Julian jumped to his feet. “Help him out, Paul!” he cried. Maybe Paul heard him. Or maybe he’d already made up his mind to do just that. In any event, he took one step toward Booker. When the closest Sun mirrored his move, Paul charged the other way, toward the hoop. The movement must have distracted the other two defenders, for suddenly, Booker twisted between them and bounced a pass to Paul. Paul caught it, turned to the hoop, jumped—and clanged a mighty brick off the rim! The ball ricocheted high in the air. Paul, Will, and Jackson jockeyed with three Suns for the best positions for the rebound. Paul and the Suns tall center reached it first. The ball danced between their fingertips before finally coming to land in the Sun’s hands. The Sun didn’t hesitate. With a practiced move, he hurled an outlet pass to his guard, who was waiting near the sideline.
