Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

Kainan continued to press on with their offense. Maki advanced with the ball, expecting Kenichi Uesugi to guard him. However, much to his surprise, his old rival Sendoh stepped up instead. The reason behind this was simple: Sendoh wanted to conserve Uesugi's energy. Since the start of the game, Uesugi had been giving his all, and Sendoh knew it would be unwise to exhaust him early on, especially with the decisive moments ahead.

Sendoh was more than capable of handling Maki's offense. Maki tried several times to break through Sendoh's defense, but each attempt was effectively neutralized. Realizing he couldn't find a clear path, Maki decided to pass the ball out to A Shen beyond the three-point line. However, Uesugi was quick to close out, interfering with A Shen's shot. The ball rimmed out, and Yuzumi grabbed the rebound.

On the other end, Maki found himself face-to-face with Kenichi Uesugi. This time, Uesugi didn't go for the "void" shot. Instead, he began dribbling with a technique that resembled Kotaro Hayama's signature thunderous dribble. The unique dribbling motion concentrated all of Uesugi's power into his fingers, creating a thunderous noise as the ball bounced off the court. As Uesugi moved into his rhythm, Maki could barely track the basketball.

When Uesugi dribbled with three fingers, Maki could just about catch the ball's outline. But by the time Uesugi switched to four fingers, Maki completely lost track of the ball. He could only react instinctively, but even that was becoming increasingly difficult.

The loud thunderous dribble echoed throughout the arena, becoming so intense that even the spectators closest to the court began to cover their ears. As Maki struggled to keep up, Uesugi broke through from Maki's left side, leaving him unable to intercept. Without being able to track the ball, Maki had no chance of stealing it.

Uesugi swiftly entered the paint and soared for a dunk, easily overcoming Masaru Muto's attempt to block. With the two points added, Ryonan now led 43:39.

Uesugi continued to dominate with his diverse array of offensive moves, and Maki, unable to cope with the barrage, found himself helpless. As the first half wore on, Ryonan capitalized on their momentum, stretching the lead to 55:42 by the halftime buzzer.

The crowd was stunned by the score. Many had expected Ryonan to give Kainan a tough fight, but no one had anticipated such a commanding first-half lead.

"Ryonan is really strong!" the audience buzzed.

"Yeah! Kainan can't seem to stop them!"

"It's all because of Uesugi! Even Maki couldn't stop him!"

In the Shohoku section of the stands, Akagi observed the Kainan players as they exited the court. He was taken aback. "I never expected Kainan to be trailing at halftime."

Mitsui, equally surprised, added, "I thought they'd beat Ryonan right off the bat."

Coach Anzai, who had been quiet until then, finally spoke. "Kainan's strategy was to use Maki to neutralize Uesugi and take control of the game. What they didn't anticipate was that Maki couldn't contain Uesugi, and now Ryonan leads."

The Shohoku team suddenly understood—Kainan had underestimated Ryonan, and now they were paying the price.

Coach Anzai's eyes narrowed as he watched Uesugi head to the locker room. He was concerned. Uesugi had exerted a lot of energy in the first half, and with Kainan likely to retaliate in the second half, the 13-point lead wasn't secure. Kainan's teamwork was one of their greatest strengths, and if they started playing with full intensity, the game could easily shift.

In the Kainan locker room, Coach Takato remained calm. He didn't berate the players for trailing. Instead, he knew it was Uesugi's brilliance that had put Ryonan ahead. Even Maki couldn't contain him. Coach Takato had a plan for the second half.

"When the second half starts, Maki won't guard Uesugi anymore. Kiyota, you'll take over."

Kiyota protested, "But Coach, I really can't stop him!"

Coach Takato reassured him, "Do your best. If he scores, he scores, but make sure you're putting pressure on him every time."

The coach continued, "Everyone else, attack the basket. Don't rush to catch up with the score right away, but try to draw fouls from Yuzumi. Maki, Sendoh will be your responsibility."

The Kainan players quickly understood. Since no one could stop Uesugi, they would stop focusing on him entirely. It was about wearing him down, guarding the other players, and waiting for the moment when Ryonan would falter.

Meanwhile, back in the Ryonan locker room, Tanaka was far from relaxed despite their 13-point lead. He knew the second half would be critical. To maintain their advantage, the team had to keep up their level of play from the first half.

In a corner of the locker room, Uesugi sat, feeling fatigued. The various moves he'd employed in the first half had taken a toll on his stamina. Yet, he still felt it was worth it. Ryonan was ahead for now, but there was one thing that puzzled him. His system experience was at 50%, yet he hadn't received the prompt to unlock his advanced talent ability. Was something wrong with the system? Why was it malfunctioning at such a crucial moment?