Bayview set up with Daren at point. Darius shifted off-ball, drawing Micah's attention. Tyrese stayed on Daren, but Micah didn't look away from Darius. That was the setup. Daren dribbled slowly, letting the defense settle. Then he called for motion. Darius cut hard across the baseline, dragging Micah with him. But instead of continuing, he stopped short and reversed direction, slipping behind a screen from Eli.
Micah hesitated, caught between switching and chasing. Daren saw it and attacked. He drove straight at Tyrese, forcing him to backpedal. As the help defender stepped up, Daren kicked the ball to Darius, who had looped back to the top of the key. Micah was still recovering. Darius didn't shoot. He passed inside to Eli, who had sealed his defender in the paint. Eli turned, took one step, and finished off the glass.
Score: Titans 77 – Bayview 76
Micah turned, frustrated. He'd been pulled out of position.
Daren's plan is working, Darius thought.
Next possession, Bayview ran a double screen for Daren. He used the first screen to shift left, then rejected the second and cut back to the middle. The defense collapsed toward him. Daren jumped and fired a pass to the corner. Darius caught it, pump-faked to freeze the defender, then swung the ball to Eli, who was cutting down the middle. Eli caught it in stride, took two steps, and laid it in.
Score: Bayview 78 – Titans 77
The Titans called timeout. Coach Anderson rotated the entire lineup. Malik came in. Darius sat. Eli stayed. The quarter was winding down.
Darius stood up, walked toward the coach. "I can still play," he said, loud enough for the bench to hear.
Coach chuckled. "I admire your enthusiasm but save it for the last quarter."
Darius nodded and took his seat.
The game resumed. Bayview held a slim lead. The Titans pressed full court, trying to trap the ball early. Malik broke the pressure with a sharp pass to Eli near half court. Eli pushed the ball up quickly and found a teammate on the wing. The defender was late to rotate. The shot was clean and uncontested.
Score: Bayview 80 – Titans 77
Titans responded by feeding Khalil in the post. He backed down his defender, used a shoulder bump to create space, and finished through contact.
Score: Bayview 80 – Titans 79
Bayview ran again. Malik handled the ball, called for a screen, and drove hard to the right. As the defense collapsed, he kicked it to Eli, who rose for a layup. But Khalil rotated from the weak side and contested the shot. The ball bounced off the rim.
Missed.
Titans pushed in transition. Tyrese ran the break, passed to the corner, and the shooter had time to set his feet. The three-pointer dropped.
Score: Titans 82 – Bayview 80
Bayview slowed it down. Eli took control, ran a handoff with Malik, then slipped inside behind the screen. Malik found him with a bounce pass. Eli caught it clean and finished with a soft touch.
Score: 82 – 82
Titans came back with Khalil at the elbow. He faced up, jab-stepped, then drove right. Eli slid with him, but Khalil stopped short, pivoted, and hit a fadeaway jumper.
Score: Titans 84 – Bayview 82
Bayview answered. Malik drove baseline, drew help, and kicked to the top. The shooter had space. The shot dropped.
Score: Bayview 85 – Titans 84
The quarter ended.
Both teams huddled. Bayview's coach pointed to the spacing breakdowns. "They're switching late. Use it. Keep Khalil moving. Make him work."
Daren nodded, already thinking ahead.
Titans' coach leaned in. "Micah, you're on Daren now. No more space. Khalil, stay alert. They're trying to bait you."
The fourth quarter began.
Daren took the ball. Micah was on him now — tight, physical. Darius saw it immediately.
They've changed their coverage, he thought.
Darius ran a loop around Daren, curling off a screen. Daren handed him the ball mid-motion. Darius accelerated into open space, stopped at the three-point line, and rose for the shot. Tyrese chased, but he was late. Khalil rotated from the paint, closing fast. Darius saw him too late. He released the ball. Khalil rose and blocked it clean, sending it out of bounds.
Bayview froze.
Darius landed and looked up. Khalil stood over him, breathing steady, eyes locked. The Hustle System lit up beside him.
"Warning: Khalil has entered The Zone."
The Zone? What is that? Darius asked in his mind.
The system responded. "A mental state of extreme focus. Flow. No distractions. Only execution."
Darius felt a chill run down his spine. His teammate retrieved the ball. Darius looked at Khalil again. He wasn't celebrating. He wasn't smiling. He was locked in.
I've felt that before, Darius thought. Back when I was Che. I didn't know what it was then. But I do now.
The game resumed. Darius hesitated on the next possession. He passed to Eli inside. Eli caught it, turned — but Khalil was already there. He poked the ball loose, grabbed it, and took off. Before anyone could react, Khalil was at the other end, dunking through the rim with force.
Score: Titans 86 – Bayview 85
The game turned into a back-and-forth. Eli scored on a post move, using his body to shield the defender. Khalil answered with a drive and finish, beating the help defense. Daren hit a floater off a high screen. Khalil came back with a three, stepping into it confidently.
Score: Titans 91 – Bayview 89
Khalil wasn't just scoring. He was defending everything. He blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound, and hit a pull-up jumper in transition. Then he stole a pass at half court and dunked again. Five minutes of dominance. No one could stop him.
Bayview looked at each other, searching for answers. Nothing was working.
Then Khalil missed. A jumper from the wing bounced off the rim.
Darius watched him jog back.
He looks slower, he thought. His steps aren't as sharp.
Bayview attacked. Darius ran a pick-and-roll with Eli, slipped the screen, and caught the ball in space. He finished with a floater.
Score: Bayview 91 – Titans 91
Next possession, Darius pushed the pace. Micah was late to recover. Darius drove, drew help, and kicked to the corner. The shooter had time. The shot dropped.
Score: Bayview 94 – Titans 91
Titans came back. Tyrese drove, but the help came early. He passed out. The shot missed.
Bayview ran again. Darius cut through the lane, received the ball, and passed to Eli, who finished with a layup.
Score: Bayview 96 – Titans 91
Titans attacked. Khalil posted up, turned, and hit a hook shot.
Score: Bayview 96 – Titans 93
Bayview missed their next shot — a contested layup by Eli.
Titans pushed. Tyrese drove, kicked to the wing. The shot missed again.
Darius grabbed the rebound and slowed the pace. Everyone on the court looked tired. Passes were late. Cuts were soft. Mistakes started creeping in.
But Darius kept moving. He rotated on defense, poked a ball loose, and recovered it. Then he ran the break, passed to Eli, and got the assist. He was the only one still making plays on both ends.
Titans called timeout.
Both teams made changes. Fresh legs. New rotations.
Darius stood up. "Come on coach, let me play. I can still play out there."
Coach shook his head. "Trust your teammates."
"I just want to play."
Coach stepped closer. "Darius, I know you want to go out there... but you need to save up your energy for the final minutes of the game. I'll need you then." His tone was firm.
Darius sucked his teeth and sat down.
The game stayed tight. Bayview scored. Titans answered. The lead changed hands twice. The clock ticked down.
Three minutes left.
Both teams brought back their best players. Malik came off, breathing heavy. "I'm done," he said, collapsing into his seat.
The final stretch was here.
Both teams were ready.
And now, it was attack mode.