Chapter 143

No wonder, after Seirin lost the I. H., a summer of intensive training saw the entire team return transformed for the Winter Cup, to the point where even Izuki Shun could match up against Akashi on the court.

Of course...

It only meant they could hold their own for a couple of exchanges, but that was already remarkable.

Liang Huayin's physical abilities, compared to the Selection Tournament Period before the training camp, had strengthened so completely he seemed like a different person; this was visibly evident on the other Bai Shui team members as well.

Liang Huayin held off Dakou Longzhi, and Dakou Longzhi, relying on his superior vision, passed the ball to the center inside.

Center Kitaoka, nearly two meters tall, held a significant advantage; crucially, his skills were extremely refined. He executed consecutive post-ups, followed by a seamless spin, and on the side away from Yukimiya Kazuma, he overpowered Takeno Masaki to sink a short hook shot near the basket.

Exactly, he was seven or eight centimeters taller than Takeno Masaki, yet he chose a cautious hook shot under the basket.

2 to 0!

Center Kitaoka scored the first points for Kitaoka, and the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Watching Kitaoka's seamless hook shot, Yukimiya Kazuma was filled with emotion; he had never seen anything like it, never seen it. By the way, this guy is quite skilled too.

Bai Shui's offensive possession.

Yukimiya Kazuma brought the ball past half-court; the opposing power forward's pressure was of little use against Yukimiya Kazuma's Ball-Handling Skills.

Instead, the opponent lost his balance and was left behind by Yukimiya Kazuma.

Yukimiya strode into the paint, and facing the tall Center Kitaoka under the basket, he lightly passed the ball to Takeno Masaki below the rim via a bounce pass.

Takeno Masaki pushed off the ground and jumped, driving the ball straight up from dry land to slam it viciously into the hoop.

Boom!

2 to 2!

After scoring, Takeno Masaki smoothed his wind-swept pompadour and gave Yukimiya Kazuma a thumbs-up: "Beautiful pass, returned the favor!"

Just moments ago, Takeno Masaki had been single-handedly eaten alive by the opponent; this goal came as a great relief. Yukimiya Kazuma's pass was, as always, comfortable, a feeling no one else could provide.

"Whoa!"

"That was a beautiful pass!"

"Kitaoka's power forward paid the price for his gamble on the steal; Yukimiya Kazuma shook him off, drew Center Kitaoka's defense, and easily assisted Takeno Masaki to complete the offense."

"Yukimiya Kazuma is in excellent form today!"

Kitaoka's offense.

They passed the ball to Dakou Longzhi to initiate the attack again.

Dakou Longzhi plays the same ball-dominant core style as Yukimiya Kazuma; almost all of Kitaoka's offenses are initiated by Dakou Longzhi.

Their guards are only responsible for bringing the ball past half-court and handing it to Dakou Longzhi.

The Bai Shui team contracted their formation to counter Dakou Longzhi's drives; based on statistical data, the Bai Shui side knew Dakou Longzhi's shooting ability was average, and they did not believe he could punish them with his shot.

Dakou Longzhi frowned; such defense annoyed him. He lost his driving space. Observing continuously at the top of the key, he faked a drive, but in reality, it was a feint.

Dakou Longzhi's true objective was to find the 663 shooter on the perimeter.

Yukimiya Kazuma judged Dakou Longzhi's thoughts with extreme accuracy.

Snap~!

He appeared precisely on the passing lane, and the basketball was intercepted by Yukimiya Kazuma.

Without any hesitation, Yukimiya Kazuma immediately began a fast break.

Dakou Longzhi's pass was stolen; he immediately chased down Yukimiya Kazuma, while Teruyama Daisuke provided support on the wing for Yukimiya Kazuma.

Yukimiya Kazuma glanced back with his peripheral vision, used a sudden acceleration feint to draw Dakou Longzhi out of the paint.

At the same time, Yukimiya Kazuma flicked his wrist, and the basketball arrived in Teruyama Daisuke's hands.

Teruyama Daisuke seized the moment, pushed off the ground and jumped, gave a light tap, and easily scored two points on a layup.

Dakou Longzhi felt somewhat helpless; if Yukimiya Kazuma had chosen to go for himself, he would have had a 'full' certainty to intercept that shot.

He never expected Yukimiya Kazuma to be like he had a bird's-eye view, actually finding the number 7 following up behind him so accurately; it was incredible.

Kitaoka's possession.

This time, Dakou Longzhi did not deliberately avoid Bai Shui's 'Iron Wall'; he used a pick-and-roll to drive into Bai Shui's interior.

Boom~!

He swung his right arm in a full circle!

Dakou Longzhi, carrying Takeno Masaki, went for a violent dunk!

It must be said that Dakou Longzhi's physical abilities were something to speak of; the primary defender Liang Huayin and the interior defender Takeno Masaki were thrown into disarray by the charging Dakou Longzhi.

Until...

Snap~!

A hand suddenly grabbed from Dakou Longzhi's side!

Yes, it was the familiar 'I Love Dunking', the familiar swat, sending the person flying with a backflip!

"What?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Haru Hiroyuki seized the moment, snatched the ball, and completed the transition offense; only then did Dakou Longzhi come to his senses.

Offensive possession; Dakou Longzhi looked at the Bai Shui interior, which was overcrowded. Even for him, who usually relied on physical drives, he could not smash open a lane.

With no other option, Dakou Longzhi drove out to the perimeter to the shooting guard.

After receiving the pass, the Kitaoka shooting guard took a three-point shot.

Clang~!

The basketball hit the front rim of the hoop and bounced up.

The rebound was secured by Takeno Masaki. Dakou Longzhi frowned; this was a wide-open shot, and it was a great pity that their own shooting guard failed to seize the opportunity. If the perimeter shots don't fall, Bai Shui will contract their defense even more recklessly, which is not good news for him.

These guys' bodies are really tough!

Speaking of which...

The people of Bai Shui Hall had something to say.

Relying on the body to break through and assault the inner line—whether one can withstand it is another matter, but at least they had long adapted; after all, no matter how strong your body is, can it compete with the fully matured bodies of Seiko's muscle studs?!

Bai Shui Hall's defense was extremely tight; although Hokai's center held some advantages against Takefu Masaki, the help defense from Yukimiya Kazuma on the other side was equally fatal to him, and without Dakou Longzhi's scoring power, Hokai was clearly unable to contend with Bai Shui Hall.

At the same time, Yukimiya Kazuma's help defense on the perimeter was also crucial; with him present, the defensive pressure on Teruyama Daisuke, who faced the greatest physical disparity, decreased significantly.