The Doon School's offense.
Vivek dribbles up to the frontcourt.
Vivek's been eyeing Arjun, and after getting schooled by him twice, his pride's definitely taken a hit. He's itching to make a comeback.
Arjun doesn't step up to guard Vivek directly but instead takes charge in the paint, directing the defense.
Greenfield School is set up in a 3-2 zone defense.
Arjun's quick 5 points have fired up everyone's defensive game. Every teammate is hustling, ensuring they aren't as open as they were in the first quarter.
What high school players lack isn't enthusiasm,it's just experience and confidence.
The Doon School keeps the ball moving around the perimeter, but ultimately, it's Vivek who breaks past the defensive line and drives in.
Though Arjun plays point guard, his height has him positioned as a center by the coach.
Of course, Arjun's confident enough to extend his defensive reach across the entire paint.
Vivek tries for a quick stop-and-pop jumper facing Arjun, but Arjun reads his rhythm perfectly and stretches out his long arms for the block.
He doesn't quite get the block, but Arjun's massive disruption forces the shot to clank off the rim, and Suresh grabs the rebound.
Suresh passes it to Arjun, who explodes from a standstill, kicking off a fast break!
Arjun's athleticism is reminiscent of Ben Simmons. In the transition, Arjun's stride leaves Vivek in the dust.
He then accelerates again, slicing between two of The Doon School's forwards at midcourt.
Seeing Arjun's burst of speed.
Scouts from the INBL at courtside are wide-eyed.
So fast!
And soon, their jaws drop even further!
After breaking through midcourt, The Doon School's defense is completely shattered.
Slowing down just a bit to adjust his pace, Arjun steps on the three-point line to gather the ball.
One step to the free-throw line, the next into the key, he leaps up, soaring like a giant bird, reaching a peak where his head clears the rim.
His incredible vertical is on full display!
Arjun grabs the ball with his left hand and swings it down in a tomahawk slam!
"Boom!"
"Crash!"
15 to 28.
The rim shakes under the force of Arjun's one-handed dunk!
Arjun's coast-to-coast tomahawk dunk sets the whole arena ablaze!
"Coast-to-coast tomahawk dunk!"
"Holy smokes, that's some LeBron-level play."
"This guy must be the nation's number one Senior Secondary School player, right?"
"Such talent! Wow!"
"Who is this guy? His style is so bold!"
Watching Arjun's explosive dunk.
Scouts from the INBL start buzzing among themselves.
The visual impact of Arjun's dunk scores a perfect ten.
"Arjun's improved so much," Coach Vikram remarks.
Vikram's insight might be limited, and he might not see the full extent of Arjun's skill over others.
But he can tell Arjun's gotten stronger.
The nearby INBL scouts, more discerning, can see Arjun's a highly talented young player.
The players from The Doon School are left dazed by that dunk.
Was that even real?
A coast-to-coast tomahawk dunk after breezing past defenders.
Such speed, such hops?
This is the kind of action you'd expect in the NBA, but here it is in the ISBL, damn!
How do you even defend against that?
The cheers and support from the sidelines have reached their peak!
Arjun's dunk has fully ignited the home court advantage.
On the court, after completing the dunk, Arjun nods continuously towards the camera on the sidelines, then stomps the ground forcefully in celebration.
Pure dominance!
Arjun quickly became the center of attention within a few plays.
The Doon School players knew Arjun was a tough nut to crack.
The Doon School's coach didn't call for a timeout,instead, he advised Vivek from the sidelines to steady the game.
Vivek brought the ball up and, instead of forcing his way through, started to show his skills as a playmaker.
The 6-foot-9 center, Amit, set a screen for Vivek.
After the pick-and-roll, Vivek bounced the ball to Amit.
Seeing Arjun coming up to help on defense, Amit didn't hesitate and took three steps to try and exploit the mismatch.
"Bang!"
The bodies clashed, and Amit's move was completely thrown off.
Amit hadn't expected Arjun's core strength to be so formidable.
With his move disrupted, Amit rushed his shot.
"Slap!"
Arjun, without a second thought, stretched out his arms and snagged the ball—a clean block.
Arjun might struggle against NBA-level centers, but Amit isn't Shaquille O'Neal,he's just a high school kid...
"Block!"
"Arjun is seriously fierce!"
"So cool!"
"Absolutely killer."
"Priya, I can't even, Arjun is too cool, I like him so much. Which U.S. college did he get into again?"
"I think it's UCLA."
"Wow, truly a heartthrob. Handsome, great at basketball, and even smart. I need to apply there too."
"Girl, you're crushing hard. It's just a guy."
The cheerleaders were all screaming excitedly.
On the court, the game continued, and The Greenfield School players stopped trying to take the ball from Arjun. They could see he was on fire, not intimidated by The Doon School at all. Just let him play,he was their only chance to catch up.
Amit looked miserable as he fell back on defense.
Getting blocked by a point guard would haunt his basketball dreams.
Crossing half-court, Arjun positioned himself at the right 45-degree angle beyond the three-point line.
Facing Vivek's close defense, Arjun dribbled behind his back and changed direction between his legs, shaking him off.
This level of pressure was nothing to Arjun.
Effortlessly cool, with a strong streetball vibe.
Arjun shook Vivek, took a step forward, then stepped back for a jumper!
Creating space for the shot, he launched a three-pointer.
An unpressured shot.
The ball traced a rainbow arc.
"Swish!"
18 to 28.
In less than three minutes into the second quarter, Arjun personally delivered a 10-0 run to the opponents.
The Doon School called for a timeout.
Arjun celebrated on the court, nodding his head and swaggering.
The Greenfield School players rushed towards Arjun.
"Arjun, you're incredible."
"You could totally play in the NBA."
"Ha, so what if he's 'the nation's number one Senior Secondary School player'? He just got schooled by our Arjun!"
His teammates crowded around Arjun, hyping him up.
Arjun was enjoying the atmosphere—youthful, all about basketball, a feeling he'd missed.
The spectators on the sidelines stood up to cheer for Arjun.
Fans usually only saw NBA players pull off moves like these on TV.
Arjun's moves were smooth and aesthetically pleasing, stable, not floaty like other Senior Secondary School players.
Scouts on the sidelines quickly gathered information about Arjun, planning to talk to him after the game.
In just a few minutes, Arjun had showcased his exceptional athletic prowess.
Vivek, the so-called "nation's number one Senior Secondary School player," was just flustered when facing Arjun.
The Doon School's timeout didn't change the dynamics.
They started scoring too, but their scoring couldn't keep up with the explosive points brought by Arjun.
By the end of the first half, Arjun had led his team to tie the game at 45-45.
The Greenfield School scored 37 points in that quarter alone, with Arjun scoring 31 of them!
A 20-point lead was wiped out in just one quarter.