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

He looked at Nash, who seemed much more serious than in the previous round, and narrowed his eyes, searching for an offensive opportunity.

Having already witnessed Xiang Yang's ability to break through defenses, Nash naturally wouldn't give him the chance to repeat the same trick. He positioned himself slightly back, his eyes fixed on Xiang Yang, observing his offensive movements.

Nash has solid defensive fundamentals, coupled with his excellent physical talent and the "Demon King's Eye" that has not yet revealed its full potential. Instead of attacking rashly, Xiang Yang made a bold decision.

He dribbles the ball with one hand and immediately steps back to shoot, creating a difficult step-back three-pointer from beyond the three-point line!

Even with the "King of the Fourth Quarter" title, Xiang Yang didn't dare to recklessly take such difficult shots during the game, let alone in his current regular form.

He once calculated privately that his success rate with difficult three-pointers when facing an open opponent was around 70%, but the difference between actual games and training is huge!

Fortunately, the one-on-one match had just begun, and Xiang Yang still had plenty of energy, so it wouldn't affect his shooting touch. Nash, on the other hand, clearly didn't expect Xiang Yang to make such an offensive choice. With his feet still on the ground, he could only watch Xiang Yang complete the shot.

This time, even the heavens are on Xiangyang's side.

Swish!

The sound of a hollow wire entering the net!

Akashi's applause rang out again, and on the court, Xiangyang habitually made a "three-finger headshot" celebration gesture.

Although there was an element of luck involved, a goal is a goal, and the result is everything.

2-0, Xiangyang has successfully secured match point!

This time, Nash couldn't hold back. He took the initiative to pick up the basketball and throw it to Xiang Yang, then immediately moved close to Xiang Yang and put up defensive pressure.

That wasn't all. Nash simply activated the "Demon King's Eye," and in an instant, a familiar yet unfamiliar pressure descended upon Xiang Yang.

【This is…】

Xiang Yang frowned, turning around to protect the ball while observing Nash's physical condition. Seeing the flicker in Nash's eyes, Xiang Yang suddenly realized what was going on.

[The Demon King's Eye? It looks very similar to Akashi's Emperor Eye, but there seem to be some differences in the details...]

As he pondered, Xiang Yang searched for a defensive weakness in Nash's defense, but this time, Nash didn't give him the chance.

After observing the situation repeatedly, Xiang Yang decided not to wait any longer. He attempted to create shooting space by passing the ball and turning around. Unfortunately, Nash's physical attributes were superior, and he only took half a step back before catching up with Xiang Yang again.

Feeling the pressure coming from his side, Xiang Yang pulled back and attempted a mid-range pull-up jumper. However, Nash reacted very quickly, forcefully pushing off with both feet, and immediately blocked Xiang Yang's shot with a large hand.

Although he failed to block the shot, Xiangyang's shooting rhythm was affected. Facing Nash's defense, he forced a shot over the bar, but this time fate was not on his side.

With a loud crash!

The basketball bounced off the rim, Xiangyang's attack failed, and the ball switched to defense.

Hearing the clanging of metal behind him, Nash revealed a sinister smile.

"Kid...you had a lot of fun playing those two balls just now?"

"Now...it's my turn! Let me show you the real gap between me and you players!"

Chapter 199 The Foul Smell

(Oh no, I forgot the title, it should be called "The Smell of Rot".)

"Let me show you the real gap between me and you players!"

Nash covered his face with one hand and said to Xiangyang in a very childish and chuunibyou-esque manner.

Xiangyang scratched his head and reminded him, "The score is 2-0 now. By the way... I'm the one with the number 2. Why do you seem so happy even though you're so far behind?"

Upon hearing this, Nash was momentarily speechless, but he quickly recovered and continued in a confident tone, "Ha, a mortal like you certainly can't understand my true power!"

Xiangyang: ...

"Hey hey hey... whatever you say is right, hurry up and attack."

Xiang Yang shook his head, tossed the basketball to Nash, and took his defensive position first.

Nash's face hardened, and he suppressed his anger, saying, "Are you looking down on me?"

Xiang Yang glanced at him, said nothing, and quietly observed Nash's offensive posture.

Off the court, Akashi watched the two players facing off intently. He was curious about how Hikaru would handle Nash's offense.

Nash remained confident, saying, "Just watch, I'll cross you like crossing the street!"

As he spoke, Nash quietly activated his "Demon King's Eye," and after reading Xiang Yang's defense, a scoring route suddenly appeared in his eyes!

[If we just break in that direction, we'll win the ball.]

Nash felt a little more confident and adjusted his posture to launch an attack. However, just when he thought he was about to win the ball, Xiang Yang's left foot shifted slightly to the side and landed right on the scoring path in Nash's eyes.

This unexpected turn of events caused Nash to pause. He frowned slightly as he looked at Xiang Yang, muttering to himself: "A coincidence? This guy's luck is really good."

Just as Nash was about to change his posture and choose a new offensive route, Xiang Yang, who had been standing properly on defense, suddenly made a move, his right hand suddenly shooting out and hitting the ball.

A muffled thud echoed from inside the stadium, but this time, Xiangyang's steal attempt failed.

Nash, looking terrified, protected the ball. Just moments before, Xiang Yang had successfully intercepted the ball, but unfortunately, the angle was slightly off. Nash quickly adjusted and regained control of the ball.

What's wrong with this guy?

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Nash's face; he felt a very familiar sensation from Xiang Yang.

A stench...

It has a foul odor that only comes from a seasoned, seasoned thug who has honed his defensive skills for decades!

This is an atmosphere that no attacker wants to smell.

Previously, before Nash's skills had reached their full potential, this kind of talent had only been detected in an older national team player from the United States.

Could this kid's defensive skills really be comparable to that old man's? Impossible... how old is he?!

To confirm his suspicions, Nash made a tentative feint, but Xiangyang's center of gravity remained unchanged. Nash then observed the scoring route again, and just as the "Demon King's Eye" had arranged the scoring method for him, Xiangyang's right foot moved slightly again, landing precisely on that line.

This time, Nash was certain.

Nash hurriedly protected the ball again, tears welling up in his eyes.

His face showed shock. He was certain that Xiang Yang's defensive skills were the strongest he had ever seen!

Although Nash's strength has improved a lot compared to when he faced that veteran national player, Xiang Yang is still better than that veteran national player!

In terms of athletic ability alone, Xiangyang, who is only 18 years old, has much more energy than that old man, and naturally he will be much more difficult to deal with.

"What's wrong? You seem to be putting a lot of thought into crossing the street."

Seeing that Nash was playing very steadily, Xiangyang, who couldn't find an opportunity for the time being, was unwilling to just stand there and do nothing. He teased Nash with a sarcastic look.

To his surprise, Nash didn't rush to refute him this time. Instead, he said solemnly, "I admit I underestimated you before. From now on, I will treat you as an opponent of the same level as me, and then defeat you!"

Xiang Yang was slightly taken aback, somewhat puzzled. From his perspective, he couldn't understand why Nash had suddenly changed his attitude.

In his view, he was just playing normal defense, and the few times he adjusted his position were just to make his defense more comfortable.

The improvement brought to Xiangyang by the "professional basketball player experience package" was subtle and gradual. To this day, he still doesn't understand exactly how much his defensive skills have improved.

Just as Xiang Yang was pondering the reason for Nash's change of attitude, Nash suddenly launched an offensive. Unlike his previous probing attacks, this time he pulled back after dribbling the ball, creating space between himself and Xiang Yang.

[Nash...I don't remember him ever hitting really long three-pointers, right?]

Xiang Yang snapped out of his daze and scrutinized Nash with a slightly serious expression. Although Nash often talked trash, he was not naive enough to think that Nash was an easy opponent to deal with.

Based on his understanding of Nash from the original work, and anticipating that the opponent did not have a "long three-pointer" offensive tactic, Xiang Yang decisively chose to stay inside the three-point line and did not rush to close in on him.

Nash breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Xiang Yang did not step forward, while recalling the scene of his conversation with that old national player.

Veteran player: "Nash, remember this: if you ever encounter an opponent whose defensive skills are on par with mine, then during the game, you must avoid facing them head-on!"

"If you can hone your defensive skills to my level, then even the most skilled offensive player will eventually have a weakness that will be exposed to him."

Nash: "Old man, what should I do if the game is in a critical situation and I have to decide the winner one-on-one? Or... what should I do if I encounter a guy like this in a one-on-one match?"

The veteran player laughed heartily and shook his head, saying, "How many defensive stalwarts of that caliber are you going to encounter? You might run into one or two in the World Basketball Championship, but one-on-one against someone as child's play as that? You'd be lucky to run into one!"

Nash: "Stop talking nonsense and just tell me what to do if it really happens to me?"

Veteran player: "If, unfortunately, you really have to fight someone like that, then..."

……

"The attack must be swift and decisive; we cannot give him any chance to exploit the details..."

Nash muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on Xiangyang.

A strong desire to win emerged from this.

"Old man...you're probably seeing a ghost. I actually ran into this kind of troublesome guy in a one-on-one fight..."

“Tell me your name”.

(Tell me your name.)

Nash dribbled the ball with one hand and said to Xiang Yang, who slapped his thigh and replied, "Xiang Yang."

"xiang...yang?"

"I remember."

(I've got it.)

Nash's gaze gradually turned serious, fixed intently on Xiang Yang like an eagle.

No matter how skilled a defender is, their static talent is fixed. Against someone who lacks natural talent but excels at defense, simple, wide-open movements are often the most effective approach.

"Old man, if I lose this one-on-one fight, don't blame me for coming back to China and fighting you to the death!"

With a roar, Nash slammed the ball straight toward Yang. Just as he reached him, Nash held the ball in mid-air with his right hand, his body facing to the left. After a brief pause, he immediately broke through to the right.

A deceptive move without any feints or fakes is something any basketball enthusiast with a few months of experience could do almost perfectly.

However, this seemingly innocent attack caused Xiang Yang's pupils to shrink.

In this play, Nash relied purely on his physical explosiveness, without any skill whatsoever. In contrast, Xiang Yang could only rely on his own physical attributes to cope.

With a change in footwork, Xiang Yang immediately moved sideways to catch up, but he had only just gotten close to Nash when the latter collided with him.

Xiang Yang grunted and frowned as he continued to follow Nash. Unfortunately, this time, Nash's offensive move was still simple. With the space created by the contest, Nash held the ball above his head with one hand and threw it directly into the basket.

Nash's shooting motion was a bit stiff, clearly not his usual move. His top-notch ball control honed over the years came in handy at this moment. Even though his body wasn't used to it, he relied on his instincts to score!

2-1, Nash scores in quick succession.