Chapter 147 - Final-Day Game; Part 3 (2/2)

Shun: 'He might play with a soft touch and post skills, but that doesn't mean he can't dunk.

He can dunk whenever he wants, and there is no one who wouldn't like to dunk.'

Shun stopped in his thoughts for a moment before continuing.

Shun: 'Midorima might be an exception.'

-*-*-*-

Gilbert Knight looked at the Team Ming scoring on his team one after another and piling up points, and he didn't like it one bit.

The games that Gilbert played in were all low score games.

Before the state championship level, Gilbert and his team would wrap up the other teams by restricting their scores to single digits.

Even at the National level, he was able to stop opponents under forty points.

But, know the point scored by Team Ming was already over fifty, and they still had a quarter and a half to go.

He took a deep breath and said to himself.

Gilbert: ”I don't like this. These guys are scoring left and right, just because I am balancing myself between offense and defense.

I guess I just need to switch back to how I usually play.”

Gilbert Knight was a defensive player, who made it his mission to cut the wings of the offense.

-*-*-*-

Shun had just got the ball from Ming and was at the mid-range, ready to shoot.

Suddenly, Gilbert entered his vision. Shun felt his reflexes tingle and thought.

Shun: 'He will block my shot if I shoot now.'

To remedy that Shun, did a single pump fake, surely Gilbert jumped and messed the chance to block Shun.

Shun smiled, and he once again raised his arms to shoot the ball.

Shun: ”Here we go.”

Shun released the ball, but his smile faded, his eyes widened when he saw a hand coming in front of the ball, grabbing it comfortably.

Shun shifted his eyes to see that Gilbert had taken a second jump.

Shun: 'He still can reach in time with a late jump?!'

Gilbert was 202 cm tall, and his vertical jump was huge, so it shouldn't be surprising that he would have a long reach, but seeing it like this really put things in perspective.

He held the ball in hands and threw it to Leonal, after passing the ball, he ran to the inner-post for a rebound or a pass.

-*-*-*-

Ming had just run into the three-point arc, he dodged Rafael with a back change, and while leaning close to the floor, he bounce-passed the ball to Ivan, who was now charging his way towards the basket.

Near the baseline, right to the basket, Gilbert and Douglas were locked up with each other.

Douglas immediately set up a screen to box-out Gilbert from interfering with Ivan, but his efforts were negated when Gilbert wrapped his leg to the front of Douglas and used a quick spin to get in front of him.

Douglas couldn't handle the quickness that Gilbert moved with.

Douglas: ”What! So fast!”

Gilbert ran towards the basket, and the moment Ivan jumped for the dunk, Gilbert put force in his quads and leaped towards him.

Gilbert: ”You. Will. Not. Score.”

The ball in Ivan's hand was met with Gilbert's hand, and Gilbert dislodged the ball, took control of it, bought it down towards his other to stabilize his hold on the ball, and once again threw it to Leonal.

Leonal caught the ball, just for a second even his reflexes weren't able to react, and he just stared at the ball in his hands.

But, he snapped out of his stunned state and threw it to Bruno.

Bruno ran to the basket in a fast-break and scored with an easy dunk to the basket.

-*-*-*-

The third quarter ended with Team Ming's scoring rate reduced because of Gilbert Knight's defensive spree.

Ming and Shun's attempts to move the ball around were successful, they were able to bypass every other member of Team Leonal except Gilbert.

Gilbert was always there, closely following the ball, and he would pounce on it if it came close to him.

Shun had his eyes closed, going over the performance that he had just seen.

Shun: 'This is good stuff. To think he would be this aggressive when he plays sole defense.

And, he wasn't charging without thinking, he followed the ball and nothing else.'

Shun's heartbeat just a little faster seeing Gilbert's performance, he knew that he wouldn't be able to develop jumping ability equal to Gilbert.

Shun: 'But, if I just react faster than him, then I would be able to meet my mark earlier and at a lower point in height.'

Shun was indulging his thoughts and plans for future development when his eyes snapped open as he sensed a pressure near him.

He sat up straight and looked at Ivan, who was emitting an aura of seriousness.

Ivan stood up, looked at Shun, and spoke to him for the first time since the start of the game.

Ivan: ”Gather the passes to me.”

Shun only nodded in response, and the other also just watched Ivan in silence.

Shun watched Ivan walking to the court, and his current chain of thoughts was.

Shun: 'I will pass to you, so show me what you can do.

The more seriously you play, the more I would benefit.'

Shun looked at Gilbert and Ivan on the court, his final thought before entering the court himself was.

Shun: 'Irresistible Force Paradox.

The match between The Unbreakable Shield and The Unstoppable Spear, let's pit them against every opportunity I can to create some heat.

The more they clash, the more I will benefit.'

Shun looked forward to the fourth quarter, he wanted to see what the two best players on the court would show if he made them clash against each other.