The Game

There was only five seconds left on the game clock, and so the intensity rose in the building as our basketball team was down by two points. One could feel the shuddering silence set by the audience as they watched our attempt to win. The inbounds play chosen by the coach was a double screen in which number eight would be assured an open shooting spot. As the inbounds passer, I slapped the ball in order to allow a synchronization of movement at the start of the play. It worked marvelously, as number eight was open and without hesitation, I passed it to him. The ball soared across the court and was placed almost perfectly in his hands. Already in his shooting position and wide open beyond the three point arc, he jumped and shot the ball. It seemed as if it traveled through the air in slow motion as all gazed in curiosity. The ball swooshed in the net in a split second, our entire team stormed the court toward number eight. I could not believe it, we had won. We pulled through the moment of uncertainty and anticipated grief. Our bench charged off the sidelines and tacked us in celebration of what they ahd just witnessed.