NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

Schröder opted for a simple crossover, then drove to the right. Akashi wasn't completely shaken off but managed to stay close enough to defend.

However, as a physically dominant player, Schröder didn't care about completely evading Akashi. All he needed was a small opening to penetrate the paint.

Facing Akashi, who rushed to block him, Schröder used his stronger frame to effortlessly bump Akashi aside, smoothly making his way into the key.

At this moment, Murasakibara stepped forward, trying to exert pressure and intimidate the shorter player in front of him.

But as Murasakibara took that step, Schröder reacted swiftly, lobbing the ball high into the air towards Davis.

Even before the ball reached him, Davis leapt into the air — preparing for an alley-oop!

Realizing the danger, Murasakibara turned quickly and, relying on his exceptional athleticism, executed a second jump to block Davis.

Unfortunately, Davis's strength surpassed Murasakibara's. Grabbing the ball mid-air, Davis fearlessly completed a thunderous dunk over Murasakibara, who had attempted the block.

Score: 2-0.

The American team took the lead.

As Davis landed, he shot a provocative look at Murasakibara, his lips curving into a smirk as if mocking Murasakibara's inability to stop him.

Davis didn't say much, however, quickly retreating to defense, leaving behind a rattling rim and a furious Murasakibara, his face flushed red with anger.

"Damn it! I'll crush you!" Murasakibara growled, his pride deeply wounded by Davis's disdainful glance.

Now it was Teikō's turn to attack.

Akashi brought the ball up the court, surprised to see Schröder opting for full-court press defense.

He had assumed the opponent would adopt a standard defensive strategy, but Schröder seemed to have something different in mind.

Schröder's intentions were clear — he wanted to test Teiko's point guard. If Akashi struggled under tight defense, Schröder could exploit this weakness to dominate the game.

But Akashi wasn't about to let Schröder have his way.

Using precise footwork, sharp crossovers, sudden stops, and bursts of speed, Akashi skillfully navigated past Schröder's defense, maintaining full control of the ball.

Calmly dribbling to the three-point line, Akashi began orchestrating a half-court offense.

When none of his teammates could find an open lane, Akashi passed the ball to Midorima.

Midorima, with a height of 189cm (6'2'') —slightly taller than Russell's 187cm(6'1'') — was the only Teiko player with a height advantage over his matchup.

Catching the ball, Midorima immediately launched a shot with incredible speed. The decisiveness of the play left Russell momentarily stunned. However, Russell didn't give up, quickly jumping forward with all his might to contest the shot.

Faced with such a rapid block attempt, Midorima was briefly startled — it might actually get blocked!

Reacting instantly, Midorima aborted his shot mid-motion, stepped back to create space, and launched a three-pointer from two steps beyond the arc.

Russell, however, wasn't deterred. Davis's earlier words echoed in his mind: "Win this game, and each of you gets $500,000."

Half a million dollars! He was determined to give his all. Resolute, Russell lunged again, using his superior athleticism to barely graze the ball with his fingertips, altering its trajectory.

Midorima's expression changed, silently marveling at Russell's astonishing reflexes. The ball clanged off the back rim and soared into the air — a rebound opportunity!

Under the basket, a fierce battle for the rebound ensued between Murasakibara and Davis, like two wild beasts vying for dominance.

Murasakibara used his immense strength to box out Davis, while Davis retaliated with equal determination, refusing to give up position.

Suddenly, Andrew Wiggins, nicknamed "Maple Jordan" took a giant step forward, leaping high into the air. His form was graceful yet powerful, his outstretched arms seemingly reaching for the heavens as he snatched the ball cleanly.

Securing the rebound, Wiggins was immediately met with tight defense from Aomine. However, Wiggins didn't engage in a direct confrontation. Instead, he passed the ball to Schröder and sprinted toward the frontcourt.

"Tch. Boring" Aomine muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration. He had hoped for a more intense one-on-one showdown, but Wiggins had denied him the opportunity, not even sparing him a glance as he passed.

Schröder, now in possession of the ball, took off like lightning. With a quick crossover, he left Akashi behind.

Seeing this, Aomine rushed to intercept Schröder, resulting in a thrilling chase across the court. Aomine gradually closed the gap, ready to execute a LeBron-esque chasedown block.

But Schröder pulled off a surprising move — a sudden no-look pass backward.

Aomine stopped in his tracks and turned, expecting someone to catch the ball, only to realize no one was there.

"Damn it! I've been tricked!" Aomine thought as he quickly refocused on Schröder.

By then, Schröder was already airborne in the paint, completing an easy layup.

Swish! The ball passed cleanly through the net.

Schröder's layup was fluid and elegant, a masterclass in deception and basketball IQ.

The score now stood at 4-0.

The pressure was mounting on Teiko. Falling behind by four points so early was unfamiliar territory for them, but the players didn't lose heart. Akashi once again took control, leading the next attack.