Chapter 69: What Do You Even Do If Jordan Can Pass?

We reached 500 power stones, so here is the bonus chapter --- As the best three-point shooter in this story, Midorima never disappoints when left wide open. Receiving a pass from Tendou, he calmly took his first shot of the game—and of course, it went in. Swish! It wasn't the high-arcing "mortar shell" style he'd use later in high school, but the trajectory was already taking shape—soaring into the air like a meteor before splashing down and stirring up white nets like waves. "What the hell!?" The Kamizaki coach's head was about to explode. He'd just switched up the defensive strategy, and they'd been punished immediately. City ball is full of tricks. I wanna go back to the countryside... Tendou Assist +1! He racked up stats on several straight possessions, making it hard not to shout, "The wolf is here!" His performance was terrifying. And it was all intentional. Ever since Kuroko officially joined the main lineup, Tendou had been preparing to dominate this entire national tournament—from the very first game to the last. Next possession, he pulled up from two steps behind the arc and sank a ridiculously deep three. In later NBA eras, this kind of shot became fairly common—superstars throwing it up on a whim. But for this era? That kind of three was basically blasphemy. Tendou shot it anyway—and drained it. The result? The entire stadium exploded. Kamizaki immediately called another timeout. They couldn't stop him. He was too hot. So far, Kamizaki had only managed to score 2 points, while Teikō had already racked up 10, scoring both inside and outside. They were like a wild beast on a rampage, utterly suppressing Kamizaki's game. "That wasn't a smart shot at all!" "But if it goes in, it's a good shot!" "You can see how demoralized the Kamizaki players are as they head to the bench—Tendou's three-point bomb just shattered their fighting spirit!" The two commentators were hyped, yelling "SUGOI!" from the sidelines. In their eyes, Tendou was absolutely insane. A monster with maxed-out stats. Tendou jogged off the court with both hands in the air, flashing double "OK" signs. Shirogane Kōzō, who had wanted to scold him, had to swallow his words the moment that shot went in. Just like the commentators said: if it goes in, it's a good shot. Interestingly, the person most affected by that ultra-deep three wasn't even a Kamizaki player. It was Midorima. For the first time, the glasses-wearing sniper realized that three-pointers could be this exciting, capable of electrifying the entire stadium. And, the farther away from the basket you were, the less defensive pressure you faced—even if the hit rate dropped. If you could shoot far enough and accurately enough... Midorima looked like he'd just discovered a new continent. His heart was thumping with anticipation. When the timeout ended, Kamizaki finally managed to score again. Kasamatsu Yukio didn't go hero mode—he used a teammate's screen and hit a mid-range jumper. But that didn't solve their problems on defense. Especially with Tendou in red-hot form—he hit all five of his first five shots, forcing Kamizaki to start committing hard fouls just to break his rhythm. Even so, by the end of the first quarter, Teikō led 28–13, a full 15-point lead. Tendou had logged 15 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals in a single quarter—stats so good you couldn't look away. He'd only taken 5 shots total that quarter. One three-pointer, and the remaining 4 points came from the line. During the break, Kamizaki's coach racked his brain. Besides double-teaming, there was really no better way to deal with Tendou. That bastard in jersey 14 was putting up numbers like Michael Jordan—but with passing ability. That was just unfair. But the worst part? In triangle offense, Tendou didn't even touch the ball that much. Before he could come up with a counter strategy, they were hit with another blow: Kuroko had officially entered the game. If you had to name the Teikō player with the most devastating first impression, it had to be Kuroko. If it weren't for Aomine's familiarity with him from middle school, he might've needed to activate his Wild Instinct just to beat Kuroko during their first showdown in the future. Kamizaki had no such advantage. And so, once the second quarter started, Kamizaki's defense completely collapsed. They couldn't even predict where the ball was going. Every time they made a move based on experience, the pass would end up somewhere totally unexpected. It defied logic. "Tch... Seeing it with my own eyes is even crazier than the anime version with special effects." Tendou, now resting on the bench, took the opportunity to watch the game with the real-world audience via the live stream. It gave him the same thrill as when he first watched Kuroko no Basket. Under Kuroko's magical passes, Teikō's offense flowed like mercury, visually stunning and unpredictable. With Tendou and Murasakibara, the two defensive anchors, off the floor, Kamizaki was at least able to get some buckets in. The score didn't run away too far—yet. But... "What the hell are we gonna do when that #14 gets back in?" thought Kasamatsu Yukio. The fear that Tendou had planted during the first quarter was starting to sprout now that the lead was growing. And once a team's captain falls into self-doubt or frustration, defeat is only a matter of time. Midway through the second quarter, in the fifth minute— Tendou checked back in. Now the Kamizaki coach couldn't sit still. They hadn't been able to close the gap while Teikō's starters rested, and now the main lineup was back on the court. Things could only get worse. He had expected a tough game going in, but he didn't think his team would be so thoroughly outclassed. In this slower-paced basketball era, a 15-point lead wasn't a small number. Especially when Kamizaki's whole strategy was built around a balanced inside-out game, which just so happened to match up terribly against Teikō's strengths. Running into Teikō in the very first round of Nationals was just plain bad luck. What he didn't know was that coaches and scouts from other teams watching the game were already panicking. Kamizaki wasn't some no-name squad. Their captain Kasamatsu Yukio was widely regarded as Kanagawa's best point guard. Kumamoto Iwa was considered one of the top four centers in the region. By all metrics, Kamizaki was a solid Top 8-level team. And yet... they were being utterly dismantled by Teikō. Just how strong is this year's Teikō team? --- Vote with some power stones in this story. By using them on this book, you guarantee bonus chapters weekly.