Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

On the court, Ryonan capitalized on Yuzumi's block and quickly launched a fast break.

Fortunately, Shohoku's players reacted swiftly, forcing Ryonan to settle into a positional attack. Uekusa, keeping the tempo steady, passed the ball to Yuzumi in the paint, aiming to maintain their momentum.

Yuzumi, in excellent form, began backing Akagi toward the basket. With a sudden fake to the left, he sent Akagi into the air before slamming the ball into the hoop with both hands.

"Roar!!!" Yuzumi's triumphant yell reverberated across the court, shaking Shohoku's confidence.

"Wow! What intensity!"

"He's terrifying!"

The dunk bolstered Ryonan's morale, leading to a dominating stretch. Continuous steals and blocks left Shohoku scoreless, and the scoreboard soon read 12–0. Ryonan's substitutes started celebrating prematurely, convinced the game was as good as won.

On Shohoku's bench, Ayako turned anxiously to Coach Anzai.

"Coach, should we call a timeout?"

"No need," Coach Anzai replied calmly, taking a sip of water. "They'll find a way."

Across the court, Taoka Moichi eyed Anzai with curiosity. "Is he really this patient, or does he have a hidden plan?"

Ryonan continued their assault. Uekusa attempted another pass to Yuzumi, but Kaede Rukawa, wearing Shohoku's No. 11 jersey, intercepted it mid-air.

"It's Rukawa!"

Rukawa sped down the court, skillfully dodging Uekusa's attempt to block him. At Ryonan's basket, he leapt to dunk, only to be met by Sendoh's defense. Undeterred,

Rukawa switched the ball to his left hand mid-air, evading Sendoh's block and slamming the ball into the hoop.

"Bang!"

Shohoku finally scored their first points, 12–2. Their bench erupted in cheers.

"Beautiful, Rukawa!"

"We're back in the game!"

Taoka Moichi, visibly annoyed, shouted at Sendoh, "What are you doing? Defend him!"

Sendoh, unfazed, glanced at his coach with confusion. "He scored one basket. Why the outburst?"

The game continued, and Uekusa resumed Ryonan's attack. This time, he carefully avoided Rukawa and passed the ball back to Yuzumi. Yuzumi attempted another move against Akagi, but as he went for the shot, Rukawa appeared again, blocking him cleanly.

Shohoku seized the opportunity for another counterattack. Rukawa drove toward the basket but found himself tightly guarded by Sendoh. Unable to find an opening, he passed to Akagi, who muscled past Yuzumi and dunked forcefully.

"Beautiful! Captain Akagi is back!"

"With Rukawa and Akagi stepping up, we're still in this!"

Momentum shifted as Shohoku's defense stifled Ryonan, leading to more turnovers. Capitalizing on Rukawa and Akagi's stellar plays, Shohoku narrowed the gap. The score tightened to 12–10.

Rukawa, after scoring again, approached Sendoh with a smirk and pointed at the scoreboard.

"Look, we're catching up."

Sendoh, unbothered, smiled. "Your opponent isn't me," he said, gesturing toward Ryonan's bench.

Rukawa turned to see a yellow-haired player wearing Ryonan's No. 9 jersey standing up.