Twenty-two hours and twenty-five minutes later …
Diego, Maya, Speedy, Red, and I huddled at the top of the key. At the other end of the court, Elbows, A-Wu, Super-Size, Zoe, and Mimi were setting their offense and getting ready to start the scrimmage.
Clifton United never scrimmaged. I could count on zero fingers the number of times we scrimmaged during fall ball, but Coach Acevedo wanted us to get in some game-style action. This was going to be our last practice before the Showdown because the gym wasn’t available the rest of the week.
I pressed my thumbs and knuckles to my lips and closed my eyes. A couple minutes ago, when Coach Acevedo told me to choose my five, I was all over it. I had to be. Today was going to be different. Today had to be different.
“Yo, could you have picked a smaller team?” Diego said as he pulled the blue pinnie over his head.
“That’s what you said the other day,” I said, “and that small-ball team kicked butt.” I pointed to the bench. “I can swap you out for Hudson or Mehdi, if you like.”
“No way.”
I flicked his ear. “That’s what I thought.”
Going small-ball gave Clifton United our best chance at winning. We showed that at practice last week. We were going to show it again right now.
“Who’s guarding who?” Maya asked.
“I want Super-Size,” I said. “Who wants A-Wu?”
“I do.” Red’s hand shot up. “I want Amy ‘A-Wu’ Wu.”
“You ready?” I held out my fist.
Red gave me a pound. “Ready as I’ll ever be, Mason Irving.”
This was Red’s first-ever full-contact scrimmage. He was in full basketball mode just like I was. Today, I was here for him. I wasn’t letting my friend down again.
“We’re all helping each other out,” I said once we all knew who we had. “After we get a stop, we push it downcourt. They’re not going to be able to match up with us.” I clapped hard. “Let’s do this.”
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“One thing before we start,” Coach Acevedo said. “No trash talk today. I’m calling a moratorium on all the chatter, and if you don’t know what moratorium means, look it up when you go home.”
I was pretty sure I knew what moratorium meant. It was something we weren’t allowed to do anymore.
“We’re playing Clifton United basketball.” Coach Acevedo backpedaled to the sideline. “Yellow ball underneath.”
Usually when I’m on D, I pick up my man near midcourt, but since I had Super-Size, I was down low near the hoop. Of course Super-Size wanted to post me up, but I wasn’t about to let that happen. I had one arm pressed against his back and the other extended, denying him the ball.
With my basketball eyes, I watched A-Wu set the offense. She was looking to go right to Elbows, but Red was forcing her left. I spotted Zoe sliding up from the corner and knew that’s where A-Wu was heading.
It was time for the Gnat.
When I played third-grade select, the other teams called me Gnat because I was annoying on defense. Like a gnat.
I burst around Super-Size and bolted for the passing lane. I got my fingers on A-Wu’s pass and tipped it enough so that Zoe couldn’t catch it cleanly. Red snatched the ball away.
“Blake Daniels with the steal!” I announced. “He flips it to Diego, who pushes it up. Diego dishes to Speedy in the paint. Speedy kicks it out to Irving. Irving whips it to Maya. Oh, what a pass! Cutting down the lane … the layup … It’s good! Everyone was in on that one. Oh, what a play!”
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“That was a thing of beauty!” Coach Acevedo bounded onto the court and gave pounds all around. “At both ends of the floor, a thing of beauty.” He pointed his whistle at me. “That’s the Rip I want to see! Way to make everyone around you better.”
I smiled big.
“Yo, that was real Rip Hamilton basketball!” Diego tapped the back of my head.
“Next level,” I said, thumping my chest. “Now let’s get the ball to Red this time.”
Once again, I matched up with Super-Size in the paint, and once again, A-Wu passed to Elbows. But this time, as soon as he caught it, Maya moved in for the steal. Elbows tried to dribble around her, but Speedy slid over to help, and Elbows stepped out of bounds.
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“Blue ball on the side,” Coach Acevedo called.
It was time to make everyone around me better again.
I dribbled up the floor and passed to Maya. She looked inside and swung the ball back to me. I was about to reverse it to Red when I spotted Diego sprinting into the lane. I fired the ball his way. He caught it and faced the hoop. He had a clean shot, but he also had Red wide open cutting to the basket. Diego hit him in stride. Red sank the layup.
“Boo-yah!” I hammer-fisted the air.
“Bam!” Red jumped up and down. He double-fist-bumped Diego. “Bam!” Then he double-fist-bumped Maya and Speedy. “Bam! Bam!” He spun to me. “Bam, Mason Irving!”