The Heart of A Champion (An NBA OC X Hailee Steinfeld Romance)

dALLas IN; One More Win

NBA Playoff Basketball. One of the most exciting times in all of basketball aside from Midnight and March Madness, the NBA Draft and opening night when the league was WIDE open yet again and every team had a fair shake to chase the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. For the Dallas Mavericks, the goal was so much closer than one would think. The team who clinched the Western Conference's first seed and homecourt advantage with the league's lone 60-plus win season at 63-19 as they finished off the year with an actually abysmal 3-7 record to end their season but the advantages were long locked up as the second best team, the Denver Nuggets finished with ten less wins at a respectable 53-29 clip. Dante Butler, however knew one thing. Never take the playoffs for granted for you can get easily knocked if you make the stupid mistake of underestimating a playoff opponent such as the case with their first round opponent, the Sacramento Kings. Sure, the Mavs may have swept the rejuvenated and fast paced California squad led by Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox but each game came down to the wire and took a sustained run to hammer down the at one time long suffering NBA franchise. The second round came a lot a easier earned as they would face the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Semis and Denver Nuggets, the Conference Finals, respectively. Despite the media and pundits alike taking the top heavy Suns to knock out the more methodical and balanced Mavs in an average six games, Dallas found the perfect strategy to limit the otherworldly production of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, quickly eliminating the Suns in five games. Yet despite being the juggernaut they were made out to be, Denver was proving to be quite the challenge as they had boldly stolen Game 1 103-87 before Dallas rattled off three straight wins with scores of 121-97, 113-101 and 119-108. The energy throughout Dallas was palpable as the team was more win away from their first NBA Finals in an even dozen years. It was an off day so that the arena staff could transform the American Airlines Center from its hockey stage to the basketball court but outside against a rather mild May day, a playoff rally party was being held which saw Dante signing jerseys, playoff rally towels, and snapbacks.

Fan: THANK YOU!

Dante: It's nothing little buddy- make it up to me by getting REAAAALLLLLY loud for my teammates and I tomorrow, deal?

Fan: DEAL!

He sticks a fist bump out to the young kid, who returns it with equal fervor.

Dante: ALRIGHT, WHO'S NEXT? STEP UP, STEP ON UP!

Hailee: Heyyyyy...

He looks up as he sees her, his lovely girlfriend wearing daisy-printed shorts and little black dress with a replica Dante Butler City Jersey.

Dante: Wow, you look really fantastic, Miss?

Hailee: Look at you, being all professional before tomorrow. Mind signing the back and front?

Dante: Wouldn't dream of denying that privilege, love. Everyone knows we belong to each other, might as well let those damned tabloids run crazy with it.

He gets up from his seat with a permeanant marker in hand, as Hailee wraps her hair in a makeshift ponytail as Dante writes his name cursively on the right rear shoulder side and the front abdomen as she speaks.

Hailee: Nervous at all?

Dante: Mmm, no not really. Granted we knew what the Nuggets were giving us right off the bat, that was on us for letting them kick our teeth the first game. Just know, I don't think I ever saw Coach Kidd that mad ever in his life. But anger does make for a great motivator and look at us now.

Hailee: One more win.

They stand like the loving couple they are as a camera snaps a off-handed picture.

Dante: Yeah. One more win from the Finals, but we can't worry about that right now. Joker and his squad are just LOOKING for an excuse to extend this back to Denver and hogtie our ass.