2:21 PM, December 5, 2020 Hoops City, Stockton, CA
My head made contact with the ground, and my vision went blurry. The only thing I could make out was 0, straddling me and screaming
"S___ OUTTA HERE N____! DONT COME IN MY MOTHER_______ RACK LIKE THAT AGAIN N____!"
I can't print the words he was yelling.
The next thing I could make out was 13 and 30 pulling him away and the ref wildly blowing his whistle. Coach and Bryce trotted up to my mangled body.
"Get him off the court." Coach ordered. I got up. With Bryce's assistance, I walked towards the two locker room doors, fighting the urge to punch 0 in his big mouth.
"Wait, wait, wait, let me shoot the free throws."
"Fine." Coach relented and let me go.
I trotted towards the free throw line. My vision was blurry, and I had an insane headache.
"Technical foul on number 0, Roquan Blankenship. Number 1, Garrett Fletcher at the line shooting 3 shots."
Everyone backed up to half court as I stood, alone, at the free throw line.
The first free throw dropped in the bucket. As I recieved the second free throw, my knees began to buckle. With the last bits of my strength, I threw up the second free throw. It bumped against the rim, but a lucky bounce put it in the basket.
Number three wasn't so lucky. As soon as I chucked it up with whatever I could scrounge up. I fell to a knee as the shot barely hit the rim. Coach and Bryce immediately ran onto the court and grabbed me before my head could hit the ground. Instantly, I was helped back into the locker room, my ears ringing.
"Collins, you're in charge for the next 30 seconds." Donnie fist-pumped, beginning to unzip his jacket.
"Don't sub yourself in," Coach face-palmed. Donnie, embarrassed, sat back down. Coach helped me into the locker room.
"I don't care what's wrong with me," I begged. "Get me back in."
"Garrett, you have a concussion. It's pretty obvious." Coach shined a flashlight in my eyeball, then shook his head grimly.
"Coach, that team's not gonna get much done out there if I'm not running the offense!"
"Bryce and Odell are gonna do fine the next few games. I'll find another point guard for the time being, and-"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait. For the next few games?"
"You're gonna be out at least 3 weeks."
"C'mon, coach! That team can't play without me!"
"Sorry, dude. Between you and me, I'm just as upset." We could both hear a lot of shouting and booing.
My stomach sank. 3 weeks without hooping? Who would take my place in the lineup? Who would run our offense? Who would score 23 points like I did today?
As I walked back out of the locker room, the crowd clapped.
"Number 0, Roquan Blankenship has been ejected. Coming into the game is number 44, Franklin Navarro."
I put my sweats back on, flipped my hoodie up, and slid off my LeBron Soldier 13s, sliding on my slides. Time to get used to watching from the sidelines. Odell, thrust into the point guard role, played solid and netted a few extra points. After nearly falling asleep, I looked at the nearby TV.
Hoops City Court #1
Skulls 102-105 Yellowjackets
1:24 Q4
O. Simpson 3 PG A. Spears 13
B. Tanaka 10 SG D. Strong 17
D. Drew 14 SF H. Master... 30
C. Barthel...20 PF F. Navarro 44
D. Inō 57 C T. Gutierez 99
That was a decent closing lineup we fielded, but without me and Lamont, we were weak. Bryce and 30 traded midrange jumpers, then Diex drew a hard foul from 99, getting him to the line to make 1 free throw and miss the other, making it 105-107. The next posession, Bryce had to foul to stop the clock. 13 missed both of his free throws, a lucky break.
The clock bled down to a minute. Odell hurried down the court. He tried to pass down low to Diex, but 99 tipped the pass, chucking it down to 44. 44 took his time getting down the court, trying to lay it up, but Odell came, fouling him enough to take away the layup. 44 missed one free throw but made the other, making it a three point game. Odell, directing traffic in the backcourt, winged to Bryce in the corner. Bryce canned his three, and we went insane.
"BRYYYYYYCE TAAAAANAAAAAKAAAAA! For threeeeeeeee!" The announcer boomed as Bryce beat his chest in celebration. 108-108. 13, after screaming at 17 for not paying attention to Bryce, tried to answer with a deep three of his own, but bricked it. 99 corralled the rebound, kicking it back out to 30. 30 hesitated and pump-faked. Odell went flying. 30 nailed the 3.
"HAYYYYYYYLOOOOON MASTERPOOOOOOOOOOOL! For threeeeeeee!!!" The announcer blasted our ears out as the Yellowjackets went mad. 111-108. I nervously nibbled on my sweatshirt string as Odell took it up. 13 and 30 confidently trapped him, but Odell noticed Dante hopping up and down, and slipped a pass through the two tall guys. It smacked against Dante's palms. He dribbled, stepped behind the line, and chucked it up.
CLUNK
The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced out of the net. 99 shoved Diex out of the way to grab the rebound. 23 seconds left. Odell desperately lunged for the ball. 13 turned his back to him. With no other option, Odell intentionally fouled.
Our bench got pretty loud as 30 went up to shoot the bonus free throws, but it wasn't enough. He dropped both of them in the basket, creating an insurmountable 5 point deficit.
We tried to bring it back anyway, with Odell sprinting down the floor and Dante winging up a three, but he missed, and both teams seemed content with letting 13 dribble out the clock.
The buzzer honked.
"That's the ballgame. Final score: Yellowjackets 113, Skulls 108. Be right back here for more basketball action at 5:00 when the Sparks take on the Riptide in girls basketball action!"
I sidled to the locker room, watching the attendants mop the court for the next game.
YOU ARE READING
Hoops
ActionGarrett Fletcher and Isaiah Gonzalez have been best friends for life, but what happens when they get placed on seperate teams? And what's going on behind the scenes with the league's commisioner?
