Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

The timeout came soon after.

The players of both teams returned to the court.

Tanaka Shigeichi observed the mental state of Luoan's players. It was evident that their momentum had shifted. It seemed that Coach Kasahara's adjustments had allowed them to regain their rhythm. The next phase of the game would surely be a tough battle.

However, Tanaka Shigeichi didn't worry too much. With Kenichi Uesugi now on the team, Ryonan was far from weak. If they couldn't maintain such a significant lead, there would be little hope for them in the national competition this year.

The game continued.

Luoan attacked Ryonan's half again. Aida Shusuke brought the ball upcourt. He scanned the field briefly, making a gesture as though he might pass at any moment. This move immediately drew the attention of Uekusa, who started guessing the direction of Aida's pass.

But in a sudden burst of speed, Aida Shusuke accelerated and drove to the right, swiftly bypassing Uekusa. Caught off guard, Uekusa tried to recover, but it was too late—he had lost his defensive position and could only watch helplessly as Aida Shusuke made his way toward the basket.

Rather than pushing further into the paint, Aida chose to take a quick stop jump shot.

"Swish!"

The ball sailed through the net. The score was now 20:4, and Luoan had finally broken their long scoring drought.

The players on the court cheered, and even the students who had sneaked in stood up and applauded.

Coach Kasahara, relieved to see his team score, now had a glimmer of hope. As long as their offense could stay on track, there was still a chance to close the gap. The real fear had been the possibility of Ryonan scoring relentlessly while they couldn't even manage a single basket.

On the court, Uekusa looked disappointed. He hadn't expected Aida Shusuke to attack him directly—after all, Aida had never done so in the past. This lapse in attention had allowed Aida to break through with ease.

Yuzumi comforted him, "It's okay. We just need to score one more goal."

In the next round, Uekusa took control of the ball. Though he considered challenging Aida Shusuke to regain the advantage, logic prevailed. Ryonan now had three major offensive threats on the court, and making a mistake would disrupt the team's offensive rhythm.

Uekusa, now calm, ignored Aida's slightly provocative look and passed the ball to Kenichi Uesugi, who had become the anchor of Ryonan's offense. Despite playing in his first high school game, Kenichi had been exceptional, and his flawless performance thus far had given Uekusa the most confidence.

Kenichi received the ball and prepared for his next move. Fukao's defense, standing in front of him, was on high alert. In their previous confrontation, Kenichi had replicated Akihiro Takai's signature move—leaving Fukao helpless. Now, Fukao was worried that Kenichi might do it again.

But soon, Fukao realized his concerns were unnecessary. Kenichi didn't need to rely on his "swaying left and right" to break him down. Instead, Kenichi used two simple fake moves to deceive Fukao and drove into the lane for a powerful dunk.

Luoan attacked again. Uekusa, determined not to give Aida Shusuke another easy chance to score, focused intently on him. However, Aida didn't plan to attack this time. He passed the ball to Akihiro Takai, who was now facing off against Sendoh, who was fully concentrated on curbing Takai's offensive play.

This time, Takai seemed to have learned from his previous mistakes. He didn't attempt to force a breakthrough against Sendoh's defense. Instead, he waited for support from his teammates. Shiramizu Rinsheng came to set a timely pick-and-roll, allowing Takai to rush inside with the ball.

Yuzumi, momentarily distracted by Shiramizu's screen, found himself too slow to defend Takai effectively. Takai's speed and agility left him behind after just a few steps. Takai surged into the paint and finished the play with a two-handed dunk.

The score was now 22:6, and while Luoan's offense was improving, Ryonan's was still running strong. On the next possession, Uekusa passed the ball to Sendoh as he crossed half court. Sendoh quickly shook off Takai Akihiro's defense and powered into the lane, using his incredible hang-time ability to avoid the blocks from Shiramizu and Takahashi Shin. He finished the play with an effortless layup.

Both teams exchanged rapid-fire offense, with the score now 47:28 after Kenichi Uesugi and Sendoh scored again. With only 10 seconds remaining in the first half, all of Luoan's players hoped to score one final basket to narrow the gap.

Aida Shusuke attempted to break through Uekusa's defense but was met with tenacity. Forced to pass, Aida found Takai Akihiro, who had little chance to shoot due to Sendoh's tight coverage. At the critical moment, Takahashi Susumu ran out to block Sendoh, and Takai seized the opportunity to step sideways and take a shot.

As soon as the ball left his hands, Takai hoped for the best, but his shot was abruptly blocked by Ikegami, who leaped into the air to swat it away.

The referee's whistle blew, signaling the end of the first half.

The score stood at 47:28, with Ryonan holding a 19-point lead.

Luoan's players weren't satisfied. While they had found their offensive rhythm later in the game, they still couldn't stop Ryonan's relentless scoring. With such a large gap, the pressure would only mount in the second half.