The silence dominated the gym. The only noise was the sound of the bouncing basketball and the black team's bench cheering.
Marcus patted his chest, "My bad, gang. I was supposed to guard him."
Barry shrugged, "He was gonna score one eventually. It was inevitable."
Keisha shook her head, "That's not a good excuse. We have to be ready for anything."
Kevin nodded, "Yup, we lost that possession. No more freebies. If they're gonna score on us, we're gonna give 'em hell while they do."
The entire team nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, that's the way, Kev. Keep 'em together," Stanlee muttered.
Keisha stepped out of bounds with the basketball and passed it to Kevin. He began his stroll down the court. Connor was in the left corner, guarded by Wade. Barry was in the right corner, guarded by Carlos. Keisha darted around the perimeter, giving Manuel a workout as he chased her around. Jackal stood at the top of the key in a defensive stance. The nothingness in his eyes was like something you'd see in a horror movie. He seemed to look right through Kevin.
Kevin faked a pass to Connor and then whipped it to a cutting Keisha. Manuel came barreling after her as she ran down the open lane. Charlie switched off Marcus to defend the rim from an easy layup.
Keisha smirked, "Got ya, bitch."
She immediately fired the ball to Marcus, who was now wide open. He caught the pass and laid it up and in.
4-2
Stanlee rose to his feet, shouting, "There we go, Mark! Nice read, Keisha!"
Connor bumped chests with Marcus. "That's my boy! We like those!"
Marcus bumped fists with Keisha as the rest of the green team, except Kevin, ran back to play defense.
Wade shoved the ball into Charlie's chest, pushing him out of bounds.
"Hey, fatass, you got one job! I don't care if that hothead from Inside Out is getting a layup. Your job is to stop that king-king from getting easy points!"
Charlie stuttered, "B-But-"
Wade shook his head violently, "Shut up! I'd rather die than let Marcus score more points than me! If he scores on you again, we're subbing you out, understand?"
Jason almost felt sorry for Charlie. He was put in a lose-lose scenario on that play since Manuel couldn't keep up with Keisha. It was either stay guarding Marcus and let Keisha get an easy layup, or switch onto her and risk leaving Marcus open for the easy bucket.
Jason shook his head, "Poor Charlie."
Stanlee smirked, "No, this is good."
Charlie nodded and then passed Wade the ball. Kevin met him with a full-court press. Wade dribbled the ball, using every fancy move he had to try to get past Kevin. Despite how flashy his moves looked, they were incredibly risky. Wade did a behind-the-back dribble and nearly lost his handle entirely.
The black team's bench murmured about how good Kevin's defense was. Wade was sweating hard and barely made it to half-court. He was completely exhausted. Manuel ran up to him, clapping his hands aggressively and calling for the ball. Wade passed it off, but Barry anticipated the lane, leaped in, and stole the ball.
Barry zoomed down the court with Manuel hot on his heels, ready to block his layup. But to everyone's surprise, Barry kicked it out to the right corner. Standing there waiting was Connor. He was wide open, with plenty of time to properly set his feet. When he caught the ball, he immediately let it fly as Manuel desperately closed out on him.
SWISH.
Nothing but net.
7-2
Connor saluted Stanlee on his way back to defense. Stanlee shook his head with a grin on his face.
Meanwhile, Wade and Manuel were already arguing.
Wade's eyebrows knit together, "How did you let Connor score on you?! Don't let him get hot!"
Manuel glared at Wade, "I'm sorry, weren't you just getting clamped and locked up by Kevin? You're the reason that possession even happened!"
Wade walked up and pressed his forehead against Manuel's, "Wanna say that again, homie?"
Jackal shoved the two away from each other, staring at them in sheer annoyance.
"Save it. If you have the energy to bicker, then you have the energy to play the damn game," he barked.
He shoved the ball into Carlos's hands. "Gimme the ball."
Carlos passed it back, and Jackal immediately started barking orders as he strolled down the court.
"Wade, stay in the corner! Manuel and Carlos, keep cutting! Charlie, stay right where you're at!" Jackal yelled.
The black team, who had no idea what they were doing just moments before, suddenly looked like a competent squad under Jackal's leadership. Everyone followed his orders like disciplined soldiers. Nobody questioned his commands.
Kevin bent his knees and dropped into a low defensive stance, preparing for Jackal.
At the sight of Kevin, Jackal smirked.
He chuckled, "Alright, Kev. Let's dance."
Jackal dribbled to the left, and Kevin was on him like a bee to a flower. He hit a lightning-fast crossover, and right as Kevin was about to slide his feet to keep up with him-
"Kevin, look out!" Barry shouted.
WHOOMF.
Kevin ran straight into Charlie's massive frame, stunning him for a split second. Jackal used the separation to step back and pull up.
SWISH.
7-5
The black team cheered as Jackal backpedaled to the other side of the court.
Wade held an 'L' up to Kevin's face.
"Thought you could guard Jack, you moron."
Kevin snickered, "Crazy how you're talking smack. Haven't seen you score a single point. Not to mention, I put the absolute clamps on you."
Wade's face went completely red, "So what?!"
Kevin shrugged, "I don't know, man. You're kinda garbage."
Wade picked up the ball and launched it to Barry, who was standing out of bounds ready to inbound. Barry caught it just barely.
Wade glared at Barry, "What are you waiting for, you wuss? Pass Ramen the ball!"
Barry glanced at Kevin, who gave him a thumbs-up. Barry bounce-passed it in to Kevin. Wade immediately locked into an aggressive full-court press, but Kevin had much better control of the ball. His change of pace threw Wade off completely-the sudden stops and explosive increases in speed were too much to handle.
Kevin blew past him, and a frustrated Wade chased him down at full force. Kevin sensed the crash coming and pulled up into a jump shot. Wade tried to slow down his momentum, but it was too late. He crashed hard into Kevin.
The coach blew his whistle right as Kevin's shot banked off the glass and dropped.
10-5
The entire green team screamed, "AND-ONE!"
Coach K grabbed the ball, "Kevin, you get a chance for a four-point play."
The coach passed him the ball at the free-throw line. Kevin bounced the basketball twice, breathed in, bent his knees, and shot.
Nothing but net.
11-5
The green team was just four points away from halftime, sitting on a comfortable six-point lead.
Jackal grabbed the ball, stepped out of bounds, and passed it to Carlos, who looked shocked to even have possession.
Jackal stared him down, "What are you waiting for? Go!"
Carlos began streaking down the court, where Barry met him at the right angle. Carlos quickly flipped it to Manuel, who drove hard into the paint. Keisha held her ground, staying directly in front of him. Manuel caught the ball and hit a tough step-back fadeaway. Keisha jumped high to contest, but the distance was too much. Manuel rattled it in.
11-7
Wade slapped Manuel's back, "There we go, Manny!"
As Manuel trotted back, Jackal pulled Wade aside and whispered something quickly into his ear before jogging downcourt. Wade stayed back in the backcourt while Jackal stood near the top of the key.
Jason frowned from the bench. That's not good.
Keisha sighed, "My bad, y'all. That's on me."
Kevin patted Keisha's back, "You're straight, Key. Those step-back fadeaways are the hardest to guard. Ain't that right, Kobe?"
Connor nodded, "Yup. A jump shot is already the most unstoppable weapon in basketball. Add in a step-back and a fade, and it becomes a massive pain in the butt."
Barry shrugged, "Let them have the two points. We still got the lead."
Marcus stepped out of bounds and passed the ball in to Kevin. The exact second Kevin caught it, Wade blitzed him. Kevin quickly passed out to Marcus, but Wade shifted instantly, blitzing Marcus and aggressively swiping for the ball. Marcus moved the ball around, weaving through Wade's frantic steal attempts.
Wade growled, "Give it up, fat fatty!"
Marcus had finally had enough; he completely bulldozed Wade, sending him flying out of bounds.
The coach blew his whistle loudly. "Offensive foul! Turnover!"
Wade slowly rose back to his feet from the glossy gym floor, a smug smile on his face. "Good job, Fatty. I'll get you a Whopper deal after school with all the fries you can handle!" He walked over to his corner spot, cackling wildly like a maniac.
Keisha walked over and shoved Marcus, "Hey, what the hell was that, Mark? Why didn't you pass the ball?"
Marcus grumbled, looking down, "I was trying to... before he-"
Keisha sighed, "Don't let him get in your head. He's clearly taking advantage of your emotions and your insecurities."
Barry nodded, "Yeah, Mark, we need you in the game. Locked in."
Kevin bumped his fist against Marcus's chest, "It's my bad, big dawg. Next time he heckles me and I pass it to you, pass it right back immediately and I'll run full court."
Marcus nodded, "Bet. I got you, Kevin."
Jackal came down the court with the basketball again. Just like the last possession, Kevin was right there waiting for him.
Jackal sighed, "Why do you make me do this to you, Kevin?"
Kevin's face remained determined, "I bet you can't score on me without a screen."
Jackal's eyes widened slightly, "Is that a challenge?"
Kevin didn't say a word. He just curled his four fingers back and forth twice in a silent, clear gesture: Bring it on.
Jackal's eyes narrowed, "Alright, Kevin, if this is how you want it. But I'll tell you right now, you aren't ready."
He glanced up quickly before shouting, "ISO!"
Everybody cleared out. Kevin's eyes locked onto the ball. Jackal's eyes focused entirely on Kevin's legs. Jackal zoomed forward. Kevin met him squarely, puffing his chest out to completely block the driving lane. Jackal bumped hard into him, nearly losing his footing as he growled, "Not bad!"
In a flash, Jackal spun away and stepped back into the left angle for a deep three-point jumper. Kevin contested beautifully, leaping with both hands outstretched. The ball soared through the air.
CLANG.
It struck the back iron, popped up, and rolled completely around the rim before finally dropping through, defying Kevin's amazing defense.
11-10
The black team erupted, nearly storming the court before Jackal raised a single hand to stop them. Meanwhile, the green team looked completely deflated, both on the court and on the bench.
Jackal glared at his teammates incredulously, "Calm down!! This half ain't over yet!"
"Hey guys, it's not over! Keep it pushing!" Jessica shouted from the sideline.
Connor picked up the ball and stepped out of bounds, scanning the floor. Wade was standing directly in front of Kevin, completely denying him the inbound pass.
Barry ran up, clapping his hands urgently, "Here, here!!!"
Connor passed it to him immediately. Barry caught it, but Jackal was already lurking. The moment Barry turned around, Jackal stripped the ball clean from his hands and started a lightning-fast break. Barry recovered and ran hard, but Jackal hit a brutal snap-back crossover, sending Barry sliding and falling flat on his face.
Kevin jumped out at Jackal as the point guard bent his knees. Jackal didn't shoot, though. He fired a crisp pass to a wide-open Wade at the top of the key. Wade didn't hesitate for a second. He pulled it instantly. The ball rattled through the net.
11-13
Wade ran back down the court, flexing his nonexistent muscles and kissing them as he ran.
Stanlee cupped his hands together, shouting, "C'mon, guys. They're getting away!"
Barry grabbed the ball and stepped out of bounds. Wanting to push the pace, he immediately sniped a pass to Marcus, who wasn't expecting it. Marcus caught it barely and went up for a rushed layup, completely unaware of the threat trailing him.
BAMMM!
Charlie met Marcus at the absolute summit, swatting the layup hard against the glass backboard. The ball bounced right into Jackal's hands, who secured the rebound and instantly ignited another fast break. Keisha and Kevin swarmed him, double-teaming Jackal at the sideline. Hounded and nearly stepping out of bounds, Jackal threw up a wild, desperation shot. It wasn't even close to the target, but it bounced hard off the backboard straight into Charlie's hands.
Barry and Marcus swarmed Charlie now, double-teaming and completely smothering him under the rim.
"Yo, Charles, behind you!" Wade barked.
Charlie deftly bounced the ball under his own legs backward, where it landed perfectly in Carlos's hands.
"Nooooo!" Barry screamed, lunging through the air.
Carlos smoothly side-stepped the contest and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
SWISH.
15-11
The coach blew his whistle loudly, "Halftime! Back to your bleachers for three minutes."
The black team was high-fiving and chest-bumping like the game was already won. The green team, completely unlike their opponents, hung their heads low as they returned to the bench.
Stanlee began pacing the floor in front of them, "Ok, so what did we learn?"
Marcus exhaled heavily, "Always keep your emotions in check."
Stanlee nodded, "Yup. And what else?"
Barry scratched his head, "Stay aware of your surroundings?"
The quiet kid in the black shorts spoke up next, "Not just that, but don't rush possessions when the defense is already set, Bare. You sold us on that last possession."
Barry blinked, looking defensive, "How's that my fault, Luke?"
Luke. His name is Luke, Jason noted mentally.
Luke turned to Marcus, "Were you even ready for his pass, Mark?"
Marcus shook his head honestly, "Not even."
Luke turned his gaze back to Barry, "See."
Barry threw his hands up in the air, "Well, I had to give Kevin a break! Wade was all over him, and Kev was giving a hundred percent on defense too!"
Stanlee snapped his fingers sharply, "There it is. You panicked, Barry. When our minds are in a panicked state, we stop thinking straight. Everything just becomes 'I need to do this fast and quickly.'"
Barry crossed his arms tightly, "Why is that such a bad thing?"
Jason stood up from his seat, "Because, bro, when you threw that pass, you weren't calculating all your options. You just wanted the hot potato out of your hands. You wanted to even the score right away, despite all the risks."
Stanlee looked at Jason in amazement, nodding firmly, "Exactly. If you had taken a second to look, you would've seen Keisha wide open and calling for the ball."
Keisha clapped her hands loudly, "THANK YOU! I honestly thought I was a ghost out there on that possession!"
Alicia rested her head gently on Barry's shoulder, "Barry, you know they're right."
Barry let out a long, defeated exhale, "You guys are right. I messed up big time."
Stanlee looked back up at the scoreboard, shifting his tone, "Well, let's look at the bright side. Connor, you were amazing. You were definitely looking like a young Kobe out there!"
Connor bowed his head with a small smile, "I got you, boss."
Stanlee turned to Keisha, "That was an amazing pass earlier, Keish. Not many people have the level of commitment or pure hustle that you bring to the court. One of one."
Keisha smiled, leaning back, "C'mon, praise me more, Stan."
Stanlee rolled his eyes, "Anyways-"
Keisha playfully tossed her extra black scrunchie at him. Stanlee smoothly weaved it, picked it up, and tossed it right back with a smirk on his face. Keisha caught it and slid it back onto her wrist.
"Anyways," Stanlee continued, biting back a laugh. "Marcus, you were the best big man out there on the floor. You made Charlie work for every single thing."
Marcus nodded, a bit of his confidence returning, "Yup, that's just what I do."
Stanlee turned back to Barry, "Bare, even though your shots weren't falling in the first half, your real impact was entirely on the defensive side. Not to mention that beautiful assist you had when you kicked it out to Connor. You were a huge help, as always."
Barry kept his arms crossed, but a small, irrepressible smirk tugged at the left corner of his lips.
Stanlee smiled brightly, looking at their ace, "Lastly, but certainly not least. Kevin, you played a perfect point guard out there. You made life absolutely miserable for Wade, and you even pushed Jackal to his limit!"
Kevin punched his fist onto his knee, his expression serious, "Still, I can be better! That's my bad, Barry, Connor. Because I wasn't moving fast enough, you guys felt forced to make reckless passes."
Connor waved his hand dismissively, "Don't beat yourself up about it, bro. You put the absolute clamps on Wade and completely got inside his head. We wouldn't even have eleven points right now if not for your ragebaiting and court awareness."
Barry nodded in agreement, "He's right, Kev. We just have to be better as a unit. You were on a whole different level, bro. We all need to be completely locked in if we want to beat these guys."
The coach blew his whistle, the sharp sound echoing through the gym. "One minute left until the second half! Make your substitutions now!"
Keisha turned her head to face Stanlee, "Who's staying in?"
Connor clasped his hands together, practically begging, "Bro, please keep me out there. I promise you I'm gonna catch fire this half. If I miss twice in a row, you can sub me out immediately."
Stanlee sighed, looking at him, "Fine. Just keep playing exactly the way you are right now."
He then turned his attention to Barry and Marcus. "I'm subbing you two out for me and Jason. Take a breather, you guys earned it."
Keisha crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow, "Oh, so I don't deserve a break?"
Stanlee unzipped his track jacket and tossed it onto the bleachers before answering, "I need you out there, Keish. I'll use our emergency sub later to bring Marcus or Luke back in. But if you're truly exhausted, I can sub you out right now."
Keisha punched Stanlee's arm playfully, "I didn't say all that. If you guys need me, I might as well stick around."
Stanlee nodded, "Bet. Kevin, I'll be running the point from here on out. I need you to slide over to shooting guard so when they try to hit me with a full-court press, I can easily find you with a pass. Don't stray too far away, alright pal?"
Kevin flashed a quick thumbs-up, "No problemo, capitán."
Kevin, Keisha, and Connor made their way back onto the hardwood while Stanlee and Jason stood by the bench.
Jason began stretching his arms, looking over at the opposing lineup, "So, what do you need from me, Stan?"
Stanlee adjusted his glasses, his brown eyes locking onto Jason with complete seriousness. "You said you'd lend me your strength. I need you to stand strong inside the paint against Charlie. However, if my suspicions are correct, you're going to end up matching up directly against Jonas."
Jason blinked, a calm, unbothered grin spreading across his face. "Ok, cool. Bottom line?"
Stanlee glanced back out toward the court, "Bottom line: don't give them an inch. No driving lanes. It's time to live up to your name, fly swatter."
Jason cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp against the ambient noise of the gym. His green eyes flared with determination. "Consider it done. After all, the perfect time to swat flies is during rush hour."