Jefferson's leap was like a panther, and his hand swatted the ball towards Alex. Time was running once again, and the rush had returned with the suspense!
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Alex darted forward, with a cunning dribble, he weaved through the first defense of the Mainport Mavericks, the ball glued to his hands.
Bounce... Bounce.
A Maverick player, Drake, lunged at the ball, but Alex skillfully played under his legs. This brought the crowd to their feet, the noise levels rising as he passed the ball to Hilton.
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"Hilton! Hilton!" Jefferson waved his hand for a pass.
Hilton scanned the players before him, defending the net, and he suddenly charged toward the basket, made a short leap and threw the ball...
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The ball flew from Hilton's fingertips, sailing through the air in a perfect arc. Mavericks players hand darted past it, but they were all unable to stop it from reaching its destination.
<<—and it's GOOD! Would you look at that?!Hilton nails it! But Jefferson doesn't look too happy about that decision!>>
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The crowd erupted, but it was a mixed reaction—cheers and applause, yes, but also a smattering of boos and groans.
"What are you doing man?" Jefferson asked Hilton. "That's not how we play."
"Hey, I scored, didn't I?" Hilton shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm the shooting guard. I don't pass when I can score."
"You don't take risks like that when the alternative assures certainty," Jefferson said.
"Pfft," Hilton scoffed. "You know what they say about high risks, captain."
The Mavericks wasted no time, their point guard, Kiwasaki blitzed down the court with lightning speed.
The Firefoxes scrambled to get back on defense. Chums stormed in front of the attacker, poised with his massive, imposing frame.
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The Mavericks' Kiwasaki tried to dribble past Chums, but the swift power forward hit the ball right off his grasp.
However...
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The traveling Mavericks' fans tried their best to celebrate their goal but the crowd's reaction of boos and a few impressed whistles completely silenced their enthusiasm.
<
The Fox Girls cheered their loudest to help raise their team's mural.
(Clap-clap, stomp-stomp)
♪"F-I-R-E,
Firefoxes, can't you see?
We're blazing hot, unstoppable,
Kibou City, unbeatable!"♪
(Clap-clap, stomp-stomp)
♪"White, red, and orange pride,
Watch us light the court on fire!
Defense, offense, we ignite,
Firefoxes, fight, fight, fight!"♪
(Clap-clap, stomp-stomp)
♪"From tip-off to the final score,
Kibou wins, let's hear you roar!
Firefoxes, let's go, let's go,
Burning bright, we steal the show!"♪
(Clap-clap, stomp-stomp, cheer)
The game was never ending action, every second that past was as intense or even more intense than the one before.
Hilton on the other hand, he continued to play with blinders on, hogging the ball, ignoring open teammates.
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"PASS THE BALL!" Jefferson's voice rang out, frustration on his face as the Mavericks took control again. "Mishima was right open, so was Alex. Next time, open your eyes and make the pass!"
The crowd was growing restless, the energy in the stadium unfortunately shifted as the Mavericks began to pull ahead.
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<
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The Mavericks set up a screen, trying to free up O'Reilly once again to get him to shoot. But Chums was there, fighting through it. "Watch the pick, Alex!" Jefferson shouted, his voice cutting through the noise.
They all knew the clock was ticking down, and so were the drops of sweats on their faces. Pressure was mounting.
The Mavericks were up by three, but the fire in the foxes wasn't extinguished just yet. They tightened up their defense, forcing a turnover. And before O'Reilly knew what was happening, Jefferson snatched the ball out of the air.
The crowd erupted into cheers of motivation.
Captain Jefferson scanned the court while sprinting forward, his dreadlocks dancing behind him.
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His speed was incomparable as he barreled down the court, the Mavericks fast on his heels. But Jefferson had made just enough space to pass to Alex, who rather than going for a layup, kicked it out to Hilton on the wing.
Hilton caught the ball and already had a clear motive in his mind; his eyes locked on to the basket.
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Hilton made the leap and the ball left his hand.
The stadium held its breath, the world narrowing to just that spinning orange orb and the hoop.
<
SWISH!
The ball cut through the net cleanly, so clean it was satisfying to every eye that witnessed it. The stadium erupted into a frenzy. The crowd exploded with cheers, flags waving, people screaming.
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The Mavericks had one last chance, and they didn't waste a second. They inbounded the ball and raced up the court, but Mishima and Chums were there, forming an impenetrable wall.
The Mavericks' star player pulled up for a desperate shot as the buzzer rang. Mishima and Chums leaped, and Mishima's hand was able to touch the ball ever so slightly, causing it to hit the rim, bounce up... and... and... and...
...fall out.
"YEAH!" The stadium erupted into chaos, the crowd's roar shaking the foundation of the building.
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The screen instantly faded to black.
A beeping sound echoed inside the surgery room where Lake had just had a successful ACL surgery and had been resting up while he watched the game.
Now, lake's face was drowned in disbelief and... jealousy.
'A shooting guard who is not afraid to shoot.'
'What... What kind of shooting guard was I?'