Up and dunk...

= Fiction =
13 has usually been a nice number for me. Or at least I'd like to think so. Even though I have been born on a 13th, the more I think of it, I get a long list of '13 achievements'.

So it was natural that I was quite energetic last 13th, the day we had the basketball match. This is something that takes place twice a year or so. The audience is low and the result is usually one-sided, but you wouldn't think so on seeing the way we practiced this year around.

I was ready soon and went for the morning drill, two hours before the first whistle sounded. We discussed some strategy or whatever. What can you do anyway with a team of guys who are each a feet taller than you?

Thankfully, the remaining 9 in the team were not as tall as me.

I went the players' bench a few minutes before the others came. I knew that I would have to sit in this bench the whole time as I would only be allowed in for the last 5 min and that too only if the match had no signs of turning around.

The match started on time with our starting 5 as usual. The few people who had come in had come to admire another classical performance from the opponents. It was not their fault. Even I sat admiring them.

The match was going on smoothly as that is how I describe a steadily increasing gap between the teams. A quarter came to an end and we were like 15 points adrift. A few changes later, the next quarter was on.

I totally lost focus on our team but was admiring the flow of the play of the other team. Maybe more than admiring. I was forming a pattern in their play. As the quarter came to its ending, I felt like that ideal chess player who could predict his opponent's move and out-think him.

The mood at half-time was not too good. Quite understandable, considering that a gap of nearly 40 points had crept in. Three of the players were not willing to play. It didn't bother me much as I knew I would get a chance only if 5 of them walked out. The next three were put into play and they walked in. One of the main players then walked back just before the whistle saying he was panting too much and he can come in at a time-out.

I heard my name being called which pushed me back into the real world. I was still visualizing the other team's game in my head then. I looked around and could see that the guy before me had gone off, either to fetch water/snacks or be in privacy in one of the rooms meant for that.

I quickly got on the team's vest and came to the center. None of the players were willing to take center-stage obviously fearing the 7/8 foot tall player who were there on the other side. I know it was an exaggeration, but anything over 6 feet looks the same from the eyes of a 5-footer.

The referee at the center said 'Ready' and then motioned me to come closer. I looked back shocked to see all the others in my team were slightly farther away from the 'center of action' than me. I smiled seeing the audiences react wildly to this 'perfectly-matched' pair. I could see a few cameras come out. Oh what a photographic moment this would be! I put on a range of smiles, sure that none of them would match.

The ball went up and as the sky-tall player hopped to reach it, I went behind him to receive the ball he pushed behind. Getting this cheeky possession, I weaved through them to get my first 2 of the match. What a moment!

It was our turn to defend now. They got past quite easily which was no surprise. We then had some trouble scoring with our high passes all getting in the wrong hands. Two minutes later, we got over that problem too. I was close to the basket once with the 7-footer blocking me. There was no way I could get the ball. A team-mate saw me crouched under and gave a low pass. My 'friend in the other team' was a little late in catching up with me and it resulted in another 2.

The game became more fun now. We were playing equal to them now. They scored their shots and we scored what we wanted. The quarter seemed equal. But we had still the catching up to do.

At the first time-out, I thought about what I observed in the last quarter. However, things are different when you are actually in the middle playing. You don't get all that time to analyze like when you're sitting outside. Also, you get an entire view sitting on the side which is not got when you are actually on the ground.

One of us mentioned how we could accelerate our scoring by moving around in a pattern even without the ball so that ball could be passed to any available player. For defense, we were not marking a single person as before but moving on from one player to another as another player took care of our previous target.

What a difference that made. We were able to curb their scoring to a large extend now. I could see that the gap came to under 30 now. My pace across the ground improved now. I was in charge of transporting the ball from one end to another and then passing it to the available player to make the 2. I managed to outrun them by not running in a straight line. I felt I was back in Class-5 where we had this catcher game named 'chain-chain'.

The quarter got over with most of the players quite tired. I stayed on in court for sometime attempting to shoot that ball through that basket miles above my head. Both teams talked a lot this time and came back to the ground for the final quarter. I was allowed to play the whole of the next quarter which was something for me as I never even expected me to be playing the whole of the quarter gone by.

The game seemed more defense-oriented this time as our opponents understand that if they allowed us to score, it would reduce the gap even more. I was the most hit as I could not find someone to pass too as both the players were floating around now.

After a few ineffective passes and thereby making them score, the idea came in. It was too daring to think of that because I had not never done that regularly even in practice. But I had to take a chance as the other options seemed blocked.

And so, the next time I got the ball, I ran past the half-line and stopped. A few feet away, I had 9 players looking at me. I took a look at them and one look above, at the basket far away and fired the ball upwards. The ball went up and curved downwards on its way to the basket. It hit the net making a sweet sound and I had just scored my first 3 ever in a match. The feeling is unexplainable. Though the audience gave their best volume to cheer the little boy scoring a 3 above 9 players, it could not come close to what I just felt.

A little success and you keep wanting it more. Well, that is how I can explain the two more 3s that followed up. The defense's thinking changed now. They were coming after me now. I had to reluctantly pass it to the nearest available player. The team was not satisfied with this as the other team was equalizing it.

One player came to me and told me to stay around the 3-pointer while he would somehow pass the ball that I pass to him back to him. Well, the others started doing the same. For the first time in this match I started feeling important rather than just a filler. The enthusiasm grew even more after the four consecutive 3s I got in.

One look at the score had me back to reality. We had overtaken the other team's score but it was not a good margin. I managed not to keep the ball idle so that at least someone could take a 2 if I was blocked from taking a 3.

I had not glanced at the audience for sometime now, just listening to the noises. When I went to the sidelines for water, I noticed the area full with people. Someone passed the word perhaps. Three more 3s later added with a couple of 2s right at the end with some crucial errors from the other team out of frustration allowed us a comfortable 20-point win.

Seems I was the top-scorer and the audience seemed to be very excited in seeing a little boy take on some big (and tall) fellows. Some random thoughts regarding the underdogs and support came to me. I was enjoying every moment of this.

My best moment of the day was definitely not the near-dozen 3s scored. It was just seconds before the final whistle when I was given the ball. I was supposed to try for a 3, but seeing their defense position, I just went through their maze finally utilizing what I knew about their movement. In line for a straight 2, I took the jump and tried getting as high as I could to the end and tossed the ball upwards and watched it go up and down through the net. It was my version of the dunk and I just could not get it out of my mind amidst the congratulations received.

An accomplishment to my name finally... maybe they should this dunk after my name...