Coach DiGregorio always said, you get mad at the guy, he owns you. But Drew finally beat King off the dribble, drove down the baseline with his left hand, just over three minutes left, and somehow made this blind reverse layup, kissed high off the top of the backboard as King fouled him, hard, knocking him to the floor.
King didnât offer to help Drew up, and Drew didnât wait for him to extend his hand. But as he picked himself up, he walked close enough to King to say, âI
guess
that was a good shot.â
âAfter the way you shot tonight,â King said to him, smiling at him, âyouâre gonna start talking smack now? Go make your free throw, dog, so I can have the ball back.â
Drew made the free throw.
Game tied again, 75 all.
King came right back, backed up his own smackâDrew had to give him that. He stepped back and made a three with Drew hanging all over him, banging him hard as he went into the air, nearly fouling and turning it into a four-point play.
Park 78, Oakley 75.
Two minutes left.
Drew came down, saw Lee open on the right wingâPark had been dumb enough to double Drew, despite the way Lee had been shooting. Even with the double, Drew still thought about taking the ball to the basket, but Lee was way too open and way too hot.
Lee buried the shot.
He raised his arms like heâd made another three, which would have tied the game, but the refs waved it off, saying he had a foot on the line. It was only a two.
Oakley was now down a point, a minute and fifteen to play.
King Gadsen, who hadnât needed any luck all night long, got some now, banking in a ridiculous three of his own from the right side.
Park 81, Oakley 77.
But Brandon got open on a backdoor move, and Drew hit him with a perfect bounce pass for the assist. Then Tyler Brandt came flying out of nowhere to steal the inbounds pass and lay the ball in.
Game tied, 81 all.
Fifty seconds left. Park called its last time-out.
There were certain rules Drew followed with Coach, and one of them was that when it got down to crunch time like this, when it was what Drew had always thought of as
game
time, he let Coach do most of the talking.
âKing will want to take a hero shot, thatâs his DNA,â Coach said. âSo give Drew as much help on defense as he needs. If by some chance he passes the ball and somebody else makes the shot, we just say, Too tough. Either way, miss or make, we take the first good shot we get, make the sucker, then see if we can get another stop and then walk off the court feeling the love.â
Billy DiGregorio put his hand out. Drew and the other guys put theirs on top of his.
âBoys,â he said, âthese are the good parts.â
But King came right down, no hesitation, split Drew and Lee, somehow elevated over the outstretched arms of both Brandon and Tyler Brandt, and hit a fifteen-footer like he was shooting by himself at Morrison.
Park back up by a basket, 83â81.
King gave Drew a blank stare, trash-talking him now without saying a word.
Drew ignored him and got out of a double-team as soon as he crossed half-court. Tyler Brandt threw a killer screen on the weak side, clearing Lee. Drew waited for it to develop, then threw him the ball. No hesitation. Lee made one more three like it was a layup. Oakley now up a point, 84â83.
Drew gave a quick look at the scoreboard, even knowing inside his head that Lee had thirty-eight points now. Boy was totally off the grid, had been all night.
Back in New York, they used to talk about the Monster of Madison Square Garden. Drew thought this high-school gym sounded like that now.
Oakley still needed one stop for the win. They just wouldnât get it against King Gadsen, not tonight. He ran some time, got himself into the lane even with Drew still in front of him, even with no room, and somehow made a crazy teardrop shot.
Park back up a point.
Fourteen seconds left.
Win the game, win the
King didnât offer to help Drew up, and Drew didnât wait for him to extend his hand. But as he picked himself up, he walked close enough to King to say, âI
guess
that was a good shot.â
âAfter the way you shot tonight,â King said to him, smiling at him, âyouâre gonna start talking smack now? Go make your free throw, dog, so I can have the ball back.â
Drew made the free throw.
Game tied again, 75 all.
King came right back, backed up his own smackâDrew had to give him that. He stepped back and made a three with Drew hanging all over him, banging him hard as he went into the air, nearly fouling and turning it into a four-point play.
Park 78, Oakley 75.
Two minutes left.
Drew came down, saw Lee open on the right wingâPark had been dumb enough to double Drew, despite the way Lee had been shooting. Even with the double, Drew still thought about taking the ball to the basket, but Lee was way too open and way too hot.
Lee buried the shot.
He raised his arms like heâd made another three, which would have tied the game, but the refs waved it off, saying he had a foot on the line. It was only a two.
Oakley was now down a point, a minute and fifteen to play.
King Gadsen, who hadnât needed any luck all night long, got some now, banking in a ridiculous three of his own from the right side.
Park 81, Oakley 77.
But Brandon got open on a backdoor move, and Drew hit him with a perfect bounce pass for the assist. Then Tyler Brandt came flying out of nowhere to steal the inbounds pass and lay the ball in.
Game tied, 81 all.
Fifty seconds left. Park called its last time-out.
There were certain rules Drew followed with Coach, and one of them was that when it got down to crunch time like this, when it was what Drew had always thought of as
game
time, he let Coach do most of the talking.
âKing will want to take a hero shot, thatâs his DNA,â Coach said. âSo give Drew as much help on defense as he needs. If by some chance he passes the ball and somebody else makes the shot, we just say, Too tough. Either way, miss or make, we take the first good shot we get, make the sucker, then see if we can get another stop and then walk off the court feeling the love.â
Billy DiGregorio put his hand out. Drew and the other guys put theirs on top of his.
âBoys,â he said, âthese are the good parts.â
But King came right down, no hesitation, split Drew and Lee, somehow elevated over the outstretched arms of both Brandon and Tyler Brandt, and hit a fifteen-footer like he was shooting by himself at Morrison.
Park back up by a basket, 83â81.
King gave Drew a blank stare, trash-talking him now without saying a word.
Drew ignored him and got out of a double-team as soon as he crossed half-court. Tyler Brandt threw a killer screen on the weak side, clearing Lee. Drew waited for it to develop, then threw him the ball. No hesitation. Lee made one more three like it was a layup. Oakley now up a point, 84â83.
Drew gave a quick look at the scoreboard, even knowing inside his head that Lee had thirty-eight points now. Boy was totally off the grid, had been all night.
Back in New York, they used to talk about the Monster of Madison Square Garden. Drew thought this high-school gym sounded like that now.
Oakley still needed one stop for the win. They just wouldnât get it against King Gadsen, not tonight. He ran some time, got himself into the lane even with Drew still in front of him, even with no room, and somehow made a crazy teardrop shot.
Park back up a point.
Fourteen seconds left.
Win the game, win the
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