The Legend Coach: Slam Dunk

"Hmm, I remember now—it's a hook shot!" Coach Takato finally recognized Sugiyama's move. "And judging by how confidently Sugiyama is using it, his accuracy must be quite high. With that kind of shooting combined with his height, we're in for a tough match tomorrow!"

"Is the hook shot really that effective?" Okabe asked.

"It's not a common scoring method, especially in Asia," Coach Takato explained. "I've only seen it in videos of American basketball games, so it took me a while to recognize it."

"America?" Okabe muttered, lost in thought.

"Coach, how should we approach this match?" Otsu interjected.

"Shoyo has completely figured out Musashi's weaknesses. This is a matter of player strength, not tactics," Takato analyzed. "This year's Musashi is much weaker than last year's. The entire team relies on Miyamoto. As long as we contain him, Musashi is finished."

The match between Shoyo and Musashi unfolded exactly as Coach Takato predicted. The gap in player strength was too significant. After the timeout, Musashi stabilized and avoided being overwhelmed like in the opening minutes. Miyamoto gave it his all, scoring three-pointers, driving to the basket, and dishing out assists. But as Takato had said, Musashi had no other reliable scorer. Nakamura, following Kudo's instructions, focused entirely on limiting Miyamoto's scoring, which reduced Miyamoto's efficiency. Meanwhile, Shoyo's defense locked down Musashi's other players, and Oshima's agility allowed him to block several shots from Musashi's small forward. Sugiyama and Kakuta dominated the rebounds, forcing Musashi to play more cautiously.

This was the situation Miyamoto faced. Although he exploded for a stretch, hitting four consecutive three-pointers, Shoyo's offense never faltered. Kudo called a timeout to disrupt Miyamoto's rhythm and replaced Nakamura with Hosokawa to defend Miyamoto. After the timeout, Miyamoto was silenced again. By halftime, the score was 50:28 in Shoyo's favor, with Miyamoto scoring 20 of Musashi's points.

In the second half, Shoyo continued to play methodically. To prevent another outburst from Miyamoto, Kudo rotated Nakamura and Hosokawa to defend him. The gap widened further, and by the 10th minute of the second half, Musashi conceded defeat, substituting their starters. Kudo followed suit, and the game ended with a final score of 89:50. Shoyo had dominated Musashi, securing their first win in the co-finals.

Sugiyama Shota and Miyamoto Yotai were the standout players of the game. Coach Takaoka watched them intently, his mind racing. "If Lingnan had even one of them, we could reach the prefectural finals. If we had both, the national tournament wouldn't be a dream." Unfortunately, reality was harsh, and Takaoka's resolve only grew stronger.

Post-Game Celebrations

"Coach! We won! We're going to the Nationals!"

As the game ended, the Shoyo players erupted in excitement, shouting and celebrating. The cheerleaders in the stands went wild.

"Alright, line up!" Kudo said, keeping his excitement in check. He glanced at the Hainan team in the stands and thought to himself, "Hainan, just wait. I'm coming for you."

Shoyo's performance earned high praise from the school's chairman, Mr. Sasaki. Kudo had firmly established himself as Shoyo's coach. With this victory, he also earned 300 SD points from the system.

Preparing for Hainan

That afternoon, instead of resting, the Shoyo team gathered in the gym to prepare for their next opponent: the Hainan University Affiliated High School Basketball Team, the reigning kings of Kanagawa for 12 years.

"This is Hainan's situation," Kudo began, detailing each of Hainan's players. "They have no weaknesses. In terms of experience and physical fitness, they're even stronger than us. Their two strongest players are Otsu Hidekazu and Okabe Yamato. Whether we win tomorrow depends on how well you two can handle them." Kudo's gaze settled on Nakamura and Sugiyama.

"Don't worry, Coach. We'll do our best!"

While Sugiyama seemed confident, Nakamura clearly lacked assurance. His expression betrayed memories of being outplayed by Otsu in the past.

Noticing Nakamura's hesitation, Kudo frowned. "What's wrong, Nakamura? Don't you have confidence?"

"Coach… I…" Nakamura stammered.

"Tell me, what is the spirit of Shoyo?" Kudo demanded.

"It's… the fighting spirit," Nakamura replied softly.

"Louder! I can't hear you!"

"It's the Fighting Spirit!" Nakamura shouted.

"You know it well!" Kudo said. "It's fine if you're not as strong as your opponent, but if you lack the courage to face them, then you don't belong on this team!"

"Coach!" Oshima interjected, surprised by Kudo's harsh words.

Kudo ignored him. "There are plenty of teams stronger than us, even at the national level. Hainan isn't the strongest—they're not even the kings of the nation. That title belongs to King of the Hill! Even if we lose to Hainan now, we can still advance. But if you're afraid of Otsu, how will you face the even stronger players at the national tournament? What's the point of competing if you're already defeated in your mind?"

"Losing isn't scary. Every basketball player has lost at some point," Kudo continued. "But if you don't even have the courage to face defeat, you'll never succeed in anything!"

"Now, tell me you understand!"

Under Kudo's intense gaze, the Shoyo players fell silent, all eyes on Nakamura.

"Coach, I understand. I know I can't match Otsu's strength," Nakamura admitted. "I was overthinking things earlier, but I won't be afraid of him anymore!"

"Good," Kudo said with a smile. "The rest of you, remember this too. No matter what, we must never lose the spirit of Shoyo!"

"Yes!" the team roared.

"Alright, that's all for now. Get some rest and be ready to face Hainan tomorrow!"