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

One steal and one block—the stats don't seem impressive, but Bowen's offensive efficiency plummeted from 60% in the first half to 35%! For a shooting guard, that's a precipitous drop!

The score difference between the two teams narrowed after several rounds of back-and-forth trading.

With the score at 53-47, the Eagles lead by 6 points with five minutes remaining in the second half.

Just as Bowen once again forced his way past Wang to make a layup but failed to score, Kevin, sitting on the Eagles' bench, had no choice but to call a second timeout.

Just like in the first half, when the Eagles were forced to call a timeout by their own players, the stands erupted in cheers again, this time mostly for Wang.

That's how the world is. People around you never care how tired or how hard you work; they only care about your final results and performance.

The person who was blaming you for not playing well a second ago will naturally cheer for your sudden burst of energy.

Back on the bench, Coach Sun patted Xiao Wang on the shoulder, and in the latter's flattered look, Coach Sun showed an approving expression.

Clearly, Xiao Wang's performance exceeded his expectations. After Xiao Wang's defense against Bowen proved effective multiple times, Coach Sun stopped Zhou Yi, who was almost finished warming up, and began to seriously consider Xiao Wang's performance.

"Good play, keep it up. After the timeout, Wang Dalong will play the shooting guard position again."

Coach Sun clapped his hands, substituted the two inside players off the court, and began to work with the players to devise an offensive strategy for the final moments.

Zhou Yi looked at Xiao Wang and the others who were gathered in a circle discussing tactics with a complicated expression. He was holding a towel in his hand and slowly wiping away the sweat that had accumulated during the warm-up.

Given the current situation, he won't have a chance to play until the end of the game after the timeout...

……

On the other side, the Eagles' bench

"Bowen! What are you doing? You got beaten up like this by that kid. Have you been too comfortable in the national team and want to go out and gain some experience? Huh!"

Nash, his face dark, propped himself up on his hands and asked Bowen a question.

Knowing the consequences of arguing with this team bully, Bowen could only listen in silence.

He was also wondering why Xiao Wang's performance was so different before and after he first came on stage.

Nash saw through Bowen's thoughts and said irritably, "Don't underestimate China just because it's ranked low in the world. With Xiang Yang there, China's strength will not be weak until he retires."

“From now on, I don’t want to see you get dominated by that defender because of your arrogance. Do you understand?”

Although it was a question, Nash's tone left no room for argument. Bowen nodded vigorously and was about to agree when Kevin, who had been watching the show with a smile, waved him off.

"Nash, don't be so harsh on your teammates! We're a team, a family! We are..."

"Shut up, old man!"

(Shut up, you old geezer!)

Nash shrieked, silencing Kevin's rambling. Then, Nash grabbed Kevin by the collar, forehead to forehead, and yelled, "Now! Get the hell out of here! If we lose this practice game, I'll throw you all off the plane to feed the fish!"

Feeling the pulling sensation on his neck, Kevin calmly pushed Nash's hand away and said slowly, "I'm just an old man with one foot in the grave, what can I do... Stop, stop, stop glaring at me, let's talk tactics!"

Kevin waved for Nash to sit down, then cleared his throat and turned his gaze to the Chinese team's position, his eyes deep as he said, "That guy who held off Bowen, his sudden increase in strength isn't without reason; it's because Xiang Yang pulled him aside and said something just now..."

Everyone is one

Startled, Xibo scratched his head and asked, "What did you say?"

How would I know?

Kevin shrugged confidently: "It could be encouragement, it could be a threat, or it could be some unique custom in their area. In any case, the fact that the person's performance has improved is not without reason."

Nash frowned and asked, "Old man, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Kevin pursed his lips and asked Nash in return, "Have you ever heard of a type of person who can make the people around them better?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Xiangyang is probably that kind of player. He can make the people around him perform better through words or other means."

Nash's eyes widened slightly, clearly not believing Kevin's words: "This is simply unbelievable..."

"Don't rush to deny it, Nash."

Kevin slowly flicked his sleeves and said softly, "Do you still remember my nemesis, Bade?"

Nash paused for a moment, then continued, "That Peter Rove, the current coach at the University of Chicago, known for motivating players?"

Kevin didn't say anything, he just smiled and looked at Nash.

With a living example suddenly appearing around him, Nash believed it.

He glanced at Xiangyang on the Chinese team's bench, his eyes twitching, and asked, "What should we do then? If he really has that ability and can enhance all four of his teammates, wouldn't we be out of the game?"

"nonono..."

Kevin shook his finger and explained, "Even my old friend can't motivate whomever he wants. Things that go beyond the realm of science are bound to have some limitations."

"Fortunately, I've dealt with that annoying guy many times, and while this kind of tactic is troublesome, it's not without a way to deal with it..."

Kevin temporarily substituted Bowen with backup center Ronnie Oss.

This means that, apart from Nash, all five players in the Eagles' starting lineup are forwards.

"It's okay, kids. No matter how exaggerated your breakthrough is on the spot, it's not as stable as ten years of hard work."

"A weakness is still a weakness."

……

……

Pause ended

Eagles' offensive possession

At this moment, the score difference between the two sides is only six points, which is negligible with five minutes left in the game.

Xiangyang braced his hands on his knees, conserving his energy while keeping an eye on the scoreboard.

Six points... one three-pointer was enough to bring the suspense back.

Xiang Yang licked his lips, observing the Eagles' running patterns, which were the same as before, with not much difference.

Nash dribbled the ball to Xiang Yang again. Just when Xiang Yang subconsciously thought that Nash was going to take him to the corner to chat again, he found that Nash just stood there without even calling for a screen.

Xiang Yang was taken aback, then teased, "What's wrong? Are you going to personally step in at the very last moment of the competition?"

As he spoke, Xiangyang glanced at the other people on the field out of the corner of his eye.

After Bowen left the game, the new big man didn't stay beyond the three-point line, but went straight into the paint.

Xiang Yang remained expressionless, but some doubts lingered in his heart.

[This big guy... isn't a shooting guard? Then you guys are going to...]

Just as Xiang Yang was pondering what the Eagles were up to, Nash suddenly extended his right hand and made a gesture he had never made before.

At the same time, Xiang Yang clearly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

[A run into the penalty area? Could it be?]

Before Xiang Yang could react, a black light flashed in Nash's eyes, and at the same time, he swung his right hand out with a standard surgical pass, which landed right at Xiang Yang's feet.

After a bounce, the basketball was finally passed to Justin Thibo in the paint. Xiang Yang didn't turn around, but looked expressionlessly at Nash in front of him. He already knew the answer to the outcome of this play.

With a loud crash!

The sound of a basketball shattering its rim echoed from inside the stadium.

Chapter 224 Reinforcement Plan

Justin Thibo's two points for the Eagles are valid!

"Tsk...this monster..."

Li Wenyu reluctantly wiped the sweat from his chin. Just now, he had caught Thibo's dunking rhythm, but unfortunately, the difference in physical talent meant that he still couldn't stop Thibo.

The two Chinese centers who had just been substituted into the game stood there helplessly. They looked at Thibo's departing figure, exchanged a glance, and saw helplessness in each other's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Captain, we..."

One of them walked up behind Li Wenyu and reached out to apologize, but Li Wenyu waved him off.

"What's there to apologize for? You two just need to do what you're supposed to do. I didn't provide adequate help defense on that play just now, so that's partly my fault too."

Li Wenyu rubbed his nose, determined to defend the ball.

Xiangyang, who was standing nearby, saw the whole scene unfold, but even he was helpless in the face of this situation.

With their own inside game being completely outmatched, even if Xiang Yang, as an outside player, is incredibly talented, it's impossible for him to overcome the positional conflict and stop Thibo.

The lack of a core inside player is the Achilles' heel of this Chinese men's basketball team!

Coach Sun, sitting on the sidelines, clenched his fists. He had anticipated this scene before the training match even started, but when he actually saw it with his own eyes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.

"Move out, move out! What are you all standing there for?"

On the field, Xiangyang's shout brought Coach Sun back from his reverie.

Xiang Yang gestured tactically while dribbling the ball slowly into half-court, as if the point he had just lost in the paint was no big deal.

Nash narrowed his eyes and locked onto Xiang Yang the moment he crossed half-court, saying sarcastically, "Still haven't given up? No matter how hard you try, you can't save your weak inside game."

“I admit that you and that guy are pretty good at defense, but I just need to pass the ball safely to Thibo to easily score two points.”

Xiang Yang raised his eyelids slightly and, in the gap between Nash's words, suddenly launched a surprise attack with a pull-up jump shot from beyond the three-point line, which successfully hit the basket!

As Xiangyang backed away, she pouted and shook her head at Nash, demonstrating her answer through her actions.

In the final moments before the final buzzer, anything can happen on this court, and Xiangyang will not be discouraged and tank the game just because their inside game is being suppressed.

Since the current playing style is not enough to win the game, then let's change the playing style.

"Hold on!"

With a low roar, Xiang Yang took the lead and stood at the forefront of the team's defense. A white flash of lightning appeared in his eyes. The "zone" mode, combined with "King of the Final Quarter," brought Xiang Yang's athleticism to its peak.

Just as the Eagles were about to attack with the ball, Xiang Yang changed his previous defensive stance and launched an attack on Nash, who was holding the basketball.

With relentless close-range interceptions, Xiang Yang didn't even give Nash a chance to accelerate and break through. His eyes were glued to the basketball; the slightest flaw in Nash's dribbling would allow him to steal the ball and initiate a fast break.

.

However, given Nash's ability, he naturally wouldn't easily concede the ball when facing Xiang Yang's pressing offensive.

Even so, Nash was not having an easy time at this moment.