Devon is on the line. He made two of two free throws. Colin is sitting on the bench. Baited for a nonsense reach-in foul that made him stay out of the game for good.
54-54. Once again, both teams are tied.
There's only a little over 2 minutes.
Archbishop Mitty has possession.
Aaron handles the ball at the top and sizes up his man. The player guarding him this time is, Chris Baker, a solid defensive minded forward. But being just good isn't enough for a freak of nature like Aaron.
Starting it with a quick in-and-out dribble with his right hand, Aaron followed it up with a killer crossover to his left making the opponent play "catch-up" to recover the defensive position. He then made Chris stumble on the floor with a filthy nutmeg, finishing it with a dribble side step to the right creating a wide separation for a smooth midrange jumper at the elbow. Swish!
The oohs and aahs in the stadium was undeniable. Aaron "broke his ankle."
The same guy who got faked out by Lucas. The one who tried to block Aaron's dunk attempt on the fastbreak but called for a foul instead and now, he slipped and fell.
'Even though I don't like the guy, I admire the effort. Getting embarrassed several times, but still fully embraces his given role.' Lucas respects the opponent's dedication.
56-54. The game continues with 1:49 left.
"Isaiah" Devon called and passed the rock.
Isaiah Taylor, guarded by Brandon White, was three steps away from the 3-point line at the right wing. He saw his man sag a little bit expecting a dribble drive offense, but Isaiah decided to release the ball instantly after receiving it. He let it fly. Short, but if it went in, Mitty would've lost the lead.
At the paint, the players were strongly fighting for the favorable rebounding position. Aaron, Dorian, Jason and Chris were in a battle of their own. Lucas tracked the ball from the right corner, predicted it would go his way, so he stayed and waited then jumped as high as he can.
Lucas could not secure the ball completely on his first vertical leap, so he chose to jump and tap the rock, twice. On his third spring, he finally controlled and gained possession of the ball with both of his hands.
The Rodman style rebounding proved really effective in clearing the board.
He firmly hug the leather at the right elbow. Isaiah wanted to rip it from him but Lucas countered by chinning the ball and showed him a literal elbow that made him back off.
Lucas spotted Brent running the floor, intending to reach the center circle immediately, so he delivers an outlet pass that threads the needle between Isaiah and Devon and perfectly hits Brent in stride.
After Brent caught the ball, all of his teammates sprinted on transition.
When Brent reached the free throw line, Devon and Isaiah were on his tail but he didn't care. It was just him and the rim. Never even noticed other players from his team about to reach their spots. He was intensely focused on one thing: scoring.
If he makes the basket, they'll have a four-point cushion, a very slim but an advantageous two-possession lead.
He jumps on the paint and tries to lay it up. Devon followed and leaped after him. Isaiah waited and wanted to secure the rebound in case of a miss.
It was one. But Devon collided with him in the air and got called for a shooting foul. Brent's lay up rolled out but was rewarded two crucial free throws.
"F**k | Sh**!" Devon and Isaiah cussed at the same time when the whistle blew.
Devon extended his hand to Brent who was sitting on the floor after the encounter.
Brent took it and was pulled up by Devon. The opponent showed respect but you can see the intensity in his eyes, a competitive determination to absolutely win the game.
"We won't lose." Devon told him.
"So are we." Brent replied firmly.
He walked to the free throw line. Breathed in, breathed out. The ref gave him the ball. Brent locked in. He shot the first. Made it.
57-54. The Skyhawks coach called time.
The players went to their bench.
"Nice shot." Lucas said.
"Make the second and we got this in the bag, no pressure." Aaron chimed in.
"Yeah, no pressure." Brent smiled wryly.
"Alright, that's enough." Coach TK said. "When the second free throw goes in, our game plan for defense will be a box in one. Brandon, be Isaiah's shadow. Wherever he is on the court, you'll be there. Make it as hard as possible for him to receive the ball. Don't sag, be in his face instead. He can't have a clean look for a 3-point shot. Do you get it?"
"Yes coach. I got it. Make him suffer." Brandon replied with enthusiasm.
"If it's a miss, we go back to a 3-2 zone." The coach continued his instructions. "Don't give them open looks from the outside. Make their guards work for it and settle for forced shots. If they go for the midrange, let them. Just contest it and don't foul."
"Aaron and Jason, you need to get all of the defensive rebounds until the end of the game. We need to secure them if you want to win the championship. Lucas, try to help in getting the long rebounds, if there are any." Coach TK reminded the three players.
"Yes, coach." They replied resolutely.
"Remember this, victory is not given. You should take it yourselves. Monarchs in 3"
"1, 2, 3" Aaron counted loudly.
"Monarchs!" The team roared.
It buzzed, signaling the continuation of the game. Time left is only a minute and twelve.
The championship is within their grasp.