As we started, Harris went for the jump ball. He won, jumping like 3 inches higher than his opponent.
Mike got the ball and passed it to me.
I dribbled through the court and quickly called for an isolation play. I crossed their PG, leaving him without the map to come back home. Arriving around 3 feet away from the rim, I jumped and did a 360° in the air to dunk the ball.
The ball hit the end of the rim, as I threw it with a lot of force, causing a big 'boom' sound.
The players were stunned for a moment. Before they even inbounded the ball, I called Mike and told him to press full court with me.
We did it, and I managed to steal the ball. Making two more points.
They got the ball again, this time they tried to pass to their guy in the middle of the court. But Phill also stole the ball and passed to Mike who was in the 3-point arc, then he shot the ball and made 3 more points for us.
Their coach was fuming. He didn't think we were this fierce.
He yelled at them to bring the whole team and pass it to the free guy. They managed to do it.
We ran back to play defense. As they tried to pass the ball around, they felt the pressure our team was creating. Soon, the ball went over and over but they didn't shoot the ball. The shot-clock was running, so they tried to shoot it anyway.
The ball bounced off the rim, their center tried to body Harris away to get the rebound, but was surprised to find an iron wall. Instead of boding Harris, the other way around happened. The scene looked like an adult pushing a child.
Harris got the rebound and passed it to Mike who ran the fastbreak.
Mike stopped at the three-point line, wide open, and shot the ball. It went in and 3 points more for our team. 10-0.
The next attack was lost, as the PG got nervous and I stole the ball. I ran the fastbreak and dunked the ball again.
The game was ugly. The other team couldn't score and they would choke as they got to the attacking side of the court.
They only managed to make their first 2 points in the second quarter.
Coach Lawton understood now, that I was serious when I said they shouldn't give up.
After the second half began, a reporter suddenly arrived. He started to note down the situation. Gabriel soon went to talk to him in private.
"Make sure you note everything I say. And I will try to ask a player to do an interview with you after the game. You can even record it." Gabriel said to the reporter, which the latter nodded in agreement.
Gabriel was the one who called him here, because of the director.
The game proceeded and the challengers were almost crying blood.
Dunk after dunk, 3 points after 3 points, they already had enough.
The 40 minutes soon ended. The director had arrived. He immediately went after coach Lawton.
Seeing the Director, he knew that what he did was going to be over.
"I knew it, someone is protecting their team." Lawton said to the Director.
"You think because your team wasn't chosen, we set up this?" He said showing a smile.
Seeing the Director's expression, Lawton was suspicious.
"Didn't you?" He asked in doubt.
"No, we were not the ones who did it. At least not directly." He said with the same smile.
"But it served us greatly." He pointed at the reporter talking to me and continued. "You guys are going to retreat from the council. I have the interview, as well as an employee's testimony. I'm sure the media sure would love to know about your arrangements." He said smirking.
Lawton's expression turned gloomy. It was at this moment, that he knew... that he fucked up.
He never thought this man would come this strong. And the whole situation was set up.
Back to the phone call between me and the Director.
As I answered the phone, a man immediately spoke.
"Hello, is this Jaylen?" He asked, Gabriel had already given my name.
"Yes, Mr. Ernest." I replied, as Gabriel also told me the Director's name, Ernest Delle Donne.
"Let's go to the point, time is of most importance here." He said sounding grave.
"Okay. I understand a little about the situation here. You have something to win with this game. It's not simply playing, it's about winning, which isn't a problem. I can assure you that we will win. But first, I want to know what will you gain if we win. I want the truth. If I fill you are lying I will withdraw immediately." I said fast, but still understandable.
"My promotion. You see, the association is going through an internal war. If you win, this is basically the end." The Director replied.
"Good, now give me a parameter of your reach inside the association if you win the war." I said.
"The whole association will be in my hands." He said, dead serious.
"Perfect. I want two things." I told him the first thing and continued with the other. "And the second I will tell you when it is required."
The director agreed and the situation scaled up to this point.
Resuming what happened, the Director is part of a faction inside the Schools' National Basketball Association, which is in war with another faction for the control of the association.
The director now is trying to manipulate the situation, threatening them with Lawton's impudency.
He tried to take a spot in the State Championship. That's why we had to win over their team, because if they had won, Lawton could use this to take our spot.
So to me, it was a profiting situation. I get what I want in exchange for the Director's promotion.
It was imprudence in my part. I didn't have enough information about the situation, I did it based on hypothesis and assumptions. Which worked in the end.