life. That was an exciting development. Maybe his speed would be next.
8
No More Fear
“ W hat is this,their high-school varsity?” Spencer whispered to Dunk as the team from Lincoln entered the Hudson City gym. “Those guys must have gotten six inches taller over the summer.”
Dunk just said, “Whew. They are big.”
Lincoln had at least three six-footers, and one of them was pushing six-two. Jared was the Hornets’ only six-foot-tall player.
“They’re probably not very quick,” Spencer said. “We’ll run ’em ragged.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“They don’t scare me,” said Fiorelli, looking over Spencer’s shoulder. “We handled them last year. So what if they’re bigger? We’re better.”
“At least Jared showed up on time for the game for a change,” Spencer said, loud enough that Jared could hear it.
“Shut up!” Jared said. “I was late one time.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been absent even when you’re present half the time,” Spencer continued. “You’ve been invisible most of the games. Or asleep.”
“I’ll put you to sleep if you don’t shut your mouth,” Jared said.
Spencer raised his arms and shook his fingers lightly. “Look, I’m shaking with fear.”
Jared just shook his head and picked up the basketball.
When the game started, it was clear that the Lincoln team was greatly improved from the previous season, and their size advantage caused all kinds of problems for the Hornets. Coach Davis had stuck with his usual starting five, but that forced Fiorelli and Miguel to cover Lincoln’s forwards, and they were having a difficult time. And Jared had picked up two quick fouls trying to protect the inside and support his smaller teammates.
Spencer signaled for a timeout five minutes into the first quarter, with Lincoln ahead, 12-5.
“Dunk,” Coach said, “report in for Miguel.”
Dunk yanked his warm-up jersey over his head and stepped eagerly to the scorer’s table to check in. As he returned to the huddle, Coach gripped him lightly on the forearm. “Take the guy Fiorelli’s been covering. Jason, switch to Miguel’s man. Jared, lay off those two. Just worry about your man. You can’t afford a third foul this early.”
Jared nodded. He turned to Dunk. “They crash the boards like nobody we’ve seen,” he said. “Box out and hold your ground.”
Dunk sized up his opponent as he walked onto the court. The kid was leaner than Dunk, maybe not as strong, and his two-inch height advantage didn’t seem all that significant. But his arms were long and thin, and Dunk had already observed that he was a good jumper.
And even though he’d been playing well in practice, Dunk had that slightly sick, kind of empty feeling he always had when he first entered a game. As if he didn’t quite belong out there; that everyone on the court was better than he was.
The guy was all over Dunk as Spencer brought the ball up the court. Dunk decided that his best role might be as a decoy, drawing his defender away from the basket to open up the lane for Jared.
So Dunk stepped outside the key and waved for the ball, but Spencer had passed to Willie. Willie rifled a bounce pass toward Dunk. He grabbed it, but he was outside his comfortable shooting range.
Get the ball inside, Dunk thought. He dribbled once and stopped, but Jared wasn’t open either and Dunk’s opponent was reaching in for the ball. Shouldn’t have dribbled. Now I’ve got no options.
No one was open. Dunk faked a pass back to Willie, then leaped and shot. The ball banged off the rim and the Lincoln center pulled it down.
“Stay inside, Dunk!” Coach called from the sideline.
Dunk stuck close to his man. Coach was right: he was only in the lineup to help out under the boards. He wouldn’t do much good fifteen feet from the basket.
So the next time down, he stayed inside, weaving in and out of the key and trying to set a screen for Jared. The Hudson City guards moved the ball quickly around the
8
No More Fear
“ W hat is this,their high-school varsity?” Spencer whispered to Dunk as the team from Lincoln entered the Hudson City gym. “Those guys must have gotten six inches taller over the summer.”
Dunk just said, “Whew. They are big.”
Lincoln had at least three six-footers, and one of them was pushing six-two. Jared was the Hornets’ only six-foot-tall player.
“They’re probably not very quick,” Spencer said. “We’ll run ’em ragged.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“They don’t scare me,” said Fiorelli, looking over Spencer’s shoulder. “We handled them last year. So what if they’re bigger? We’re better.”
“At least Jared showed up on time for the game for a change,” Spencer said, loud enough that Jared could hear it.
“Shut up!” Jared said. “I was late one time.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been absent even when you’re present half the time,” Spencer continued. “You’ve been invisible most of the games. Or asleep.”
“I’ll put you to sleep if you don’t shut your mouth,” Jared said.
Spencer raised his arms and shook his fingers lightly. “Look, I’m shaking with fear.”
Jared just shook his head and picked up the basketball.
When the game started, it was clear that the Lincoln team was greatly improved from the previous season, and their size advantage caused all kinds of problems for the Hornets. Coach Davis had stuck with his usual starting five, but that forced Fiorelli and Miguel to cover Lincoln’s forwards, and they were having a difficult time. And Jared had picked up two quick fouls trying to protect the inside and support his smaller teammates.
Spencer signaled for a timeout five minutes into the first quarter, with Lincoln ahead, 12-5.
“Dunk,” Coach said, “report in for Miguel.”
Dunk yanked his warm-up jersey over his head and stepped eagerly to the scorer’s table to check in. As he returned to the huddle, Coach gripped him lightly on the forearm. “Take the guy Fiorelli’s been covering. Jason, switch to Miguel’s man. Jared, lay off those two. Just worry about your man. You can’t afford a third foul this early.”
Jared nodded. He turned to Dunk. “They crash the boards like nobody we’ve seen,” he said. “Box out and hold your ground.”
Dunk sized up his opponent as he walked onto the court. The kid was leaner than Dunk, maybe not as strong, and his two-inch height advantage didn’t seem all that significant. But his arms were long and thin, and Dunk had already observed that he was a good jumper.
And even though he’d been playing well in practice, Dunk had that slightly sick, kind of empty feeling he always had when he first entered a game. As if he didn’t quite belong out there; that everyone on the court was better than he was.
The guy was all over Dunk as Spencer brought the ball up the court. Dunk decided that his best role might be as a decoy, drawing his defender away from the basket to open up the lane for Jared.
So Dunk stepped outside the key and waved for the ball, but Spencer had passed to Willie. Willie rifled a bounce pass toward Dunk. He grabbed it, but he was outside his comfortable shooting range.
Get the ball inside, Dunk thought. He dribbled once and stopped, but Jared wasn’t open either and Dunk’s opponent was reaching in for the ball. Shouldn’t have dribbled. Now I’ve got no options.
No one was open. Dunk faked a pass back to Willie, then leaped and shot. The ball banged off the rim and the Lincoln center pulled it down.
“Stay inside, Dunk!” Coach called from the sideline.
Dunk stuck close to his man. Coach was right: he was only in the lineup to help out under the boards. He wouldn’t do much good fifteen feet from the basket.
So the next time down, he stayed inside, weaving in and out of the key and trying to set a screen for Jared. The Hudson City guards moved the ball quickly around the
Similar Books
Gluten for Punishment
Nancy J. Parra
Atonement (The Atonement Series)
Elle Chardou
Conduct Unbecoming of a Gentleman
Wareeze Woodson
Sweetest Taste of Sin (Southern Sin)
Danica Avet
The Peoples King
Susan Williams
American Gangster
Max Allan Collins
Mourn The Living
Max Allan Collins
Hot Ice
Nora Roberts
Laura Abbot
Into the Wilderness
Scripted
Maya Rock