"More conduction... to... get running."
At Tomokazu Godai's shouts, Tsukubu quickly regained his composure.
The tactics are clear.
Use continuous, rapid passes and positioning to wear down Kawamoto's stamina.
The ball began to circulate rapidly among the Tsukubu players.
They almost never hold the ball for more than a second; they pass it as soon as they receive it.
They only start considering attacking after almost 20 seconds of passing.
In the final 10 seconds, they will start running frantically with the help of their teammates' off-ball screens, trying to break through Shohoku's defense.
However, they soon discovered a devastating truth.
That number 15 from Shohoku was like a precision machine with a pre-programmed defensive system.
His movements were precise and efficient, his steps swift and steady, and his predictions were terrifyingly accurate.
As long as the ball is near the three-point line, it doesn't matter who gets it.
His tall figure will soon appear in front of the receiver.
What's even more terrifying is his stamina.
The Tsukubu perimeter players were panting heavily from passing and running.
But the number 15 from Shohoku, who had been running almost non-stop, maintained steady breathing and showed no signs of slowing down.
Hiroshi Natsume finally received a slightly more comfortable pass.
Kawamoto has already posted it.
He could only pass the ball hastily, and almost made a mistake.
"Is this guy... a physical prodigy?"
As the core scorer on the perimeter, Tomokazu Godai made several attempts to catch the ball and shoot when he had an open look.
But whenever he just shakes off Mitsui's pursuer, or gains a little space using a pick-and-roll.
The white number 15 player either intercepted his receiving route in advance to cause a steal, or provided the strongest possible interference the moment he released the ball.
Godai attempted three-pointers three times.
Once, Kawamoto's fingertip brushed against my shot, causing it to miss the target entirely.
One time, due to Kawamoto's serious interference, the deviation became extremely erratic.
Only one shot barely hit the target.
His heart sank completely.
The outside line is locked!
Tsukubu's attack got bogged down.
Unable to break through on the perimeter, they tried to pass the ball to Koichiro Nango inside.
However, Shohoku's interior defense was equally impenetrable.
Takenori Akagi, positioned under the basket, was like an insurmountable mountain.
Moreover, once the ball enters the paint, Kaede Rukawa and Ryota Miyagi immediately double-team and steal it.
Their steals weren't aimed at blocking shots; they were simply aimed at grabbing the ball.
It became extremely difficult for Tsukubu's power forward Kenta Mine and center Nango to receive the ball.
Even when they receive the ball, they face Akagi's tight defense and Rukawa and Miyagi's unpredictable harassment, making it impossible for them to comfortably make offensive moves.
"Beep beep!"
The referee blew the whistle, and Kenta Mine committed a traveling violation while being double-teamed.
"Another mistake..."
There was a collective sigh of despair on the bench of Tsukubu.
In contrast, Shohoku's offense was outrageously efficient.
Whenever a rebound is secured or a steal is made, the ball should always be sought out first by Hisashi Mitsui or Kawamoto Kazuki.
Mitsui is on fire today.
With Kawamoto, Miyagi, and Rukawa providing tireless off-ball screens, he got plenty of open shots.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Three-pointers kept piercing Tsukubu's net.
Mitsui's face radiated the confidence and arrogance of a top-tier shooter.
With each goal, he would pump his fist in frustration, as if venting all the pent-up frustration from two wasted years.
However, the high-intensity off-the-ball movement and defense were also rapidly draining Mitsui's stamina.
By the eighth minute of the match, he was already breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
" Mitsui, how are you?"
"A dead ball, "Miyagi asked in a low voice.
"Stop talking nonsense! Just give me the ball!"
Mitsui wiped away his sweat, his eyes still fierce.
He was on fire and didn't want to leave the court; he wanted to terrify the opposing team with his shots!
The score quickly widened.
22:7.
Shohoku was far ahead, with Mitsui alone sinking six three-pointers.
Just when Tsukubu was about to completely collapse, Koichiro Nango finally stepped forward.
This frivolous blond-haired man displayed surprisingly refined skills and basketball IQ on the court, a quality that belied his appearance.
He stopped focusing on attacking Akagi and began to showcase his decent support abilities.
During an offensive play, Nango received the ball in the low post, Akagi immediately marked him closely.
Nango dribbled the ball and forcefully stepped back, drawing Kaede Rukawa's attention to help defend, before suddenly making a no-look bounce pass.
The ball slipped through the gap between Akagi and Rukawa, and was accurately passed to Mine Kenta Mine, who cut to the basket and easily scored a layup.
In the next offensive possession, Nango received the ball at the high post.
Kaede Rukawa and Miyagi instinctively moved closer to Nango.
Facing Akagi's defense and Rukawa's close pressure, he nimbly jumped up, making a shooting motion to shift Akagi's center of gravity.
Just as Akagi blocked the shot, Nango made a quick layup in mid-air, passing the ball to the wide-open Yoshikazu Tamura.
Tamura made the mid-range jumper.
"Good shot! Nango!"
Godai couldn't help but encourage him loudly.
Nango's two consecutive brilliant assists slightly stabilized Tsukubu's morale and narrowed the gap a bit.
Kawamoto Kazuki noticed a problem.
When the ball reached Nango's hands.
Kaede Rukawa and Ryota Miyagi, who should have been closely marking their assigned defenders, would inevitably be drawn to Nango's movements.
The two instinctively shifted their defensive focus towards the paint area, trying to help defend or block Nango's offensive routes.
Although they were aggressive in their attempts to steal the ball, this shift in their center of gravity created openings for the other members of Tsukubu.
Nango seized this fleeting opportunity and delivered the assist.
Kawamoto silently noted it down.
He had already instructed the two of them at the beginning not to deliberately assist in defending against Akagi.
However, once the match started, the two seemed to have forgotten their tactical instructions.
This is a concrete manifestation of extremely poor execution.
Rukawa and Miyagi's defensive effort is undeniable, but they need to be more composed when reading the defense.
At the same time, they should have more faith in Captain Akagi's individual defensive abilities.
Akagi might not be able to defend against all of Nango's attacks, but he certainly won't be easily defeated.
That's enough!
Excessive and unnecessary help defense can actually leave your own defender exposed, giving the opponent an opportunity to exploit the situation.
Although Tsukubu scored two goals thanks to Nango's support.
However, overall they were still completely suppressed by Shohoku.
With Kawamoto effectively shutting down the perimeter offense, inside attacks remained difficult.
On the defensive end, they were completely unable to contain Mitsui's hot streak.
The score continues to widen.
Hisashi Mitsui made his eighth three-pointer of the game.
It achieved an astonishing 70% hit rate.
28:11.
In the stands, Fujima and Hanagata of Shoyo had serious expressions.
What they valued wasn't the score, but rather some new things that Shohoku had shown.
First up is that newcomer, number 15, named Kawamoto Kazuki.
Although he didn't perform well on the offensive end, he was an absolute mobile fortress covering the entire perimeter on the defensive end.
In the past, Shohoku had Akagi anchoring their interior defense, which was formidable under the basket, but their perimeter players often had opportunities to exploit the defense.
Kawamoto's presence filled a gap in Shohoku, elevating their defensive system to a terrifying level.
Coming today was the right decision; the tactics against Shohoku need to be changed.
Shinichi Maki Shenyi from Kainan also became much more serious.
His previously languid demeanor had vanished. "Number 15... his defensive intensity and stamina are quite astonishing. I think I understand why Sakuragi isn't playing."
Having such a physically strong defensive player on the court is definitely more tactically valuable than having Sakuragi on the court.
" Tsukubu's center position is also very good."
" Takasago will leave the team next year."
"Whether it's Shohoku's rookie number 15 or Tsukubu's center, either of them coming to Kainan would greatly strengthen Kainan's dominance."
The departures of Uozumi, Akagi, Hanagata next year will make excellent centers extremely scarce in Kanagawa.
Kainan has Jin on the perimeter and the more mature Kiyota in the paint. If they add a top-tier center...
Maki stared intently at the two of them, muttering, "I just don't know if they'd be willing to come to Kainan..."
On Ryonan's side, Hikoichi Aida quickly jotted down notes. " Shohoku's number 15, Kawamoto Kazuki, has an overwhelming presence on the defensive end. Initial assessments suggest that his individual defensive ability, awareness of help defense, and stamina are all top-notch—no, his stamina is terrifying."
" Hisashi Mitsui was on fire with an open shot, but his stamina was clearly lacking."
" Koichiro Nango is a technical center, lacking in rebounding ability, but excelling in playmaking, making him Tsukubu's only bright spot..."
Akira Sendoh's gaze also lingered on Nango: " Tsukubu, this center, is no ordinary player; he actually managed to spot the weaknesses in Shohoku's defense."
On the field, Tsukubu's players were already somewhat exhausted.
Their passing and running consumed a lot of energy, but yielded little result.
Shohoku, however, maintained a high-pressure stance.
Tomokazu Godai, panting heavily, looked at the scoreboard, then at number 15 across from him, whose forehead was only slightly sweaty, and a sense of powerlessness welled up inside him.
How much stamina does this guy actually have left?
Can we really outrun him?
The answer seems self-evident.
Although Hisashi Mitsui was showing signs of fatigue, Shohoku's offense was far from over.
He then sank his tenth three-pointer of the game, panting heavily.
34:15.
Taking advantage of the brief interval between Shohoku's goal and Tsukubu's baseline inbound pass.
Team leader Tomokazu Godai once again gathered the team members around him.
"Listen, I've found out!"
Godai lowered his voice, but his tone was full of certainty. " Shohoku's number 15 is indeed a monster in terms of defense and stamina, but he hasn't taken a single shot since the start of the game."
"They didn't even try."
Everyone was taken aback, but upon careful reflection, they realized it was indeed true.
All contributions from number 15.
Jump ball, steal, assist, defense.
His role was entirely supportive; he himself showed absolutely no offensive desire or ability.
What does this mean?
Godai's eyes flickered.
"This suggests that he likely has very weak offensive capabilities, or even lacks a consistent scoring method!"
"With his massive size, his speed and stamina are phenomenal; he's practically a monster. I suspect he was scouted from a rugby team. If he also had a precise shot or exceptional offensive skills, it would be utterly absurd!"
" Shohoku probably started him because they valued his defense and playmaking abilities, treating him as a pure defensive workhorse and playmaker!"
This analysis was reasonable and gave Tsukubu's team a boost.
yes!
If the opponent has a monster that excels in both offense and defense with no weaknesses, then the outcome of the match would have been decided long ago.
But now it seems that this number 15 is a monster who excels in only one area.
"Therefore, the defensive strategy needs to change!"
Godai said decisively, " Natsume, when you're matched up against number 15, focus on defending his passing lanes! If he makes a shooting motion, don't lunge, don't jump! Just let him shoot! He definitely won't make it!"
"We'll focus all our defensive attention on Hisashi Mitsui!"
"His stamina is completely depleted; he's even staggering when he runs. I don't know how he can still maintain his three-point shooting percentage, but we can't let him catch and shoot so easily anymore!"
" Tamura, you and Mine need to pay close attention to Mitsui's positioning and defend against his runs. If necessary, you can foul him!"
"We still need you in the paint, Nango. If you have an opportunity, take it; if not, pass the ball!"
"Clear!"
Natsume and the others nodded vigorously.
This new defensive strategy gave them a glimmer of hope.
They depleted Mitsui's remaining health and let go of number 15, who had intimidating defense but couldn't score.
The game might still go on.
"Alright! Let's fight like that! Charge!"
Godai clapped his hands vigorously, boosting morale once again.