Basketball miracles

Chapter 189 [The Friendship-Ending Match]

Ryonan players kept double-teaming Xiao Tu, but it was no use. He could always protect the ball and pass it to an open space.

Mitsui Hisashi hit three consecutive three-pointers, and Akagi Takenori received the pass after a screen and executed a gorilla dunk!

Center Jun Uozumi was constantly outmaneuvered, unable to defend three-pointers and forced to foul to stop Xiao Tu's drives and Akagi's cuts. He played 6 minutes in the second half and already had 4 fouls.

Taoka Shigeichi couldn't strengthen the defense, and if he replaced Uozumi, the team's penalty area defense would be practically non-existent. Uozumi lacks a suitable replacement; while second-year student Kanpei is 190cm tall, he's physically weak and far inferior in ability.

The coach didn't substitute Uozumi... but it didn't matter, the score speaks for itself.

Xiao Tu's defense was equally excellent; Sendoh couldn't break through and could only shoot jumpers under pressure. Sendoh was confused; he couldn't guarantee a high shooting percentage when he attacked himself, and passing to teammates for one-on-one plays didn't work either. Shohoku had advantages in every position.

Ten minutes into the second half, Coach Anzai spoke from the sidelines, substituting Xiao Tu for Yasuda Yasuharu. Sakuragi Hanamichi was then substituted, replacing the fatigued Mitsui Hisashi.

This is to save face for the Ryonan team; if the game continues, the opposing players' mentality will completely collapse.

Mitsui Hisashi was equally troublesome today, making 7 of 11 three-pointers, along with two layups and two free throws, for a total of 27 points. His role was singular, but his open shots were incredibly accurate; he didn't do anything else but catch and shoot.

After the substitution, Shohoku's lineup was actually the same as the lineup from the practice match in the manga.

With the team holding a large lead, Yasuda remained completely relaxed after coming on, controlling the pace and playing according to the tactics.

Shohoku's lineup remains well-balanced. Kogure stands in the corner, and Yasuda spreads out after passing the ball, waiting for a chance to receive and shoot. Akagi Takenori, Rukawa Kaede, and Sakuragi Hanamichi are able to attack the basket.

Shohoku's defensive tactic remained a zone defense. Four players collapsed into the four corners of the paint to prevent Sendoh from breaking through, tightly guarding the paint and disrupting his shots.

Xiao Tu watched the game quietly from the sidelines. Ryonan's starters still couldn't beat Shohoku, and another weakness was exposed.

Ryonan lacks three-point shooters, and Sendoh is the only one who can shoot threes. However, just because Sendoh has made threes doesn't mean he's a three-point shooter; he doesn't take many shots.

Without a three-point shooter, how can you break a zone defense? Apart from Sendoh, the other players' mid-range shooting percentage isn't high either.

Furthermore, Sendoh is the offensive organizer, and Ryonan needs him to drive to the basket. It's a miracle that Sendoh, surrounded by a bunch of unreliable teammates, could dominate Hainan in the semifinals.

Compared to Ryonan, Xiao Tu felt that Hainan University Affiliated High School was also a bunch of weaklings, mainly relying on Maki Shinichi's breakthroughs and Jin Soichiro's three-pointers.

Xiao Tu, with a professional eye, saw even Sendoh as just an ordinary person among Japanese high school students.

Jun Uozumi was completely shut down; he was no match for Akagi one-on-one, and he couldn't get to the basket against a zone defense. Shohoku also had an advantage in rebounding, with three big men.

Akagi attempted a one-on-one shot against Uozumi, but missed. Sakuragi grabbed the offensive rebound and tried to dunk again on the second-chance opportunity. Uozumi, unable to tolerate it any longer, fouled him, pulling him down from the air. The referee blew the whistle, and Uozumi fouled out of the game.

When Uozumi left the court, his expression was complex, a mixture of anger, helplessness, and relief. He knew he couldn't defeat Akagi and Shohoku, and his frustration was bordering on madness.

Yuzhu suddenly realized something and decided to change his way of life.

I have no future in basketball; inheriting the family business and dominating Japan's restaurant industry is what I should be doing in the future.

I want to reduce costs, develop simple and delicious ready-to-cook meals, and increase profits.

I want to rent a large storefront to appear high-end, prepare the food in advance, and then simply heat it up and serve it quickly. It's like the Shohoku basketball team pre-planning targeted tactics and then sticking to simple routines during the game.

I need a cold storage room, a freezer, and a microwave oven.

I'm going to feed a one-year-old Japanese baby broccoli like a two-year-old, hehehe...

Xiao Tu shouted to Yasuda and Sakuragi from the sidelines, telling them to execute a tactic and pass the ball to Akagi for the main attack.

Sakuragi, who should have been clueless about tactics by the time of the national tournament, had already started practicing high-post playmaking in the first practice match against an outside opponent. Sakuragi would first screen for Rukawa, and since Rukawa wouldn't have a chance to go in directly, Sakuragi would receive a pass from Yasuda and lob the ball to Akagi from the high post to the basket.

Sakuragi's fundamentals are still a bit lacking, but he has a height advantage, so he can easily lob the ball to Akagi. He's not capable of reckless play; he can't dribble past opponents, so he can only pass. Akagi is the most reliable player, and he won't make random passes either.

Akagi positioned himself under the basket, received the ball, and easily scored against Ryonan's substitute center, Guan Ping. Guan Ping was weak, so without fouling, Akagi had to rely on a turnaround hook shot or a turnaround bank shot.

Guan Ping was equally ineffective on offense, unable to get a shot off or grab any offensive rebounds. Sakuragi Hanamichi was also substituted with four minutes remaining in the game, not out of consideration for Ryonan, but because he had run so hard during the fast break that his shoes were worn out.

Taoka Shigeichi used both timeouts, but to no avail. He sat hunched over in his chair, covering his face with one hand, no longer scolding the players, and unable to watch the game.

Xiao Tu felt that Tian Gang was quite badly provoked. In his memory, only Manchester United coach Amorim looked like this when Bruno Fernandes took a penalty kick, and he couldn't bear to watch.

Taoka's efforts were all in vain; Ryonan has no chance of getting past Shohoku this year. With no hope of winning the prefectural tournament, Ryonan will have to compete with Hainan University Affiliated High School for a spot in the national tournament.

In the end, Shohoku defeated Ryonan 134-66 by 68 points, turning a friendly match into a bitter defeat.

If Xiao Tu hadn't been rested and the team's penetration hadn't weakened, Shohoku could have won by more than 80 points. Even after Uozumi left the court, Shohoku's interior advantage was enormous, and they still made Ryonan's players want to die.

Sakuragi Hanamichi scored 15 points in his first official game, completing 4 dunks and 3 layups. He grabbed an offensive rebound and immediately went for a second-chance opportunity, demonstrating all the skills he had been practicing with the team. His only weakness was his free throw shooting, making only 1 of 4 attempts.

Akagi scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds with a high shooting percentage. He initially set screens for his teammates and focused his energy on the defensive end, holding Uozumi to just 6 points and grabbing 8 rebounds throughout the game.

Uozumi could never get double digits on rebounds despite being a regular center-back in the paint, because the Shohoku players had such a high shooting percentage.

Even with limited shot attempts, Xiao Tu still managed a 30+25 performance. If he hadn't rested, he could have put up 40+30 for the game. He also grabbed six rebounds; his experience playing power forward gives him a physical advantage.

After the match, the two players shook hands, and Sendoh no longer had the dashing demeanor he had when he first arrived.

Sendoh specifically sought out Xiao Tu to speak, and asked the same question that everyone from Shohoku had asked: "Are all American high school students as strong as you?"

Xiao Tu smiled and said, "Of course not. Even if I'm not the strongest high school player in America, I'm still in the top five. You're very strong, and your playing style is fine. If you play point guard, you should be able to become a professional player in the future."

"Is that so?" Sendoh's smile was bitter, knowing that he would never reach Xiao Tu's level even if he trained for a lifetime.

Sendoh is a player of Maki's caliber; he's certainly not weak in Japan. Maki led his team to second place in the National Tournament and won the MVP award.

However, even the top high school student in Japan is significantly weaker than Xiao Tu.

When professional players play against amateur players, unless the amateur player is hopelessly unskilled, it's like an adult playing against a child.

This is what high school basketball should be like. American high school players also play haphazardly with almost no tactics, but their physical strength is generally stronger than that of the Japanese.

Xiao Tu's teaching methods to the Xiangbei team were too advanced, yet they actually managed to execute them effectively. Xiao Tu felt that the reasonable lineup configuration was only one aspect; the key was that these guys had a protagonist's aura.

Against Sannoh Industrial, Akagi was able to provide excellent cover for Mitsui Hisashi, even though they hadn't practiced together.

Xiao Tu was not satisfied with his performance; he missed three shots, two floaters, and one jump shot. He felt the defense he faced was not tight and that he was becoming weaker.

Furthermore, no matter how impressive his stats are, playing in amateur matches only gets him the lowest-tier Iron Chest. He didn't open it, knowing that even the snacks or training auras he got would be the lowest level.

Fortunately, his basketball skills are all based on five times his experience, so he can train these skills very quickly without needing to change worlds.

Taoka Shigeichi thanked Coach Anzai with a deep bow, a gesture typical of the Japanese.

He was the most upset person today, but he still maintained his politeness.

Taoka didn't complain about Shohoku having foreign aid. He knew that even without Xiao Tu, Ryonan would have a hard time beating Shohoku. Sakuragi Hanamichi was too strong; with proper training, he would definitely become a great player.

He even imagined that Coach Anzai, because of the arrival of several talented players, finally got serious and arranged tactics that allowed the players to play to their strengths, resulting in a crushing defeat for Ryonan.

The Shohoku players now feel that Coach Anzai is not as knowledgeable about basketball as Xiao Tu. He really doesn't care about anything; he didn't even call a timeout today and just watched from the sidelines the whole time.

Taoka is now planning to find another team to play a practice match against Ryonan, and he has also called Fukuda Kichijou back.

He needed a resounding victory to help the players regain their confidence; the players were severely affected and didn't want to talk.

Everyone thought that this Shohoku team was invincible.

(End of this chapter)