Author's Note: Hello fellow readers. I have read your comments about distinguishing the guards and the forwards. In most scorecards, it does not distinct power forwards from small forwards and vice versa; the same applies to point guard and shooting guard. Also, there are many players in the United States' roster that have players who are capable of playing multiple positions. But, for the sake of clarity, I will specify each player's position in the future. Sorry for the confusion.
10-2. The score burned bight into the United States' players' eyes. A team so expected to win and defeat their opponents in a sport that they cherish as a unique export was now trailing this Japanese team.
"Timeout! United States!" the referee proclaimed as he blew his whistle.
Mike Kryzyzewski, the coach of the United States, visibly distraught, walked onto the court, imploring his players to pick up their effort and take the game more seriously.
Coach Kryzyzewski, Coach K as he is more known as, is a college basketball coach for one of the best college basketball programs in the United States, Duke University. He also has been tasked with coaching the Men's National Team as well. A usually calm man was lividly yelling at his players.
"Good job, team!" Riko applauded her team. A collection of high-fives and chest bumps filled the happy huddle.
"Keep attacking!" Momoi urged them to continue. "The last thing we want is for them to get back on their feet and start a counterattack. We have to build this lead!"
10-2. Japan leads. 8:45 left in the first quarter.
As Team USA inbounds the ball yet again, Akashi marks Paul tightly, not giving him any breathing space to operate. Paul pushes the ball up the court and passes it to LeBron on the right arc and then proceeds to cut to the right corner, setting a down screen on Muraskibara, letting Chandler break free to set a screen on Aomine for LeBron to dribble towards the heart of the defense.
With Murasakibara caught on the Paul screen, Aomine caught on the Chandler screen and Akashi lost amidst all the discombobulating of players on the right side, LeBron was able to penetrate towards the middle with no resistance.
Midorima and Kise, both guarding players that were camped out on the three point line on the left side, were unwillingly to commit to stopping the freight train LeBron James. And as a result, LeBron was able to finish at the rim with an easy uncontested left handed layup.
10-4. Japan. 8:31 left in the first quarter.
It was a brilliant set play out of the timeout. Without hesitation, Kise immediately inbounded the ball to Midorima. Midorima scanned the court and saw that Kobe was guarding Aomine on the full court press. With a smile, he raised up from an unbelievable distance and prepared to shoot the ball. Quickly caught by surprise, Midorima was greeted by the lanky arms of Kevin Durant who was there to contest his shot.
Durant, though 6'9, has a wingspan that far surpasses his own height. With a condor-like reach and branching hands, Durant was able to completely cover up Midorima's entire vision of the basket with his entire arm. Not wanting to get blocked in the backcourt by Durant, Midorima adjusted his shot and flicked the ball higher into his release.
With everybody sprinting back and awaiting the result of the shot, it clanged short in front of the rim, and the ball was quickly pulled down by Chandler like a frog snatching his prey from the sky.
Chandler, wasting no time, immediately passed the ball to LeBron, who immediately started a fast break.
That was one of the sins that Momoi had warned against when defending LeBron. With everybody hustling back to the rim on Midorima's shot, LeBron was able to break free and roam towards the half court line and start a fast break. With his immense body size and speed, he quickly outran the others into the other basket.
With only Midorima remaining from his shot, Midorima quickly stepped up to LeBron as LeBron reached the three point line with blazing speed. LeBron looked away and skipped a bounce pass to Durant, who was camping in the back court after defending Midorima's shot well, who immediately flushed the ball down the rim with his two hands.
10-6. Japan. 8:25 left.
Do not let the United States score in bunches.
That was another one of Momoi's warnings. The Japanese team could not allow consecutive points to be scored on them in such a short period of time especially in the fast break. They could not afford a sprinting war between the two.
Midorima prepared to inbound the ball after the Durant dunk but was immediately greeted with the full court press of the United States. With Durant standing in front of him trying to disrupt the pass, Midorima had a difficult time trying to find an angle to inbound. Akashi was receiving the same treatment that he was giving Paul by the stout point guard. Aomine was watched closely by LeBron, who was bullying into the corner of the backcourt with brute strength. Kise was being hand checked by Kobe on the right baseline, discouraging any movement. The only available option was Murasakibara who waited at the free throw line. Chandler, who was defending him, stayed back to prevent any lob plays.
Midorima angled his body and snuck a pass to Murasakibara. Murasakibara caught the ball and shielded it from defenders with his body as his own teammates ran up the court. He laid in wait and watched as everybody moved up the court, including Midorima, who was being marked tightly by Durant.
Then he saw Akashi, the point guard of the team, appear close to him, asking for the ball to establish control over the game. Murasakibara unshielded the ball and was prepared to pass the ball to Akashi when a curious thought struck him.
"Where is Chris Paul? He was just marking him closely."
As soon as Murasakibara unshielded the ball, Chris Paul, who had been stalking behind Murasakibara waiting for him to unshield the ball, slapped the ball right out of his hands and came up with the steal.
With Paul recovering the ball in the back court, Team Japan had to switch back to defense on a moment's notice. As the players all ran back, Paul reset the offense and passed the ball to LeBron by center court, and again went to the right side and screened Murasakibara to free up Chandler to screen Aomine.
Aomine, remembering the previous time this occurred, decided to go under the screen to closely defend LeBron body-to-body, rather than going around the screen and giving him a free lane to the basket.
It was another one of the sins that Momoi warned against. With Aomine defending LeBron closely to prevent him from getting an easy layup, Chandler instead rolled towards the basket, and LeBron made an easy in-the-air pass to Chandler who dunked the ball with authority.
10-8. Japan. 8:11 left in the first quarter.
Kise wasted no time quickly inbounding the ball to Akashi after the Chandler dunk. They could ill afford another turnover in the backcourt to the United States.
Akashi pushed the ball up the court, resetting the offense and he waited to analyze how the United States was to set their defense. He saw how Durant was defending Midorima, tight and full court, not giving him an inch of breathing space. The Midorima blitzkrieg has come to an end now that the United States has adjusted their defense.
Riko has realized this as well. Switching Kevin Durant onto Midorima would definitely give the latter problems shooting the ball. Now Team Japan must alter their offensive strategy.
But this is what the General, Akashi is supposed to do. He calls for a pick from Murasakibara, who sets a physical screen on Paul, sort of revenge for the previous two that were set on him, and forces Chandler to defend with Ice. Akashi utilizes his own lateral quickness and maneuvers around Chandler into the open lane. Like the United States offense, Japan sets all their players on the three point line to allow penetration from the guards.
This allows Akashi to drive towards the rim pretty much uncontested. Except that Kobe Bryant decided to help one pass away from his man, Kise, and swipes at the ball while Akashi attacked the basket.
Akashi read this with his Emperor Eye, and instead of shooting a layup, he positions himself to shoot an off-balanced floater. Kobe, fully expecting Akashi to shoot the layup when he swiped at the ball, instead makes contact with Akashi's body in the middle of his floater.
Another personal foul.
Akashi felt the contact from Kobe's swipe and throws up a shot at the rim after hearing a whistle from the referee throws the ball towards the rim which unfortunately clanked off the backboard.
Shooting foul. Two shots for Akashi. That is the second personal foul on Kobe Bryant. In just two minutes of action, Bryant has picked up two fouls and in order to prevent him drawing a third foul, a substitution was needed.
Coach K recognized this and pulled one of his players from the bench to be a substitute for Kobe. Riko realized that this was a critical juncture in the game. Whichever player that Coach K puts in could affect the entire scheme of their plan entirely. Would he opt for speed and send it a player like Russell Westbrook? Would he opt another guard on the court and spread the floor more with three point shooting and send in a player like Deron Williams? Would he decide on another big bodied scorer like Carmelo Anthony or a premier defender like Andre Iguodala?
Deron Williams
Position: Point Guard
Height: 6'3 (191 cm)
Number 8
The patchy-bearded point guard substituted for Kobe. This was truly a difficult predicament for all Riko, a two point guard set would spew trouble for Japan.
As Akashi stepped up to the free throw line, he calmly sank both his attempts.
12-8. Japan. 7:53 left in the 1st Quarter
LeBron was going to bring the ball up the court, acting primarily as a facilitator. With a high screen at the top of the arc from Chandler, Murasakibara was dragged way out to the perimeter, exposing the heart of the paint.
LeBron took no hesitation driving towards the rim after Chandler shook off his man. If nobody from the Japanese players, staying in wait for the camped out American players on the three point line, went to contest LeBron's shot, he would get another easy layup or dunk.
Midorima went to help, leaving his man Williams, free at the three point line. LeBron read this easily and flung a pass towards Williams at the left corner of the arc as Midorima slid over to contest his supposed shot. Kise, defending Durant a few feet from Williams caught the ball, was caught in the predicament of whether he shot help one pass away.
Following the tight orders to not abandon Durant, Kise did not slide over to put a hand up on Williams. Deron, unguarded, raised up and shot the three ball.
Splash.
12-11. Japan. 7:39 left in the 1st Quarter
The United States had narrowed the gap in this fast paced high scoring affair. Momoi's plan for a blitzkrieg assault on the United States team worked, kind of. They eliminated Kobe from the game temporarily by putting in foul trouble, a certain plus for Japan. Their defense needed to clamp down on their opponents and not allow easy points.
Akashi dribbled the ball up the court and directed all the players on the court to specific positions. He glanced over to the bench and saw Momoi had held up a peace sign. Two fingers, that means it's time for Step 2.
Step 2: Slow the game down. Half-court offense.
Akashi smiled. It was his time to shine, he thought to himself. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
He had awakened his killer side.
Author's Note: The conclusion of Chapter 3! As usual, thanks for reading!