Having lost the ball again, Touou High School quickly retreated. Akagi Takenori got the basketball and protected it with both hands. He waited until the Touou players left for a while before passing the ball to Miyagi who was waiting.
In this round, Xiangbei had no fast break opportunities, so the entire offensive rhythm of Xiangbei High School slowed down. By the time Miyagi crossed the center line with the ball and other Xiangbei players had completed their positions in the frontcourt, nearly ten seconds of offensive time had passed.
The zone defense adopted by Touou High School is mainly to consolidate the strength of the inside line. They attach much more importance to the center Takenori Akagi than Budo, and the defensive strength of the outside line is also focused on Mitsui Hisashi.
Xiangbei used a relatively simple and direct attack method in this round. Miyagi dribbled to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Mitsui Shou, and then quickly came to Mitsui to assist in the pick-and-roll. Although Miyagi's pick-and-roll quality was average, the opponent's short defense gap was enough for Mitsui Shou to shoot.
Mitsui's shooting position was about one meter away from the three-point line. The defensive players of Touou obviously did not expect that Mitsui would shoot a three-pointer from such a position. They did not even try to interfere with Mitsui in the first place.
This made Mitsui's shot seem unusually easy.
The basketball flew directly across half court and fell into the basket.
Although the basketball went into the net, Xiangbei High School led Touou by 8 points, and at this time, there was only less than a minute left before the start of the game.
“Wow!
Xiangbei scored another three-pointer! Already leading by 8 points! "
"The two steals by No. 15 were so crucial. The A-level team Touou had no chance to fight back!"
"Is this match going to be a 'underdog defeating the stronger' match?"
There were bursts of exclamations from the audience, and Jinguji Takeshi and Mitsui Hisashi instantly became the focus of the stadium.
"Nice shot. If you feel good today, shoot more and drive less to save some energy for the next game."
Jinguji Takeshi and Mitsui Shou were talking to each other while returning to the court to defend. Although Touou was rated as an A-level team, Takeshi and his team did not feel any pressure. The game had just started for a short while, but Takeshi was already thinking about the next game.
Victory in the match seemed to be already in his pocket.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"Akagi should still have some advantage in the paint. Now that we are ahead by a large margin, we can shoot more."
Mitsui Shou replied with a smile that today's game started off smoothly, which also made his confidence surge.
Unlike Xiangbei's relaxed mentality, Touou, who fell behind by 8 points within a minute of the start, looked a little gloomy. Nan Lie lost two goals in a row, which put the team under great pressure to catch up.
"Nan Lie, what's wrong with you?"
"We lost two goals in a row. Are you feeling unwell?"
The players of Touou didn't even think about Nan Lie's lack of ability. As the scoring leader of this tournament in Osaka, how could Nan Lie be lacking in ability
Even in the national competition, the other players of Fengyu didn't believe that anyone could stop a top player like Nan Lie. They thought that Nan Lie lost the ball because he was not paying attention, so they wondered if Nan Lie was sick, which caused him to be in poor condition.
"I'm not feeling unwell."
"I will take back the lost points myself!"
Nan Lie said in a low voice with a firm tone. Seeing him like this, the players stopped talking and quickly crossed the center line with the ball after the kick-off.
As Touou started to attack again, Jinguji Takeshi silently walked in front of Nan Lie. There was less than half a meter between the two of them. Nan Lie could clearly feel the terrifying sense of oppression coming from Jinguji Takeshi.
This is not to say that Wu Dao's momentum is so terrifying, he just maintains his usual defensive posture. However, Nan Lie, who had two balls intercepted, actually had some fear of Wu Dao in his heart, but Nan Lie did not realize it, he just inexplicably felt that Jinguji Wu Dao's oppression was very strong.
"This guy is very tall, has a great wingspan, is fast, and has considerable strength."
"I am at a disadvantage in one-on-one breakthroughs. I need to use quick passes to create space for myself to shoot."
Nan Lie thought silently in his heart, glanced at the player holding the ball, started quickly, and moved along the three-point arc towards the top of the arc, where the point guard of Touou High School was looking for an opportunity to break through.
"Pass the ball!" Nan Lie placed his hands in front of his chest as if he was catching the ball, and shouted to his teammates in a low voice.
At the top of the arc, the ball was passed to Nan Lie, and the Toyotama defender who passed the ball helped Nan Lie to do a pick-and-roll, trying to block Wu Dao's running position. However, Jinguji Wu Dao was obviously aware of the opponent's intention and had no intention of chasing Nan Lie. Instead, he bypassed the pick-and-roll and cut across the three-point line to intercept Nan Lie's breakthrough.
After Touou passed the ball, Miyagi Ryouta stood in front of Nan Lie to defend Nan Lie. He did not immediately go to defend the previous guard because as far as he knew, Nan Lie was Touou's top scorer and had excellent three-point skills.
Nan Lie, who received the ball, was in a big mismatch with Gong Cheng.
Facing such an opponent, Nan Lie had no hesitation at all. He directly started a breakthrough, using his body to force Gong Cheng to break through Gong Cheng Ryouta's defense line easily.
However, Nan Lie had just broken through the palace when he saw Jinguji Budou standing not far in front of him. The next second, he had no intention of continuing to break through. He turned his head to look at the player in his own open position and passed the ball directly.
“Vacant seat!”
Wu Dao glanced at the Touou player in the open position and murmured something, but he didn't show any intention of making up for the defense, as if he had given up defending a certain player.
The next second, Touou's point guard shot directly from outside the three-point line.
"The shooting posture is not very good. This guard is not good at three-pointers." Mitsui Hisashi on the outside gave his own judgment after seeing the opponent's shooting posture. Sure enough, the ball shot by the opponent hit the edge of the basket and flew out directly.
"Rebound!" There was no need for Wudao to remind him. Akagi Takenori under the basket was already ready to grab the rebound. The center of Touou was not strong enough in front of him and was directly pushed out of the best landing point by Akagi.
As for Touou's power forward, Kishimoto Miri, who wore the No. 8 jersey, pushed Chiba away and occupied a good position.
However, with a height of only about 185cm, he had no advantage in grabbing rebounds when facing Akagi Takenori who was more than ten centimeters taller than him.
Without any surprise, Akagi got the rebound and threw it to the front court. Miyagi Ryouta and Mitsui Hisashi were already running to the front court. On the Touou side, the only player who returned to defense in time was the point guard who had just made the three-pointer.
In the frontcourt, two against one, Mitsui Hisashi and Miyagi passed the basketball to each other, easily passing the Touou defense line, and then Miyagi scored a layup.
The score was 10:0. Although Touou's coach was so anxious that he slapped his thigh, he did not call for a timeout.
Now the players of Touou still have fighting spirit, and the game has just started for more than a minute. There is still a lot of time in the first half. Calling a timeout at this time means that in the next 18 minutes or so, Touou will not be able to make any adjustments or arrangements.
"Hit slower, not so fast!"
"Don't think about using three-pointers to quickly catch up with the score. Play one ball at a time. The game has just begun!"
"One goal in advance, play more steadily!"
The coach of Touou stood on the sidelines and yelled, now he just hoped that the players could hear his shouts, quickly adjust their status, and maintain the situation on the field.
Although the coach's words were correct, the players of Touou did not take this coach, who had no prestige at all, seriously, and no one would listen to his words.
"Too slow! The conduction speed is still too slow. We need to increase the speed!"
"Don't give Xiangbei time to react."
"We can maintain our current style of play. There is nothing wrong with our offensive method. It's just that our shooting touch is not good. But it doesn't matter. If there is an open position, just shoot. Don't be timid."
"Kishimoto, don't stand inside to grab rebounds. Pull out and set up screens for us. I'll pass the ball back to you when I have a chance."
"Everyone cheer up and get some points!"
The ball was transferred, and Nan Lie supported the player who had the ball while talking to the players about the offensive arrangement. Xiangbei High School only scored 4 goals in total. Jinguji Budou's two steals turned into 5 points, and Budou's own opening three-pointer brought the score to 8 points.
The two points lost this time were mainly due to the players missing open shots.
If you fail to score in an open position, it is not a problem of tactics or strategy, but a problem of lack of ability of the players.
Nan Lie felt that the offensive rhythm of their Touou did not need to be changed. As long as he was not stubborn and went alone to attack the defense line of Jinguji Budo and used the run-and-gun tactics well, their Touou would definitely not lose to Shohoku.
At this time, Nan Lie did not look down on Jinguji Budo at all. In fact, he attached unprecedented importance to Jinguji Budo. Although Nan Lie was arrogant, he was not stupid enough to fail to see the difference in strength between the enemy and us. He knew that he was no match for Jinguji Budo in a one-on-one match, but is basketball a one-on-one match
Touou High School is advancing at a very fast pace, with no intention of slowing down at all.
The same tactics appeared on the court again. Nan Lie ran to the top of the arc to receive the ball. After the Touou point guard passed the ball, he blocked Wu Dao's position, leaving Nan Lie with a gap. The same tactics, Xiangbei's response was no different. Wu Dao still ignored the open guard and helped defend behind Miyagi.
This time, Nan Lie still passed the ball to the player in the open space, but this time, the opponent learned his lesson and did not shoot the three-pointer. Instead, he rushed towards the inside with the ball.
You can give up the three-point shot, but you can’t give up the breakthrough.
Without any hesitation, Wu Dao moved his feet and rushed towards the opponent. In less than two seconds, Wu Dao had already reached the opponent and blocked his way. Facing Wu Dao's defense, the point guard of Feng Yu was also very tactful. He did not choose to force an attack, but turned around and passed the ball to Nan Lie on the outside.
At this time, Nan Lie just used his body to push Gong Cheng away and successfully received the basketball in the mid-range. Then he made an emergency stop and shot directly in the open mid-range.
"Shua!" With a light sound, Touou High School finally scored a goal. The substitutes of Touou High School had been holding back for a long time, and when they saw their team score a goal, they immediately cheered loudly.
"After switching defense at high position, if I defend the defender of Touou, Nan Lie will definitely be able to break through the defense of Gongcheng easily."
"If I choose to block Nan Lie, the opponent will pass the ball, giving the point guard a chance to break through. Once I go over to make up for the defense, I will pass the ball back."
"It's the same when Nan Lie fights Gong Cheng, and it's easy to attack when there's a gap."
"In the final analysis... Gongcheng's defense is still not enough to restrict Nan Lie. This kid has been used as a breakthrough point!"
When Jinguji Budo saw Touou score, he deduced Touou's pick-and-roll tactics in his mind. It was very simple, nothing special, but against a team like Xiangbei that had obvious defensive loopholes, it was very effective.
Miyagi's height is a great disadvantage. Generally speaking, if a team wants to make up for such a defensive loophole, they need to use zone defense to limit the opponent. By putting Miyagi into the zone defense system, his personal shortcomings will be compensated by the team.
However, if Miyagi is incorporated into the zone defense system, his personal mobility will not be able to play a role on the defensive end. Miyagi who has lost his personality might as well be replaced by Kogure Mitsunobu. For Shohoku, the gain will not outweigh the loss.
"It seems that focusing on defense is not a good idea in this game."
"It's hard to defend against a team like Touou that has strong perimeter defense!"
"If the match against Touou turns into a big battle, it will be difficult for the players to recover their lost energy."
Wu Dao murmured in his heart, and he had other plans in mind.
First of all, we need to completely destroy Nan Lie!
"Xiao San, Ryouta, pass the ball to me." Wu Dao instructed, and then started running towards the front court. Mitsui Shou and Miyagi Ryouta looked at each other, and saw some surprise in each other's eyes. However, the two did not think much about it, and nodded tacitly.
Mitsui Shou actually didn't care about the ball possession issue, as long as he could win, all these things were fine. And Mitsui Shou also vaguely realized what Touou High School's strong point was, and he vaguely guessed what Budo was planning.
If Nan Lie doesn't fall, Touou High School will have the ability to counterattack. Instead of wasting energy by playing against Touou, it is better to let Budo destroy Nan Lie and easily defeat Touou. This is a national competition, a back-to-back competition system!
In the transition from offense to defense, after receiving the serve from his teammate in the backcourt, Miyagi Ryouta quickly advanced with the ball, crossed the center line, saw Wudao who was standing one step outside the three-point line, and directly passed the ball to him.
Wu Dao took a step forward, took the ball in his hands, and then faced the basket with the ball.
In front of him was Touou’s ace, Nan Lie.
"You must defend seriously, Nan Lie."
Jinguji Wudao murmured, and while speaking, Wudao sank the ball with both hands and leaned his body slightly to the right. It was just a simple movement, but in Nan Lie's eyes it was a clear sign of a breakthrough to his left side.
Without thinking too much, Nan Lie slightly adjusted his position and moved slightly to his left.
A simple probing step directly affected Nan Lie's position.
The next second, Jinguji Budo in front of him suddenly started, stepped his right foot in front of his left, and broke through with his left hand. In the blink of an eye, the red figure had passed Nan Lie and rushed towards the inside line.
Touou adopted a 23-zone defense, but Nan Lie was also one of the inside iron triangle. He raised his defensive position because he was concerned about Wudao's three-point shot, and was passed by. There was no one defending the large area in the middle of Touou.
Kishimoto Misaki and Touou's center were both in the bottom corners on both sides. Takeshi broke through and entered the inside. Although the two wanted to make up for the defense, they were slightly blocked by Akagi and Chiba. By the time the two came to Takeshi's breakthrough path, Jinguji Takeshi was already two steps inside the free throw line and jumped for the ball.
Takeshi Jinguji grabbed the ball with one hand, his posture in the air extremely stretched. In front of him, although the two defensive players of Touou were already in his gliding path, Takeshi had no intention of dodging at all, and his body directly hit the two defensive players of Touou.
“Bang!”
Amid the violent impact, Wudao's momentum did not slow down. When he was close to the basket, he directly dunked the ball into the basket with one hand.
The two Feng Yu who were hit by Wu Dao took several steps back before they could barely stand firm.
After a successful slam dunk, Jinguji Takeshi grabbed the basket with one arm, and the entire basketball hoop shook violently, making a squeaking sound.
For a moment, the entire stadium fell into silence. Everyone stared blankly at Jinguji Budo on the field, with their mouths open, unable to make any sound.
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