Drive for the basket

You quickly tilted your head to the right. As you lifted it back up, you took a step forward and to the left. Two bounces and four steps later, you leapt into the air. No one would have said it was a pretty shot, but somehow it rolled over the rim and dropped through to give you the first points of the game. Linda was waiting for you when you reached the free throw line. Handing the ball to you, she simply turned to face the basket. While not actually guarding you, she was in line with the basket. Marcus, Cindy and Shannon were all standing under the basket. The two girls struggled to push the big man further under the basket. They were having little success. Tom was standing along the left side of the lane. All five were waiting for the rebound.

You could have taken a step to your left to get a clear shot at the basket; however, you simply shot from where you stood. Linda’s presence caused you to shoot a bit high. That caused your shot to be a bit short. It bounced off the front of the rim and came straight back towards you. After a single bounce, it ended up in Linda’s hands.

While the girls weren’t able to move Marcus, they were able to use him to push off of to go after the ball. They leapt at her. Linda merely ducked out of the way. She shot the ball as soon as they had passed her. You didn’t see the two of them coming and couldn’t get out of the way. The three of you landed in a heap.

“I got her.” Tom called out. He had come after the rebound. Being off to the side, Linda hadn’t seen him coming. He had leapt to block her shot. Unfortunately he was late. He caught her on the hand after she had already let the ball go. Tom admitting he had fouled her was meaningless as Linda sank the twelve footer. Shannon took your left hand from her firm breast while Cindy clasped your right hand firmly against hers. Together they lifted you to your feet. They held you a moment to make sure you were okay before heading for the basket.

Linda took up her position on the free throw line the moment you left. After a quick bounce of the ball she sent it flying towards the basket. The three of you ran for the basket to get the rebound. You managed to scrap Shannon off as you passed Tom, but Cindy clung tightly to your arm. It didn’t matter as Linda sank her free throw. The redhead swatted the ball back towards Linda and joined you under the basket. Immediately, the jockeying for position began.

This time, the ball hit the back rim and bounced back towards Linda. Blocked by Shannon and Cindy, there was no way for you to get the loose ball. However, being engaged with you, they couldn’t either. Tom and Linda both ran for the ball. Tom was closer, but Linda knocked it clear. You managed to get free of the girls, but not before Marcus tracked down the ball. You leapt as he turned and shot. Whether you managed to get a fingernail on the ball or simply distracted him, Marcus’ shot came down short. Shannon had no problem snagging the ball from the air while it was still over the head of the shorter blonde. Even with Cindy hanging on her arm, the redhead managed to kiss the ball off the glass and send it through the hoop. Three free throws later, Shannon called “Ball in!” She bounced the ball towards Cindy who standing near the right blocks. A couple shaky bounces later, she threw it towards the bucket.

“REJECTED!” you called out eagerly as you swatted the shot away. The ball went flying towards the mid-court stripe. You raced after it and dove as you thought you saw someone else dive for it. Your hands closed on the firm round object before you.

“Sorry,” you murmured as you realized it was not the ball. By the time Shannon smoothed her rumpled skirt, Linda had picked up the loose ball and drained a shot from the top of the key. By the time the two of you got back into the game, Tom had grabbed Linda’s missed free throw and dunked it. After his third made free throw, Tom handed the ball to Marcus. Standing at the free throw line the big man threw up a brick. You used your hip to push Shannon out of the way to get the ball.

“I got him.” She called out as you went up for a shot that came up short. Marcus’ waved off Cindy’s basket and bounced the ball out to you near the three point line. You dipped you shoulder to drive. Linda moved to block your path. You pulled up and shot a 17 footer. A bit long, it hit the far right edge of the rim. It dropped straight down into Cindy’s hands. The blonde threw it back up right away. The ball flew completely over the rim. Marcus went up and put it in before it got below the bottom of the backboard. Shannon’s hip sent you into Cindy and Linda as you jumped for the missed free throw. The redhead dribbled out. A quick head fake sent Tom leaping for air. Before he could get back into position, the ball was past him on its way to the bottom of the net. It was followed by three more free throws.

This time Cindy took the ball at the free throw line. She shot right away. It was an ugly looking shot, but it went in. So did the first two free throws. You were in perfect position to grab her third shot as it bounced high off the rim. You leapt high and snagged the ball. Landing near the edge of the lane, you leapt back up for the easy two. The ball didn’t come with you. The ball went flying as you came back down on it. You went tumbling. Although you weren’t hurt, there was nothing you could do as Linda grabbed at the ball and sent it towards the basket as it slipped through her hands. The look on Linda’s face was one of surprise as it went in.

“You okay?” Marcus asked as he offered you a hand. You nodded and took the hand. Almost casually he hauled you to your feet. There was a slight twinge in your left ankle as you tried to walk on it. After a couple steps you figured that you probably twisted it but nothing serious. The ankle was quickly forgotten as you saw Linda’s free throw was going wide. You leaned into Marcus to push him out of the way. You couldn’t budge the big man…not an inch.

However, you were able to keep him from getting his hands up to catch it. It flew over both your heads. Shannon managed to track it down only to have Cindy swat it away. You spun around to get around Marcus. Linda managed to get to the ball first. You launched yourself at her to block the shot. You were only partially successful. You knocked the ball away from the basket and right into Tom’s hands. Tom had an easy ten footer.

His third free throw was short. Linda was standing in the middle of the lane. She tipped it straight up. By the time it came down, you were there. As she tried to rise up for a shot, she hit you in the face with the ball. You stumbled backwards. The ball went off to her right. Cindy managed to grab it and get off a thirteen footer before Shannon could move to block it. It hit the front of the rim.

You grabbed it, but were too far under the rim to get a good shot. You turned to more out from under the basket only to end up handing it to Marcus. You managed to jump up to block his first shot, but when he came down with it, you weren’t quick enough to prevent the layup. Tom rebounded Marcus’ missed free throw and had a layup of his own. Tom’s free throw hit the back of the rim and bounced out. Linda was standing in the middle of the lane. You leapt to try to block her shot. She ducked under your block and Tom’s attempt to block her shot. Once clear, Linda had an easy shot. She made it and the first free throw.

You and Shannon were still jockeying for position when the ball hit the floor in front of you. Engaged with each other, neither of you could stop Cindy from grabbing the ball. Stepping back, she squared up for a shot. You broke free of Shannon, but not before the blonde had already let go of the ball. It was a bit long. Tom and Marcus both went up for it. The only succeeded in knocking it away from each other and right to Linda. The slender brunette shot. She missed, but Shannon had an easy put back.

Three free throws later, she asked for everyone’s scores. You grimaced as everyone sounded off. You were in last. Although you were only two points behind both Marcus and Cindy, you were more than ten points away from the safety of thirteen points needed to avoid having to take something off. When you hold up two fingers to indicate your score, Shannon tosses you the ball and calls “Ball In!”