NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

Kawamura dribbled to the top of the arc, scanning the positions of his teammates. Just then, Watanabe broke free from Shiro's defense and surged forward. Spotting the opportunity, Kawamura passed the ball to Watanabe without hesitation, as if he'd planned this play all along to give Watanabe an ideal opening to attack Shiro's defense.

"Finally!" Shiro locked his eyes on Watanabe, his gaze filled with fierce determination, as if to say, "I've been waiting for this."

Watanabe knew Shiro's intentions well. Though neither of them had gotten to drive to the hoop in the first half, their physical clash had been intense, revealing two players who both hated to lose.

"Won't let you down!" Watanabe replied, his body tense and poised to strike.

Shiro grinned, savoring the competition with such a skilled opponent. Watanabe kept his eyes on him, searching for a defensive weakness. Finding none, he decided to take the initiative. Faking a drive to the right, he saw Shiro shift his left foot slightly. Seeing his chance, Watanabe swiftly crossed to his left, targeting his weaker side.

Watanabe's smooth, deceptive move momentarily stunned Shiro. Based on Watanabe's skill and fluidity alone, he was clearly stronger than Hayama, and perhaps even more skilled than Aomine!

Just as Watanabe broke through, Shiro quickly recovered, keeping pace with his exceptional speed and defensive instinct. But Watanabe seemed to expect this, swiftly switching the ball behind his back to the right, continuing his drive.

Shiro adapted, staying with him. Yet when Watanabe stopped abruptly and jumped for a pull-up shot, Shiro leaped up to contest it. With equal athletic ability and Watanabe having taken off first, he released the ball cleanly.

Swish!

The ball found the net with a crisp sound.

The score now stood at 30:26, with Watanabe stretching the lead.

"Great shot! Impressive!" Shiro's eyes gleamed with admiration, players of this level were rare!

Akashi swiftly brought the ball past half-court and passed it confidently to Shiro. Since Watanabe had made a solo play, Shiro intended to return the favor.

Seeing Shiro with the ball beyond the three-point line, Watanabe pressed up close, hoping to force a turnover. But Shiro remained calm, securing the ball at his side and refusing to give Watanabe a chance to steal.

Feeling the pressure from Watanabe's tight defense, Shiro pushed back forcefully, muscling Watanabe aside to create some space. Once he had a bit of room, Shiro cautiously dribbled down.

Shiro then unleashed a crossover, faking Watanabe left and exploiting the opening on the right with a quick step-back to create even more separation. Without hesitation, he launched a pull-up jumper.

Swish!

The ball dropped cleanly through the hoop, bringing the score to 30:28.

Watanabe flashed a rueful smile. He hadn't expected Shiro to return his move with an identical play. But he wasn't discouraged, after all, the game was back and forth, and the outcome was still uncertain.

This time, as Kawamura brought the ball to midcourt, Rokko's strategy shifted from solo efforts to precise team coordination. Every player was engaged, making quick passes and executing screens, forcing Shiro and his teammates into frequent switches.

Ultimately, the ball ended up in Hachimura's hands, with him matched up against Aomine. Rising up smoothly, Hachimura banked the ball in.

Akashi raced down the court, and this time, Murasakibara Atsushi became unusually active, successfully boxing out Hachimura and signaling Akashi for the pass.

Akashi didn't hesitate. It was rare for Murasakibara to demand the ball, and everyone on Teiko trusted his ability. Confidently, Akashi passed to him.

Under the basket, Murasakibara leaned into his stance, bracing against Hachimura 's intense pressure. He knew Hachimura was strong, but wasn't about to back down. Pushing forward, Murasakibara created the space he needed.

Sensing the opening, Murasakibara leaped for a commanding dunk. Hachimura, however, fought back, positioning himself to block the shot.

Nearby, Nebuya also moved in, joining Hachimura to double-team Murasakibara.

Under the immense defensive pressure, Murasakibara was forced to adjust his shot, releasing the ball in an awkward position.

It hit the backboard but bounced out.

Rebound!

Unable to reach it, Murasakibara watched as Hachimura claimed the ball and quickly passed it to Kawamura, who sprinted toward the opponent's basket in a fast break.

Before Teiko's players could react, Kawamura, near the three-point line, took a daring leap and released the ball.

"Bang!" The shot struck the backboard, then settled smoothly into the net.

Score: 33:28.

Facing tight defense, Akashi remained calm, skillfully dribbling forward. This time he called for Murasakibara to set a screen, seeking to force a mismatch with Hachimura. Murasakibara, unfazed by his previous miss, rushed to set a pick, aiming to swap Hachimura's coverage.

However, Kawamura's agility was remarkable. As soon as Murasakibara tried to screen him, Kawamura cleverly slipped around it, keeping close to Akashi. Seeing this, Akashi lobbed the ball high to Murasakibara, who was now at the top of the arc, using Hachimura's delayed return to set up another attack.

Just as Murasakibara prepared to receive, Hachimura leaped into the air, surprising everyone. With impeccable timing, he intercepted the pass, securing the ball and instantly sprinting toward the opposite hoop.

With Murasakibara hot on his heels, their intense footrace left the spectators in awe. Finally, reaching the rim, Hachimura leapt up for a thunderous dunk. But Murasakibara didn't relent, launching himself to contest the dunk.

Murasakibara's massive hand loomed over the ball, like a cloud blocking the sun. In that split second, all eyes locked on them. Their battle had transcended skill—it was pure power versus power.

Smack!

Murasakibara's hand deflected the ball, breaking Hachimura's grip, but miraculously, it bounced off the rim and fell through the hoop.

"Hachimura is unstoppable!"

"Teiko can't handle this!"

The Rokko fans erupted, their cheers shaking the stadium to its core. Hachimura's fierce drive had not only widened the gap to 35:28, but it had ignited a fire in the crowd, electrifying the entire arena.