.

He made the same move in the last 30 seconds of overtime in last year's game video.

Sendoh watched that videotape seventeen times, and each time he would linger on that scene for a long time.

Shinichi Maki's wristband is black, wide, and worn on his left wrist. When he clenches it, the veins on the back of his hand bulge out.

Sendoh turned back to defend, not giving him another glance.