Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Winning against The Legendary King
Midorima tightly gripped the ball, and Tsuna edged closer, assuming a defensive stance.
With deliberate composure, Midorima began, "I'm not sure what game you're playing, but if you think marking me alone will work, you're in for a surprise."
Maintaining a steadfast defensive posture, Tsuna responded nonchalantly as Midorima dribbled the ball and maintained a calculated distance, "Shintaro, I respect your pride, but aren't you mistaking it with something else?"
Midorima scoffed at the remark.
Midorima raised his gaze towards the basket, but before he could take the shot, he found Tsuna's hand blocking his vision.
"...So, that's why he closed the distance between us, huh?"
Understanding Tsuna's strategy, Midorima realized he couldn't shoot haphazardly with his sight obscured. He was always calculated and precise.
Attempting to adjust his dribbling pace, Midorima was shocked. Tsuna's defense was impeccable, tracking his every move and continuously obstructing his field of view.
"Let me tell you this."
Tsuna leaned in closer, his voice steady and low, as Midorima struggled in his grip, attempting to break free.
Midorima's efforts to escape were in vain as Tsuna swiftly moved, swiping the ball from Midorima's grasp with lightning speed.
Tsuna continued a hint of challenge, saying, "I admit, Shintaro. Your dribbling is impressive for a three-point specialist."
"But, aren't you being too arrogant? Would you even get past me if I didn't allow you to?"
With the ball in his possession, Tsuna quickly broke away and made a beeline for the hoop, seizing the opportunity to execute a powerful dunk.
Midorima was left speechless, trying to absorb Tsuna's words.
Though less thunderous than the previous one, the dunk reverberated through the collective psyche of Shutoku's players.
In utter disbelief, they fixed their gazes on Tsuna.
Tsuna said to Midorima, still wide-eyed, "From this moment on. I won't let you score another point."
"...That's one way to stifle a shooter," Nakatani murmured quietly from the sidelines.
It was a technique fraught with risk, demanding swift reactions and agility, and always carried the threat of fouling the shooter.
Surveying the challenging predicament facing Shutoku, Nakatani sighed, his eyes trained on Tsuna on the court. He couldn't help but reflect, "Midorima's already a beast, but it looks like that young captain might be an even bigger one."
Being gifted was one thing, but knowing how to exploit that talent to its fullest was another level entirely.
As the game pressed on, Shutoku faced a dire situation.
When Midorima had an open shot, Tsuna did something extraordinary in a crucial moment. Instead of challenging the shot directly, which was already daunting, he extended his hand to obstruct Midorima's line of sight.
The consequence was astonishing – Midorima's signature high-arching shot, which had been an almost guaranteed basket throughout middle school, went awry.
It missed the basket entirely, ricocheting off the backboard and astounded everyone on the court. This was unprecedented. Midorima had never missed a shot since his middle school days, not once, not without some formidable defense to blame.
Observing Midorima's perplexed expression, Tsuna shook his head.
Tsuna employed a trick he had picked up from an NBA game. He knew it was particularly effective when dealing with someone as meticulous as Midorima, who never liked taking uncertain shots.
The trick was straightforward but cunning. By obstructing Midorima's line of sight with his hand, Tsuna planted a seed of unease in the perfectionist shooter's mind. Midorima, who valued precision above all, was now reluctant to take the shot. The weight of the miss was a blow to his pride.
And just as Tsuna anticipated, Midorima chose not to risk another uncertain shot.
Tsuna capitalized on this hesitation, smoothly swiping the ball from him. Together with his team, they began accumulating points, orchestrating a remarkable turnaround in the score.
In some instances, Tsuna couldn't snatch the ball from Midorima, and he successfully passed it to his teammates.
However, breaking through Fukuda Sogo's solid defense was still proving to be a challenge.
Otsubo and Kimura were having a particularly tough time. Whenever they found themselves under the basket, they felt like they were a mere step away from narrowing the score gap. Yet, Nijimura, who combined agility with brute strength, thwarted most of their attempts to catch up.
As the third quarter ended, the scoreboard showed a considerable disparity, with Fukuda Sogo leading 73 - 58. The atmosphere on Shutoku's bench during the break was subdued, as they had only managed to score 6 points during the third quarter.
Nakatani then instructed the team to lock in on their defense, specifically focusing on Tsuna. He emphasized recognizing Fukuda Sogo's strategies and taking opportunities to counterattack. Their goal was to make it tougher for Fukuda Sogo to score.
They had studied their playing style well.
Meanwhile, Tsuna's message was straightforward. He urged them to stick to their current rhythm.
With the final quarter underway, Fukuda Sogo came out strong on offense. Tsuna, holding the ball, observed Otsubo and Takao marking him closely.
Otsubo confidently announced, "Just like you've shut down Midorima, we're going to stop you..."
Tsuna's gaze intensified, and in an instant, he burst forward, leaving Otsubo struggling to keep up with his quick moves. But as he was about to regain his balance, Tsuna was surprised when Takao swiftly moved in from the side, his hand poised to steal the ball.
Tsuna had to react fast, taking a step back to maintain control of the ball. The court was charged with energy as the defense and offense clashed.
Takao brimmed with determination as he declared, "You won't get past us now!"
Seizing the moment, Otsubo rejoined the defense against Tsuna, while Takao kept a close eye on Tsuna's every move.
Tsuna couldn't help but smile at the spirited challenge, saying, "You guys don't waste any time, do you?"
Shutoku quickly adjusted to Tsuna's team's pace, impressing Tsuna with their adaptability and determination.
"But..." Tsuna paused suddenly, and his form shifted to take a shot.
Otsubo widened his eyes, as he tried to block the shot, but Tsuna's release was swift and accurate. The ball sailed through the air, hitting nothing but the net.
Grinning at their stunned faces, Tsuna spoke, "Who said I couldn't make a three?"
With this newfound understanding, Shutoku faced a grim reality.
As the game rolled on, Shutoku grappled with the challenge of thwarting Fukuda Sogo's attacks.
Whenever their focus centered on Tsuna, he effortlessly exploited their attention, finding gaps in their defense. Even when they tried to distribute their attention more evenly, Tsuna sliced through their defense or, to make matters worse, deftly delivered three-pointers or assisted his teammates.
The final whistle blew, concluding their friendly match, and the score stood at 97-64, a commanding lead for Fukuda Sogo.
They turned to Tsuna, who casually commended his teammates.
Suddenly, it dawned on them that they had been playing right on the palm of his hands from the beginning of the game.
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