Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

As soon as Kenichi Uesugi was substituted off the court, a collective sigh of relief swept through the Shohoku team. His imposing presence, which had haunted them throughout the game, was finally absent. "Kenichi Uesugi is off the court! I wanted to watch him play a little longer!" one of the spectators remarked, but there was no denying the overwhelming sense of fatigue that had taken over the star player. "There's no way he could recover so quickly after yesterday's grueling match," another person added, acknowledging the toll that Uesugi's dual role as both a key offensive and defensive player had on him.

Despite his absence, there was still a feeling of tension in the air. "But without Uesugi on the court, Shohoku can definitely fight back! The game is about to get exciting!" a fan of Shohoku eagerly commented.

Among the Kainan players watching the game, Kiyata Nobunaga stood up, excitedly shouting, "Come on, Shohoku! You have the chance to make it to the national competition, so give it your all!" His encouragement was echoed by the rest of the Kainan team, who were visibly supportive of Shohoku's comeback effort. However, Maki's gaze was fixed on Sendoh, who was now wearing the No. 7 jersey on the court. Sendoh, a player Makiwas very familiar with, had often taken a backseat to Uesugi in recent matches, allowing the latter to shine. However, Maki knew better than most that Sendoh's strength remained as formidable as ever. He understood that just because Uesugi was off the court, it didn't mean the Ryonan team had become any less dangerous. "If Shohoku thinks they can catch up so easily, they're mistaken," he muttered under his breath.

On the Shohoku bench, the cheers were infectious, urging the team to capitalize on Uesugi's absence and make their move to narrow the gap. "Come on, Shohoku! Now's your chance! Close the gap, and overtake Ryonan in the first half!" their supporters shouted. Akagi, who had been deeply frustrated throughout the game, couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical. "Overtake the score in the first half? It's not that simple," he thought. He understood that the challenges on the court were not something that could be easily overcome with enthusiasm alone. Yet, despite his misgivings, Akagi couldn't deny that it was time for Shohoku to rise up and fight back.

The game resumed, and Shohoku was quick to capitalize on their first possession. Miyagi, with determination in his eyes, moved the ball forward with speed, finally breaking through to the basket. Yuzumi, Ryonan's defender, rushed forward to block him, but Miyagi smoothly made a ground pass to Akagi, who powered through with a signature "gorilla dunk," sending the ball crashing through the hoop. The scoreboard read 18:2, and Shohoku had finally managed to score their first points since Uesugi's departure. "Wow! Akagi's dunk was incredible!" one spectator marveled, while another added, "It's amazing to see Shohokuscore so quickly now that Uesugi is off the court!"

The Shohoku bench erupted in cheers as Akagi's dunk brought hope back to the team. "Well done, Akagi!" Ayako shouted from the sidelines. "Let's keep this momentum going and score again!"

Ryonan, however, wasn't about to let their lead slip so easily. Uekusa, quick on his feet, advanced the ball, spotting Yuzumi under the basket and passing him the ball. Akagi, ever the formidable defender, immediately challenged Yuzumi. "Let's see how much progress you've made," Akagi called out as he planted himself firmly in front of Yuzumi, ready for the confrontation.

Yuzumi, determined to prove himself, pushed forward with his back against Akagi, trying to use his size to his advantage. "You'll see soon enough!" he retorted. The crowd was on edge as the matchup between these two powerful centers unfolded. "It's a showdown between the top centers of Kanagawa!" one excited fan yelled, anticipating the outcome.

As Yuzumi prepared to dunk over Akagi's head, Tanaka Shigeichi, from the Ryonan bench, shook his head in disbelief. "He's trying too hard. There's no way an impulsive dunk like that will get past Akagi's defense!" His words proved true, as Akagi leaped to block the dunk, sending the ball flying back toward the court. Shohoku's bench erupted into cheers once again. "Akagi, you did it!" one of the players shouted. "Keep it up, captain!"

With the ball back in Shohoku's hands, Miyagi quickly brought it to the front court again. This time, instead of trying to break through on his own, he passed the ball inside to Akagi, whose confidence was at an all-time high after his block on Yuzumi. "Let's see if you can stop me again," Akagi said with a smirk, positioning himself for another attack.

Yuzumi, clearly upset over his previous failed attempt, came up to challenge Akagi once more. "I won't make the same mistake twice," he muttered. As Akagi turned and made a shot attempt, Yuzumi rushed to block it—but this time, Akagi faked the move and easily dodged. With a powerful dunk, the basket shook as the ball went through the hoop. 18:4. "Akagi's amazing!" one fan exclaimed. "He scored two dunks in a row, and he really is the best center in Kanagawa!"

The Shohoku bench was abuzz with excitement. "Let's go, Akagi! Keep pushing!" they cheered, and their hopes of closing the gap seemed more possible with each point.

But Ryonan was quick to strike back. As Shohokucelebrated their two consecutive dunks, Ryonanquickly executed a baseline throw-in, and in a blink, Sendoh was already running toward the basket. Akagi shouted, "Go back to defense!" but Rukawa was a step too slow, and Sendoh's dunk stretched Ryonan's lead to 20:4.

Shohoku's momentum was quickly crushed. "It's Sendoh!" a spectator said in awe. "He caught Shohoku off guard!" The sudden shift in the game left the Shohoku players frustrated, especially Akagi, who had hoped his team could capitalize on Uesugi's absence. "That was a blow to our morale!" he growled.

Despite the setback, Shohoku kept pressing. Miyagi passed to Akagi once again, who was now facing a determined Yuzumi. This time, Akagi decided to shoot instead of fake. As Yuzumi rushed to block the shot, Akagi's ball soared through the air—but just before it could land in the hoop, Sendoh appeared from behind Yuzumi and made a stunning block.

"Wow! Sendoh just blocked Akagi's shot!" one spectator shouted. "He's unbelievable!" another added. It was a shocking moment, proving once again that Ryonan had more than enough firepower to back up Uesugi's absence.

Sendoh's quick actions didn't stop there. He grabbed the rebound and passed it to Uekusa, who rushed down the court for a fast break. Just as Uekusa was about to score a layup, Rukawa appeared from behind, blocking the shot off the backboard. But once again, Sendoh was right there, catching the ball mid-air and dunking it in for another easy two points.

"Sendoh again!" the crowd gasped. "He's just too active, too skilled!" Ryonan's ace had stepped up when it mattered most, and his performance effectively extinguished any hope Shohoku had of closing the gap.

Despite Shohoku's relentless attempts, including impressive scores from Akagi, Rukawa, and Mitsui, Ryonan continued to control the game. The first half ended with a significant lead for Ryonan, 52:34.

In the locker room, the atmosphere was heavy. Shohoku had hoped they could make a comeback, but with Sendoh's crucial blocks and Ryonan's constant scoring, it felt as though the game was slipping away from them. Coach Anzai, looking at his silent players, sighed. They had fought hard, but with Uesugi's return in the second half, there seemed little hope for a turnaround.

As the players prepared for the second half, Coach Anzai knew that, without a major shift in momentum, Shohoku's chances of overcoming Ryonan were slim.