Read Online Technical Foul by Rich Wallace - Free Book Online
Authors: Rich Wallace
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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Spencer again made an easy layup.
“We’re picking them apart,” Spencer said a few minutes later during a time-out. Hudson City had taken a two-point lead, and Palisades seemed confused and sloppy on defense. Jared’s screens and passes had led to two more baskets.
By halftime the lead was up to four. Jared hadn’t scored and he had two fouls, but who cared? This was the championship game. They were leading.
“It’s right there,” Fiorelli said in the locker room. “It’s like, one hour from now we’ll be jumping up and down and screaming after we win this thing. Not ‘Neon. Neon. Neon.’ Try ‘Spencer, Willie, Jared!’ We just keep on playing our game, whatever way it comes down. If we need to nail the threes, we do it. If we need to hammer it inside, we do it. Whatever it takes. We do it.”
Jared quickly peeled an orange and wolfed it down. His stomach had settled as soon as the game began, and now he was hungry and thirsty. He took several swallows of Gatorade and wiped his face with a towel.
“Let’s run,” he said, looking Spencer squarely in the eyes. “We get that fast break going and we can put these guys away.”
But it was Palisades that went on the run as the third quarter began. They had brought in their backup center, who was smaller but quicker. Neon Johnson hit a layup and Palisades’ other guard made a nice baseline jumper to tie the game at 28 apiece. The crowd went wild.
“No problem,” Spencer said to Jared as he dribbled up the court. “You and me again. Let’s go.”
Jared moved to the basket, then hustled out to set a screen for Spencer. Spence drove hard, using the screen, but the Palisades’ center moved off Jared and picked up Spencer instead. Jared rolled toward the basket, and Spencer sent a bounce pass into his path. Jared hauled it in on the run and made his first shot of the game.
“Lots of options there,” Spencer said as they ran back. “Keep picking them apart. You and me.”
But Palisades kept up its hot shooting and gradually built a small lead. Then Spencer scored off another give-and-go from Jared, and Jared scored again on a feed from Willie. The teams entered the fourth quarter all tied up.
“Suck it up now!” Spencer urged his teammates in the huddle. “One more quarter. It’s all or nothing.”
Jared set a hard screen for Spencer on the Hornets’ first possession, but was whistled for a foul. Palisades brought the ball downcourt and Johnson drove into the lane, forcing Jared to cover him. Johnson and Jared both left their feet, with the shooter twisting and getting off a shot as Jared tried desperately to block it.
Again came the whistle. Jared’s second foul in a matter of seconds. Johnson went to the free-throw line. Fiorelli came over and gripped Jared’s arm. “That’s four on you,” he said.
“I know,” Jared said, spitting out the words and shaking out of Fiorelli’s grip. “Two bad calls.”
“Think!” Fiorelli whispered. “We can’t have you foul out.”
Jared shook his head in disgust and glared at the referee who’d made the call. Johnson made the first free throw, but the second one bounced off the back of the rim. Jared felt a new surge of energy and leaped higher than he even thought he could, grabbing the ball and coming down with his elbows out and his shoulders tensed.
“Right here!” yelled Spencer, and Jared made a hard pass to his teammate. Then Jared raced up the court, even with Spencer. The pass came to Jared, who immediately fired a pass to Fiorelli, well ahead of the others. Fiorelli took the ball straight to the hoop, and Hudson City had a one-point lead.
“Way to run!” Spencer yelled.
“All day!” said Jared.
Palisades came right back aggressively, with Johnson nailing a three-point shot from the top of the key. Again came the chant of “Neon! Neon!”
Jared took the ball out of bounds and carefully passed it to Spencer. “Let’s shut them up!” he said.
Spencer nodded and
“We’re picking them apart,” Spencer said a few minutes later during a time-out. Hudson City had taken a two-point lead, and Palisades seemed confused and sloppy on defense. Jared’s screens and passes had led to two more baskets.
By halftime the lead was up to four. Jared hadn’t scored and he had two fouls, but who cared? This was the championship game. They were leading.
“It’s right there,” Fiorelli said in the locker room. “It’s like, one hour from now we’ll be jumping up and down and screaming after we win this thing. Not ‘Neon. Neon. Neon.’ Try ‘Spencer, Willie, Jared!’ We just keep on playing our game, whatever way it comes down. If we need to nail the threes, we do it. If we need to hammer it inside, we do it. Whatever it takes. We do it.”
Jared quickly peeled an orange and wolfed it down. His stomach had settled as soon as the game began, and now he was hungry and thirsty. He took several swallows of Gatorade and wiped his face with a towel.
“Let’s run,” he said, looking Spencer squarely in the eyes. “We get that fast break going and we can put these guys away.”
But it was Palisades that went on the run as the third quarter began. They had brought in their backup center, who was smaller but quicker. Neon Johnson hit a layup and Palisades’ other guard made a nice baseline jumper to tie the game at 28 apiece. The crowd went wild.
“No problem,” Spencer said to Jared as he dribbled up the court. “You and me again. Let’s go.”
Jared moved to the basket, then hustled out to set a screen for Spencer. Spence drove hard, using the screen, but the Palisades’ center moved off Jared and picked up Spencer instead. Jared rolled toward the basket, and Spencer sent a bounce pass into his path. Jared hauled it in on the run and made his first shot of the game.
“Lots of options there,” Spencer said as they ran back. “Keep picking them apart. You and me.”
But Palisades kept up its hot shooting and gradually built a small lead. Then Spencer scored off another give-and-go from Jared, and Jared scored again on a feed from Willie. The teams entered the fourth quarter all tied up.
“Suck it up now!” Spencer urged his teammates in the huddle. “One more quarter. It’s all or nothing.”
Jared set a hard screen for Spencer on the Hornets’ first possession, but was whistled for a foul. Palisades brought the ball downcourt and Johnson drove into the lane, forcing Jared to cover him. Johnson and Jared both left their feet, with the shooter twisting and getting off a shot as Jared tried desperately to block it.
Again came the whistle. Jared’s second foul in a matter of seconds. Johnson went to the free-throw line. Fiorelli came over and gripped Jared’s arm. “That’s four on you,” he said.
“I know,” Jared said, spitting out the words and shaking out of Fiorelli’s grip. “Two bad calls.”
“Think!” Fiorelli whispered. “We can’t have you foul out.”
Jared shook his head in disgust and glared at the referee who’d made the call. Johnson made the first free throw, but the second one bounced off the back of the rim. Jared felt a new surge of energy and leaped higher than he even thought he could, grabbing the ball and coming down with his elbows out and his shoulders tensed.
“Right here!” yelled Spencer, and Jared made a hard pass to his teammate. Then Jared raced up the court, even with Spencer. The pass came to Jared, who immediately fired a pass to Fiorelli, well ahead of the others. Fiorelli took the ball straight to the hoop, and Hudson City had a one-point lead.
“Way to run!” Spencer yelled.
“All day!” said Jared.
Palisades came right back aggressively, with Johnson nailing a three-point shot from the top of the key. Again came the chant of “Neon! Neon!”
Jared took the ball out of bounds and carefully passed it to Spencer. “Let’s shut them up!” he said.
Spencer nodded and
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