Chapter Eighty-Six: Midorima Shintaro
"The gap's widening?!"
"Maki's adaptability is truly terrifying!"
"Midorima's transition defense was also scary... if that had been anyone else, they definitely would've gotten swatted with a massive block!"
The audience buzzed with discussion. Obviously, more spectators favored Shutoku, so discovering Kainan had actually taken the lead first was somewhat surprising.
Possession changed. Shutoku's offense.
Kainan's players quickly retreated on defense. Shutoku didn't lose composure from that previous play.
Midorima Shintaro ran unhurriedly toward Kainan's half.
Just as he crossed the halfcourt line—
Takao Kazunari, who'd received a quick baseline inbound, locked his gaze and sent a full-court pass without hesitation!
The basketball flew precisely into Midorima Shintaro's hands. Standing beyond the three-point line, Jin Soichiro's heart suddenly tightened as an ominous premonition instantly surged up.
"Swish!"
Catch, one dribble to adjust—right at the position just past center circle, Midorima Shintaro rose without warning. Under the entire arena's shocked gaze, he released the ball!
"WHAT?!!!"
All of Kainan's team, along with every spectator courtside, watched this scene defying common sense in astonishment.
After releasing his shot, Midorima Shintaro didn't even glance at the rim. He directly turned around, pushed up his glasses, and calmly retreated toward his own half.
The basketball traced an extremely high arc through the air, descending with everyone's eyes following—
"Swish!"
The crisp net-snapping sound seemed to reverberate throughout the entire venue.
Three-pointer good!
Shutoku 30 - Kainan 31
"Too exaggerated!"
"Wait... didn't he turn to retreat before the ball even went in?" Exclamations erupted from the stands.
More than the basket itself, Midorima Shintaro's matter-of-fact attitude was what made people feel both furious and shocked.
The players on Kainan's bench thought in unison of Yagami Sorato's wild performance in the Kanagawa finals. But before them, Midorima Shintaro seemed even more composed than Yagami Sorato had been then—even more unperturbed.
"Jin!" Maki Shinichi decisively ordered. "From now on, implement full-court marking on him. Don't give him the slightest bit of shooting space!"
"Understood!"
Possession changed. Kainan's offense.
Perhaps influenced by Midorima Shintaro's performance, Maki Shinichi's pull-up jumper near the free-throw line clanged off the rim.
Fortunately, Takasago Kazuma fought through fierce positioning to leap, narrowly protecting this precious offensive rebound.
After receiving a pass, Kiyota Nobunaga cut into the paint. After drawing the defense, he flicked his wrist to pass to Muto Masaru.
Muto Masaru steadily scored with a stable floater!
Kainan withstood the pressure, maintaining their slim lead.
Shutoku 30 - Kainan 33
"Give me the ball."
On Shutoku's counter-attack, Midorima Shintaro calmly called for the ball beyond the three-point line.
Takao Kazunari revealed a smile and passed without hesitation.
After receiving, Midorima Shintaro didn't even adjust. He rapidly raised the ball as if to shoot.
"Can't let him make this shot!" Jin Soichiro hastily jumped to contest. Kainan's lead had been hard-earned—they absolutely had to firmly defend it!
However, that was just a fake.
Midorima Shintaro quickly gathered the ball and dropped his shoulder. With a sharp crossover, he swept past Jin Soichiro's side!
"What?! He can actually drive too?!"
Midorima Shintaro dribbled inside the three-point line. Before help defense arrived, he calmly rose to shoot.
Jin Soichiro had just landed and turned. He could only watch helplessly as the basketball traced a beautiful arc.
"Swish!"
Long two-pointer good!
Shutoku 32 - Kainan 33
Midorima Shintaro's expression didn't change as he pushed up his glasses and calmly retreated.
"TWEET!"
"Kainan requests timeout."
Despite holding the lead, Kainan called timeout. Coach Takato heavily closed his folding fan, fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples. He realized he had to immediately adjust strategy. Otherwise, this shooter who never missed from three-point range would thoroughly demolish Kainan's defense.
However, the difficulty in defending Midorima Shintaro's three-pointers lay in two points:
First was shooting range. Unlike typical players with fixed hot spots, Midorima Shintaro's current shooting positions included the wing, top of the arc, one meter beyond the three-point line, center circle... This omnipresent threatening presence could only be countered with full-court tight marking.
Second was height advantage. His 195cm height gave him a release point most guards couldn't approach. Currently, only the 189cm Jin Soichiro could barely create interference for Kainan. But such extreme defense was enormously draining on stamina.
With both factors combined, Coach Takato worried that entering the white-hot final period, Jin Soichiro would collapse first.
First half ended.
Shutoku 55 - Kainan 50
Midorima Shintaro: 8-for-8 shooting, including 6-for-6 from three-point range!
"We've gradually established our rhythm, but the opponent keeps close pursuit without showing any signs of wavering." Coach Nakatani Ryo surveyed the players, his tone serious. "Otsubo, Kimura—in the second half, the interior must strengthen. You hold the height advantage, yet the first half's rebound total only exceeded theirs by two—do you want to run back to school after the game ends?"
"Uh, is Coach serious?" Takao Kazunari muttered quietly on the side. "We have fewer rebounds because our shooting percentage is higher. The rebounds senpai fought for were mostly defensive rebounds on the opponent's court, right?"
"Being able to grab more rebounds when opponents have advantageous positioning—senpai are already amazing."
"Takao, what are you muttering about?" Coach Nakatani turned his head sharply.
"Nothing! Coach!" Takao immediately straightened his back.
He secretly glanced at Midorima Shintaro beside him, only to discover the other completely ignored him, seriously adjusting his fingers instead.
"What are you doing?"
"As you can see, I'm trimming my nails." Midorima Shintaro said. "The smoothness of my nails directly relates to my shooting touch."
"..." Takao Kazunari was speechless. "Plus carefully wrapping fingers with bandages normally... this already exceeds being particular—it's pure obsession, right?"
"What you mentioned doesn't matter. The most irritating thing is this teddy bear, right? Why does it get to sit beside Coach watching us play?!" Miyaji Kiyoshi said furiously. "Can I smash it? At least punch it a few times, right?!"
"That's a lucky item. Oha Asa's fortune-telling is absolutely never wrong." Midorima Shintaro pushed up his glasses. "First do your human best, then await heaven's mandate. So this match, we absolutely won't lose."
"Today's Oha Asa fortune: First place is Cancer. Today you'll be in perfect condition all day. Just bring your lucky item—an adorable teddy bear—and you'll be invincible!"
Third quarter began!
Both teams made no lineup adjustments.
Shutoku's possession.
After Takao Kazunari pushed to the frontcourt, he immediately noticed subtle changes in Kainan's defensive strategy.
Not only Kiyota Nobunaga defending him, but even Jin Soichiro marking Midorima Shintaro positioned obviously toward the passing lane.
"Planning to primarily cut off passing connections?"
Takao didn't hesitate to lob it inside. "However, Shutoku's senpai are very reliable!"
Otsubo Taisuke received steadily in the low post. He backed down forcefully, using his physical advantage to push Takasago Kazuma back half a step.
Then pivoting on his left foot, he faked a turnaround jumper. The instant Takasago's center of gravity rose to contest, Otsubo Taisuke suddenly dropped his weight and swiftly cut baseline past him, rising easily.
"BANG!"
A clean one-handed slam secured two points.
Shutoku 57 - Kainan 50
"Nicely done! Otsubo!!"
"What gorgeous low-post footwork..."
"Takasago got completely fooled!"
Uozumi Jun's expression grew somewhat grave. He suddenly realized that outside Kanagawa, most centers he'd encountered were technical players. Though he didn't fear matching up against these opponents in his heart, he couldn't help worrying he might become a breakthrough point in his team's defensive line.
"As captain, I should become a solid backbone for teammates."
Possession changed. Kainan's offense.
Takasago Kazuma pulled out again to set a screen for Jin Soichiro. But this time, the instant Jin shot, Takao Kazunari actually abandoned Kiyota Nobunaga decisively to help!
"He read it?!"
Jin Soichiro was disrupted by the hand appearing before him. The three-pointer clanged off.
Otsubo Taisuke secured the rebound steadily.
Shutoku pushed quickly in transition. Takao Kazunari passed to Miyaji Kiyoshi, but the latter was locked down by Maki the instant he crossed the three-point line.
"Damn, this guy's so troublesome!"
Miyaji Kiyoshi couldn't shake Maki left or right. Instead, he was pressured backward repeatedly by the opponent's body, nearly traveling.
"Miyaji!"
Otsubo Taisuke cut to the paint calling for the ball. Miyaji Kiyoshi tried passing from above, but Maki Shinichi leaped and precisely intercepted!
In the chaos, Takao Kazunari regained possession. He nimbly escaped Kiyota Nobunaga's pressure and passed left.
The instant Midorima Shintaro received, he stepped back, creating space for a three-point attempt. Jin Soichiro desperately jumped to contest.
"I can reach it!"
Jin Soichiro gritted his teeth. His fingertips only touched the lower edge of Midorima Shintaro's palm, while the basketball had already flown toward the rim.
"Today, I am unstoppable." Midorima Shintaro murmured calmly as he landed.
"Swish!"
Ball in, whistle blown!
"Kainan number 6, hand-checking foul! Basket counts, plus one free throw!"
Midorima Shintaro steadily made the free throw.
Shutoku 61 - Kainan 50
The gap instantly widened beyond ten points!
This was the terror of the three-pointer. It wasn't merely a comeback weapon—it was a weapon that could instantly destroy game balance!
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