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

In the two rounds of attack and defense just now, it was clear to anyone with eyes that the United States was not serious at all, but was treating them like children, playing around with them at will.

Just by looking at that bearded guy challenging Xiang Yang to a one-on-one match, you can tell that this training match is like a vacation to them.

Of course, since they were on vacation, they couldn't possibly allow the game to end in defeat.

The United Kingdom, ranked number one in the world in basketball, went to play a training match against China, ranked dozens of places lower, and still lost?

The proud white man would not allow such a thing to happen.

"So... the main event is about to begin..."

Chapter 221 First Half

The atmosphere on the Eagles' national team bench suddenly became much more solemn after Xiang Yang made two consecutive steals from them, resulting in points for the team.

Kevin looked around at his players, clapped his hands, and said, "It's about time you all put away your playful thoughts, right? You should know better than I how embarrassing it would be if we lost this practice match."

“Bowen, I don’t want to see a situation like that happen a second time in this game, you know what I mean.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow at Bowen, who was the bearded man who had provoked Xiang Yang in the previous round but was killed in the ensuing counterattack.

The usually jovial coach suddenly became serious, and the Eagles' national team players wisely kept quiet and listened. Even Nash didn't interrupt Kevin at this moment.

Kevin rubbed his goatee, narrowed his eyes as he looked at Xiang Yang, and muttered, "This kid's defensive skills... are actually pretty good..."

"Tsk, Nash, why didn't you recruit him to our country when you first met him in Japan? We're no less capable than China."

Kevin said with a regretful expression, but in his heart he was thinking about whether there was any way to poach this person.

Nash's face darkened, and he said, barely containing his anger, "Old man, is this the time to talk about this? Why don't you hurry up and tell us how we should fight?"

Kevin looked at Nash with surprise and said matter-of-factly, "You guys are the players. I'm just a lonely old man with one foot in the grave. What can I do?"

As he spoke, Kevin made a tearful face, as if he were truly an old man abandoned by the times.

The Eagles' national team players watched as their coach pulled another stunt, their faces showing a collective expression of speechlessness.

Nash abruptly stood up, grabbed Kevin by the collar, and yelled, "What nonsense are you spouting? Aren't you the most successful coach in the history of the United States? Get me started and figure something out!"

Even with Nash grabbing his collar, Kevin remained calm and collected. He gracefully shook Nash's hand off and, while straightening his clothes, said, "Isn't this obvious? That guy named Xiangyang is such a good defender, so all we have to do is avoid him."

"China has produced players with extraordinary talent like him before, but in the end, they still failed to achieve results, didn't they?"

Kevin narrowed his eyes, recalling an old acquaintance he had met before, and a rare mocking smile appeared on his lips as he said, "A strong person who is isolated and helpless is nothing more than a second-rate product of the generation."

"Next, avoid Xiangyang's defense and attack using the methods you are good at."

……

……

Since it wasn't an official match, there was no technical table to record the timeout duration. Just after Kevin signaled to the referee that they were ready, the whistle blew to end the timeout.

While flexing his wrists, Xiang Yang said to Nash beside him, "Did you two have a fight on the bench just now? I saw you even grabbed your own coach by the collar. What happened?"

Nash scratched his cheek, looked at Xiang Yang's gossipy expression, and explained, "You're overthinking it. My usual way of getting along with that old man..."

That's exactly right. We were just discussing how to deal with you.

"Oh~"

Xiang Yang gave a meaningful hum and tentatively asked, "Have you come up with a solution?"

Nash turned his head, looked directly into Xiang Yang's eyes, and said without any hesitation, "Of course, it's not difficult to beat you easily at all. After all, this team doesn't have any other decent players besides you."

After saying that, Nash ignored Xiang Yang's reaction and went straight to the outbound lane to inbound the ball to his teammate.

Hearing Nash's words, Xiang Yang didn't react in any particular way. Although it sounded like Nash was trash-talking him, it was indeed true.

If Xiang Yang were removed from the team, the current Chinese men's basketball team would struggle to even reach the top 16 in the world championships.

"Sibe!"

Nash shouted, and Thibo, standing in the paint, understood immediately and set a screen for Nash at the high post. However, this time Nash did not choose to attack after receiving the screen. Instead, he dribbled the ball to the corner by himself.

Xiang Yang's eyes narrowed; he had already anticipated Nash's thoughts...

Whoosh—

The basketball swerved across half-court and landed directly in Bowen's hands. Nash, hands on his hips, looked at Xiang Yang with a big smile and said, "A defense built by just one person is as fragile as paper."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Bowen and Thibo began their coordinated attack from the top of the key.

Just moments ago, Bao Wen was suffering setbacks at Xiang Yang's hands, but now, facing Zhou Yi's defense, he finally unleashed his unique rhythmic offensive style.

With a successful crossover dribble, Bowen shook off Zhou Yi and used the space to jump and shoot, the ball swishing through the net.

Swish!

With the crisp sound of the net being swished, Bowen subconsciously wanted to strike a celebratory pose, but after noticing Xiangyang's gaze, he shrank back sheepishly and ultimately just clapped his hands to celebrate.

"Sorry... his rhythm is a bit hard to catch."

Zhou Yi pursed his lips and apologized, saying that it was clear that his defense was not good enough that Bowen scored a point in a one-on-one situation.

Li Wenyu jogged over, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, "It's nothing, a small problem. I'll return the favor to them on the next ball!"

Zhou Yi nodded, walked out of bounds, and passed the ball to Xiang Yang.

Xiang Yang lowered his eyes, taking in the defensive formation of the Eagle Nation's national team.

Since the first two points were scored through steals and fast breaks, this round was when the Eagles truly showcased their defensive prowess.

Xiangyang walked slowly across the halfway point and made a "6" gesture with his hand.

This is one of his favorite tactical systems, the "horn attack".

After arriving in China, he worked with Coach Sun to tailor a unique "Bull Horn" tactic for his team.

The moment Xiangyang made the hand gesture, the four members of the Zhonghua team simultaneously began their positioning. After months of arduous training, they had mastered most of the tactical positioning strategies proposed by Xiangyang.

Li Wenyu, on the wing, ran around the three-point line and made a fake handoff pass behind Xiang Yang. At the same time, Xiang Yang received a screen from his own center on the other side, just as Nash was...

When the defense was urgently reinforced, Zhou Yi, who had been staying in the bottom corner, suddenly ran towards the higher position.

Li Wenyu, who had just missed Xiang Yang earlier, immediately cut into the paint. At this moment, Zhou Yi and Li Wenyu both had scoring opportunities!

Xiang Yang's gaze swept across the entire field. With the help of "overthinking," he had analyzed the future direction of this stadium several times in just a few seconds.

Even if there are defensive lapses, can they be compensated for by outstanding individual skills?

Seeing Justin Thibo poised to deliver a big block to Li Wenyu, Xiang Yang frowned slightly and ultimately passed the ball to Zhou Yi.

Even elementary school students know that the closer you are to the basket, the higher your shooting percentage will be. Xiang Yang doesn't have a clear preference for two-pointers or three-pointers, so when he organizes the offense, he will focus more on scoring opportunities inside the paint.

Undeniably, two points are more consistent than three points.

Fortunately, although Xiang Yang's pass to Zhou Yi was a decision made under duress, Zhou Yi seized the opportunity for an open three-pointer, and after a slight adjustment of his posture, the Chinese men's basketball team's three-pointer was effective.

China's men's basketball team leads 7-2.

Putting aside all other factors, just looking at this start, there is no doubt that China has gained an advantageous position.

As Zhou Yi's three-pointer went in, cheers erupted from the stands once again.

However, their good fortune didn't last long. Back in the Hawks' offensive possession, after Nash pulled Xiang Yang to the corner, the Chinese team's middle defense was wide open!

Justin Thibodeau and Chris Bowen combined for a powerful performance from both inside and outside, completely dismantling the Chinese defense.

First half ends

The Eagles are in the lead at 34-28.

Even if the Chinese team's tactical positioning is unpredictable, it still can't match the scoring efficiency of the Eagles, whose players are individually very strong.

The human body is not a precise machine. While it excels in versatility when combined with increasingly complex tactics, it inevitably leads to a higher error rate.

China's substitutes' bench

As Xiangyang drank water, he observed the team's atmosphere. Despite being behind in the score, none of them lost their desire for victory.

"As expected of the Eagle Nation, their strength is truly formidable. But brothers... we fought quite well too!"

Li Wenyu looked at the scoreboard, his eyes shining with excitement.

In a game against a team ranked at least in the top three in the world of basketball, they were able to withstand the pressure and narrow the gap to around 6 points, something that would have been unthinkable in the past.

Li Wenyu turned to look at Xiang Yang. He knew very well who was responsible for the current strength of the Chinese nation.

Xiang Yang noticed Li Wenyu's gaze, turned around and returned a smile, then said, "We played quite well in the first half, but that's not enough..."

"We need to figure out a way to defend against them after Nash dragged me to the corner..."

As he spoke, Xiangyang turned his inquisitive gaze to Coach Sun. After more than half a year of contact, he had a general understanding of his coach's coaching level.

There is a sequence to learning, and everyone has their own expertise. Xiang Yang, who is still only a novice in the coaching profession, obviously cannot be compared with Coach Sun.

Coach Sun crossed his arms, rhythmically tapping his right arm with his fingers, and said in a deep voice, "The defense is indeed a big problem. If we want to turn the score around, the first step is to stop their offensive momentum..."

"Wang Dalong, you're coming on in the second half, replacing Zhou Yi."

Chapter 222 The Rookie Wall

"Wang Dalong, you're coming on in the second half, replacing Zhou Yi."

……

"Hey coach, is it me?"

Xiao Wang pointed to himself, his expression somewhat incredulous.

As a newcomer who has only recently joined the national team, Xiao Wang knows that he does not have the same level of skill as Xiang Yang. He has already prepared to spend a year learning and then start playing again next year.

Moreover, Zhou Yi's performance in the first half was not bad. Even though he was bullied by Bowen on the defensive end, he still made many scoring opportunities on the offensive end.

That's why Sun Jiao suddenly called on Xiao Wang to replace Zhou Yi, which made him feel panicked.

Hearing Coach Sun's instructions, Xiang Yang thoughtfully stroked his chin.

Xiang Yang had witnessed Xiao Wang's defensive ability during his time with the national youth team. With a little training, a player like him could achieve great things in the future.

At this moment, Zhou Yi patted Xiao Wang on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Just go for it when the coach tells you to. You don't want to go against the coach's arrangements, do you?"

"Besides, this is just a training match, so of course everyone should have the opportunity to practice. Don't you guys agree?"