Only three minutes into the game, the situation on the court had already subtly shifted.
Daiei Academy clearly hadn't taken Gu Jin seriously—Onodera Ritsu's defense always carried a hint of carelessness, constantly thinking about double-teaming Sendo or Uozumi.
Ryonan Team, however, seemed to have pinpointed this, feeding the ball to Gu Jin on several consecutive possessions.
Again, Koshino, using Uozumi's screen, passed the ball to the vicinity of the free-throw line.
When Gu Jin received the ball, Onodera Ritsu slowly moved to guard him, reaching out to try and steal the ball.
Just then, Gu Jin suddenly lowered his center of gravity—not a conventional dribble drive, but rather, with his left foot as the pivot, his right foot stepped half a pace to the side and back, like drawing an arc around a circle's center.
At the same time, his body twisted with the momentum, his left shoulder gently pushing Onodera Ritsu's arm away.
This step didn't look fast, but it seemed to carry a peculiar rhythm, perfectly timing with the instant Onodera Ritsu shifted his weight.
“This step…” A reporter on the sidelines unconsciously straightened up.
Before Onodera Ritsu could react, Gu Jin had already gathered the ball, using the momentum of his turn, and his right foot powerfully pushed forward—the footwork that had just been moving to the side and back suddenly changed direction, and his entire body cut into the restricted area like an arrow released from a bow!
The connection between these front and back steps was seamless, completely leaving the taller Onodera Ritsu behind.
Ben Wallace, seeing this, immediately abandoned his marking of Uozumi and shifted over to double-team.
Gu Jin, however, remained unhurried, using the momentum of his body's extension in mid-air, he lightly tossed the ball with his right hand—the basketball flew past Ben Wallace's outstretched fingertips and dropped steadily into the hoop.
“It’s Gu Jin again! That’s 4 points!” The commentator’s voice was filled with surprise, “That spin move and cut was too beautiful, completely disrupting Daiei Academy’s defensive rhythm!”
The Ryonan Team bench erupted again, Sakuragi couldn't help but clench his fists: “That footwork is amazing!”
Taoka Moichi stroked his chin, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes—Gu Jin, indeed, was a basketball genius.
Morita Masanobu abruptly sat up straight in the Daiei Academy coaching box, his previously relaxed brow now furrowed into a knot: “Onodera! Defend seriously! Don’t give him such easy opportunities to receive the ball!”
But once something is torn open, it's hard to mend.
The next possession, Gu Jin received the ball in the low post.
This time, Onodera Ritsu dared not be careless and immediately stuck close to him.
Gu Jin, however, seemed oblivious, slowly dribbling with his back to the basket, then suddenly his left shoulder dipped, feigning a turn to the left.
Onodera Ritsu quickly moved to his left to block, and just then, Gu Jin's right foot moved again—it was still that seemingly leisurely “arc step,” but it seemed to bypass the time difference, instantly spinning out from the right side!
This time, he didn't go directly for a layup, but instead, as he turned, he flicked his wrist, passing the ball to the trailing Sendo.
Sendo received the ball in open space and easily scored with a jump shot.
“Assist! Gu Jin’s turn and pass was brilliant!”
Chairman Shenmu in the stands nodded slightly, saying to his assistant beside him: “This Gu Jin is quite interesting.
Our Coach Taoka indeed has sharp eyes.”
Daiei Academy's defense was completely in disarray.
They had originally thought Gu Jin was just a rookie who relied on his physique.
They hadn't expected him to possess such refined and elusive footwork—his footwork always found a breakthrough point at the moment the defender's weight was unstable, either scoring himself or attracting a double-team and then passing the ball.
In just five minutes, Gu Jin had already racked up 8 points and 2 assists, single-handedly turning Daiei Academy's interior into a mess.
“Timeout!” Morita Masanobu finally couldn't hold back, slamming down the timeout button.
Gu Jin, walking to the sidelines, took the towel handed to him by a teammate and, while wiping sweat, glanced in the direction of Daiei Academy.
Morita Masanobu's earlier remark, “No need to specifically target him,” still echoed in his ears, but now, the Daiei Academy players' eyes on him had long lost any hint of disdain, replaced only by taut vigilance.
Taoka Moichi looked at Gu Jin as he walked over, a rare smile appearing on his face: “Well played.”
Gu Jin wiped his face, a slight smile playing on his lips: “They will probably target me on defense at the start.”
Sakuragi watched from the side, his eyes shining, his fingers tracing the earlier footwork on his knee: “Coach, what was that step called? I want to learn it too!”
Taoka patted his back, a hint of unnoticeable pride in his voice: “This is Gu Jin’s self-created move.”
“All of you remember this: never underestimate anyone.
Daiei Academy’s current predicament—that is the price of underestimating someone.”
After the timeout, Daiei Academy clearly adjusted their defense—Morita Masanobu even had Tsuchiya Jun occasionally come over to double-team Gu Jin.
But Gu Jin’s footwork seemed to possess magic, sometimes using it to cut in off a screen, sometimes suddenly spinning and passing the ball during a post-up.
Daiei Academy’s defense was completely torn apart, and the once-close score gradually saw Ryonan Team pull ahead.
17:9, Daiei Academy trailed by 8 points.
Amidst the cheers from the stands, Gu Jin’s name grew louder and louder.
Everyone could see that the direction of this game had been completely rewritten by that underestimated freshman.
At this moment, Onodera Ritsu clung to Gu Jin like a plaster, not leaving his side even when he moved without the ball.
“Oh, serious now?” Gu Jin chuckled, deliberately running a couple of steps toward the baseline, successfully drawing Onodera Ritsu over.
Just then, Sendo suddenly made a bounce pass, the basketball accurately delivered into the hands of the open Uozumi.
Uozumi, without hesitation, received the ball and immediately rose for a dunk.
“Thud!” The hoop made a dull sound, and the score became 19:9.
The Ryonan Team bench cheered once more, Taoka Moichi shouted from the sidelines: “That’s it! Keep their defense moving!”
During Daiei Academy's offensive possession, Tsuchiya Jun held the ball, trying to regain rhythm.
He still wanted to break through the defense with an isolation play, but this time Sendo’s defense was noticeably more focused, his footwork firmly blocking the driving lanes.
Tsuchiya Jun was forced to pass the ball to Tamaki Otoko, and Uekusa immediately stuck to him—after Tamaki had sunk a three-pointer earlier, Ryonan Team’s perimeter defense had become more vigilant.
Tamaki couldn't find an open shot and could only pass the ball back inside.
Ben Wallace received the ball, turned, and tried to score, but was firmly held by Uozumi, eventually taking a rushed shot that missed the basket.
The rebound was grabbed by Gu Jin.
The moment he landed, Onodera Ritsu had already pounced, reaching out to steal the ball.
Gu Jin, however, seemed to have anticipated it, flipping his wrist to protect the ball in his embrace, while simultaneously stepping back half a pace with his right foot—it was still that “arc step,” but this time he wasn't in a hurry to drive, instead using the turning motion to survey the entire court.
Onodera Ritsu thought he was going to cut in again and instinctively moved forward to block, but Gu Jin suddenly flicked his wrist, and the basketball, as if it had eyes, flew across half-court, precisely landing in the hands of the fast-breaking Koshino.
Koshino received the ball and easily scored with a layup.
“21:9! Ryonan Team scored another fast break!” The commentator’s voice was filled with excitement, “Gu Jin’s pass was so crucial! He can not only score himself but also connect the entire team!”
Morita Masanobu’s face on the sidelines grew increasingly grim.
He hadn't expected an overlooked rookie to become the gap that tore apart his team's defense—Gu Jin’s footwork not only allowed him to shake off defenders but also to find teammates with his turning vision, completely disrupting Daiei Academy’s defensive Center of Gravity.
He had just been thinking, “normal defense is fine,” but now he had no choice but to divert attention to double-teaming, which in turn gave Sendo and Uozumi more opportunities.
Over the next few minutes, Daiei Academy attempted to adjust their strategy, having Ben Wallace participate more in double-teaming Gu Jin.
But Gu Jin seemed to have figured out their defensive habits, either using screens and his footwork to shake off a double-team or passing the ball to the perimeter before being trapped.
Uekusa seized the opportunity to sink a three-pointer, and Sendo also drove for a layup, widening the score gap.
The numbers on the scoreboard settled at 28:13.
Daiei Academy called another timeout.
Ryonan Team returned to the bench with a 15-point lead.
As soon as Gu Jin sat down, he was surrounded by his teammates.
Koshino clapped him on the shoulder, smiling: “Not bad, Gu Jin! That pass was so cool!” Sendo also handed him a water bottle: “Your footwork is really effective.”
Gu Jin took a sip of water, then looked in the direction of Daiei Academy—Morita Masanobu was loudly saying something to his players, and Tsuchiya Jun and Onodera Ritsu both looked a bit grim.
His lips curved into a smile; the opponent's disdainful looks from earlier were still vivid in his memory, and now they had finally transformed into tangible pressure.
Taoka Moichi walked over, clapped his hands to quiet everyone: “Well played, but don’t get complacent.
Daiei Academy is a veteran powerhouse, they will definitely fight back.
Gu Jin, maintain this rhythm, continue to move their defense.” He paused, then specifically looked at Sakuragi, “Do you see? This is what it looks like when you force your opponent to take you seriously.”
Sakuragi nodded vigorously, his eyes still fixed on the court, his fingers tracing Gu Jin’s earlier footwork on his knee, muttering: “This genius will learn it, and next time, I’ll be even better than him…”
Chairman Shenmu on the sidelines looked in the direction of the Ryonan Team bench and said to the person beside him: “Taoka has struck gold this time.
This Gu Jin needs to be developed with priority.”
Meanwhile, in Daiei Academy’s lounge area, Morita Masanobu erased the original tactical setup on the whiteboard, redrawing new defensive routes, his fingertip tapping heavily on Gu Jin’s number: “Everyone remember—Number 17, Gu Jin, is the primary defensive focus.
Don’t give him any easy opportunities to receive the ball again.”
The players responded in unison, but their eyes no longer held the disdain from the start of the game, only solemnity.
They finally understood the immense price of underestimating an opponent who hides their true strength.