“Whooo!! Let’s go, Spsh!” shouts Justin.

  Justin offers him a clenched fist and Mark bumps it for detonation unto explosion.

  “POWW!!” says the two.

  The lineup sits on the bench while the pyers for the next quarter stand.

  “You really nailed it, Mark— I mean, Spsh. Haha,” says Kevin. “And that was a splendid sm, Cesar— I mean, Master.”

  “Oh, thank you, my good sir,” says Mark and Cesaer, the team ughs together as a result.

  The fourth quarter is about to begin with instructions from Coach Perez to hold off the opponent until the regur lineup comes to the rescue.

  “Mercado,” says Coach Perez. “I want you to py with seven minutes on the clock.”

  “Can you let me py at eight, coach?”

  “No. I want you at seven so that you can properly rest and get ready for action. We want you to give your hundred percent without you getting too tired. Am I getting myself clear, Mercado?”

  “Yes, coach.”

  The second quarter begins with the bench pying and Cesar is the only starting lineup pyer who didn’t get subbed out because of his incredible stamina and endurance.

  “I can’t believe, this is the score we have now,” says Mark.

  “Yeah. I can’t believe it too,” says Justin. “This may be a sign that we’ve improved so much since st year especially now that we have Kevin.”

  “Me too,” says Kevin. “Maybe it’s because our opponent scored so much that we had to keep up with them, and we did.

  “Vezquez is so good, he could make a 200-point score if he wants to,” says Mark.

  “My oh my. That would be awesome,” replies Kevin.

  “I doubt it,” says Justin.

  Maaravi Warriors 153:149 VCF Lions6:513rd Quarter

  “It’s our turn, now. The defense is now very tight, it’s now hard to score,” says Mark.

  “But we got the lead, we’ll win this,” says Kevin.

  “Let’s bring them fire and brimstone,” says Justin.

  It’s Warriors ball.

  Justin handles the ball while Cesar pys the two and Mark the three.

  He goes to the wing and handoffs the ball to Mark. Mark uses the screens of Kevin and Caballero and shoots at mid-range. The ball hits the rim and out.

  ‘Dang it,” Mark thinks.

  This incident happens again…

  Mark shoots a three and then misses.

  Again…

  Mark penetrates and ys it up, it goes up and out.

  “That’s ok, Mark,” says Cesar. “I’ll lead the scoring for now. Cut yourself some sck. Rest and recover then try again.”

  “Thank you, Master.”

  Moments ter, Justin ys the ball up for the score. The Lions timeouts.

  “Good defense, Owens,” says Coach Perez. “You’re making Vezquez hesitant to score because of it, I need more of that.”

  “Thank you, Coach.”

  “Mercado, I want you to pass to Kevin or Cesar or Justin if they get an open look. Don’t hog the ball too often. I know you’re a shooter but you’re getting cold out there. Get your teammates involved in the game. Understood?”

  “Yes, coach. Understood.”

  Aguas huffs and mumbles, “Serves you right.”

  Mark gnces at Aguas and he sees a smug grin.

  ‘He hates me, doesn’t he?’

  The game starts once again.

  Maaravi Warriors 161:160 VCF Lions3:014th Quarter

  Ortega handles the ball for the Lions.

  Lerio goes up just right of the top and receives a pass. Ortega sprints to the block and provides a screen for Harmon. Harmon uses the screen leading to an open shot. Lerio passes the ball to Harmon but Kevin intercepts it.

  Kevin leads the fast break with Lerio ahead of him trying to defend him. He dribbles left, then to right, then he eurosteps through Lerio for a one-handed sm.

  Maaravi Warriors 163:160 VCF Lions2:464th Quarter

  Ortega dribbles the ball past half-court now with a sense of urgency. He dribbles to the wing and handoffs the ball to Vezquez. It’s now fast-paced. Vezquez quickly goes to the top but Cesar pokes the ball out of his hand and the two of them race after it. Cesar is quicker and grabs it.

  As fast as a cheetah he goes with the ball; no one could outrun him. He then takes off, cradles the ball, then jams it in with a one-handed sm.

  Maaravi Warriors 165:160 VCF Lions2:364th Quarter

  The Lions timeouts.

  “Good defense, Owens, Rebias. Your defense makes a difference against them. Now we have the lead, we have take the opportunity to stretch it further. We have the opportunity to py against the reigning champions. Give them hell! YOU UNDERSTAND!?”

  “AYE-AYE, CAP’N!!” says the team.

  The game resumes once again.

  Ortega dribbles past half-court to the wing. He then dribbles to the top with Harmon coming towards him who he then handoffs the ball to. Ortega screens for Harmon then quickly cuts around Lerio at the free-throw line. Kevin helps the defense and scks from his man to the paint until Justin recovers. Seeing this, Harmon passes the ball to Lerio at the free-throw line. Kevin quickly employs a sprint stop closeout with aggression towards Lerio and that makes him hesitant to shoot since he knows Kevin to have lengthy arms and an outrageous leap. So Lerio passes the ball to their small forward— number 20, Panugaling— in the short corner.

  Upon receiving the ball, Panugaling, bodies the little-bodied Mark easily. Mark on the other hand tries his best to defend the bigger Panugaling. For a split second, Mark loses his man when Panugaling fades away. But Mark recovers; quickly closing in before he could contest the shot. The ball leaves Panugaling’s hand, arching towards the rim. It descends only to hit the rim and out towards Mark's direction.

  Mark gets the rebound. He scans the horizon where he can pass the ball for the fastbreak.

  “BAAALL!!” shouts Kevin who is ahead.

  So Mark baseball passes the rock to Kevin ahead of them.

  As the orb goes in the direction of Kevin, Lerio faces it and jumps for it. Lerio catches it for the steal but it makes him out of bance and he falls down. Kevin sprints towards him and grabs hold of the ball with no one budging to let go of it.

  PRRRT!!

  It’s jumpball.

  2:06

  “You can’t score on me, bruh,” says Kevin to Lerio.

  Lerio stands up, “No, I will score on you, boy.”

  “You too old for that.”

  “What you say?!”

  Before Lerio can get nearer, Harmon grabs him and creates a separation between them.

  Mark approaches Kevin, “What did you say to him, big guy?”

  “Oh, I told him he has a bad breath.”

  “Pfft. I know that’s not what you said.”

  “Haha. It doesn’t matter, he can’t score on me.”

  “Bet that’s what made him mad.”

  “Good guess.”

  Kevin and Lerio prepare for the jump ball in the center of the court as the referee holds the ball between them. The referee tosses the ball; Kevin gets it and nds in the hands of Cesar.

  Cesar sprints across the court but the defenders are entrenched really well on the way to the basket. So Cesar gives the ball to Justin who then crossovers his defender and spins past him for a yup. But Justin sees Harmon in front of him; he halts and tries to fade away. Harmon contests the shot and it seems to work as Justin throws a brick, which bounces the board then to the rim and out.

  Harmon rebounds the rock and passes it to Ortega. Ortega crosses the court with urgency.

  “Vezquez!! You gotta shoot it!!” shouts Ortega.

  “Roger that, Ortega!”

  ‘Dang. He’s gonna be shooting again,’ Mark thinks. ‘He’s trouble.’

  Ortega uses a screen from Harmon while Panugaling pops out from the paint towards the corner. Then suddenly, after Vezquez gives Panugaling a screen, he cuts towards the top with Cesar trailing behind him.

  “KEVIN!! COVER HIM!!” shouts Cesar.

  “YES, BOSS!!”

  Vezquez goes through the big men elevator to the other side. Vezquez receives a ball from Ortega and Kevin contests as he is about to shoot. But he didn’t shoot. Instead, Vezquez pump fakes then dribbles and repositions to the side and shoots. The ball ascents like an artillery shell and descends to make a bomb. What a Swish, like a death-sentence dish.

  Maaravi Warriors 165:163 VCF Lions1:394th Quarter

  There’s no timeouts now since it’s under two minutes. The Warriors pyers are on their own.

  “Justin! Make pys for Kevin! We need to score!” shouts Cesar.

  “Yes, Master!”

  Kevin inbounds the ball to Justin and both of them briskly cross the court.

  Justin positions himself by the left slot with Ortega tightening the defense. Justin goes to his left and then spins towards the right with the use of the screen of Caballero. All this time, Kevin cuts diagonally with the use of Cesar’s screen towards the left block. Justin passes the ball to him. Kevin gives a single dribble and adroitly jumps for a two-handed jam. It was as sweet as chocote bars.

  Maaravi Warriors 167:163 VCF Lions1:284th Quarter

  Ortega goes to the wing using the screen of Harmon. Panugaling pops out to the corner after using the screen of Vezquez. But before Vezquez could get in and through the elevator, Panugaling cuts and leaves behind Mark. Panugaling receives the rock and as he ys it up Mark goes after him but to no avail and to an error. The ball goes up and in… Mark hits the wrist of Panugaling earning a foul.

  “DANG!!” says Mark.

  Cesar approaches him saying, “That’s ok, Spsh. Don’t worry about it. Watch your man next time around.”

  “Thank you, master. I will.”

  Panugaling shoots a free throw and it goes in.

  Maaravi Warriors 167:166 VCF Lions1:214th Quarter

  Justin again runs the same py where he is in the left slot. He goes to the right wing while using Caballero’s screen. Kevin uses the screen of Mark in the paint and cuts to the right low post trying to shake off his man for an easy yup. But Lerio recovers quickly to catch up to Kevin. Nevertheless, Kevin post ups against Lerio in the Low post then Justin hands the ball to Kevin.

  Kevin bodies his man once, twice, and on the third time he bodies but reserves himself when Lerio pulls a chair from him. This gives Kevin space and shoots a fadeaway. It bounces the board and in.

  Maaravi Warriors 169:166 VCF Lions1:064th Quarter

  Lerio inbounds the orb to Ortega and both briskly cross the half-court.

  “AGAIN, VELAZQUEZ!” says Ortega

  “ROGER! ROGER!”

  Ortega dribbles to the wing while using the screen of Harmon. Panugaling pops out to the corner while using Vezquez’s screen. After giving Panugaling a screen, Vezquez has to cut to the top but Cesar now counters his cut with a top lock defense, keeping him from going to the elevator. It’s working for Cesar.

  So Lerio screens for Vezquez and the tter utilizes it while Cesar Lock-N-Gaps. While the defense are focus on them, Caballero sleeps on defense and lets his man slip through the paint. Caballero is too te in catching up to Harmon as he receives a pass from Ortega. Harmon soars high for the sm… but Kevin soars along with him with his slenderman-like arm stretched out.

  ‘You’re not gonna block this, stickman. You’re too weak,” Harmon thinks.

  Harmon forces the ball for a sm but Kevin stops it mid-air and it flies elsewhere.

  The crowd goes, “Ooohh.”

  Cesar gets the rebound and then quickly sprints for the fastbreak. As he crosses the half-court, he sees Ortega in the paint waiting for him.

  “THIS IS HOW YOU PROPERLY DUNK!!!” shouts Cesar.

  Cesar drives and then pnts his feet for the jump. He soars high like a kite while Ortega tries to contest him.

  “HOPYAAA’!!!”

  Cesar then commits a war crime by posterizing an innocent defender with a two-handed jam. He nds on his two feet and goes nuts.

  “LUMPYAA’!! HUMBAA’!! ISDAAAA’!!“

  Maaravi Warriors 171:166 VCF Lions0:434th Quarter

  Lerio then quickly inbounds the ball to Ortega and both of them quickly cross the half-court.

  Ortega passes the ball to Lerio in the wing and uses a screen from Vezquez while going to the opposite wing. Vezquez pops slightly further out of the three-point line and Lerio dimes it to him. Cesar, his man (pause), sags slightly.

  ‘There’s no way you’ll shoot far back from the three-point line,’ Cesar thinks.

  But Vezquez non-chantly gets into his shooting form.

  ‘Oh, no way.’

  Cesar closeouts Vezquez but it’s too te. Vezquez shoots and Cesar tries to contest with some distance. Cesar watches closely the ascending ball.

  ‘Ain’t no way that’s going in.’

  The ball descends to the board and then to the Chickenjoy Bucket.

  Maaravi Warriors 171:169 VCF Lions0:354th Quarter

  Kevin inbounds the ball to Justin and both calmly cross the half-court.

  Justin positions himself on the left wing and then swings towards the opposite wing while using Caballero’s screen. Kevin on the other hand cuts from the free-throw line towards the right block while using Mark’s screen. But Harmon adroitly catches up to him leaving him no choice but to post up. Justin then hands him the ball.

  Kevin bodies his man (pause) once, twice, and on the third, Harmon pulls the chair from him again. Again, Kevin anticipates and doesn’t commit his whole body but pnts his feet and fade-aways.

  The ball bounces to the board, to the rim, and out.

  Kevin sees this and goes after the ball aggressively. He tries to put it back but again it doesn’t go in, so Harmon rebounds it.

  0:19

  Harmon passes the ball to Ortega. Ortega sees Vezquez ahead and tries to pass it but Cesar is by his side which risks a steal further ahead.

  Cesar is running side by side with Vezquez and he sees a good sign.

  ‘Vezquez is looking tired. I doubt he will have the energy and focus to shoot but I’ll guard him nonetheless. I know they will dime him for a game-winning three.’

  “VELAZQUEZ!! ON YOU!!” shouts Ortega.

  “ROGER! ROGER!”

  They run a familiar py again.

  Ortega uses a screen of Harmon and goes to the wing. Vezquez gives Panugaling a screen and then evades his man towards the elevator.

  “HE’S YOURS, KEVIN!!” Cesar shouts.

  Cesar switches with Kevin and the battle begins.

  Vezquez receives the ball then pump fakes, but Kevin doesn’t bite. Lerio gives Vezquez a screen and the tter uses it. Cesar switches with Kevin again and Vezquez shoots. In the air, Vezquez hops along with Cesar. The ball leaves Vezquez’s hands out for takeoff. It ascends higher and higher until Cesar’s fingertips cause turbulence and it falls short of the goal.

  Lerio and Kevin give chase to the ball and the tter wins. And he holds on to the ball until…

  The buzzer sounds.

  Maaravi Warriors 171:169 VCF Lions0:00End of the Game