Chapter 8 - Teaming Up #8

Alvaro sneered, "Get your ass up. It's only 1-0; you'll end up like that ten more times."

Hao realized that the gap between their skill levels wasn't that big in terms of techniques but Alvaro's have exceptional athleticism. While Hao had better fundamentals, nothing of that didn't matter as much in this situation. What did matter was that he was essentially playing a two-on-one game. No matter how much Hao liked Ace as a friend, he had to admit that Ace wasn't the most skilled at basketball. He needed to think of something fast.

While Hao was deep in thought, Alvaro passed the ball back to Kobbie and instructed him to run the same play. Kobbie caught the ball, and everyone took the same positions as before. However, Kobbie had a different plan this time.

Kobbie jab-stepped to the right, testing to see if Ace would bite. When Ace shifted in that direction, Kobbie quickly returned his right foot to its original position and prepared to shoot. Ace noticed this and jumped to block the shot, but that was exactly what Kobbie wanted. Kobbie had executed a pump fake, sending Ace flying in the wrong direction. With Ace out of the way, Kobbie had a completely open shot. Hao noticed too late and, by the time he rushed towards Kobbie, the ball was already released, sinking a three-pointer. The score now stood at 3-0 in favor of Kobbie and Alvaro.

Scoreboard

Alvaro & Kobbie 3:0 Hao & Ace

As Ace was humiliated by one of the most basic moves in basketball, Daniel and Sam couldn't resist mocking him.

Daniel taunted, "You're already short; don't embarrass yourself further out here."

But Hao approached Ace and reassured him not to pay any attention to them. He asked Ace to try guarding Kobbie again because he had a plan to stop him.

Kobbie once again took the ball and positioned himself at the three-point line with Ace guarding him. This time, Kobbie decided to drive to the left. Ace followed closely, staying shoulder to shoulder. But as they reached the free-throw line, Kobbie suddenly gathered the ball with both hands and executed a spin move, leaving Ace stumbling into thin air. This left Kobbie with an open shot from the free-throw range, but Hao reacted faster this time and managed to contest the shot, although a second too late to block it completely. Kobbie missed the basket, but the ball bounced off the rim, and Alvaro was right there to grab the rebound. With no one guarding him, he easily laid the ball in, increasing their lead by another point.

Alvaro commented, "You're not as bad as I thought. You have a feel for the game, but with that body, you won't get far, especially playing center or power forward. Then again, you play D1, so that's expected. But I can't say the same for that shrimp over there; he's a lost cause."

Hao retorted, "Unlike me, you're blessed with great athletic abilities, but your technique is barely above Ace's."

Alvaro was visibly angered by this comment: "Blessed? Of course, someone like you would say that. Kobbie, no more mistakes. We're going to humiliate them for that remark."

Hao was puzzled. It seemed like Alvaro had calmed down after being complimented, but something must have struck a nerve. Nevertheless, Hao couldn't dwell on that now because he had found a way to stop Kobbie. He pulled Ace aside and whispered in his ear.

Hao said, "Listen, I've figured out how we can stop Kobbie. It seems like he struggles to shoot when he doesn't have much space. You'll act as a decoy and lead him to one side while I come from the blind side to double-team him. That way, we won't give him much room to shoot or pass. His only options will be to turn the ball over or take a difficult shot and hope Alvaro grabs the rebound. This is our best chance because I can't match Alvaro's physicality, but I have better technique. We just need to get the ball, and we have a shot at winning."

As Ace and Hao exchanged their plan, Kobbie approached Alvaro and spoke.

Kobbie said, "Listen, they're probably going to start double-teaming me now, but that's not a problem. Just stay under the basket and grab the ball if I miss. Let's finish this quickly and go get some kebabs."

The ball was back in Kobbie's hands, and Ace was guarding him again. This confused Kobbie since he expected the double-team right away. However, this gave him an advantage to immediately shoot from three-point range since Ace was shorter and couldn't contest his shot. Without hesitation, Kobbie formed a perfect jump shot. Ace thought it was another pump fake, so he didn't jump, but this time it was a real shot. Kobbie rose and released the ball at the peak of his jump. As Ace realized his mistake and jumped to block the shot, the ball was already on its way to the basket. He turned his head just in time to hear the satisfying "swish" as the ball passed cleanly through the net without touching the rim. The score was now 6-0, and that shot got Daniel and Sam hyped.

Scoreboard

Alvaro & Kobbie 6:0 Hao & Ace

Hao called out, "Ace, come here change of plan."

Ace approached, and Hao told him they would switch positions Hao would guard Kobbie while Ace would come in from behind to execute a successful double-team.

Kobbie took the ball again, but this time, he faced a different opponent. Hao stood before him, determined. Kobbie started with a between-the-legs dribble, then quickly transitioned to a behind-the-back move to change directions, driving to the left. But Hao stayed with him, matching him stride for stride. When Kobbie stopped, he noticed that Ace had arrived, meaning he was now double-teamed.