"Full-court man-to-man defense from the start?"
As soon as the game began, Tendou closely marked Midorima, leaving him no room to shoot.
"Of course, the opponent is Midorima. The Generation of Miracles'—no, rather Japan's best shooter."
Throughout the Nationals, Midorima maintained a terrifying 100% accuracy on open three-pointers. His shooting was lethal; leave him open, and he'd punish you every single time.
However—
"We've long anticipated tactics of this level," Nakatani Masaaki said confidently.
Nakatani firmly believed in teamwork above all. Even Midorima had to adhere strictly, avoiding impulsive hero-ball shots. Without a clear chance, even Midorima wouldn't be allowed to shoot excessively. This disciplined style closely mirrored Gregg Popovich's system, who restricted even his superstars to around 25 attempts per game, ensuring every player had opportunities to find rhythm.
In the 2014 NBA Finals, the Spurs played precisely this brand of basketball, overwhelming the Miami Heat with balanced scoring.
Tendou personally marking Midorima full-court was within Shūtoku's expectations. Shūtoku's first attack would rely entirely on their remaining four players.
Takao dribbled past half-court, tightly guarded by Hanamiya. Rather than passing immediately, Takao accelerated aggressively toward the paint.
Simultaneously, Miyaji quickly maneuvered behind Takao.
He wasn't worried about Takao not noticing him. Their freshman point guard also possessed extraordinary eyes—not on the monstrous level of the Six Eyes or Emperor Eye, but equally practical:
The Eagle Eye, granting him a 360-degree view without blind spots!
The moment Miyaji reached position, Takao abruptly passed backward without even looking.
Miyaji caught it perfectly, drove straight into the lane past Haizaki, and scored with a decisive layup.
"They're still as sharp as ever—Shūtoku's ball movement is seamless."
"Yeah, that's exactly what defines Shūtoku."
Seirin knew this best, having faced Shūtoku twice, achieving one win and one draw—both matches coming down to the final second. Shūtoku's strength was something they deeply respected.
2-0.
"So, you're aiming to tear apart Hanamiya's Spider Web defense through aggressive drives?"
Tendou casually walked to the offensive side, awaiting his teammates' arrival.
It seemed Shūtoku hadn't wasted their joint training session, thoroughly analyzing Hanamiya's weaknesses.
Tendou mentally reviewed Shūtoku's strategy. Whenever Takao attacked Hanamiya head-on, other players simultaneously dispersed rapidly like fireworks, maximizing spacing options. Passing to Miyaji was just one choice among many; Shūtoku's offense offered countless variations depending on Takao's instincts.
"Must admit, you have an impressive team."
Snap!
Tendou cleanly caught Hanamiya's pass, eyes locked onto Midorima.
"However, you're overly optimistic."
Before Midorima could respond, Tendou launched an explosive dribble.
Midorima stood firm, but suddenly Tendou's eyes glimmered like jewels.
"Dismantle!"
Bang!
A single powerful crossover sent Midorima stumbling away.
In high school basketball today, no one could match Tendou's isolation skills.
Shūtoku had clearly anticipated this scenario—two defenders instantly collapsed on Tendou, trying to close every gap.
Yet—
Tendou's eyes flashed open, instantly finding the optimal passing route.
Swoosh!
The ball threaded perfectly between the two defenders, landing right into Haizaki's hands.
"Finish it."
"No need to tell me," Haizaki scoffed, immediately driving toward the basket.
Facing Kimura Shinsuke at power forward, Haizaki held a clear advantage in both skill and athleticism. Kimura even saw glimpses of his teammate Miyaji in Haizaki's fluid moves—before Haizaki swiftly finished the layup.
2-2!
Both teams opened with efficient offense, yet Miyaji was still haunted by Haizaki's moves.
"Pillage, huh..."
Miyaji gritted his teeth in frustration, knowing instinctively that Haizaki had stolen his rhythm. He found himself involuntarily replaying Haizaki's movements in his mind, subconsciously beginning to imitate them.
Miyaji had always been Shūtoku's premier slasher. Now, his signature skill had just been effectively neutralized by Kirisaki Daiichi's number two.
"Pillage really is a troublesome ability," Coach Nakatani murmured grimly, arms crossed. "But Shūtoku isn't a one-man team."
Shūtoku was about collective basketball—teamwork defined their philosophy. Teams like theirs emphasized smart, rational plays, always seeking the best available shots.
Even if Haizaki took away their trademark moves, simple layups, standard shots, or ordinary drives could still secure points if executed properly.
Once again, Takao aggressively attacked Hanamiya, then skillfully dished a pass to Ōtsubo under the basket.
Facing Seto Kentaro one-on-one, Ōtsubo muscled through, slamming down a powerful two-handed dunk.
"Need help, genius?" Haizaki sarcastically asked Hanamiya, noticing his struggle.
Hanamiya specialized in intercepting passes, disrupting opponent plays. Takao, however, denied him that chance by continuously charging head-on.
"Get lost—I don't need your pity," Hanamiya spat back dismissively.
They were teammates by necessity, not by friendship. Regular brawls during practice weren't uncommon.
Tendou watched silently, unworried by their friction. Kirisaki Daiichi simply had more offensive firepower and efficiency than Shūtoku.
He received the ball again, and Midorima instantly lowered his center of gravity, closely observing Tendou's every twitch.
Tendou stepped forward calmly, his body shimmering like sunlight.
This seemingly casual step was actually the fastest first step in the nation.
"Left!"
Midorima quickly shuffled sideways to block him. However, just as Midorima's balance shifted slightly, Tendou flashed like lightning to the opposite side.
"He shattered Midorima's defense in an instant!"
"What an absolute monster!" Coach Nakatani inwardly gasped. No matter how many times he witnessed those eyes, their precision remained terrifyingly impressive.
Breaking past Midorima, Tendou penetrated deep into Shūtoku's paint, forcing Ōtsubo and others to collapse desperately once more.
Whoosh!
The ball flew out again, landing perfectly in Haizaki's hands beyond the three-point line.
"Don't even think about it!" Miyaji sprinted desperately to contest.
But suddenly, Haizaki's shooting form drastically changed.
In the audience, Mibuchi Reo abruptly opened his eyes in shock.
"That's mine—Earth Shot!"
Simultaneously, the referee's whistle blew loudly. Miyaji had committed a foul on Haizaki's three-point attempt.
Even worse, Haizaki's shot rattled softly against the rim and fell through the net.
A four-point play opportunity!
Haizaki calmly sank the free throw, making the score 6-4, with Kirisaki Daiichi now in the lead.
On the scoreboard, it appeared the game was closely contested. Yet experienced viewers clearly saw Shūtoku's predicament.
Shūtoku intended to neutralize Tendou by sacrificing Midorima's offensive capabilities, hoping Tendou's attention on defense would suffer.
Against last year's Kirisaki Daiichi, that strategy might have worked.
However, Kirisaki Daiichi now had Haizaki—a player just below the Generation of Miracles.
This new Kirisaki Daiichi had evolved into a dual-core team, no longer relying solely on Tendou.