Meu cinco inicial dos sonhos — basketball_team 🇧🇷

Jornada 1 — vs Detroit Engine-Roar

86-131 (D)

Giannis Antetokounmpo times the leap perfectly, taps it back to the wing, and the first possession of the night belongs to us.

Jaren Jackson Jr. reads it two passes early, steps into the gap and takes away the entire lane before anybody gets there.

Stephen Curry comes off the screen and the big man drops WAY back. Cooper Flagg just fades to the arc for the cleanest look of the night. Down, up, and gone for Cooper Flagg. The rim is just toying with him now.

More second chance points for Detroit Engine-Roar, and our bench is up screaming for a timeout. Rightly so.

A timeout is coming, it has to be, but Dwyane Wade has already turned this into a personal shooting drill with an audience. From WAY downtown! Dwyane Wade launched that one from the parking lot!

End of the second quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo is breathing so loud you can hear it from here. Anecdote: Giannis Antetokounmpo lost a bet and had to wear the center's shoes during warm-ups. Size 16. And now, our halftime TV game show Family Feud But Nobody Is Related! To win a gently used trampoline with no springs and one very stern warning label, text HOOPS to 555-0231 and answer this question: 'How long does it take a hot dog to cool down in the upper deck in February?' Both teams return. You can tell the coach gave them an earful.

Cold blooded from Detroit Engine-Roar, way out beyond the arc, and our defense is scrambling in rotation.

Bodies everywhere in the paint and it does not matter one bit to Dwyane Wade, one spin and the ball never leaves the string. Twenty-four seconds of standing around, and Dwyane Wade has to eat the last two of them. Possession wasted long before the shot went up.

Dagger from Detroit Engine-Roar. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

This is the counter: Stephen Curry punished a defense that kept going under, and now they have to rip up the game plan. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Two points in every gym in America except this one, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is walking back with both hands on his head.

Detroit Engine-Roar again, and again nobody is home. Three straight trips down the floor with zero resistance.

OHHHH he went BACKDOOR! Cooper Flagg never broke stride and he has the ball UNDER THE RIM! Rim out for Cooper Flagg, the crowd came up and sat right back down, and you can hear the groan from every corner of the arena.

SKIP PASS! Dwyane Wade fires it cross court to Stephen Curry and the defense is dead in the water! Watch Cooper Flagg plant his feet, absorb the hit, and spring Stephen Curry out of that corner in a blink. Getting to his spot and elevating, Stephen Curry puts it on the back iron, up over the front, and out. Half a rotation from two points.

Turnover, layup, Detroit Engine-Roar straight through us in transition. Careless basketball.

This is the stretch of the night where you just feed him and get out of the way. Cooper Flagg has found that place where the rim looks the size of a hula hoop. Isolation on the wing, shot clock draining, and Cooper Flagg rocks the defender to sleep before dropping it through.

Whistles. Monitor. And Giannis Antetokounmpo standing frozen at midcourt. OHHHH the cruelty! Two tenths, and Giannis Antetokounmpo gets absolutely nothing.

Cooper Flagg stands alone at center court as the lights go dim. Dwyane Wade comes back to get him. And here is the answer to our game show Family Feud But Nobody Is Related! Delbert Cranfill of Bitter Creek Junction, Wyoming, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'How long does it take a hot dog to cool down in the upper deck in February?' The answer was of course eleven minutes, unless somebody nearby is breathing on it. Delbert therefore wins a gently used trampoline with no springs and one very stern warning label! Your favorite commentator survived. It's not much, but it's honest work. Thanks! And now, 'Neighbors from Hell: The Community Compost Bin Saga.' Episode 1 of 74.

Jornada 2 — vs Miami Heart-Attack

124-94 (V)

Giannis Antetokounmpo controls the tip, and the offense gets to run its first set on schedule. Little edges like that stack up over forty-eight minutes.

Ohhh no. Corner three, Miami Heart-Attack in rhythm now, and our side of the building goes silent.

Textbook two three with Dwyane Wade manning the back line, and they have not seen a clean look in three trips. Winning basketball right there: Dwyane Wade knocks the swing pass off course and that offense has to run it back from the top.

Punish the help, that is the rule, and Stephen Curry just did it by hitting Giannis Antetokounmpo on the back side with acres of room. That is vision. Giannis Antetokounmpo sees the pocket open for a tenth of a second and puts the ball in it. Runner in the lane by Dwyane Wade, high off the fingertips, straight down through the net. Splash!

Right hand to the mouthguard, out, pointed at the rafters, back in. Dwyane Wade does not break stride once. Two rows of fans are hugging total strangers. Complete loss of composure in the entire lower bowl, and the game is nowhere near over.

Fingertips! Stephen Curry gets just enough on it and the ball squirts loose. OUTLET! Jaren Jackson Jr. rips the board and fires it ahead to Cooper Flagg before anybody gets back! The help defender had position, leverage, everything but a chance. Cooper Flagg rose straight over the top of him, and one.

Cooper Flagg deadpans directly into the broadcast camera: nod, wink, gone. Total elapsed time, one and a half seconds. The commentators lose it completely. Dwyane Wade arrives too late and mugs at an empty lens for nobody at all.

Halftime. Jaren Jackson Jr. Is holding his ribs walking toward the tunnel. Did you know? Jaren Jackson Jr. Launched a basketball podcast. Two episodes. Zero listeners. Still going. And now, our halftime TV game show Foul Line Confessions! To win a hood ornament from a truck that was never built, text HOOPS to 555-1098 and answer this question: 'Why does every gym in the country smell exactly the same?' Back on the court. The coach changed the starting five, that'll be a surprise.

Here comes Giannis Antetokounmpo sprinting off the elbow. Stephen Curry slides it into his pocket and that chase defender is buried. Giannis Antetokounmpo probes to the right, pulls the string, and rises over a helpless closeout from twenty six feet. Splash.

Flexing under the basket, mouth wide open, Giannis Antetokounmpo roars at nobody in particular. The sound carries over the crowd noise, which should be physically impossible. The referee waits with folded arms, like a substitute teacher who has seen considerably worse.

Cooper Flagg drives, draws two bodies, and swings it one more time to the corner. That is the pass nobody is required to make. Catching it right at the cup with nobody within eight feet, Jaren Jackson Jr. goes up too strong and the ball rides high off the backboard.

The offense stalls, Dwyane Wade gets stuck on the wing with no exit and nobody flashing open, and the shot clock eats him alive.

Nobody boxed out. Tip in, Miami Heart-Attack, and two of ours were standing right there watching it happen.

Stephen Curry guesses left, the ball handler goes right, and suddenly this is a two-on-one before anybody can rotate.

Cooper Flagg gets it on the reversal and now this defense is rotating, scrambling and losing ground, all because Dwyane Wade saw it a beat early. The defender crowded the middle, and Cooper Flagg punished him along the baseline like it was drawn up in the huddle. Nobody moved, nobody cut, nobody set a screen, so Cooper Flagg launches a contested jumper with the horn already going. Ugly offense.

From WAY downtown off the pop! Stephen Curry with the extra pass and CASH. Heat check for Giannis Antetokounmpo and it is GOOD. He is COOKING, and this building knows exactly what it is watching.

Flexing under the basket, mouth wide open, Giannis Antetokounmpo roars at nobody in particular. The sound carries over the crowd noise, which should be physically impossible. The referee waits with folded arms, like a substitute teacher who has seen considerably worse.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cooper Flagg slap each other's butts. Jaren Jackson Jr. Declines the invitation. And here is the answer to our game show Foul Line Confessions! Wendell Crabtree of Lost Mitten, Colorado, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'Why does every gym in the country smell exactly the same?' The answer was of course floor wax, popcorn, and forty years of accumulated nervousness. Wendell therefore wins a hood ornament from a truck that was never built! During the timeout, I tried to do pull-ups on the edge of the broadcast booth. Zero. Thanks for watching. Coming up: '48 Hours: The Secret Life of Roundabouts.' Essential viewing.

Jornada 3 — vs Orlando Magic-Beans

133-88 (V)

Small thing, a jump ball, but Jaren Jackson Jr. winning that tip means we set the tone. Coaches script that first play for a reason.

Clean feed from Cooper Flagg, nothing forced, just the offense breathing. Watch the sell from Jaren Jackson Jr. here, he leans in, he gets the defender leaning with him, and then he backs away into all that space. No good. Jaren Jackson Jr. rushed that one.

Ball into Cooper Flagg at the elbow, Dwyane Wade plants his foot and goes backdoor, and the pass meets him in the air. Filthy. That is another catch and shoot triple for Dwyane Wade, and you can see the closeouts getting more desperate every single trip.

Dwyane Wade rocks an imaginary baby down the sideline, cradling nothing at all and completely serious about it. Giannis Antetokounmpo plays along, tiptoeing beside him and shushing the front row. Half the arena is doing it too. The other half is filming the half that is doing it.

Bucket for Orlando Magic-Beans. Wide open look, and nobody even ran at the shooter.

Hand check on Stephen Curry. That is a foul in this league every single time.

Halftime! Dwyane Wade checks his stats on the board and winces. Rumor has it Dwyane Wade tried to recruit the pizza delivery guy for the team. The guy was 6'9". And now, our halftime TV game show High Rollers Low Ceilings! To win a beach towel printed with a map of a landlocked county, text HOOPS to 555-1024 and answer this question: 'How many timeouts can a coach call before the crowd revolts?' On to the next chapter. The court is just waiting for the ball.

Baseline wide open. Dwyane Wade said thank you. Baby hook by Dwyane Wade, right over that outstretched hand, high off the board, count it.

Backing all the way to half court with three fingers held over each eye, Dwyane Wade keeps the goggles on for the entire trip. The bench mob copies it in unison. The broadcast cuts to twelve grown men wearing invisible glasses. Peak television, honestly.

Set called, Dwyane Wade waved out to the corner, and Stephen Curry watches the spacing open up like a front door. That is a self-created look of the highest order, and there might be five guys in this league who get to it on demand the way Dwyane Wade does. Soft touch from Dwyane Wade, the floater drops right over the big man. Cash.

Cooper Flagg launches it weak side, one pass, and the whole shell has to sprint. Good luck with that. Screened, toasted, done. Stephen Curry is loose and the defense is scrambling to find him. OHHHH what a FINISH from Stephen Curry! Hanging, hanging, and laying it high off the glass on the way down!

Stephen Curry points at Giannis Antetokounmpo first, then at the pass that made it possible, then at Giannis Antetokounmpo again, making sure the building knows who did the real work. Giannis Antetokounmpo waves it off, embarrassed. The chant that starts up is not for the scorer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo flies at a jump shooter thirty feet from the rim and lands on his hip. Three shots coming. Brutal timing on that whistle. This team loses its rim protection the moment Giannis Antetokounmpo takes a seat, and the paint is wide open now.

BAAAANG! Stephen Curry sets the table and the pick-and-pop three goes down like somebody scripted it. This building is SHAKING. Cooper Flagg just stepped into a logo three like it was a warmup rep.

Jaren Jackson Jr. just took a shoulder to the chest to buy Dwyane Wade half a second, and half a second in this league is an eternity. Dwyane Wade rises up from fifteen feet and OHHHH, that rattled in and OUT!

Jaren Jackson Jr. And Stephen Curry freestyle a victory rap. Dwyane Wade does the beatbox. It's terrible but magnificent. And here is the answer to our game show High Rollers Low Ceilings! Marlene Trickett of Cornsilk Junction, South Dakota, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'How many timeouts can a coach call before the crowd revolts?' The answer was of course three, and the fourth one starts a conversation nobody enjoys. Marlene therefore wins a beach towel printed with a map of a landlocked county! As for me, I powered through three coffees and a gas station sandwich. The glamorous life of sports journalism. Thanks for tonight. And now: '60 Minutes: The Secrets of the Office Coffee Machine.'

Jornada 4 — vs Philadelphia Injury-Report

126-88 (V)

Stephen Curry holds it, waits, waits some more, then lets it go at the last possible instant to Cooper Flagg flying by. That is a half-second window and he threads it. Textbook footwork, textbook release from Cooper Flagg, cruel result as it spins out and both teams go up for a contested board.

That is the pass nobody puts on a highlight reel, and Stephen Curry makes it every single trip down the floor. Giannis Antetokounmpo attacks the baseline and the ENTIRE defense has to rotate behind him! Two points left on the floor by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and those are exactly the ones that come back to bite you in the fourth.

Push the pace! Stephen Curry grabs it and hits Giannis Antetokounmpo in stride before the defense can even match up. Dribble alive, patient, patient, and then Giannis Antetokounmpo slips it to Cooper Flagg right in the pocket. Surgical. Contested, off balance, fading away from the wrong shoulder, that is a shot Cooper Flagg should never take with three teammates standing wide open.

One little shoulder dip from Dwyane Wade and the guy guarding him turned into a traffic cone in real time. Dwyane Wade backs his man down, feels the contact, spins middle and drops it in over both hands. Fundamentals!

Right hand to the mouthguard, out, pointed at the rafters, back in. Dwyane Wade does not break stride once. Two rows of fans are hugging total strangers. Complete loss of composure in the entire lower bowl, and the game is nowhere near over.

And there it is, a walk-in layup for Philadelphia Injury-Report with not one hand raised in the paint. Somebody has to protect that rim.

Players head to the locker room. Cooper Flagg has tape on three fingers. Did you know? Cooper Flagg tried to become a rapper before basketball. The world dodged a bullet. And now, our halftime TV game show The Price is Wrong, Bob! To win a velvet painting of a raccoon in a tuxedo, text HOOPS to 555-0187 and answer this question: 'What is the middle name of the man who invented the folding chair?' Come on, second half! The best is yet to come. Or the worst. Who knows.

Stephen Curry stutters at the elbow, the defender bites on it, and now there is nothing but open floor between him and the rim. HAMMER! Stephen Curry goes right through the trees and throws it DOWN with the foul!

Dunk so loud the backboard is still ringing when Stephen Curry lands. He stares down the front row like they owe him money. A man in a five-thousand-dollar seat drops his drink. Cooper Flagg drags Stephen Curry away by the jersey before it becomes an incident.

Here is the part that never makes the highlight package: Stephen Curry controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. OHHHH the cut from Jaren Jackson Jr.! Two hard steps, one wide open rim, and the defense is still standing out at the arc. A timeout is coming, because no defense recovers from watching Jaren Jackson Jr. do that to one of their own.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Mimes putting a whole section to sleep, hands folded against his cheek, eyes shut. He is facing the Philadelphia Injury-Report fans who paid for the good seats. They boo. He nods along with the boos, which somehow makes the home crowd louder.

Arm across the body, whistle, dead ball. Reach on Stephen Curry.

Cooper Flagg kicks it over to Jaren Jackson Jr., no dribble, no drama, and this offense settles into a rhythm. Give and go! Jaren Jackson Jr. gives it up, cuts, and gets it right back with a clear lane to the cup! Deep. Deeper. GONE. Jaren Jackson Jr. drops it in from a spot the scouting report never even listed.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Throws both arms up and holds them there, letting the arena pull the sound out of him. Twenty thousand people on their feet at once. Dwyane Wade grabs his shoulders from behind and shakes him like a snow globe. The floor is genuinely vibrating.

Ball up the floor, change of speed right at the logo, and Stephen Curry already has the defense a full step behind. Oldest play in the book, and Jaren Jackson Jr. runs it in his sleep. That drop coverage never had a prayer. Follow the ball there: four sets of hands, Dwyane Wade makes the last read, and the defense never gets set. That is training camp offense. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Stephen Curry scooped that in from underneath the rim!

Slow walk, no expression. Stephen Curry backpedals past the Philadelphia Injury-Report huddle close enough to hear what is being said and never turns his head. The crowd noise is a physical object at this point. One of their assistants stands up, and nothing comes of it.

Hold everything, they are going to the replay on Giannis Antetokounmpo, and this building has stopped breathing. The building went up, the building came right back down, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is staring at a scoreboard that never moved.

Stephen Curry dumps his Gatorade on Dwyane Wade who screams because it was cold. Cooper Flagg piles on. And here is the answer to our game The Price is Wrong, Bob! Wendell Frobisher of Gravy Fork, West Virginia, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'What is the middle name of the man who invented the folding chair?' The answer was of course Delbert, and the man himself never once sat down. Wendell takes home a velvet painting of a raccoon in a tuxedo! Tonight I had a revelation: Dwyane Wade runs exactly like my neighbor when he misses the bus. We're done here. Up next: 'Top Chef: Microwave Edition.' Bon appetit.

Jornada 5 — vs Phoenix No-Defense

104-88 (V)

Both guys crouch, both guys go, and it is Giannis Antetokounmpo who wins the little argument at center court.

The beauty of it is that Stephen Curry never has to set a screen at all, the exchange IS the screen. Nightmare to guard. Gift wrapped by Stephen Curry, and Dwyane Wade cannot finish the two footer. That one is going to sting. Muscled away at the second jump by Cooper Flagg, and this offense resets with a fresh shot clock. Cooper Flagg crashes the glass, snatches that miss out of the air and hammers it home. Onions!

Snatched! Dwyane Wade came out of NOWHERE for that one. Off the glass and out of the gym, Dwyane Wade launches it and the break is ON! There is no finesse in that, and there does not need to be. Cooper Flagg simply decided the paint belonged to him.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Phoenix No-Defense with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

That hesitation move is exactly why they keep sending a second body at Dwyane Wade the moment he crosses half court. Stuck out on the perimeter with no outlet, Dwyane Wade panics, re-dribbles, and hands the possession over on a silver platter.

The players head in. Cooper Flagg slips on the wet tunnel floor. Rumor has it Cooper Flagg has been wearing the same lucky underwear for three seasons. The medical staff is concerned. And now, our halftime TV game show The Chase to the Dollar Store! To win a boxed set of instructional VHS tapes about gutter care, text HOOPS to 555-0225 and answer this question: 'How long is a minute on a stopwatch held by somebody in a hurry?' Back on the hardwood. The tension has gone up a notch.

And there it is, a walk-in layup for Phoenix No-Defense with not one hand raised in the paint. Somebody has to protect that rim.

Handoff, turn the corner, BUCKET! Stephen Curry did all the dirty work on that one. That is the kind of finish that changes a defense's body language, and Cooper Flagg has already done it twice this quarter.

Dribble handoff from Stephen Curry, and the defender gets wiped out on the exchange! Zero hesitation, zero conscience. Giannis Antetokounmpo made that closeout look completely pointless.

Pointing up at the family section, Giannis Antetokounmpo taps his chest twice and holds up a fist. A kid in a replica jersey is crying, and so is his mother. A camera crew finds them in nine seconds flat. Sixty seconds of pure decency on national television.

Cooper Flagg comes flying off that screen and he is WIDE open! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! That was IN for Cooper Flagg!

Watch the spacing there, Stephen Curry hits Giannis Antetokounmpo right in the shooting pocket and the possession stays alive. Here comes the slip from Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo reads it a half second before anybody else in the building. Pull-up from the elbow by Stephen Curry, halfway down, spinning inside the iron, and it pops right back out.

Cooper Flagg hands it off to Stephen Curry, slices through the seam, and the return pass is sitting there waiting at the rim. REJECTED! Cooper Flagg takes it in and gets it sent straight back into his own chest.

Filthy. Absolutely filthy from Stephen Curry, and the defender knows exactly what just happened to him. Ohhh no. Stephen Curry just walked. In front of everybody.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hits a dab in 2026. Jaren Jackson Jr. Does an ironic dab. Cooper Flagg has no idea what that is. And here is the answer to our game The Chase to the Dollar Store! Lurlene Dobbins of Rusty Spoon, New Mexico, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'How long is a minute on a stopwatch held by somebody in a hurry?' The answer was of course fifty-one seconds, give or take a conscience. Lurlene takes home a boxed set of instructional VHS tapes about gutter care! My evening in one word? Epic. In two words? Epic and loud. And now, a brand new episode of 'Desperately Seeking My Cat.' Good night, everyone.

Jornada 6 — vs Los Angeles Nursing-Home

111-84 (V)

The referee tosses it high and Jaren Jackson Jr. rises late, which is exactly how you win one of these. Timing over height, every single time.

Verticality, timing, discipline: Jaren Jackson Jr. never bites on the pump fake and still finds a way to erase the shot.

OHHHH the hesi! Stephen Curry froze him solid and he is already gone! Not close, not warm, not anywhere for Stephen Curry, straight into the hands of a defender who never had to leave his feet.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Los Angeles Nursing-Home with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

The opposing coach is off his seat waving both arms before the ball is even inbounded. Giannis Antetokounmpo forced that.

Break. Giannis Antetokounmpo collapses on the locker room floor, arms spread wide. Rumor has it Giannis Antetokounmpo tried to recruit the pizza delivery guy for the team. The guy was 6'9". And now, our halftime TV game show Supermarket Sweep the Leg! To win a fifty-five gallon drum of ranch dressing, text HOOPS to 555-0088 and answer this question: 'How many stripes are on a basketball if you also count the ones inside?' The players are back on the court. Here we go again!

That is the pass that beats a zone, and Dwyane Wade threw it before the help even committed. STOP AND GO! Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the brakes, hit the gas, and the lane opened up like a garage door. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Giannis Antetokounmpo builds the whole thing from nothing. No screen, no help, three points.

One finger to the sky, held there, eyes closed in the middle of all that noise, and Giannis Antetokounmpo does not move. The arena figures it out and quiets for a beat. Dwyane Wade puts a hand on his back and says nothing, then the sound comes back like a wave.

Bucket for Los Angeles Nursing-Home. Wide open look, and nobody even ran at the shooter.

No hero ball here: Stephen Curry takes what the defense gives and moves it along. OHHHH that is filthy! Giannis Antetokounmpo on the handoff and the man guarding it is still fighting over the top. Nasty finish. Dwyane Wade hangs, adjusts in midair, and drops it through.

Dwyane Wade crosses his arms into an X, plants his feet at the top of the key and dares somebody to say something. Nobody does. Cooper Flagg mirrors the pose beside him. Two statues, twenty thousand people screaming, and every camera in the gym pointed at them.

Laser from Cooper Flagg, corner to corner, and that closeout gets there about a second and a half too late. OHHHH the separation! Dwyane Wade just manufactured three feet of daylight out of absolutely nothing. Buzzer on the shot clock, Dwyane Wade heaves it off one leg, and the ball comes up short of everything.

Eight seconds off the shot clock and Stephen Curry has not wasted one of them, the ball reaching Cooper Flagg precisely where the play wanted it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Cooper Flagg spun out of a double team like it was a revolving door! Oh my. Cooper Flagg did not even draw iron.

Ball moves. Cooper Flagg to Giannis Antetokounmpo, on time and on target. The defender planted his feet, and Giannis Antetokounmpo said thank you very much and drove straight through his front pocket. Cooper Flagg whips the extra pass across the arc, Giannis Antetokounmpo rises without a dribble, and SPLASH.

Wiping imaginary dust off both shoulders, Giannis Antetokounmpo strolls back on defense at the speed of a man walking his dog. Cooper Flagg carries the bit further and mimes brushing off his shoes. The bench is on the floor. The head coach is not laughing, but only barely.

First option: Stephen Curry. Everything else on that clipboard is decoration. Out of the timeout, Jaren Jackson Jr. hits Stephen Curry right on schedule and it drops! Drawn up, run, done.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry slap each other's butts. Jaren Jackson Jr. Declines the invitation. And here is the answer to our game Supermarket Sweep the Leg! Junior Pennywhistle of Slab Town, Kentucky, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'How many stripes are on a basketball if you also count the ones inside?' The answer was of course eight, and the ninth is a private matter. Junior takes home a fifty-five gallon drum of ranch dressing! Tonight my colleague told me I smell like stress. I told him it was my cologne. Thanks for watching. Coming up: '48 Hours: The Secret Life of Roundabouts.' Essential viewing.

Jornada 7 — vs Toronto Border-Patrol

117-84 (V)

Tip is UP and Jaren Jackson Jr. gets there first! We are underway and it is our ball.

Two defenders collide on the handoff and Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone, so Stephen Curry earned that one even if the box score disagrees. Nobody touched him, nobody trapped him, and Giannis Antetokounmpo still coughed it up. Easiest whistle these officials will blow all night.

Unselfish basketball. Cooper Flagg passes up a good shot and hands Stephen Curry a GREAT one. Rip through, one dribble, contact. Stephen Curry plays that little game better than anybody on this floor. Cash. Cash again. Stephen Curry pockets the two and jogs back on defense like nothing happened.

Stone silence for one second, then Stephen Curry lets out something that is not really a word, more a sound from the basement of a human being. Cooper Flagg answers with the same noise. The arena joins in. There is no language left in this building.

Nobody dribbled, nobody isolated, Dwyane Wade and Stephen Curry just played basketball and the defense got shredded. It went halfway down! The ball sat in the cylinder, thought about it, and rolled off the far side on Dwyane Wade. Cruel.

Turnover, layup, Toronto Border-Patrol straight through us in transition. Careless basketball.

Break time. Stephen Curry bolts to the locker room without looking at anyone. Intel: Stephen Curry asked Toronto Border-Patrol for their energy drink recipe. They refused. And now, our halftime TV game show Name That Layup! To win a fondue set with three forks and no instructions, text HOOPS to 555-0347 and answer this question: 'How many folding chairs fit inside a regulation basketball hoop?' The players are back. Some look fresh, others... Not so much.

Nobody is getting a hand near that. Stephen Curry has all the room in the world. OHHHH! Stephen Curry went up looking for a poster and came back down as the punchline.

Swing, swing, and Cooper Flagg finds Jaren Jackson Jr. on the wing before the help can even turn its head. The other bench sent their best perimeter stopper out on Jaren Jackson Jr., and they are learning in real time that it will not be enough tonight. Drop step, jump hook, bucket! Jaren Jackson Jr. is doing it the old way.

Hands out, palms up, Jaren Jackson Jr. Shrugs at the officials like he cannot explain what he just did either. Dry as a bone. Stephen Curry is doubled over at half court and the broadcast crew is howling. It goes viral before the next possession even starts.

Over the top of everybody. Dwyane Wade to Cooper Flagg in the corner, wide open, catch and rise. Hard drive, hard stop, and Cooper Flagg retreats into an ocean of open hardwood. That is the shot Cooper Flagg wants every trip down the floor, it drops nine nights out of ten, and tonight is the tenth.

Hesitate, GO. Dwyane Wade is by that hip before the man even blinks. That is body control you simply cannot coach: Dwyane Wade stays up a full beat longer than everybody else and finishes clean.

Dwyane Wade sprints to the sideline, hops onto the scorer's table and raises both fists. The stat crew grabs their laptops and security is already moving. A trainer hauls him down by the shorts before anybody gets fined. Worth it, obviously.

Not an inch to spare on the endline, but Cooper Flagg keeps both feet in bounds and the help gets there a beat too late. The defense keeps turning contested looks by Cooper Flagg into free points. STOP REACHING. Cooper Flagg steps up, same routine, same release, splash and splash. Nothing but net twice.

Reverse it, make them slide all over again, that is how Stephen Curry breaks a shell down. Giannis Antetokounmpo eats the contact so Jaren Jackson Jr. can run free along the baseline, and the catch-and-shoot look is right there. Feet already set, hands already ready. Jaren Jackson Jr. takes the feed from Dwyane Wade and cashes it.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Plants himself in front of the Toronto Border-Patrol bench, hands on hips, and simply stands there until somebody says something. Somebody says something. Officials arrive at a jog. A teammate hauls him backward by the waist while the arena begs for more.

Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo chest bump so hard they each fly back three meters. And here is the answer to our game show Name That Layup! Vernon Dinkins of Cold Supper, Missouri, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'How many folding chairs fit inside a regulation basketball hoop?' The answer was of course none, and the fact that somebody tried is the real story here. Vernon therefore wins a fondue set with three forks and no instructions! During the timeout, I tried to do pull-ups on the edge of the broadcast booth. Zero. That was beautiful. And now: 'House Hunters International: 90-Square-Foot Studio, Wall View.' A steal.

Jornada 8 — vs Minnesota Ice-Wall

94-111 (D)

Cold blooded from Minnesota Ice-Wall, way out beyond the arc, and our defense is scrambling in rotation.

Ten to nothing. Stephen Curry is COOKING and there is not one answer on that other bench.

Clean feed from Cooper Flagg, nothing forced, just the offense breathing. The big rolls, the defense collapses, and Stephen Curry punishes it with a read most guys never even see. Fifth possession this half where Cooper Flagg has been left to bail everybody out with the clock at zero. He cannot keep doing this alone.

OHHHH the pin-down! Cooper Flagg pops out clean while the defender is STILL tangled up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brutal. Cooper Flagg had that one all the way, perfect release, perfect arc, and the rim simply refuses to let it drop.

The extra pass! Dwyane Wade had the look, gave it up anyway, and Cooper Flagg buries it. BANG! Watch the feet on Cooper Flagg there, still drifting sideways at the release, and that is exactly why the floater sails wide left of everything.

Both teams head in. Jaren Jackson Jr. Has a red mark on his cheek from an elbow. Staff confession: Jaren Jackson Jr. Is afraid of pigeons. Not 7-foot centers, no. Pigeons. And now, our halftime TV game show Three in a Row Probably! To win a crock pot with the lid from a completely different crock pot, text HOOPS to 555-0607 and answer this question: 'What happens to the air inside a basketball left in a truck overnight?' We're back! The coach drew stuff on the whiteboard, let's see if it works.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Minnesota Ice-Wall with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

The ball travels faster than five defenders can, and Cooper Flagg has known that all night long. A probe, a plant of the outside foot, and Jaren Jackson Jr. pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. They do not teach that footwork anymore, and yet here is Jaren Jackson Jr. running a full masterclass on the low block.

Wiping imaginary dust off both shoulders, Jaren Jackson Jr. Strolls back on defense at the speed of a man walking his dog. Stephen Curry carries the bit further and mimes brushing off his shoes. The bench is on the floor. The head coach is not laughing, but only barely.

Cooper Flagg gets it on the reversal and now this defense is rotating, scrambling and losing ground, all because Dwyane Wade saw it a beat early. This is the work that never shows up on a stat sheet, Cooper Flagg gets the credit and the guy setting the screen gets the bruise. So close. Cooper Flagg can only stare at the iron.

You can teach the jumper, you cannot teach the willingness, and Cooper Flagg gives up a decent shot every single time a better one exists. Giannis Antetokounmpo went for the deep heat check and produced the loudest silence of the night, roar to OHHHH in half a second.

And there it is, a walk-in layup for Minnesota Ice-Wall with not one hand raised in the paint. Somebody has to protect that rim.

Second pass beats the rotation, Stephen Curry to Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the closeout gets there about half a second too late. That is a shot selection problem, plain and simple. Giannis Antetokounmpo drove into three bodies and the help defender was waiting the whole way.

Down screen, and Cooper Flagg curls hard into the middle of the floor with a full step of daylight. Easy read. The crowd has found its chant, and Cooper Flagg is going to be hearing it all night. OFFENSIVE GLASS! Giannis Antetokounmpo beats three men to the spot! Up over the box out, and Giannis Antetokounmpo catches it clean and finishes strong through the contact. Somebody just got posterized.

Flexing under the basket, mouth wide open, Giannis Antetokounmpo roars at nobody in particular. The sound carries over the crowd noise, which should be physically impossible. The referee waits with folded arms, like a substitute teacher who has seen considerably worse.

Dagger from Minnesota Ice-Wall. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

Telegraphed. Dwyane Wade announced that pass three days in advance and the defense RSVP'd.

Cooper Flagg bites the inside of his cheek. Jaren Jackson Jr. Pinches the bridge of his nose. And here is the answer to our game show Three in a Row Probably! Colleen Hackenberg of Rusty Nail, Pennsylvania, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'What happens to the air inside a basketball left in a truck overnight?' The answer was of course it becomes a slightly smaller basketball, and everybody in the gym agrees to say nothing about it. Colleen therefore wins a crock pot with the lid from a completely different crock pot! Tonight I yelled so loud the guy in the next booth asked me to keep it down. Mid-game. And now, a brand new episode of 'Desperately Seeking My Cat.' Good night, everyone.

Jornada 9 — vs Houston Blast-Off

106-111 (D)

OHHHH he SNATCHED that tip! Jaren Jackson Jr. rips it out of the air and we are off.

Cold blooded from Houston Blast-Off, way out beyond the arc, and our defense is scrambling in rotation.

OHHHHH HE SNATCHED HIS ANKLES! Dwyane Wade left him on the hardwood and this building is SHAKING! Stonewalled at the top of the square! The big man meets Dwyane Wade up there and returns it with interest.

Screen, hesitation, delivery, Dwyane Wade drops it off perfectly for Stephen Curry diving to the rim. The defender fronted him, so Stephen Curry sealed, waited for the entry and went to work. Patient, mean, effective.

Stephen Curry deadpans directly into the broadcast camera: nod, wink, gone. Total elapsed time, one and a half seconds. The commentators lose it completely. Cooper Flagg arrives too late and mugs at an empty lens for nobody at all.

Turnover, layup, Houston Blast-Off straight through us in transition. Careless basketball.

The players leave the court. Cooper Flagg clings to the tunnel railing. Little secret: Cooper Flagg has a secret TikTok account with 12 followers. Posts cooking tutorials. And now, our halftime TV game show Big Brother-in-Law! To win a novelty license plate that spells HOTDOG incorrectly, text HOOPS to 555-0296 and answer this question: 'How many pockets can cargo shorts have before they legally become furniture?' Back to business. The players bounce around to warm up.

Stephen Curry splits the coverage with a bounce pass you need slow motion to appreciate. Dimes. Blocked into the floor. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be seeing that one in his sleep.

Momentum swing. A buzzer beater from Stephen Curry is worth far more than three on the scoreboard. Read it on the faces heading to the bench. The crew chief has the headset on, three angles on the screen, everybody in here staring at Stephen Curry. Two celebrations for the price of one: the shot fell, the monitor agreed, and Stephen Curry owns this night.

Chest bump so violent that Stephen Curry and Cooper Flagg both end up on the hardwood. They lie there laughing while play is stopped. A trainer jogs out to make sure nobody cracked a rib. The crowd is chanting before either man gets back to his feet.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Houston Blast-Off with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

GONE down the baseline! Dwyane Wade beat him on the first step and the paint is collapsing. Wide open at the top of the key and Dwyane Wade cannot make it count, the defense secures the board and takes off in transition.

Stephen Curry walks it up, two fingers in the air, and the whole offense shifts on his command. OHHHH the pin-down! Giannis Antetokounmpo pops out clean while the defender is STILL tangled up with Dwyane Wade. Brutal. That is what heavy minutes do, Giannis Antetokounmpo has run all night and the legs have nothing left to give the jumper.

Laser from Dwyane Wade, corner to corner, and that closeout gets there about a second and a half too late. OHHHH, what a read by Cooper Flagg! He never even glanced at the rim and it is CASH on the other end. AIRBALL! Dwyane Wade missed the rim, the backboard and everything in between!

Total control. Stephen Curry has this thing on a string. Baseline spin from Jaren Jackson Jr. at full speed, and his man never even gets a hand into the picture. Filthy stuff. Rises, releases, and Jaren Jackson Jr. sends the ball through the exact patch of sky where the rim is not.

Across half court, a quick survey, a point to the weak side, and Stephen Curry drops it off to Cooper Flagg on time and on target. Left, right, gone. Cooper Flagg put that defender on skates and never even looked back. Cooper Flagg loses his angle on the baseline and still finds a way to flip it home with the off hand. Bucket!

Giannis Antetokounmpo refuses Houston Blast-Off's handshake. Jaren Jackson Jr. Offers a limp one with just his fingertips. And here is the answer to our game Big Brother-in-Law! Peggy Ann Hollifield of Sassafras Gap, South Carolina, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'How many pockets can cargo shorts have before they legally become furniture?' The answer was of course eleven, and at twelve you have to register them with the county. Peggy Ann takes home a novelty license plate that spells HOTDOG incorrectly! On my end, I discovered the arena's coffee machine was broken. The game nearly went uncommentated. See you tomorrow! Up next: 'Extreme Reading: The Terms and Conditions.' 4-hour special.

Jornada 10 — vs Denver Horse-Track

95-99 (D)

Won it clean! Giannis Antetokounmpo got up and over him with room to spare.

Punish the help, that is the rule, and Stephen Curry just did it by hitting Jaren Jackson Jr. on the back side with acres of room. SPIN and GO! Jaren Jackson Jr. pirouettes right through the traffic and comes out the other side clean! Up goes the shot from Jaren Jackson Jr. and that is nothing but AIR, and every soul in this building saw it happen.

Turnover, layup, Denver Horse-Track straight through us in transition. Careless basketball.

Dwyane Wade kicks it over to Cooper Flagg, no dribble, no drama, and this offense settles into a rhythm. Cooper Flagg gives it up to Dwyane Wade on the move, the built-in screen erases the chase, and there is a clean runway to the rim. Dwyane Wade gets to his spot in the lane, lifts the runner over the big man, and leaves it a foot short. No dice.

Ohhh no. Corner three, Denver Horse-Track in rhythm now, and our side of the building goes silent.

Rest. Stephen Curry buries his head in a wet towel and doesn't move. Intel: Stephen Curry asked Denver Horse-Track for their energy drink recipe. They refused. And now, our halftime TV game show The Pyramid of Slightly Less Money! To win a novelty mug that says WORLDS SECOND BEST GRANDMA, text HOOPS to 555-0938 and answer this question: 'Which is heavier, a pound of basketballs or a pound of excuses?' Both teams return. You can tell the coach gave them an earful.

No hero ball here: Dwyane Wade takes what the defense gives and moves it along. One hard step and Giannis Antetokounmpo owns that whole side of the floor, which means the low man has to make a decision he does not want. OHHHH, Giannis Antetokounmpo from WAY downtown off the catch! The defense rotated a half second late and paid full price.

Giannis Antetokounmpo pretends to check a watch that is not on his wrist, taps it, then shows it to the arena. Time is up. Stephen Curry mimes an enormous yawn. The visiting coach is shouting at officials who have no jurisdiction over sarcasm.

Dwyane Wade feels the contact, spins off that shoulder, and the defender is left hugging a whole lot of nothing. Stuck holding it as the clock bleeds out, Dwyane Wade fades away from twenty-six feet, and it is not close.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Denver Horse-Track with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

Stephen Curry launches it weak side, one pass, and the whole shell has to sprint. Good luck with that. Two guys on the exact same page, Cooper Flagg and Dwyane Wade, and the defense is left holding a bag of nothing. Cooper Flagg takes two dribbles past halfcourt, rises from thirty five feet, and the net barely moves. Filthy.

Cooper Flagg slides on his knees down the free throw lane, arms wide, and ends up flat on his back watching his own replay on the video board. He points at himself on the screen. The officials have stopped pretending to have any control here.

Watch the spacing there, Dwyane Wade hits Stephen Curry right in the shooting pocket and the possession stays alive. Dwyane Wade sets the pick and DIVES to the cup. Stephen Curry lays it right on his hands in traffic! Dwyane Wade rises up from fifteen feet and OHHHH, that rattled in and OUT!

Clean feed from Stephen Curry, nothing forced, just the offense breathing. Kick out to Dwyane Wade, one more to Stephen Curry, splash from the wing and this bench is on its feet. That is the shot chart lying to you. Stephen Curry did everything right on this possession and has zero points to show for it.

Push the pace! Stephen Curry grabs it and hits Cooper Flagg in stride before the defense can even match up. Watch the change of pace from Cooper Flagg, half speed into full speed in one step, and that is a blow-by every time. OHHHH the FADEAWAY! Cooper Flagg rises over the defender and it falls through.

Final possession of the night, and it belongs to Dwyane Wade. Nobody in this building is sitting down. You will not draw up a better look. Dwyane Wade got his switch, got his feet set, got it clean off. The basketball gods said no.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's brow is furrowed, lips pressed thin. Jaren Jackson Jr. Breathes through his nose, hard, steady, trying to calm down. And here is the answer to our game show The Pyramid of Slightly Less Money! Dwight Hufnagel of Bogwater, Maine, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'Which is heavier, a pound of basketballs or a pound of excuses?' The answer was of course the excuses, because they come with packaging. Dwight therefore wins a novelty mug that says WORLDS SECOND BEST GRANDMA! Tonight I nearly had a heart attack at least four times. And I'm just the commentator. That's a wrap! And now, 'The Price Is Right: Why Nobody Answers the Phone Anymore.'

Jornada 11 — vs New York Over-Timers

102-104 (D)

Right on time, not a half step late. Giannis Antetokounmpo makes that ball handler pull it back out with absolutely nothing to show for it.

Jaren Jackson Jr. sets it and slides out instead of rolling, Stephen Curry finds him late, and the defense pays for cheating under the screen. Rises, releases, and Jaren Jackson Jr. sends the ball through the exact patch of sky where the rim is not.

Cooper Flagg launches it weak side, one pass, and the whole shell has to sprint. Good luck with that. Everybody in the arena knew the stepback was coming from Giannis Antetokounmpo, and not one single soul could do anything about it. The whistle blows, the crowd erupts, and Giannis Antetokounmpo hangs on the iron just long enough to make his point.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. New York Over-Timers with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

Swing, swing, and Cooper Flagg finds Jaren Jackson Jr. on the wing before the help can even turn its head. Screened, toasted, done. Jaren Jackson Jr. is loose and the defense is scrambling to find him. Up goes the shot from Jaren Jackson Jr. and that is nothing but AIR, and every soul in this building saw it happen.

Rest. Dwyane Wade buries his head in a wet towel and doesn't move. Fun fact: Dwyane Wade blocked a shot in the finals... And dislocated a thumb celebrating. Classic. And now, our halftime TV game show Fear Factor Lite! To win a scented candle that smells exactly like a bowling alley, text HOOPS to 555-0402 and answer this question: 'What is the wind speed inside a ceiling fan?' The locker room empties, the court fills up. Act 2.

Reach-in on Cooper Flagg. He wanted the steal, he bought a foul. Foul trouble is a chess match and Cooper Flagg just lost a piece. Three before the break changes how this team defends the pick and roll.

Cold blooded from New York Over-Timers, way out beyond the arc, and our defense is scrambling in rotation.

Push the pace! Stephen Curry grabs it and hits Giannis Antetokounmpo in stride before the defense can even match up. This is the work that never shows up on a stat sheet, Giannis Antetokounmpo gets the credit and the guy setting the screen gets the bruise. Pull-up from the elbow by Giannis Antetokounmpo, halfway down, spinning inside the iron, and it pops right back out.

That hesitation move is exactly why they keep sending a second body at Dwyane Wade the moment he crosses half court. OFF THE IRON and halfway to the bench! Dwyane Wade missed that one with real conviction.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Stephen Curry whips that pass one-handed on the move and the roll man gathers it through contact. Filthy. Catch on the block, shoulder into the chest, one dribble, and Cooper Flagg finishes over the top. Textbook.

Bucket for New York Over-Timers. Wide open look, and nobody even ran at the shooter.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE! Jaren Jackson Jr. says NOT in my house! Everything starts with that release, Jaren Jackson Jr. hitting Cooper Flagg in full flight before the defense has even turned around. OHHHHH POSTERIZED! Cooper Flagg just ENDED that defender at the rim!

Pointing up at the family section, Cooper Flagg taps his chest twice and holds up a fist. A kid in a replica jersey is crying, and so is his mother. A camera crew finds them in nine seconds flat. Sixty seconds of pure decency on national television.

Look at that bench, not one man seated. Stephen Curry had this moment circled since the walkthrough, and the shot has not even gone up. Silence. Not one sound in this building. Stephen Curry is still staring at that rim like it owes him an answer.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Refuses New York Over-Timers's handshake. Dwyane Wade offers a limp one with just his fingertips. And here is the answer to our game Fear Factor Lite! Alvin Kluck of Cheese Ridge, Minnesota, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'What is the wind speed inside a ceiling fan?' The answer was of course the same as outside it, only angrier. Alvin takes home a scented candle that smells exactly like a bowling alley! I spent this game nervously chewing gum. I'm on my seventh piece. Good night everyone! Up next: 'Worst Cooks in America: Boiling an Egg Without Breaking It.' Challenge accepted.

Jornada 12 — vs Cleveland Twin-Towers

100-115 (D)

Dwyane Wade launches it weak side, one pass, and the whole shell has to sprint. Good luck with that. Cooper Flagg turns the corner off the screen from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the help never rotates, and the lane is WIDE open! Perfect drop-off from Jaren Jackson Jr., and Giannis Antetokounmpo answers with... whatever that was. Off the glass, off the rim, and gone.

Nobody boxed out. Tip in, Cleveland Twin-Towers, and two of ours were standing right there watching it happen.

Nothing. Again. Dwyane Wade is staring at that rim like it owes him money. Prayer from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not answered.

Oldest play in the book and it still works: Cooper Flagg passes, the defender peeks at the ball, and that one beat is the whole possession. AROUND the cylinder and OUT! Cooper Flagg cannot believe it, and neither can this building.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Cleveland Twin-Towers with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

End of the second quarter. Dwyane Wade is breathing so loud you can hear it from here. Rumor has it Dwyane Wade tried to recruit the pizza delivery guy for the team. The guy was 6'9". And now, our halftime TV game show Are You Smarter Than a Mailbox! To win a paint-by-numbers kit of a barn, already painted wrong, text HOOPS to 555-0066 and answer this question: 'How many keys are on a high school janitor keyring?' Second half! The hardwood is about to shake again.

Here is the part that never makes the highlight package: Stephen Curry controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. Pass, cut, catch, wide open. Four things in about a second and a half from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The big man never even contested it, and Giannis Antetokounmpo still could not get the runner to drop. That one is on him.

Stephen Curry rips it back into the stepback and suddenly there is a country mile between him and that defender. Stephen Curry rises, the big man rises higher, and the shot is stuffed into the second row. Return to sender.

Ejection. Stephen Curry is gone for his part in that scrum while the officials sort out who did what to whom.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Stephen Curry put that man in a blender and the third row felt it! Ambition, ten out of ten. Footwork, two out of ten. Stephen Curry beat himself before the defender ever showed up.

Cleveland Twin-Towers again, and again nobody is home. Three straight trips down the floor with zero resistance.

Total control. Stephen Curry has this thing on a string. OHHHH the separation! Giannis Antetokounmpo just manufactured three feet of daylight out of absolutely nothing. Count it AND the foul! Giannis Antetokounmpo refused to be denied at the rim.

Giannis Antetokounmpo runs the baseline high-fiving every hand hanging over the rail, all the way to the corner and back. It takes forever. Play is waiting on him. Nobody in the building wants it to stop, including, visibly, the officials.

More second chance points for Cleveland Twin-Towers, and our bench is up screaming for a timeout. Rightly so.

Here comes Dwyane Wade sprinting off the elbow. Stephen Curry slides it into his pocket and that chase defender is buried. Oh, that is rough. Dwyane Wade killed his own dribble and then started a brand new one.

Cooper Flagg hands it off to Stephen Curry, slices through the seam, and the return pass is sitting there waiting at the rim. Baseline drive by Cooper Flagg, he absorbs the hammer from the help defender, and the official is already pointing to the line. Spin, one dribble, up and in. Then Cooper Flagg does the whole thing again. Zero drama, two points.

Cooper Flagg plants himself in front of the Cleveland Twin-Towers bench, hands on hips, and simply stands there until somebody says something. Somebody says something. Officials arrive at a jog. A teammate hauls him backward by the waist while the arena begs for more.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Pushes away the reporter's microphone with a gesture. Stephen Curry takes the interview and says 'not tonight'. And here is the answer to our game Are You Smarter Than a Mailbox! Wanda Sue Beezley of Rooster Comb, South Dakota, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'How many keys are on a high school janitor keyring?' The answer was of course forty-one, and three of them open nothing at all. Wanda Sue takes home a paint-by-numbers kit of a barn, already painted wrong! I drank so much coffee tonight I'm going to commentate in my sleep. We're done here. Up next: 'Top Chef: Microwave Edition.' Bon appetit.

Jornada 13 — vs Boston Ring-Chasers

107-99 (V)

Hesitate, GO. Dwyane Wade is by that hip before the man even blinks. You can hear that rim ringing from up here, Dwyane Wade has forced three in a row now and the whole offense has stopped moving.

Dagger from Boston Ring-Chasers. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

Push the pace! Stephen Curry grabs it and hits Giannis Antetokounmpo in stride before the defense can even match up. Screen, roll, DELIVERY from Giannis Antetokounmpo! Nothing but runway to the rim! You can teach the jumper, you cannot teach the willingness, and Cooper Flagg gives up a decent shot every single time a better one exists. Reverse layup by Dwyane Wade, using the rim as a shield the whole way through. A circus act wrapped around textbook footwork.

Dwyane Wade sets an invisible crown on his own head, adjusts it twice, and carries the thing off like it weighs forty pounds. The Boston Ring-Chasers bench does not find it funny. Jaren Jackson Jr. Pounds the crown down with one fist and steers him away before the technical arrives.

Punish the help, that is the rule, and Cooper Flagg just did it by hitting Stephen Curry on the back side with acres of room. Dwyane Wade eats the contact so Stephen Curry can run free along the baseline, and the catch-and-shoot look is right there. Pass, cut, catch, wide open. Four things in about a second and a half from Stephen Curry. Two defenders in the lane, Stephen Curry splits them, double clutches and kisses it off the square. Count it!

Stephen Curry plants himself in front of the Boston Ring-Chasers bench, hands on hips, and simply stands there until somebody says something. Somebody says something. Officials arrive at a jog. A teammate hauls him backward by the waist while the arena begs for more.

Beautiful footwork on that one from Dwyane Wade, the pivot foot never budges, which is precisely why the whistle stays in the pocket. The block is clean, the ball is gone, and Dwyane Wade is left staring at his empty hands like a man who lost his keys.

Halftime whistle! Giannis Antetokounmpo slides down against the hallway wall. Anecdote: Giannis Antetokounmpo lost a bet and had to wear the center's shoes during warm-ups. Size 16. And now, our halftime TV game show Spin the Wheel Slowly! To win a coffee table book about drainage ditches of the Midwest, text HOOPS to 555-1159 and answer this question: 'How many seconds does it take to lose a lead of thirty points?' Break's over, time for basketball. Let's go.

Boston Ring-Chasers again, and again nobody is home. Three straight trips down the floor with zero resistance.

A probe, a plant of the outside foot, and Stephen Curry pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. Stephen Curry gets into the paint, sees the shot blocker rising, and simply lifts it over the top of him. Never had a prayer.

Stephen Curry hangs on the rim one extra beat, letting the whole arena wait on him, then drops down into a dead-eyed mean mug. Dwyane Wade shoves him in the chest just to get a reaction. Nothing. Stone face on a man who just changed the game.

Ball up the floor, change of speed right at the logo, and Stephen Curry already has the defense a full step behind. The help defender committed way too early, and Dwyane Wade made him pay for it with a spin they will be replaying all week. Dwyane Wade blows the wide open layup!

Textbook two-man game: Stephen Curry keeps the dribble alive, forces the big man to commit, and Giannis Antetokounmpo rolls into an open runway. Soft off the fingertips, the ball takes a full lap of the rim on Giannis Antetokounmpo, and spits straight back out. That is theft.

Set called, Dwyane Wade waved out to the corner, and Stephen Curry watches the spacing open up like a front door. OHHHH the pin-down! Dwyane Wade pops out clean while the defender is STILL tangled up with Cooper Flagg. Brutal. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Dwyane Wade rose up over the help and hammered it down on somebody's head!

STOP AND GO! Dwyane Wade hit the brakes, hit the gas, and the lane opened up like a garage door. Down, up, and gone for Dwyane Wade. The rim is just toying with him now.

Stephen Curry takes it out beyond the arc and just stands there, dribbling, watching the clock melt.

Stephen Curry slides across the court in his socks while Dwyane Wade splashes water on everyone. And here is the answer to our game show Spin the Wheel Slowly! Elouise Tackett of Chigger Bottom, Massachusetts, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'How many seconds does it take to lose a lead of thirty points?' The answer was of course four hundred and ten seconds, provided everybody cooperates. Elouise therefore wins a coffee table book about drainage ditches of the Midwest! Tonight I had a revelation: Dwyane Wade runs exactly like my neighbor when he misses the bus. We're wrapping up the mics. Up next: 'Chopped: Tupperware Lunch at the Office Edition.'

Jornada 14 — vs San Antonio Skyscrapers

96-100 (D)

REJECTED! Giannis Antetokounmpo gets ALL of that jumper and the building erupts!

San Antonio Skyscrapers again, and again nobody is home. Three straight trips down the floor with zero resistance.

Off the shin, out of bounds, and Stephen Curry cannot bring himself to look at his own bench.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. San Antonio Skyscrapers with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

Watch the spacing, Stephen Curry drags two bodies toward the ball and Dwyane Wade is standing alone behind the line. Geometry, not luck. Onions! Dwyane Wade did that with a hand in his face.

Rest time. Stephen Curry isolates in a corner of the locker room, headphones on. Juicy anecdote: Stephen Curry was caught dancing the Macarena in the showers. Alone. And now, our halftime TV game show The Amazing Race to the Buffet! To win a cooler still full of ice from last summer, text HOOPS to 555-0107 and answer this question: 'How many degrees is room temperature in a room that nobody likes?' Back on the court. The coach changed the starting five, that'll be a surprise.

Eight on the shot clock, Stephen Curry gets a piece of the entry, and the whole set is dead on arrival. Rebound, look, gone. Cooper Flagg to Dwyane Wade and this is a footrace now. OHHHH the POWER! Dwyane Wade took the hit and finished it anyway!

Dwyane Wade crosses his arms into an X, plants his feet at the top of the key and dares somebody to say something. Nobody does. Giannis Antetokounmpo mirrors the pose beside him. Two statues, twenty thousand people screaming, and every camera in the gym pointed at them.

OHHHH the pocket pass! Stephen Curry splits the coverage and the roll man is loose under the basket! That is a dime from Giannis Antetokounmpo that deserved so much better, and Cooper Flagg knows it, head down, jogging back before the ball even lands.

Dagger from San Antonio Skyscrapers. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

Hesitate, GO. Dwyane Wade is by that hip before the man even blinks. That is a throwback bucket: Dwyane Wade with his back to the basket, and the defense has absolutely no answer for it.

Stephen Curry gets it on the reversal and now this defense is rotating, scrambling and losing ground, all because Cooper Flagg saw it a beat early. Dribble handoff from Stephen Curry, and the defender gets wiped out on the exchange! Textbook footwork, textbook release from Cooper Flagg, cruel result as it spins out and both teams go up for a contested board.

A probe, a plant of the outside foot, and Stephen Curry pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. Third look from distance for Stephen Curry tonight and the arc keeps flattening out, tired legs writing checks the jumper cannot cash.

Down screen, and Dwyane Wade curls hard into the middle of the floor with a full step of daylight. Easy read. That is the shot Dwyane Wade wants every trip down the floor, it drops nine nights out of ten, and tonight is the tenth.

OHHHH the separation! Dwyane Wade just manufactured three feet of daylight out of absolutely nothing. Count them with me: one step, two steps, and a third one nobody asked for. The official has seen enough of Dwyane Wade.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Refuses the coach's embrace. Giannis Antetokounmpo accepts it but his body is stiff. And here is the answer to our game The Amazing Race to the Buffet! Virgil Stackhouse of Dead Battery Springs, Nevada, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'How many degrees is room temperature in a room that nobody likes?' The answer was of course seventy-two, and somehow still wrong. Virgil takes home a cooler still full of ice from last summer! Fun fact: my driver has been waiting in the parking lot for an hour. He's sent me 14 messages. And now, a brand new episode of 'Desperately Seeking My Cat.' Good night, everyone.

Jornada 15 — vs Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest

80-116 (D)

A probe, a plant of the outside foot, and Stephen Curry pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. Oh my. Stephen Curry did not even draw iron.

Count it and the foul. Brutal. Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest with a three point play and a gut punch in the same possession.

A single dribble is all Dwyane Wade needed to get downhill, and the back side of that defense is in complete disarray. Jaren Jackson Jr. threads a BEAUTY to Dwyane Wade under the rim and... he lays it off the bottom of the iron! Ohhhh, no.

Push the pace! Stephen Curry grabs it and hits Cooper Flagg in stride before the defense can even match up. OHHHH the pin-down! Cooper Flagg pops out clean while the defender is STILL tangled up with Stephen Curry. Brutal. Cooper Flagg attacks the baseline, the big man steps up to meet him, and it does not matter one bit. FILTHY.

Cooper Flagg deadpans directly into the broadcast camera: nod, wink, gone. Total elapsed time, one and a half seconds. The commentators lose it completely. Jaren Jackson Jr. Arrives too late and mugs at an empty lens for nobody at all.

Nobody boxed out. Tip in, Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest, and two of ours were standing right there watching it happen.

The players head to the locker room. Cooper Flagg is sweating like a racehorse. Did you know Cooper Flagg once tried to start an ASMR podcast of sneaker squeaks on the hardwood? One episode. Deleted. And now, our halftime TV game show Beat the Shot Clock! To win a rusted horseshoe signed by a man named Dale, text HOOPS to 555-0533 and answer this question: 'What is the boiling point of nacho cheese at concession stand altitude?' Back on the hardwood. The tension has gone up a notch.

The coach saw the contact on Stephen Curry and absolutely LOST it. One whistle later, that is a T on the sideline.

The beauty of it is that Stephen Curry never has to set a screen at all, the exchange IS the screen. Nightmare to guard. Dwyane Wade gathers on the baseline, absorbs contact from two bodies, and slams it home. That rim is still shaking.

Dwyane Wade deadpans directly into the broadcast camera: nod, wink, gone. Total elapsed time, one and a half seconds. The commentators lose it completely. Jaren Jackson Jr. Arrives too late and mugs at an empty lens for nobody at all.

And there it is, a walk-in layup for Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest with not one hand raised in the paint. Somebody has to protect that rim.

Ooof. Jaren Jackson Jr. got put on SKATES right there. Giannis Antetokounmpo does not love that call. Both hands in the air, a long look at the official, and the whistle still counts.

More second chance points for Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest, and our bench is up screaming for a timeout. Rightly so.

Over the top of everybody. Dwyane Wade to Stephen Curry in the corner, wide open, catch and rise. Second pass beats the rotation, Stephen Curry to Cooper Flagg, and the closeout gets there about half a second too late. Not close, not warm, not anywhere for Cooper Flagg, straight into the hands of a defender who never had to leave his feet.

Cheap. Nothing about that shot was going down, and Cooper Flagg handed over three freebies anyway.

Dagger from Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

Here is the part that never makes the highlight package: Stephen Curry controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. Ball into Cooper Flagg at the elbow, Giannis Antetokounmpo plants his foot and goes backdoor, and the pass meets him in the air. Filthy. OHHHH, that one died in the air! Giannis Antetokounmpo put nothing into it and the front rim eats the floater.

Both coaches are up off the bench pleading while the officials walk the Stephen Curry sequence back frame by frame. Freeze it right there: leather glued to the fingers of Stephen Curry, horn already screaming. No basket.

Cooper Flagg pushes away the reporter's microphone with a gesture. Dwyane Wade takes the interview and says 'not tonight'. And here is the answer to our game show Beat the Shot Clock! Randall Meeks of Coon Holler Springs, Kentucky, got it right. The question, I remind you, was 'What is the boiling point of nacho cheese at concession stand altitude?' The answer was of course that it does not boil, it simply becomes more determined. Randall therefore wins a rusted horseshoe signed by a man named Dale! On my end, I discovered the arena's coffee machine was broken. The game nearly went uncommentated. That's a wrap! Coming up: 'American Idol: Accountant Edition.' Singing, dancing, and spreadsheets.