Kuroko's Basketball: I'm not the boss?

Xiangyang watched Midorima's swaying back as he returned to the arena, his eyes narrowing slightly. He was secretly surprised, but also filled with admiration.

In any case, hard work should not be ridiculed.

Even though Midorima's unsteady gait was somewhat comical, everyone in the arena looked at him with nothing but admiration.

"Ganbatte (Go for it)! Soo-deok!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from nowhere, and the next moment, many fans in the stadium echoed the same sentiment.

"Ganbatte! Xiude!"

"Ganbatte! Xiude!"

Even the most devout Haichang fans were moved at this moment and applauded Xiude.

It has to be said that the morning divination in Kuroko's Basketball is a very mysterious thing. Regardless of the outcome of this game, Gemini has truly received everyone's support today.

Midorima raised his right arm, pointing one finger to the sky. Although he looked somewhat disheveled due to his rapid breathing, everyone looked at him with respect.

Under the light, the sports wristband on Midorima's right wrist emitted a slight fluorescent glow.

Standing beside Midorima, Takao took a deep breath and shouted, "Defend!"

In an instant, Xiude and his two first-year students...

A solemn atmosphere filled the air as Kimura and Miyaji stood hand in hand inside the penalty area. Their previous bewildered expressions were gone, replaced by unwavering resolve. Even if they hadn't touched the ball for a long time and their touch had gone cold, defense is a static thing; it's not about touch, it's about attitude!

Seeing this, Xiangyang, who had just received the serve from his teammate, was momentarily stunned.

In previous matches, Hai Chang controlled the atmosphere at the venue. This was the first time since winning the Summer Championship last year that he felt like he was playing away from home.

"Seriously... this makes it seem like we're the villains."

Xiang Yang spat inwardly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

In a fiercely contested match, off-field factors play a crucial role. A single spectator's applause or cheer can give a player on the field a sudden moment of inspiration.

In Kaijo's offensive round, Xiangyang didn't organize any tactics this time, but instead passed the ball directly to Kise.

For Midorima, who was lacking in stamina, defending against Kise's attacks was like a prostitute going to a brothel and waiting to be stabbed.

Kise executed a nimble crossover, instantly getting past Midorima. He then jumped up at the free-throw line and pulled up for a jump shot, easily scoring the basket.

Xiude leads 94-90.

"There shouldn't be any major problems. It's almost impossible for Xiao Lü to defend against me now."

Kise said with a smile, a golden light flickering in his eyes.

Kaijo, who have been playing as a team all along, still retains the most basic combat capabilities in each member. With Kise's current condition, he could easily maintain a "perfect" state until the end of the match.

However, before long, Kise's smile froze on his face.

As soon as Midorima dribbled across half-court, before Kise could even step in to defend, he launched a three-pointer from mid-court. With a "swish," Midorima's single-game scoring record was extended by three points!

"No way, he can still pull up and shoot from that spot?"

Kise was dumbfounded. He originally thought that, given Midorima's current physical condition, he should at least be able to stand near the three-point line to make a difficult three-pointer, if not completely incapacitated.

"This freak really doesn't put things like shooting range in the logic panel."

Xiang Yang cursed and this time, after receiving the ball, he simply took on the one-on-one situation. Using his physical advantage, Xiang Yang directly pushed past Gao Wei and, standing at the three-point line, responded with a three-pointer.

Just two minutes into the fourth quarter, the score difference between the two teams had widened to four points again.

Although Xiangyang was basically certain that Midorima's current physical condition wouldn't allow him to play the entire match, Kaijo still had to be careful just in case something went wrong.

"Stop playing around, kids. Let's increase the intensity."

Xiang Yang licked his lips, a serious look appearing in his usually carefree eyes. He reached up and pulled up his trouser leg, a flash of white lightning streaking across the sky.

Meanwhile, the Haichang inside duo gradually increased their intensity of competition. As the game entered the fourth quarter, the referees' whistle-blowing standards were implicitly relaxed to maintain the smooth flow of the game.

Only Yuuki, strictly following Xiangyang's teachings, continued to dutifully act as a shooting tool, concealing...

They concealed their true strength.

"Awooooo!!"

The usually carefree Kobori surprisingly displayed a seasoned skill when facing the inexperienced Shutoku inside player.

He positioned himself to receive the ball with one hand, then used a spin move to successfully deceive his defender. With a flick of his arm, he threw the basketball, which didn't go in, but he did draw a foul.

Unfortunately, the reliable senior Kobo is also quite "reliable" when it comes to free throw percentage.

Two clangs as the blacksmith strikes the iron.

Kobo missed both free throws.

Sitting on the sidelines, Takeuchi's face darkened instantly. He looked at Hori on the court, who was scratching his head and receiving a lecture from Xiangyang. He secretly vowed that he would make Hori practice free throws after this game!

In the final quarter, when the score was so close, missing both free throws would be an embarrassing mistake that any coach would find hard to swallow.

In addition, Midorima kept throwing down three-pointers, and what's most infuriating is that even though he was exhausted, his three-point shooting percentage was still 100%!

Xiangyang stared blankly as Midorima walked unsteadily, as if he was about to collapse at any moment, only to throw in a super long-range three-pointer the next second. He felt a mix of emotions.

"I'm so damn impressed! This guy is even more inhuman than Aomine!"

Even with his stamina waning, Aomine can still catch defenders off guard with his "unconventional shooting." However, the decrease in speed and power also reduces his threat level.

However, Midorima is different. Even when he's out of stamina, his shooting form remains as steady as ever. Even though he moves as slowly as a snail, when he jumps into space for a pull-up jumper, his upper body can still maintain stability, slamming that damn ridiculous three-pointer into the basket.

Soon, not only Xiangyang, but even Takeuchi, who was posing on the bench, couldn't hold back anymore.

Kaijo scores on almost every offensive possession, but unlike close-to-the-basket attacks, even players as strong as Kise and Mukayo can't guarantee a three-pointer every time. And a three-pointer is always one point more than a two-pointer.

Swish!

Another difficult three-pointer

At this moment, Midorima's single-game score has reached 82 points! At the same time, the point difference between the two teams is gradually widening.

118-111, Xiude leads with five minutes remaining in the game.

Xiangyang frowned, quietly unleashing his "King of the Final Quarter" maneuver, while Kise's aura shifted; he was about to imitate Midorima. Takeuchi rubbed his hands, hesitating whether to call a timeout.

The atmosphere at Haichang was tense at the moment.

After controlling the game for the entire time, it's about to be overturned at the last moment. Who can stand that?

Just as Hikaru and Kise secretly made their decision and prepared to fight with all their might...

A sudden change has occurred!

Having just completed an attack and retreating back to the court, Midorima suddenly swayed and then collapsed heavily to the ground.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still. Takao was the first to react. He didn't even defend against Hikaru, who was holding the ball and preparing to attack. He rushed forward and knelt down next to Midorima.

"Xiao Zhen! Xiao Zhen! Are you alright?!"

"Ugh... Takao, don't be so loud..."

Midorima, panting heavily, stopped Takao's shouts beside him. Lying on the ground, he looked at the light on the ceiling, his eyes filled with resentment.

At the same time, the entire Xiude team, including the coach, surrounded them. Xiangyang also stopped his dribbling and advancing offensive, standing at a distance and quietly watching the commotion from the crowd.

The referee blew the whistle to pause the game, contacted the on-site doctor arranged by the organizers, and went to check on Midorima's physical condition.

"It shouldn't be anything serious. He's just too tired and will be fine after a rest. However, he can't play in the next match."

The doctor's diagnosis was quick, since Midorima looked perfectly fine, only slightly weak in his limbs, nothing serious.

Everyone in the stadium breathed a sigh of relief, including the spectators in the stands. They were all basically impressed by Midorima's terrifying performance on the field.

As Midorima was helped off the stage, a round of applause erupted from the audience.

This time, all the fans at Haichang applauded.

Midorima's final score in this game was 91 points, and in the future, Midorima's record for the highest single-game score was once regarded as "one of the most difficult records to break in the game".

Chapter 167 The Prophet Won't Live to the Next Day

"In the match between Xiude and Haichang, the final score was 131-126, with Haichang emerging victorious."

Inside the live stream, Bobo watched the scene on the screen with a sigh, seeing many people in Xiude shedding tears, and his tone softened as he explained.

"In this game, Midorima Shintaro of Shutoku played exceptionally well, scoring a total of 91 points, along with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. He made all 27 of his 27 three-point attempts, achieving a 27% scoring efficiency!"

Upon hearing this, Sasha and Nini, who were standing next to Bobo, exclaimed in surprise. Besides wanting to maintain the show's effect, they were genuinely shocked by Midorima.

"27 out of 27 shots... I don't know if this will be the last time, but it's definitely unprecedented."

Popovich paused for a moment, took a tactical sip of water, and continued, "In the fourth quarter of the game, Shutoku's ace player Midorima was exhausted and had to leave the court. At that time, the score between Shutoku and Kaijo was 118-111, with Shutoku in the lead."

"Right after Midorima left the court, Shutoku's offensive ability was greatly reduced. At the same time, Kaijo did not give up the opportunity and launched a series of attacks with a tight rhythm. Within 3 minutes, they successfully launched a 13-5 shock wave and turned the score around! In the final moments of the game, Shutoku's point guard Takao also stepped up and hit several key shots, but unfortunately... they still lost to Kaijo."

"The Kaijo duo combined for 67 points in this game. Kise had 38 points, 3 assists, and 7 rebounds, while Xiangyang had 29 points, 12 assists, and 2 rebounds. Both played exceptionally well. In addition, all other Kaijo players scored in double figures. Kaijo has once again proven their ability to the world!"

"Congratulations to Haichang on successfully advancing to the finals!"

……

……

Click click click click!

The sound of shutters mixed with flashes

Xiang Yang was sitting in the post-match player interview section, with Takeuchi sitting next to him.

In fact, given Takeuchi's personality, he would not allow his players to have contact with media reporters unless the team had already won the championship, but Xiangyang was an exception.

In previous interviews, Xiangyang handled the situation with ease and remained completely calm and composed afterward, so Takeuchi felt confident bringing him along for this interview as well.

"Mr. Xiangyang, how do you feel after winning this match?"

A kind-looking male reporter was the first to ask a question.

Having prior experience, Xiangyang naturally answered this simple question with ease.

"I feel very happy right now. Yes, it feels great to win the game. I just hope to finish the interview quickly, then go home, take a nice shower, and lie in bed."

Upon hearing this, the reporters chuckled softly. Xiangyang's little joke instantly bridged the gap between the two sides.

Even if the atmosphere improves, the usual "trap" questions will still exist, after all, this is what journalists do for a living.