My dream starting five — basketball_team 🇺🇸

Matchday 1 — vs Detroit Engine-Roar

86-131 (L)

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

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

Ja Morant comes off the screen and the big man drops WAY back. Jerry West just fades to the arc for the cleanest look of the night. Down, up, and gone for Jerry West. 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. Luke Kornet is breathing so loud you can hear it from here. Anecdote: Luke Kornet 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: Ja Morant 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 Luke Kornet 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! Jerry West never broke stride and he has the ball UNDER THE RIM! Rim out for Jerry West, 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 Ja Morant and the defense is dead in the water! Watch Jerry West plant his feet, absorb the hit, and spring Ja Morant out of that corner in a blink. Getting to his spot and elevating, Ja Morant 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. Jerry West has found that place where the rim looks the size of a hula hoop. Isolation on the wing, shot clock draining, and Jerry West rocks the defender to sleep before dropping it through.

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

Jerry West 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.

Matchday 2 — vs Miami Heart-Attack

123-95 (W)

Luke Kornet 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 Ja Morant just did it by hitting Luke Kornet on the back side with acres of room. That is vision. Luke Kornet 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! Ja Morant gets just enough on it and the ball squirts loose. OUTLET! Amen Thompson rips the board and fires it ahead to Jerry West before anybody gets back! The help defender had position, leverage, everything but a chance. Jerry West rose straight over the top of him, and one.

Jerry West 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. Amen Thompson is holding his ribs walking toward the tunnel. Did you know? Amen Thompson 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 Luke Kornet sprinting off the elbow. Ja Morant slides it into his pocket and that chase defender is buried. Luke Kornet 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, Luke Kornet 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.

Jerry West 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, Amen Thompson 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.

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

Jerry West 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 Jerry West punished him along the baseline like it was drawn up in the huddle. Nobody moved, nobody cut, nobody set a screen, so Jerry West launches a contested jumper with the horn already going. Ugly offense.

From WAY downtown off the pop! Ja Morant with the extra pass and CASH. Heat check for Luke Kornet and it is GOOD. He is COOKING, and this building knows exactly what it is watching.

Flexing under the basket, mouth wide open, Luke Kornet 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.

Luke Kornet and Jerry West slap each other's butts. Amen Thompson 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.

Matchday 3 — vs Orlando Magic-Beans

133-88 (W)

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

Clean feed from Jerry West, nothing forced, just the offense breathing. Watch the sell from Amen Thompson here, he leans in, he gets the defender leaning with him, and then he backs away into all that space. No good. Amen Thompson rushed that one.

Ball into Jerry West 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. Luke Kornet 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 Ja Morant. 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 Ja Morant 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.

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

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

Luke Kornet 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 Luke Kornet takes a seat, and the paint is wide open now.

BAAAANG! Ja Morant sets the table and the pick-and-pop three goes down like somebody scripted it. This building is SHAKING. Jerry West just stepped into a logo three like it was a warmup rep.

Amen Thompson 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!

Amen Thompson and Ja Morant 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.'

Matchday 4 — vs Philadelphia Injury-Report

125-89 (W)

Ja Morant holds it, waits, waits some more, then lets it go at the last possible instant to Jerry West flying by. That is a half-second window and he threads it. Textbook footwork, textbook release from Jerry West, 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 Ja Morant makes it every single trip down the floor. Luke Kornet attacks the baseline and the ENTIRE defense has to rotate behind him! Two points left on the floor by Luke Kornet, and those are exactly the ones that come back to bite you in the fourth.

Push the pace! Ja Morant grabs it and hits Luke Kornet in stride before the defense can even match up. Dribble alive, patient, patient, and then Luke Kornet slips it to Jerry West right in the pocket. Surgical. Contested, off balance, fading away from the wrong shoulder, that is a shot Jerry West 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. Jerry West has tape on three fingers. Did you know? Jerry West 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.

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

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

Here is the part that never makes the highlight package: Ja Morant controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. OHHHH the cut from Amen Thompson! 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 Amen Thompson do that to one of their own.

Amen Thompson 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 Ja Morant.

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

Amen Thompson 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 Ja Morant already has the defense a full step behind. Oldest play in the book, and Amen Thompson 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?! Ja Morant scooped that in from underneath the rim!

Slow walk, no expression. Ja Morant 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 Luke Kornet, and this building has stopped breathing. The building went up, the building came right back down, and Luke Kornet is staring at a scoreboard that never moved.

Ja Morant dumps his Gatorade on Dwyane Wade who screams because it was cold. Jerry West 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.

Matchday 5 — vs Phoenix No-Defense

103-89 (W)

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

The beauty of it is that Ja Morant never has to set a screen at all, the exchange IS the screen. Nightmare to guard. Gift wrapped by Ja Morant, and Dwyane Wade cannot finish the two footer. That one is going to sting. Muscled away at the second jump by Jerry West, and this offense resets with a fresh shot clock. Jerry West 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. Jerry West 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. Jerry West slips on the wet tunnel floor. Rumor has it Jerry West 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! Ja Morant did all the dirty work on that one. That is the kind of finish that changes a defense's body language, and Jerry West has already done it twice this quarter.

Dribble handoff from Ja Morant, and the defender gets wiped out on the exchange! Zero hesitation, zero conscience. Luke Kornet made that closeout look completely pointless.

Pointing up at the family section, Luke Kornet 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.

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

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

Jerry West hands it off to Ja Morant, slices through the seam, and the return pass is sitting there waiting at the rim. REJECTED! Jerry West takes it in and gets it sent straight back into his own chest.

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

Luke Kornet hits a dab in 2026. Amen Thompson does an ironic dab. Jerry West 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.

Matchday 6 — vs Los Angeles Nursing-Home

110-85 (W)

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

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

OHHHH the hesi! Ja Morant froze him solid and he is already gone! Not close, not warm, not anywhere for Ja Morant, 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. Luke Kornet forced that.

Break. Luke Kornet collapses on the locker room floor, arms spread wide. Rumor has it Luke Kornet 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! Luke Kornet hit the brakes, hit the gas, and the lane opened up like a garage door. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Luke Kornet 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 Luke Kornet 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: Ja Morant takes what the defense gives and moves it along. OHHHH that is filthy! Luke Kornet 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. Jerry West mirrors the pose beside him. Two statues, twenty thousand people screaming, and every camera in the gym pointed at them.

Laser from Jerry West, 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 Ja Morant has not wasted one of them, the ball reaching Jerry West precisely where the play wanted it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Jerry West spun out of a double team like it was a revolving door! Oh my. Jerry West did not even draw iron.

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

Wiping imaginary dust off both shoulders, Luke Kornet strolls back on defense at the speed of a man walking his dog. Jerry West 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: Ja Morant. Everything else on that clipboard is decoration. Out of the timeout, Amen Thompson hits Ja Morant right on schedule and it drops! Drawn up, run, done.

Luke Kornet and Ja Morant slap each other's butts. Amen Thompson 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.

Matchday 7 — vs Toronto Border-Patrol

116-85 (W)

Tip is UP and Amen Thompson gets there first! We are underway and it is our ball.

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

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

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

Nobody dribbled, nobody isolated, Dwyane Wade and Ja Morant 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. Ja Morant bolts to the locker room without looking at anyone. Intel: Ja Morant 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. Ja Morant has all the room in the world. OHHHH! Ja Morant went up looking for a poster and came back down as the punchline.

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

Hands out, palms up, Amen Thompson shrugs at the officials like he cannot explain what he just did either. Dry as a bone. Ja Morant 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 Jerry West in the corner, wide open, catch and rise. Hard drive, hard stop, and Jerry West retreats into an ocean of open hardwood. That is the shot Jerry West 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 Jerry West keeps both feet in bounds and the help gets there a beat too late. The defense keeps turning contested looks by Jerry West into free points. STOP REACHING. Jerry West steps up, same routine, same release, splash and splash. Nothing but net twice.

Reverse it, make them slide all over again, that is how Ja Morant breaks a shell down. Luke Kornet eats the contact so Amen Thompson can run free along the baseline, and the catch-and-shoot look is right there. Feet already set, hands already ready. Amen Thompson takes the feed from Dwyane Wade and cashes it.

Amen Thompson 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.

Ja Morant and Luke Kornet 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.

Matchday 8 — vs Minnesota Ice-Wall

93-112 (L)

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

Ten to nothing. Ja Morant is COOKING and there is not one answer on that other bench.

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

OHHHH the pin-down! Jerry West pops out clean while the defender is STILL tangled up with Luke Kornet. Brutal. Jerry West 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 Jerry West buries it. BANG! Watch the feet on Jerry West there, still drifting sideways at the release, and that is exactly why the floater sails wide left of everything.

Both teams head in. Amen Thompson has a red mark on his cheek from an elbow. Staff confession: Amen Thompson 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 Jerry West has known that all night long. A probe, a plant of the outside foot, and Amen Thompson pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. They do not teach that footwork anymore, and yet here is Amen Thompson running a full masterclass on the low block.

Wiping imaginary dust off both shoulders, Amen Thompson strolls back on defense at the speed of a man walking his dog. Ja Morant 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.

Jerry West 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, Jerry West gets the credit and the guy setting the screen gets the bruise. So close. Jerry West can only stare at the iron.

You can teach the jumper, you cannot teach the willingness, and Jerry West gives up a decent shot every single time a better one exists. Luke Kornet 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, Ja Morant to Luke Kornet, and the closeout gets there about half a second too late. That is a shot selection problem, plain and simple. Luke Kornet drove into three bodies and the help defender was waiting the whole way.

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

Flexing under the basket, mouth wide open, Luke Kornet 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.

Jerry West bites the inside of his cheek. Amen Thompson 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.

Matchday 9 — vs Houston Blast-Off

105-112 (L)

Ohhh no. Corner three, Houston Blast-Off in rhythm now, and our side of the building goes silent.

Ball moves. Jerry West to Dwyane Wade, on time and on target. Two guys on the exact same page, Dwyane Wade and Amen Thompson, and the defense is left holding a bag of nothing. Shot clock at one, and Dwyane Wade just has to throw something at the rim. Nothing doing.

Across half court, a quick survey, a point to the weak side, and Ja Morant drops it off to Dwyane Wade on time and on target. Pass, cut, catch, wide open. Four things in about a second and a half from Dwyane Wade. OHHHHH POSTERIZED! Dwyane Wade just ENDED that defender at the rim!

Dwyane Wade steps over the defender who ended up on the floor and keeps walking, never looks down. Cold as a meat locker. The building erupts twice, once for the bucket and once for the disrespect. The replay gets its own dedicated camera angle.

Dagger from Houston Blast-Off. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

Total control. Ja Morant has this thing on a string. Jerry West feels the contact, spins off that shoulder, and the defender is left hugging a whole lot of nothing. That is what heavy minutes do, Jerry West has run all night and the legs have nothing left to give the jumper.

Rest time. Ja Morant isolates in a corner of the locker room, headphones on. Quick anecdote about Ja Morant: apparently he eats pasta with ketchup before every game. To each their own ritual. And now, our halftime TV game show Minute to Win It Back! To win a lawn ornament goose with exactly one seasonal outfit, text HOOPS to 555-0319 and answer this question: 'What is the halftime score of a game that nobody is watching?' Back for seconds. The court is shining, and so are the players.

That is the pass that beats a zone, and Jerry West threw it before the help even committed. Watch the change of pace from Ja Morant, half speed into full speed in one step, and that is a blow-by every time. OHHHH the POWER! Ja Morant took the hit and finished it anyway!

Bow to the crowd, a full waist bend with one arm across the stomach, the whole theatrical thing. Ja Morant holds it three seconds. Dwyane Wade applauds behind him like a valet. Somebody in row two throws a bouquet of obviously fake roses onto the floor, and Ja Morant collects every last one.

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

One hard step and Dwyane Wade owns that whole side of the floor, which means the low man has to make a decision he does not want. 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.

Bucket for Houston Blast-Off. Wide open look, and nobody even ran at the shooter.

Ja Morant walks it up, two fingers in the air, and the whole offense shifts on his command. Screened, toasted, done. Luke Kornet is loose and the defense is scrambling to find him. That is the shot Luke Kornet wants every trip down the floor, it drops nine nights out of ten, and tonight is the tenth.

Set called, Amen Thompson waved out to the corner, and Ja Morant watches the spacing open up like a front door. Watch Ja Morant plant his feet, absorb the hit, and spring Amen Thompson out of that corner in a blink. Up goes the shot from Amen Thompson and that is nothing but AIR, and every soul in this building saw it happen.

Here is the part that never makes the highlight package: Ja Morant controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. No roll this time. Amen Thompson swings it right back to Jerry West above the break, and it is PURE. Rises, releases, and Jerry West sends the ball through the exact patch of sky where the rim is not.

Bench energy is real currency over a long season, and Ja Morant just handed his teammates a full bank account. NOT A CHANCE! Jerry West came flying at that pull-up and DELETED it!

Right through the window. Jerry West to Ja Morant on the roll, and the help was a half step late. Every highlight show in the country runs that clip tonight, and unfortunately for Ja Morant he is on the wrong end of it.

Amen Thompson turns back to look at the court one last time. Ja Morant doesn't turn around. And here is the answer to our game Minute to Win It Back! Otis Fenstermacher of Tin Roof, Virginia, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'What is the halftime score of a game that nobody is watching?' The answer was of course still tied, philosophically speaking. Otis takes home a lawn ornament goose with exactly one seasonal outfit! Confession: I bet against my favorite team tonight. Superstition. It works half the time. Good night everyone! Coming up: 'Boot Camp: Supermarket Checkout Line Edition.' Discipline.

Matchday 10 — vs Denver Horse-Track

101-103 (L)

One hard jab step and Ja Morant is leaning the wrong way, and the drive goes right past his shoulder.

Denver Horse-Track again, and again nobody is home. Three straight trips down the floor with zero resistance.

Ja Morant stutters at the elbow, the defender bites on it, and now there is nothing but open floor between him and the rim. Down, up, and gone for Ja Morant. The rim is just toying with him now.

No hero ball here: Ja Morant takes what the defense gives and moves it along. GONE down the baseline! Jerry West beat him on the first step and the paint is collapsing. Not a hand on him. Jerry West flat missed the bunny.

Dwyane Wade launches it weak side, one pass, and the whole shell has to sprint. Good luck with that. Kick out to Amen Thompson, one more to Jerry West, splash from the wing and this bench is on its feet. The ball skips around the perimeter, Ja Morant finds the open man on the weak side, and Jerry West buries it.

Shimmy from the corner all the way to half court, shoulders loose, chin high. Jerry West is in no hurry whatsoever. The home bench tries to copy it and produces something closer to a seizure. The building decides it loves both versions equally.

Halftime! Jerry West walks barefoot on the cold tunnel tiles. True story: Jerry West walked into the wrong locker room during his first game against Denver Horse-Track. Awkward. And now, our halftime TV game show Match Game Seventy-Eight and a Half! To win a hand-crank ice cream maker missing the crank, text HOOPS to 555-0413 and answer this question: 'What is the average lifespan of an ink pen at a bank?' Resetting the counters for this second half. Well, not really.

You can read it in the body language. Ja Morant has ice in his veins right now, the shot clock does not scare him, nothing does tonight. Ja Morant takes two dribbles past halfcourt, rises from thirty five feet, and the net barely moves. Filthy.

Ja Morant 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.

Hesitate, GO. Ja Morant is by that hip before the man even blinks. You are about to see a coach put his entire face in both hands, and Ja Morant has earned every second of that reaction.

Horn goes, ball still in the hands of Luke Kornet. Shot clock violation, and that possession never existed.

Bucket for Denver Horse-Track. Wide open look, and nobody even ran at the shooter.

POCKET PASS! Ja Morant threads it to Dwyane Wade between two bodies and the rim is wide open! AROUND the cylinder and OUT! Dwyane Wade cannot believe it, and neither can this building.

Dagger from Denver Horse-Track. You could hear the air leave this arena on that one.

Clean feed from Jerry West, nothing forced, just the offense breathing. A single dribble is all Dwyane Wade needed to get downhill, and the back side of that defense is in complete disarray. BAAAANG! Dwyane Wade catches it and lets it FLY, nothing but net from the corner!

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.

Luke Kornet's brow is furrowed, lips pressed thin. Amen Thompson breathes through his nose, hard, steady, trying to calm down. And here is the answer to our game Match Game Seventy-Eight and a Half! Roscoe Tidwell of Frog Level, Alabama, got it right. The question, let me remind you, was 'What is the average lifespan of an ink pen at a bank?' The answer was of course nine minutes, after which it goes home with a man named Gary. Roscoe takes home a hand-crank ice cream maker missing the crank! 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.'

Matchday 11 — vs New York Over-Timers

101-105 (L)

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

Amen Thompson sets it and slides out instead of rolling, Ja Morant finds him late, and the defense pays for cheating under the screen. AIRBALL! Amen Thompson missed the rim, the backboard and everything in between!

Jerry West 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 Luke Kornet, and not one single soul could do anything about it. The whistle blows, the crowd erupts, and Luke Kornet 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 Jerry West finds Amen Thompson on the wing before the help can even turn its head. Screened, toasted, done. Amen Thompson is loose and the defense is scrambling to find him. Oh my. Amen Thompson did not even draw iron.

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 Jerry West. He wanted the steal, he bought a foul. Foul trouble is a chess match and Jerry West 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! Ja Morant grabs it and hits Luke Kornet in stride before the defense can even match up. This is the work that never shows up on a stat sheet, Luke Kornet gets the credit and the guy setting the screen gets the bruise. Pull-up from the elbow by Luke Kornet, 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?! Ja Morant 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 Jerry West 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! Amen Thompson says NOT in my house! Everything starts with that release, Amen Thompson hitting Jerry West in full flight before the defense has even turned around. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Jerry West rose up over the help and hammered it down on somebody's head!

Pointing up at the family section, Jerry West 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. Ja Morant had this moment circled since the walkthrough, and the shot has not even gone up. Silence. Not one sound in this building. Ja Morant is still staring at that rim like it owes him an answer.

Amen Thompson 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.

Matchday 12 — vs Cleveland Twin-Towers

99-116 (L)

Dwyane Wade launches it weak side, one pass, and the whole shell has to sprint. Good luck with that. Jerry West turns the corner off the screen from Luke Kornet, the help never rotates, and the lane is WIDE open! Luke Kornet blows the wide open layup!

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 Luke Kornet. Not answered.

Oldest play in the book and it still works: Jerry West passes, the defender peeks at the ball, and that one beat is the whole possession. Soft off the fingertips, the ball takes a full lap of the rim on Jerry West, and spits straight back out. That is theft.

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: Ja Morant controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. OHHHH he went BACKDOOR! Luke Kornet never broke stride and he has the ball UNDER THE RIM! The big man never even contested it, and Luke Kornet still could not get the runner to drop. That one is on him.

Ja Morant rips it back into the stepback and suddenly there is a country mile between him and that defender. Blocked into the floor. Ja Morant will be seeing that one in his sleep.

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

That crossover was not about getting a shot up. Ja Morant pulled it out to tell everybody in the gym whose possession this is. Ambition, ten out of ten. Footwork, two out of ten. Ja Morant 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. Ja Morant has this thing on a string. OHHHH the separation! Luke Kornet just manufactured three feet of daylight out of absolutely nothing. Count it AND the foul! Luke Kornet refused to be denied at the rim.

Luke Kornet 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.

Ja Morant 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. Oh, that is rough. Dwyane Wade killed his own dribble and then started a brand new one.

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

Jerry West 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.

Amen Thompson pushes away the reporter's microphone with a gesture. Ja Morant 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.

Matchday 13 — vs Boston Ring-Chasers

106-100 (W)

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! Ja Morant grabs it and hits Luke Kornet in stride before the defense can even match up. Jerry West sets the pick and DIVES to the cup. Luke Kornet lays it right on his hands in traffic! OHHHH, what a read by Jerry West! He never even glanced at the rim and it is CASH on the other end. Dwyane Wade loses his angle on the baseline and still finds a way to flip it home with the off hand. Bucket!

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. Amen Thompson pounds the crown down with one fist and steers him away before the technical arrives.

Punish the help, that is the rule, and Jerry West just did it by hitting Ja Morant on the back side with acres of room. Dwyane Wade eats the contact so Ja Morant 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 Ja Morant. Two defenders in the lane, Ja Morant splits them, double clutches and kisses it off the square. Count it!

Ja Morant 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.

SPIN and GO! Dwyane Wade pirouettes right through the traffic and comes out the other side clean! Dwyane Wade rises, the big man rises higher, and the shot is stuffed into the second row. Return to sender.

Halftime whistle! Luke Kornet slides down against the hallway wall. Anecdote: Luke Kornet 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 Ja Morant pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. Ja Morant gets into the paint, sees the shot blocker rising, and simply lifts it over the top of him. Never had a prayer.

Ja Morant 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 Ja Morant already has the defense a full step behind. Beautiful footwork on that one from Dwyane Wade, the pivot foot never budges, which is precisely why the whistle stays in the pocket. Amen Thompson threads a BEAUTY to Dwyane Wade under the rim and... he lays it off the bottom of the iron! Ohhhh, no.

Textbook two-man game: Ja Morant keeps the dribble alive, forces the big man to commit, and Luke Kornet rolls into an open runway. In, around, and gone. The iron gives Luke Kornet nothing.

Set called, Dwyane Wade waved out to the corner, and Ja Morant 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 Jerry West. Brutal. Get that one framed. Dwyane Wade took off from the block and the defender is still lying on the floor.

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.

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

Ja Morant 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.'

Matchday 14 — vs San Antonio Skyscrapers

95-101 (L)

Dwyane Wade rips it back into the stepback and suddenly there is a country mile between him and that defender. Rising up out of the corner, Dwyane Wade sends it LONG, clanging off the far side and out to the wing.

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

OHHHH! Amen Thompson met him at the summit and sent that thing into the third row.

Ohhh no. Corner three, San Antonio Skyscrapers in rhythm now, and our side of the building goes silent.

OHHHH he went BACKDOOR! Dwyane Wade never broke stride and he has the ball UNDER THE RIM! Way short from Dwyane Wade off the bounce, the ball dies on the front of the rim and drops into traffic.

Rest time. Ja Morant isolates in a corner of the locker room, headphones on. Juicy anecdote: Ja Morant 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.

Cold blooded from San Antonio Skyscrapers, way out beyond the arc, and our defense is scrambling in rotation.

OHHHH the pocket pass! Ja Morant splits the coverage and the roll man is loose under the basket! Perfect drop-off from Dwyane Wade, and Amen Thompson answers with... whatever that was. Off the glass, off the rim, and gone.

Watch the spacing, Ja Morant drags two bodies toward the ball and Jerry West is standing alone behind the line. Geometry, not luck. That stepback is unguardable once the drive gets sold, and Jerry West has had that defender guessing wrong all night long.

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

Nobody boxed out. Tip in, San Antonio Skyscrapers, and two of ours were standing right there watching it happen.

Everybody in the arena knew the stepback was coming from Ja Morant, and not one single soul could do anything about it. Ja Morant catches on the wing, jab step, spin move, and that pivot foot comes clean off the hardwood. Traveling.

Look how low Dwyane Wade keeps that shoulder on the drive, that is how you turn a sliver of space into a walk to the rim. 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.

Punish the help, that is the rule, and Ja Morant just did it by hitting Luke Kornet on the back side with acres of room. Handoff, turn the corner, BUCKET! Luke Kornet did all the dirty work on that one. Dwyane Wade rises up from fifteen feet and OHHHH, that rattled in and OUT!

The help defender committed way too early, and Ja Morant made him pay for it with a spin they will be replaying all week. Stuck holding it as the clock bleeds out, Ja Morant fades away from twenty-six feet, and it is not close.

Watch Dwyane Wade plant his feet, absorb the hit, and spring Jerry West out of that corner in a blink. Jerry West gathers on the baseline, absorbs contact from two bodies, and slams it home. That rim is still shaking.

Amen Thompson refuses the coach's embrace. Luke Kornet 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.

Matchday 15 — vs Oklahoma City Treasure-Chest

79-117 (L)

A probe, a plant of the outside foot, and Ja Morant pushes off while his man is still fighting to recover his balance. Oh my. Ja Morant 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.

Not an inch to spare on the endline, but Dwyane Wade keeps both feet in bounds and the help gets there a beat too late. That is a dime from Amen Thompson that deserved so much better, and Dwyane Wade knows it, head down, jogging back before the ball even lands.

Push the pace! Ja Morant grabs it and hits Jerry West in stride before the defense can even match up. OHHHH the pin-down! Jerry West pops out clean while the defender is STILL tangled up with Ja Morant. Brutal. The bench has cleared, the crowd is screaming, and somewhere a photographer just got the shot of the season thanks to Jerry West.

Jerry West deadpans directly into the broadcast camera: nod, wink, gone. Total elapsed time, one and a half seconds. The commentators lose it completely. Amen Thompson 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. Jerry West is sweating like a racehorse. Did you know Jerry West 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 Ja Morant and absolutely LOST it. One whistle later, that is a T on the sideline.

The beauty of it is that Ja Morant never has to set a screen at all, the exchange IS the screen. Nightmare to guard. OHHHH the POWER! Dwyane Wade took the hit and finished it anyway!

Dwyane Wade deadpans directly into the broadcast camera: nod, wink, gone. Total elapsed time, one and a half seconds. The commentators lose it completely. Amen Thompson 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. Amen Thompson got put on SKATES right there. Luke Kornet 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 Ja Morant in the corner, wide open, catch and rise. Second pass beats the rotation, Ja Morant to Jerry West, and the closeout gets there about half a second too late. Not close, not warm, not anywhere for Jerry West, straight into the hands of a defender who never had to leave his feet.

Cheap. Nothing about that shot was going down, and Jerry West 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: Ja Morant controlling tempo, burning clock, hunting the mismatch the second one shows up. Ball into Jerry West at the elbow, Luke Kornet plants his foot and goes backdoor, and the pass meets him in the air. Filthy. OHHHH, that one died in the air! Luke Kornet put nothing into it and the front rim eats the floater.

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

Jerry West 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.