REACH FOR THE HOOPS

Chapter 3 - The Comeback Win.

"Hey, glad you're here man." Nicole said pulling him by the arms.

Jude just nod with a smile, looking lost.

"You all Needs to Let him be, still needs time to recover and get along with the team, just leave him." Coach Dew walked in and pulled Jude somewhere in the locker room, sitting alone.

This looks weird to the team.

* An Hour earlier.*

(Coach Dew walks through the hallway, heading to the back of the stadium where the outdoor court is located, on a call.)

"Please doc, what's his condition?"

-

"Damn, this is terrible!"

-

" Okay, we'll talk la-__" he stopped midway as he saw someone shooting on the court.

He walked closer as something keeps amusing him.

The guy on the courts turned and his face was visible to him.

"Damn! Jade?" Coach dew mustered to himself and ran closer.

"Hey, stop!" he yelled and Jude was scared for a moment cause of the Shouts.

"Jade?" Coach Dew asked.

"No, you missed it, I'm Jude!" Jude said.

"Oh my God, the name and resemblance, You had a twin right?" He asked immediately.

Jude and Dan burst out laughing, obviously cracking up cause of the question.

"Heyyy, this is not funny and not time to laugh, this is a serious moment that calls for emergency!" Coach Dew said, pulling out his ID card which indicates His role as Assistant Coach of Red Bull's Basketball team.

That's when Jude got serious and knows something is off.

***

Coach Dew took his time to relay everything that's happening to him, and they strike a deal with him to Play the role of Jade since the Resemblance is so real.

No one would even suspect, they're not from the City, they only travel down to The location for the finals.

***

(Present Moment)

"Coach, you said Jade's in a crucial situation, how come he's here?" Nicole asked.

"Guys, this is a miracle as for the presence of the being here, we'll talk about this later, the finals fist." the coach said and referred to Jude as 'Being', not want to provide room for suspicion.

"Well, no matter how, All is good, let's go win the finals." Joe, the smallest said.

Coach Cole called the guys together and explained a new pattern of play to them.

"This is the last quarters, this is the last Moment to win the game, now with the last quarter performance, it will be two man on Jade now, that's certain, now Nicole, it's time for you to step up." Coach Cole said and Nicole nods in agreement.

"The attention will be on Jade for now, use the opportunity Nicole, the game is on you, let's move." Coach Cole said and the team motivated to own the finals.

****

(Commentators)

1: 'Oh, what a game!

2: ' yeah it is, the game is somehow slack for the Red bulls but the third quarter is something else for them, what's the source of this inspiration?'

1: ' No one but the presence of Their Jade brown, he's really a special lad!'

2: ' Now, the Last quarter underway, time to know who will be the State champion of the high school's basketball team!'

***

"Isn't that guy that we had issues with while coming in?" One of the three girls sitting together said, calling the attention of the girl Jude collided with earlier.

"How can he be, does the guy earlier looks like a basketball player, And how do you think he can be in Red bull's basketball team, Ann?" the girl Jude collide with said.

"Jane, Just look at him, he got the same Red headband on his head. it's the same guy."

" Hey, yeah, I noticed that too." Betty, the third among them chipped in.

"But how come, how can he be?

if he's really in the school team, he should have come along with the school team bus." Jane said.

"It might be a coincidence though, but what about the resemblance, it's really striking!" Betty said.

"This is really something else, wonders on earth." Ann said and they laughed off but it really got into Jane as her attention was fixed on Jude for the rest of the game.

***

1:' Oh, what a dunk by Nicole Lewis, the game is more hotter as The whole team is on fire!'

2: ' And isn't that 2 men on Jade brown? yet he finds ways to deliver, he's just unstoppable, what a game!'

1: ' we have 13 seconds left for this wonderful game to come to an end, the score line is '73 - 71' NET HOOPERS up by two point, basketball is really unpredictable!'

2: 'Time out for RED BULL team.'

***

"Coach, I can't really continue, I have a sprain on my ankle, can't move it." Nicole said limping.

"It's just 13 seconds left, please this final is crucial, Nicole." Coach Dew said.

"No, don't force him coach Dew, He'll be subbed off, if we lose, we've tried enough, we can't risk his career!" Coach Cole said.

everyone is down immediately.

Nicole has really played a big role in the whole game.

"We're not losing this match Coach, that's on us as a team. it's just 13 seconds left, we can change the whole game!" Jade(Jude) said and somehow the team is surprised cause of the voice, he just talked since he came in and it's not somehow that of Jade.

"What do I do, who do I put in at this moment?" Coach Cole said, pondering.

"Coach, give me the guy at the end of the bench, yeah, Joe!" Jade said.

"Okay, Joe you're in!" Coach Cole said and all were surprised at how the coach complied almost immediately, plus the Substitution seem wrong.

A guard to come in place of Center player!

"Coach Cole, that's the place of Center player!" Coach Dew said but Coach Cole urge him to go on the flow.

**

The Game was on and The NET HOOPER'S Coach saw that Nicole was out, ordered three men to play Jade only, since two men can't stop him.

Jade denied the three men and got out with the help of a screen set up for him by two Men from his team.

he collected the ball, now seven seconds left and it was a Countdown, the Atmosphere is tensed as all Fans were on their feet.

Jade dribbled the ball, made an In and Out cross with a pull back to push two men on him in.

A stepback outside to the three point line, made to shoot three point shot and three men stepped up on him.

And there's Joe. free at the downtown, he dashed the ball out to him, it's two seconds and Joe pulled up the shot.

-'2, 1,-...' and that's it, It entered! there goes the final whistle and the crowd went into full Jubilation.

Joe ran and Jumped on Jade.

The team did, no one expected the play!

it was indeed a tough game!