Chapter 012: Great Three-Point Shooting! Strong Defense Too! This Is Exactly What Ōdai Needs Right Now!
Standing at 181 cm, Shinshu executed a powerful... well... not exactly a rim-shattering tomahawk dunk, but for a middle school game, it was quite impressive.
The arena erupted instantly!
However...
Before that dunk, Mirai's steal and assist were even more remarkable.
Shinshu, equally exhilarated, ran back to the defensive end and high-fived Mirai.
"Great job!"
Meanwhile.
Kōji turned his head, his gaze fixed on Mirai.
Though it seemed like just a casual glance on the surface, without any real anger, the Iwaori players knew very well that their captain was actually seething.
That number 12 had stolen the ball from him once, and he was definitely determined to pay him back double.
So.
As soon as the Iwaori point guard dribbled past half-court, he tried to pass the ball to Kōji.
Mirai keenly noticed this.
He swiftly fronted his man, completely denying Kōji any chance to receive the ball.
The Iwaori point guard had no choice but to pass to the power forward on the other side. The latter tried to drive, but Tarō, fully committed to defense due to the stagnant offense, rotated over and smothered him!
The rushed shot clanked off the rim!
Back on offense for Ōdai Middle School.
Iwaori still deployed a zone defense.
Mirai moved actively off the ball, darting to the left corner beyond the three-point line.
Based on the previous flow of the game.
Although Tsugawa, who was guarding Captain Imatsu, had strong one-on-one defense, making it difficult for Captain Imatsu to score easily at the rim—his specialty—he could still penetrate deep enough to put pressure on the defense.
Sure enough.
Shinshu faked a drive, collapsing the defense.
Then he passed the ball to Mirai in the corner.
By then, Kōji was already closing out like a tiger pouncing. Yet, facing Kōji's aggressive closeout, Mirai didn't hesitate at all!
The very act of 'closing out' already implied 'space'.
This was the weakness of a rigid zone defense.
He shot without hesitation!
Swish!
Another three-pointer!
They had been trailing by twenty points just moments ago, but now, in less than a minute, they had cut the lead by eight!
The deficit was suddenly down to twelve!
The entire gymnasium erupted in cheers!
Amid the cheers, the Iwaori coach immediately called a timeout!
...
"So amazing, two three-pointers in one minute. Could it be like the last game against Seiei Middle School again?"
Some more rational Ōdai students analyzed:
"That game was probably just a hot streak. Replicating it won't be easy. However, it seems Hoshiumi's three-point shooting can maintain a relatively high level. For our Ōdai Middle School, this is truly a godsend."
During the timeout, the Iwaori coach pointed at Mirai from a distance and said to Mibayashi Kōji:
"Mibayashi, when you get back on the court, stop helping in the zone. I want you to shut down his three-point shooting completely!"
"Don't worry, Coach! I'll lock him down!"
After the timeout, the game resumed.
On Iwaori's possession, Kōji had the ball, and Mirai immediately stuck to him like a shadow, applying tight pressure. This time, the Iwaori coach had already prepared a strategy.
Kōji, with the help of his teammate's screen, finally managed to receive the ball with great difficulty.
But the moment he caught it...
A ghostly hand had already silently reached for the ball!
Slap...
The ball instantly slipped to the ground!
Kōji quickly dove to the floor, scrambling for possession!
But Mirai was faster! With a diving lunge, he seized control of the ball a split second earlier!
Looking up, he saw Tarō, just like Shinshu before him, sprinting toward the opponent's frontcourt. Mirai flicked the ball sharply with his left hand, and the basketball transformed into an orange streak, chasing after the rapidly advancing Tarō!
Tarō caught the ball and, without hesitation, executed a center-style violent Slam Dunk!
The arena erupted once again in applause and cheers.
"Tall players really do have it easier when it comes to Slam Dunks! But the most important thing is, Ōbokigi, who's nearly 190 cm, can still run the fast break like Captain Imatsu."
"True, our Ōdai has never been lacking in physical fitness and speed—it's our skills that are the weak point..."
"Hoshiumi's defense can no longer be overlooked! He's shut down Mibayashi for three consecutive possessions now!"
"To make Iwaori's scoring core struggle for three straight possessions—even Captain Imatsu would find that difficult. We've been underestimating Hoshiumi's defensive abilities all along!"
"His three-point shooting is excellent! His defense is strong too! This is exactly what Ōdai needs right now, and it fits our team perfectly!"
"Hoshiumi and the current Ōdai are a perfect match!"
...
By now, the point difference had been narrowed to just 10 points!
Ōdai Middle School on the offense.
Point guard Kochi Masaya dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and once again passed it to Shinshu, who repeated his earlier tactic—faking a drive to compress Iwaori's defensive formation.
At the same time, his eyes never stopped searching for Mirai.
But Iwaori was prepared this time.
They deployed a four-man zone defense, sealing the paint tightly.
The remaining player, Kōji, was assigned specifically to "take care" of Mirai.
Kōji stuck to Mirai like glue, constantly engaging in intense physical contact while relentlessly trash-talking with a fierce tone: "You're pretty good, kid! But from now on!"
"You won't even touch the ball again!"
Mirai, upon hearing this, merely raised an eyebrow slightly~
Kōji continued the physical pressure, his mouth never stopping, intent on provoking Mirai." If the other lost his temper, his goal would be achieved.
Mirai saw right through it.
So he didn't get angry at all.
But he wouldn't let Kōji harass him unchecked either.
He initiated a move, using Tarō's timely screen to deftly slip away! As a quality 3D player, he couldn't just stand idly beyond the three-point line waiting for the ball.
He had to learn to move actively, using screens to find openings!
Sure enough, Mirai successfully created space!
Shinshu's pass arrived in an instant, whistling through the air!
Mirai caught the ball steadily beyond the three-point line.
But Kōji's physical prowess was indeed impressive—he forcefully fought through the screen, breaking free from Tarō's pick!
And charged toward Mirai once again.
But for Mirai, the series of movements and screens had already created enough shooting space. By the time Kōji lunged forward, it was already too late to block the shot.
However...
The moment Kōji leaped toward Mirai, his right hand shot out with vicious force, slapping hard toward Mirai's face!