NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

"Why are you all playing like this? Run the plays more! Stop going one-on-one all the time!"

Sanada's face was grim as he looked at the scoreboard, clearly unhappy with the team's performance. He barked out criticism at the members of the Generation of Miracles, one by one.

However, they didn't respond to his shouts. They simply sat quietly, listening to Sanada's reprimands.

After all, they had just been thoroughly outplayed. Now, they needed to reset their mindset for the rest of the game—they couldn't afford to give their opponents another easy run.

Sanada quickly pulled out the tactics board, sketching out plays to counter the American team's strategies in the next stretch of the game.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the atmosphere among the American team was completely different. They were chatting and laughing, relaxed and confident.

"Looks like their strength isn't all that great. Let's push the lead even further in the next few minutes" Davis said casually, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel.

"They've got some skill, but yeah, they're not that strong" Russell agreed with a laugh, clearly at ease.

Just a moment ago, facing Teiko, Russell had sunk three-pointers as if he were in a shooting drill, feeling no pressure whatsoever.

"That small forward matched up with me is pretty strong, though. We should keep an eye on him" LaVine muttered, a note of caution in his voice as he glanced toward Shiro. His expression showed a hint of respect for his abilities after their previous encounters.

Schröder, however, patted LaVine on the shoulder with a grin. "Zach, did you spend last night chasing after Japanese girls? You're looking a little off. Can't even handle someone from Japan?"

The remark was half-joking, and Schröder clearly wasn't taking LaVine's concerns seriously, exuding confidence and composure.

"Let's stay sharp" Wiggins interjected with a serious tone. "I don't want to see our prize money slip through our fingers"

Hearing this, the team's laughter died down. They all understood that losing this game would make their trip to Japan meaningless.

Beep!

With a sharp whistle from the referee, the timeout ended, and the game resumed.

Both teams returned to the court, ready for the next showdown.

"Get it together out there! Tighten up the defense! Stop being timid—play like men!" Sanada shouted at the Teiko players as they stepped back onto the floor.

Teiko had possession.

Akashi dribbled the ball slowly across half-court, his sharp eyes scanning the entire court for opportunities.

Suddenly, he passed the ball to Midorima. Upon receiving it, Midorima immediately called for Murasakibara to set a screen.

This time, Murasakibara was unusually compliant, setting a solid screen that completely blocked Russell.

Midorima stepped to Murasakibara's other side, where Davis loomed, his massive frame ready to defend. The screen forced a defensive switch, leaving Davis to guard Midorima.

Midorima squinted and took a few steps back, retreating well beyond the three-point arc.

Davis hesitated, assuming it was just a setup for another play, and chose to stay near the three-point line to avoid weakening the interior defense.

To his shock, Midorima pulled up for a shot from three steps beyond the arc, his form as fluid and precise as ever.

"What? He's shooting from there?" Davis leapt toward him, but was too late to contest.

The ball arced high into the air. Teiko players started retreating on defense without hesitation—they knew that as long as Midorima's shot wasn't disrupted, it was guaranteed to go in.

"Even if Cancer's horoscope is ranked fourth today..." Midorima muttered under his breath, his eyes flicking to the bench.

"… my lucky item is headphones, so I've done all I can"

The ball swished cleanly through the net. The score shifted to 12:5 as Teiko clawed back three points.

"What?" Davis stared at Midorima in disbelief. "He actually made it? Was it just luck? Either way, I can't take this lightly."

Resolving to step up his game, Davis took a deep breath and refocused.

On the other side, Schröder charged forward with the ball, his movements fluid as he employed a Hardaway-style crossover. He burst past Akashi with a lightning-quick acceleration, breaking into the paint unchallenged.

Aomine immediately rushed over to help, spreading his arms wide to block Schröder's path.

But Schröder wasn't fazed. He powered forward, crashing into Aomine before executing a slick Eurostep, setting up for a layup.

Murasakibara leapt up, his massive hand poised to swat the ball away.

Yet Schröder adjusted brilliantly mid-air, using a deft high lob to send the ball toward Davis under the basket.

The moment the pass was made, Davis exploded upward, catching the lob for an alley-oop.

Murasakibara leapt again, trying to contest, but Davis powered through, dunking the ball viciously over him.

"The gap in strength is something you can't bridge just yet" Davis said calmly, though Murasakibara, who didn't understand english, assumed it was a taunt.

Seething with anger, Murasakibara growled under his breath. "I'll crush him!"

On the next possession, Murasakibara demanded the ball from Akashi. After a moment of hesitation, Akashi passed it to him.

Feeling Davis's pressure behind him, Murasakibara narrowed his eyes. "Let's see how you handle this!"