NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

Seeing the expression on Nijimura's face, Shiro and Momoi couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright, Shiro, stop being mysterious and explain it to him" Momoi said, scratching the palm of Shiro's hand playfully.

"Fine, fine" Shiro replied. "Basically, Kagami's breakthrough strategy now incorporates Kuroko's relay-style passing. Previously, their offensive plays relied on either Kuroko's passing or Kagami's one-on-one isolation — they were separate options. But now, they're seamlessly combining the two."

Shiro turned to Nijimura, explaining further as Kawamura leaned in curiously to listen.

Shiro continued, "By combining Kagami's drives with Kuroko's passing, the team's offensive options multiply, and their attack becomes significantly stronger. Plus, as the pivotal player, Kuroko's unique playstyle is something Kise can't replicate — making him Kise's natural counter."

Hearing this, Nijimura finally understood. "Ah, I see now!"

Kawamura nodded in agreement. Since he wasn't familiar with these players' abilities yet, his initial confusion was understandable.

With that, the second quarter began.

As the teams returned to the court, the Kaijo students in the stands cheered loudly for their team. Meanwhile, Seirin's bench players shouted words of encouragement to their teammates.

When it was Seirin's turn to attack, Izuki passed the ball to Kagami, setting up the offense.

In an instant, Kagami once again found himself face-to-face with Kise.

As Kagami caught the ball, Kise recalled the words Kagami had said at the end of the first quarter.

"You've changed your strategy, haven't you?" Kise asked, his sharp eyes locked on Kagami.

Kagami ignored him, opting to drive down the left side.

Kise stuck close, analyzing Kagami's moves and predicting his next play. 'Is it going to be a straightforward drive or a fadeaway jump shot? ' he wondered.

But Kagami did something that shocked Kise — he tossed the ball backward instead of attacking directly.

Kise's eyes followed the ball as it flew into Kuroko's hands. Kuroko quickly passed it back to Kagami in a perfect give-and-go.

"They're running plays with Kuroko now!" Kise exclaimed, caught off guard. His body couldn't react in time.

With Kuroko's pass, Kagami made an easy layup.

The score now stood at 31:39, cutting Kaijo's lead to seven points.

On the next play, Seirin executed a similar sequence. Kagami drove to the basket and dished the ball to Kuroko, seemingly planning to repeat the previous move.

The play fooled Kise, who focused all his attention on Kagami to prevent another fast break.

At that moment, Kagami had drawn the attention of the entire Kaijo defense.

Kuroko, however, passed the ball to Hyuga, who was open on the three-point line. Hyuga jumped, released the shot, and the ball swished through the net.

Kaijo's players grew visibly tense. They hadn't expected Kuroko and Kagami's combination to be so effective — or so hard to predict.

Kise watched the duo intently, his expression serious. "Kuroko's really changed. Back at Teiko, you never played like this. But it doesn't matter —you can't stop me. The final victor will be Kaijo."

Kise's voice brimmed with confidence as he turned to Kuroko and added, "Sure, we can't replicate your style of play, but you won't last the full 40 minutes. By the second half, you'll fall apart."

With that, Kise grabbed the ball and prepared to attack.

"Don't speak too soon" Kagami said with a faint smile.

Before Kise could process the remark, he noticed Kuroko stepping in to guard him.

The sight stunned the crowd. Kuroko, standing at less than 170 cm (5'7"), was squaring up against Kise, who was nearly 190 cm (6'3"). How could Kuroko possibly defend someone so much taller and stronger?

Kawamura, puzzled, turned to Shiro "Isn't passing the only thing Kuroko's good at?"

"They're probably using Kuroko as the first line of defense" Shiro mused after a moment of thought. "When Kise breaks through, his focus will inevitably shift to Kagami, the second line of defense. And with Kuroko's near-invisible presence, he can sneak in to strip the ball from Kise."

The group nodded in agreement with Shiro's analysis.

On the court, Kise smirked. "I never imagined I'd be facing Kuroko like this. I don't know what you're planning, but Kuroko, you can't stop me."

Though Kise was momentarily taken aback, he remained confident—it would be easy for him to bypass Kuroko.

With a swift misdirection, Kise accelerated past Kuroko, leaving him behind in an instant.

But Kagami quickly stepped up to cut him off, drawing out a subtle look of satisfaction from Seirin's players.

At the exact moment Kagami delayed Kise's advance, Kuroko swooped in from behind and slapped the ball away.

Smack!

Feeling the ball leave his control, Kise turned back, shocked.

Seirin wasted no time transitioning into a fast break, scoring two quick points.

When Kise regained possession for the next play, he decided against another drive. This time, he pulled up for a jump shot.

"What a rookie mistake" Shiro muttered, shaking his head. "Kuroko has lateral coverage, and Kagami's vertical reach will provide help defense. Plus, Kise takes a moment to set up his shot — he's just asking for trouble."

Just as Shiro predicted, the moment Kise went up for the shot, Kagami lunged in and blocked the ball with a resounding slap.

Thwack!

Seirin immediately initiated another fast break.

Kise scrambled to recover, chasing back hard. In his haste to turn, his arm accidentally struck Kuroko on the head.

Kuroko no Basket fans might recognize the intensity of the moment as Kuroko fell to the ground. Slowly lifting his head, blood dripped down his forehead in two crimson streaks, the sight shocking everyone.

Seirin's players rushed to Kuroko, pulling out a first-aid kit to patch him up.

Watching from the stands, Kuroko's former teammates showed concern, their worry etched on their faces.

Shiro, however, remained seated, his expression serious. Though he didn't rush down to the court, his anxious gaze lingered on Kuroko.

For Kasamatsu, the situation brought a different kind of reaction. Though he felt it wasn't the best thought to have, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Without Seirin's formidable first-years, their threat level had significantly diminished.

Meanwhile, Riko sighed and gave instructions to the team. "Alright, from here on, the second-years will lead the offense. To prevent Kise from copying Kagami, Kagami is forbidden from attacking. Kagami, focus entirely on defense and do your best to limit Kise's scoring"

"You've got to be kidding me! That'll never work!" Kagami exclaimed, visibly agitated.

"Relax and trust me" Hyuga replied confidently.

"But—" Kagami tried to protest.

"I said, trust me!" Hyuga snapped, his expression shifting into a deadly serious glare. "Listen to your seniors for once, or I swear I'll knock some sense into you!"

Though Hyuga smiled as he spoke, the tension in his voice made it clear he wasn't entirely joking.

Beep! The timeout ended, and the players returned to the court.

As Hyuga walked onto the floor, an ominous aura surrounded him. Step by step, he exuded a fearsome energy, his demeanor downright menacing.

"First-years these days" he muttered darkly. "You should all be looking up to your seniors with respect and admiration. Bow down before me, you brats!"

"Captain, you're way too into character right now" Izuki commented dryly. Turning to Kagami, he added, "Don't take it to heart. He gets like this in critical moments. But during this phase, he rarely misses his shots. Leave the offense to us. Your only job is to defend with everything you've got."

With that, the second-years tightened their focus, their expressions deadly serious as they prepared for the next phase of the game.