NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

The faces of Teiko's players turned grim—it was clear things weren't looking good.

Shirogane never imagined that Rokko's players would time their attacks so precisely. After only two scoreless possessions, the gap had widened.

Seeing that only three minutes remained in the first quarter, Shirogane, anxious, quickly called for a timeout.

Hachimura Rui and his teammates were slightly relieved after returning to the bench. They had to admit that Teiko was remarkably strong. If not for their team capitalizing on their opponent's mistakes, widening the score gap would have been nearly impossible. The rookies on the opposing side were still just too inexperienced.

In stark contrast, Teiko's starters appeared lifeless and downcast. The last two scores were like a heavy blow, crushing their morale.

"To be honest, your performance just now was disappointing. Was the earlier success making you guys complacent? Wake up! This is the national championship final, and countless fans in the stands are watching you!" Shirogane was furious, angered by the sloppy attitude his players had shown.

The players looked guilty, lowering their heads, knowing their performance hadn't been up to par.

But Shirogane regained his composure, trusting the kids would recover quickly. "Don't get discouraged. I believe you guys will turn things around. For now, take a breather and save your strength. Nijimura, lead the bench lineup and try to close the gap"

After giving Nijimura a few key pointers, the referee's whistle sounded, and Nijimura led the energetic bench players back onto the court.

It's worth noting that Teiko's bench was known as the strongest in middle school basketball. Among them was the former best power forward, Nijimura, and even previous regulars from Teiko's main lineup. Their presence allowed Teiko to consistently open massive score gaps in each game.

"How intimidating" muttered Rokko's coach, noting that his bench couldn't match Teiko's powerhouse substitutes.

After some consideration, the Rokko coach turned to his players. "Nebuya, you'll lead the substitutes out. Focus solely on defending Nijimura"

Though Teiko's substitutes were strong, keeping Nijimura in check would reduce their threat significantly. He decided to put Nebuya, who had been resting, on the court to use his fresher energy.

The two teams battled fiercely for three minutes, closing the score to 42:39.

At such an intense pace, Nijimura was slightly hunched, hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

It couldn't be helped. He'd carried most of the offensive load during those three minutes while also playing lockdown defense, cutting the lead to just three points.

As the quarter ended, Shiro and others handed him towels and water. Compared to their predecessors' exceptional performance, they still had a long way to go.

"Shiro, it's up to you guys now, we've done our best!" Nijimura said, wiping sweat from his brow as he encouraged the first-year players.

"Don't worry, Nijimura, we won't lose!" Aomine replied, his voice calm but determined. He silently vowed to show his true strength to his opponents.

"Trust us" Shiro added with quiet confidence.

Though they faced a formidable opponent, he hadn't given it his all just yet.

At that moment, Aomine and Shiro exchanged glances, seeming to share a silent understanding. Shiro nodded, and Aomine responded with a nod of his own. They were ready to unleash their Animal Instinct and do everything they could in the second quarter to overwhelm their opponents.

Meanwhile, on the Rokko bench, Nebuya was filled with regret. Nijimura hadn't exactly overpowered him, but he had been outplayed.

"Relax, Nebuya. They're no match for us—we'll win!" Hachimura reassured him, trying to keep everyone motivated.

The referee's whistle blew again, and the second quarter began!

The starting players took the court again, with Rokko winning the first possession.

At that moment, Shiro and Aomine exuded a powerful aura.

Aomine looked like a sleek black panther, swift as lightning, while Shiro was like a megalodon from the depths, calm yet ferocious.

They stared down the Rokko players, expressionless yet imposing a palpable psychological pressure on Mibuchi and others.

"Is this... the Animal Instinct?" Mibuchi shuddered, filled with a deep-seated fear.

The intense pressure felt like a tidal wave, sending chills down the spines of everyone present. Only Hachimura and Watanabe seemed relatively unfazed, with their skills already outstripping most in their generation.

"Impressive!" Hachimura frowned. He'd thought that his team with Watanabe would be unbeatable this year. They even had the top point guard and two of the Uncrowned Kings. Yet, at that moment, he felt a strong threat from the opponents, realizing they might be able to defeat them!

"We're going to have to take this game seriously" Watanabe said to Hachimura. As future NBA players, especially Hachimura as a starter, their combined strength far exceeded other middle school players.

Hachimura nodded solemnly in agreement.

While they spoke, Kawamura sprinted into the frontcourt. He stopped at the three-point line, his eyes sharp and focused on the hoop.

The next second, he stepped back, catching Akashi off guard, forcing him to move forward in an attempt to catch up.

However, Kawamura had only faked the move. As Akashi closed in, he immediately initiated contact, driving past him with force.

Akashi was helpless. The shake created an opening for Kawamura to use his taller and stronger frame to break through the defense.

Kawamura, knowing Akashi's skill for reading plays, kept the ball in a safe zone.

Suddenly, a huge hand came flying at the ball like a flash of lightning...