KIM did not forget what he had learned at the clinic. Coach Stickles had taught him a lot too, but he had missed too many practices.
What he had seen at the basketball clinic stayed in his mind better than the things Coach Stickles had told him. When he told his dad this, Mr. O’Connor smiled and said:
“Maybe it’s because the Seacord Lions were the teachers!”
“Maybe!” laughed Kim.
The Arrows were not doing too well. They had been in third place for a while. Now they were back in fourth.
Kim felt he wasn’t doing very well either. Oh, he had a lot of hustle, of course. Coach Stickles had said so, and Kim remembered that all right.
“Well, next Saturday afternoon is our last game,” said Coach Stickles after they had won their second game with the Comets. “If we win, we’ll be in second place and eligible for the playoffs. If we lose, we’ll be in third or fourth. Depends on how the other teams make out.”
“What happens if we get in the playoffs?” Dutchie asked. He hadn’t played with the Arrows last year. He didn’t know.
Coach Stickles smiled. “We’ll play the team which comes in first place two out of three games.”
“What does the winner get?” Ron Tikula asked. “A trophy—like last year?”
“That’s right. A trophy,” the coach said. “We’ll put it in the showcase in our clubroom. Also, each boy gets a basketball pin. So if you fellas want that trophy and those pins real bad, you’ve got to play the best basketball you can! How about it?”
“We sure will!” they yelled all together.
The Arrows’ last game was against the Rockets. Coach Stickles started Kim at guard position. The coach kept him in four minutes of the first quarter, then had Bobbie Leonard play the remaining two minutes. Scoring was quite even. It was 18 to 17, in the Rockets’ favor, when the quarter ended.
Kim went back in the second quarter. He watched his man like a hawk. When Kim got the ball, he dribbled close to the floor. He ran down-court like a fawn chased by a fox. He stopped, faked a throw that put his man off guard, then shot at the basket from his favorite position.
A bucket!
“Thataboy, singer!” Ron Tikula shouted.
Kim pretended he didn’t hear.
All the way through the game the lead shifted first to the Arrows, then to the Rockets. Coach Stickles was giving everybody on the team a chance to play. Some played only a minute. Everybody on the first team was out one time or another.
There were ten seconds left to play when Allan Vargo shot a pass to Kim. Kim dribbled down-court, then passed to Ron. The score was 53 to 52, in the Rockets’ favor. This Was the Arrows’ last chance to win.
Kim dashed toward the basket. Ron threw the ball to him. Kim caught it, and leaped for a jump shot. Just then a Rocket player hit his arm. The slap could be heard nearly all through the court.
The whistle shrilled. The referee held up two fingers, which meant that Kim was allowed two shots.
Kim stepped to the free-throw line. The referee waited till both sides were ready, then gave the ball to Kim and moved out of the way.
Kim held the ball in both his hands, looked at the basket. It seemed so high, so small. He took a deep breath, turned the ball around in his hands till it felt just right, then threw.
The ball hit the backboard, rolled around the rim, and fell off!
The crowd groaned.
“Come on, Kim!” cried Ron. “Make it this time!”
The referee got the ball, waited till the teams were ready again, then handed it to Kim.
Kim took another deep breath. He could feel the sweat rolling down his neck. What a moment! Why did it have to be him trying these foul shots? Why couldn’t it have been Jimmie, who was really good at making them?
Kim brushed the hair back from his forehead. He turned the ball a little in his hands, then bent his knees slightly, straightened them, and shot the ball toward the basket.
It sailed in a slow, beautiful arch. Right through the basket without touching the rim!
This time the crowd screamed.
The score was tied, 53 to 53!
Then the whistle shrilled. The two referees talked things over. Then one of them called the captains of both teams together and said that an overtime period of two minutes would be played.
The Rockets took out the ball. They passed upcourt, fumbled. Jimmie Burdette retrieved it. He dribbled a few steps, passed to Kim. Kim passed to Ron. A Rocket player intercepted, dribbled upcourt, stopped, and passed.
Kim jumped, hit the ball with his hand, bounced it, and shot a long pass to Jimmie, who was running for the Arrows’ basket.
Jimmie caught the ball, raced for the basket, and jumped high for a layup shot.
A few seconds later the game ended. The Arrows won—55 to 53.
Jimmie pounded Kim on the back. “We’re in the play-offs, Kim!”
Kim smiled broadly.