Fighting Back

The halftime buzzer had barely finished ringing when Lucas walked toward the bench, his heart pounding in his chest. The scoreboard read 29-28, with Lincoln Park holding a narrow lead. They had played well, but Lakeview was still right there, refusing to break.

Coach Harrison pulled out his clipboard the moment the team sat down. "Good work so far, but I don't need to tell you that this game is far from over. We're forcing Cameron Reed into tough shots, and we're getting good looks on offense, but they're adjusting." He glanced around at the team. "We need to be sharper. More disciplined. They're not going to hand us anything."

Jaylen wiped sweat from his face and exhaled. "They're big, but they ain't that strong. I can keep fighting inside."

Miguel, who had been cooking from deep, leaned forward. "We gotta keep running, man. When we push the pace, they can't keep up."

Lucas nodded but stayed quiet for a moment. He wasn't worried about Lakeview's size or their discipline—he was worried about how his own team was going to respond in the second half.

Coach finished drawing a few adjustments on the board. "Second half, we stay aggressive. Keep playing our game."

The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of halftime.

Lucas took a deep breath. This next quarter was going to be war.

The third quarter started with a punch to the gut.

Lakeview came out with more energy, more aggression.

Cameron wasted no time attacking, forcing Lucas through a high screen before drilling a deep three in rhythm.

Lincoln Park quickly inbounded the ball, but Lakeview had switched to a full-court press, suffocating every pass. Lucas took the inbound and immediately felt Cameron bodying him, forcing him toward the sideline.

He looked up, scanning for a teammate, but every passing lane was covered.

"Five seconds, Turner!" Cameron taunted.

Lucas gritted his teeth and used a quick spin move, breaking free just before the ref could call a violation. He pushed the ball up the floor, crossing half-court, but Lakeview's defense was already set.

They were locked in.

Miguel called for the ball, but when Lucas swung it to him, Lakeview's small forward jumped the passing lane, picking it off.

Fast break.

Easy layup.

32-29, Lakeview.

Coach Harrison called out, "Settle down! We're fine!" but Lucas could feel the momentum shifting.

Next possession, they tried to get Jaylen a touch inside, but Bennett muscled him out of position. When Jaylen forced a contested shot, Bennett swatted it straight into the bleachers.

The crowd went wild.

"Too small!" Bennett yelled, flexing toward Jaylen.

Jaylen shook his head, walking away, but Lucas could see it—the frustration was starting to creep in.

Lakeview inbounded quickly, swinging the ball to Cameron, who came off a high screen and drilled another midrange jumper.

Lucas barely had time to breathe before the press came again.

Miguel got free and tried to take it up himself, but he was swarmed by two defenders at half-court, forcing him into a bad pass. Another steal.

Another fast break.

Another bucket.

34-29, Lakeview.

Coach Harrison called for a timeout.

Lucas walked to the bench, fists clenched.

They had lost all momentum.

Coach took a deep breath, then pointed at the team. "Alright, listen up. They've punched us first. Now we punch back."

Jaylen was breathing hard, his frustration evident. "They're doubling me inside every time. I can't get a clean look."

Miguel wiped sweat from his forehead. "We can't even get into our sets. This press is killing us."

Lucas took a deep breath. They needed a change.

He turned to Coach. "We're playing right into their hands," he said quickly. "They're forcing us into bad decisions because they know we're trying to play through their size."

Coach narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

Lucas leaned forward. "I can't keep dribbling through this pressure. We need to run more off-ball action—get me moving without the ball so I can get open looks instead of trying to break them down off the dribble."

Coach nodded slowly, considering it.

Lucas pressed on. "They're sending extra guys at Jaylen and Miguel every time they touch it. If we move without the ball, we can catch them before they set up their defense."

Coach glanced at the clipboard, then back at Lucas. "You're suggesting we play through you as a shooter?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. Let's run me off screens, make them chase me. If I get an open look, I'll take it. If they overcommit, I'll kick it to Miguel or Jaylen."

Coach didn't hesitate. He grabbed his marker and started drawing up adjustments.

"This is what we're running," he said. "Flare screens for Lucas. Jaylen, you're setting hard picks to free him up. Miguel, if the shot isn't there, you attack downhill."

Lucas clenched his fists. This was it.

They broke the huddle, stepping back onto the court.

Lakeview still had the momentum.

But now?

Lucas had a plan.

The next possession, Lucas started in the corner, making it seem like he was just spotting up. Cameron was still pressing up on him, but Lucas waited for his moment.

Jaylen ran up and set a hard flare screen, forcing Cameron to fight through contact. Lucas cut to the wing, caught the pass from Miguel, and immediately fired.

Splash.

The net barely moved as the ball dropped through.

34-32.

Cameron turned to Lucas, his expression dark. "Alright, bet."

Lucas smirked. "Better keep up."

Lakeview came down, trying to feed Bennett inside, but Jaylen and Evan collapsed on him, forcing a bad pass. Miguel tipped it, and Lucas scooped up the loose ball.

He didn't slow down.

Miguel sprinted to the corner, dragging a defender with him. Jaylen trailed, ready for the rebound.

Lucas stopped at the three-point line, pulled up in rhythm, and let it fly.

The ball hung in the air for a moment before dropping through.

Tie game. 34-34.

The Lincoln Park bench erupted, and Coach Harrison clapped his hands. "That's how we execute!"

Lakeview wasn't backing down. Cameron came off a screen, launching another midrange shot, but this time Lucas was right there. He got a hand up, altering the shot just enough.

Brick.

Evan snatched the rebound and immediately kicked it to Miguel, who pushed the tempo. Lucas sprinted ahead, cutting from the left wing to the right corner.

Miguel saw him.

The ball came flying in. Lucas caught it in one motion, set his feet, and fired.

The ball spun perfectly as it sailed toward the rim—

And splashed through.

Lucas turned toward the Lincoln Park crowd, pounding his chest. They weren't done yet.

37-34. Lincoln Park had the lead again.

The gym was rocking.

Cameron slammed the ball down in frustration, yelling at his teammates to lock in.