NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

Swish! The ball finally rolled into the net.

"That was close!" Takao couldn't help but feel a chill for Midorima.

"I've never seen Midorima score like that before!" Kimura's voice was filled with astonishment.

"We've found a breakthrough!" Riko smiled slightly. This was exactly what she had been hoping to see.

"Hey, what's your zodiac sign?" Midorima suddenly called out to Kagami.

"Huh? Leo!" Kagami replied with a defiant smirk before sprinting back on defense.

At that moment, Midorima recalled the words from his phone: "Bringing your lucky charm, the Shigaraki Tanuki, will make you unstoppable. Unfortunately, you're most incompatible with Leos, so be extra careful if you encounter one!"

"This horoscope is surprisingly accurate" Midorima muttered to himself.

The game continued, and Shūtoku launched another offensive. Once again, Takao passed the ball to Midorima.

However, Kagami's focus remained entirely on Midorima. He shadowed him closely, determined to prevent another three-pointer.

"It's no use. Even with Kuroko helping you in the first half, you couldn't stop him. Now, alone, you stand no chance…" Takao thought to himself. He quickly moved into action, setting a solid screen to block Kagami's attempt to defend Midorima.

Seeing the opening, Midorima didn't hesitate. He drove to the left and went up for a jump shot.

"Even so, I'll stop you! After watching you shoot so many times, I've finally found your weakness!" Kagami shouted.

With his incredible speed, Kagami effortlessly slipped past Takao's screen. "The farther you are from the basket, the more time you need to prepare your shot!" Kagami thought.

Just as Midorima released the ball for his ultra-long-range three-pointer, Kagami's fingertips barely grazed it!

"No way!" Takao gasped. "To launch a shot from 20 meters out, even someone like Midorima needs extra time to set up. But still... Kagami actually managed to disrupt him!"

However, at that moment, Takao suddenly realized something and looked up at the ball in the air.

At the same time, Hyūga also sensed something amiss. "This trajectory… could it be…?"

Bang!

Sure enough, as they feared, the ball didn't go into the basket as expected. Instead, it hit the rim hard and bounced out.

The Seirin players erupted in joy. They had finally managed to stop Midorima's three-pointer.

But before they could celebrate, another twist occurred. With a loud bang, Ōtsubo slammed the ball into the hoop, dunking right over Mitobe!

The entire gym fell silent in shock. Hyuga's expression turned grim. He had overlooked a crucial playe —Shūtoku's towering center, Ōtsubo, widely regarded as one of Tokyo's best centers.

On the next possession, Ōtsubo was double-teamed by Seirin's players, forcing Takao to pass the ball back to Midorima. This time, Takao was confident. "The distance is shorter than before. He won't need as much preparation time. This shot's going in."

Midorima bent his knees and launched into a jump shot, the ball arcing beautifully through the air.

Kagami burst forward, attempting to block Midorima's shot once again.

"A true genius. The ability to rival the Generation of Miracles, and one of the sharpest weapons in basketball—his hidden talent lies in his extraordinary jumping ability!"

Kise couldn't help but think back to their previous match. If he hadn't awakened his animal instinct, Kaijo might have lost that game. After all, Kagami's talent was nothing to scoff at.

Smack!

To everyone's astonishment, Kagami blocked Midorima's three-pointer for the second time.

Midorima's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What? How is this possible…?"

The crowd erupted in gasps and cheers.

"Incredible! Kagami blocked Midorima's three-pointer twice in a row!"

"This is unbelievable! Kagami's jumping ability is insane!"

"I can't just rely on Kuroko and the seniors!" Kagami's face was fierce as he panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Pass me the ball!" Seeing Shūtoku in a stalemate, Ōtsubo quickly took charge of the offense.

"But Ōtsubo, you're being double-teamed…" Takao hesitated, his face filled with concern.

"It's fine!" Ōtsubo's voice was loud and confident.

Hearing this, Takao didn't hesitate any longer and immediately passed the ball to Ōtsubo.

Ōtsubo faced Mitobe and Koganei, leaping with full force, determined to dunk over both of them.

Kagami, using his incredible speed, rushed over.

Smack!

With one final slap, Kagami blocked Ōtsubo's dunk!

"If this keeps up, I have a bad feeling…" Kuroko watched Kagami's impulsive actions, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

"He's starting to seem all brawn and no brains" Nijimura commented from the stands, unable to hold back his criticism.

Shiro and the others chuckled. This complete lack of team awareness was a recipe for disaster.

Kagami needed to calm down, or Seirin's chances would be in serious jeopardy.

But Kagami continued his relentless assault, scoring again and again. He leaped high once more, slamming the ball into the net!

"He's jumping so high!"

"This is unbelievable!"

"He's single-handedly dominating Shūtoku!"

The crowd erupted in cheers for Kagami, captivated by his raw, explosive style of play.

"It's hard to believe he's actually blocking Midorima. Even with the preparation time being a weakness, no ordinary person could jump that high to block a shot!"

Takao sighed in frustration.

Kagami then blocked Miyaji 's shot and proceeded to dominate the paint once again.

Bang!

With Kagami's dunk, the score narrowed to 56:47, bringing Seirin within single digits.

Watching Kagami's performance, Nijimura shook his head, disappointment evident on his face. "What an idiot! Wasting his energy like this is pointless. What's he going to do for the rest of the game?"

At the same time, he realized that Midorima might not have shown his full strength yet. Seirin's prospects seemed bleak.

"Such incredible jumping ability is almost unimaginable for a Japanese player. Defending against him won't be easy!" Nakatani, sitting on Shūtoku's bench, rested his chin on his hands, his eyes fixed on the game. Yet, his expression showed no signs of panic or tension.

"Coach, if we don't do something soon, we might…" a substitute player beside Nakatani said anxiously.

"Don't rush. Let's see how things play out" Nakatani replied calmly, his voice steady and firm. He knew Midorima's true strength had yet to be revealed. Kagami's extraordinary jumping ability was already taking a toll on his body.

Kagami stood under the basket, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face. Midorima's lips curled into a confident smile.

"I admit you're strong, but the point gap won't shrink any further!" His tone was resolute and unwavering.

With that, Midorima quickly gathered the ball, leaped high, and prepared to shoot right in front of Kagami once again.