The ball was wet with sweat in Darius's hands. He stood beyond half court. He looked at the other players on the court. The game was moving faster now. Players were breathing harder. The pace had increased from the beginning.
Darius bounced the ball one time. Then he bounced it again. His left hand was slower than his right hand. His right hand pushed the ball too forcefully. The ball bounced higher than intended and at an incorrect angle.
Malik intercepted the ball. "You are dribbling like you just woke up from a coma."
Darius did not reply to the comment. He moved forward toward the basket. The defensive players moved closer together, expecting him to take a rushed shot or make a poor pass.
Darius had already observed the court positioning. Malik was near the basket. His defender was leaning too far to the left side. There was a small amount of open space.
Darius crouched low and threw the ball forcefully. The ball traveled between two players' legs, under another player's arm, and reached Malik's hands.
Malik caught the ball, absorbed contact from his defender, and made a layup.
Score: 2-0.
While jogging back to defense, Malik did not look at Darius. He said, "You can see the court. Now show if you can handle pressure."
On the next possession, Trey received the inbound pass. He faced Zion at the top of the court. Trey moved his hips left, then right. This caused Zion to shift his weight in the wrong direction. Trey stepped backward and shot the ball from behind the three-point line.
The ball rotated properly and went through the net.
Score: 2-3.
Zion said a curse word quietly. Darius watched Trey's foot movement. Trey was not particularly fast, but his movements were precise. He appeared to know exactly how much space he needed for his shot.
Malik dribbled the ball up court. Darius ran behind him, then cut sharply to the right. This caused his defender to run into a screen set by Zion. Zion moved away from the screen, received the ball near the free-throw line, and shot it softly off the backboard.
Score: 4-3.
Zion nodded one time. "That screen was executed well. Continue communicating."
Jace positioned himself against Malik. He moved his foot slightly, paused, then drove toward the sideline. Malik hesitated for approximately half a second. Jace moved past him and made a layup.
Score: 4-5.
Malik said, "He is not even fast. I just made an error."
Darius did not respond. He was already moving to his defensive position. Trey drove toward the basket, but Darius stepped into the lane early, blocking his path. Trey hesitated, then passed the ball to the side. Zion anticipated this pass, jumped into the passing lane, stole the ball, and ran toward the other basket.
Darius ran behind Zion, which caused a defender to follow him. Zion finished with a reverse layup, using the backboard.
Score: 6-5.
Zion hit Darius's shoulder with his hand. "You are reading the game correctly. Do not hesitate."
Manny positioned himself near the basket with his back to the rim. Malik tried to prevent him from moving closer to the basket, but Manny was heavier. Manny pushed backward with his shoulder and made a layup.
Score: 6-7.
Malik did not speak. He walked back to position with his jaw muscles tensed.
Darius received the ball near the top of the key. His defender moved away from him, challenging him to shoot. Darius did not shoot. He waited for Zion to run behind the other team's defense along the baseline. Darius threw a pass through a gap that was approximately one foot wide.
Zion caught the ball while running and made the shot.
Score: 8-7.
Zion smiled. "You are playing strategically. Just remember the time constraints."
Trey drove left, stopped suddenly, and shot the ball over Zion's extended hand.
Score: 8-9.
Zion hit the ball against the ground hard. "He has accurate shooting form. This is problematic."
Malik isolated against his defender. He dribbled once, spun away from Jace, and leaned backward while shooting. The ball traveled in a high arc and went through the basket.
Score: 10-9.
Jace shook his head. "Is that your only move? Spin and hope?"
Malik smiled slightly. "The shot still counts for points."
Jace responded immediately. He caught the ball on the wing, jumped before Malik could move closer, and made a three-point shot.
Score: 10-12.
Malik did not show external reaction. However, his breathing pattern changed. His shoulders became tighter. His eyes appeared more focused.
Darius set a screen for Zion, then moved to open space. Zion passed the ball back to him. Darius had a clear shooting opportunity, but he passed again to Malik in the corner.
Malik jumped and made a medium-range jump shot.
Score: 12-12.
Malik looked at Darius. "Are you afraid to shoot?"
Darius shrugged his shoulders. "I shoot when the situation requires it."
Manny missed his first shot attempt but retrieved his own rebound. He shot again through contact from Zion and made the shot.
Score: 12-14.
Zion pushed Manny after the play. No foul was called.
Darius caught the ball. His defender moved away from him again. He attempted a shot.
His shooting form was inconsistent. The ball's arc was incorrect. The ball hit the back of the rim hard and bounced away.
Jace laughed. "There is your shooting ability. You think too much but cannot finish."
Darius did not react to the comment. He ran back to his defensive position.
The Hustle System recorded data: Shot hesitation occurred 2 times. Confidence level measured at 58 percent.
Zion missed a three-point attempt. Darius positioned himself between his opponent and the basket. Malik grabbed the rebound and started a fast break. Darius ran to the corner, causing his defender to follow. Malik drove hard toward the basket, drew additional defensive help, and finished with an underhand layup.
Score: 14-14.
All players were breathing heavily. Several players put their hands on their knees. Sweat was dripping from their faces.
Malik looked at Darius. "Are you able to continue?"
Darius nodded. "Yes, I am fine."