CHAPTER 35 — "Push Comes to Shove"
B.Y.G League Finals – Game 4: Rockaway City leads series 2–1
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PAGE 1
Opening shot: Channel City's practice gym the night before. Damien, drenched in sweat, still working.
DAMIEN (thinking):
"If we fold now, we never deserved it in the first place. I ain't going out like that."
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PAGE 2
Game night. Arena is thunderous. Rockaway fans can feel the title coming. Channel fans hang on hope.
COMMENTATOR (off-screen):
"Game 4 — win or go home for Channel City. Rockaway's one win away from glory."
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PAGE 3
Tip-off. Channel comes out feral — full-court press, physical defense, crashing every board. Tyson sets the tone with a putback slam.
COMMENTATOR:
"That's the fight Channel needed from the jump."
SCORE:
Channel City 16 – Rockaway City 9
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PAGE 4
Rockaway struggles with turnovers. Damien plays like a possessed floor general — strips Soulo, hits a step-back three, flexes at half court.
DAMIEN (yelling):
"Not tonight!"
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PAGE 5
Rockaway regroups. Picasso hits two threes. Mitch bodies Tyson down low and finishes through contact. They're crawling back.
COACH (Rockaway):
"Stay calm. Stick to the game plan. Don't let 'em drag you into a dogfight."
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PAGE 6
3rd quarter. Channel up 10. But Tabar begins taking over — midrange fade, coast-to-coast dunk, then a clutch chase-down block on DeShawn.
TABAR (to himself):
"You want it more? Prove it."
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PAGE 7
Eli and Sticks bring fire off the bench. Eli breaks ankles, Sticks hits a deep heat-check three. Rockaway cuts the lead to 2.
COMMENTATOR:
"Here come the reinforcements! Rockaway's second unit changing the tide!"
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PAGE 8
Final 90 seconds. Tied game. Damien crosses Soulo, gets to the lane… but Quan meets him at the rim. BLOCKED. Crowd explodes.
QUAN (yelling):
"Not in my house!"
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PAGE 9
Rockaway ball. 20 seconds. Tie game. Picasso runs a handoff with Tabar, but Channel traps — deflection — Tyson steals it and slams it home!
CHANNEL BENCH:
"YEAHHHH!"
SCORE:
Channel 83 – Rockaway 81
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PAGE 10
*Final play. 3 seconds left. Rockaway needs a three. Inbound to Leo. Quick pass to Picasso — contested corner three…
RIM. OUT. GAME OVER.
COMMENTATOR:
"We're going to Game 5!"
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PAGE 11
Channel's players lose it — chest bumps, yelling, barking at the crowd. Damien walks over to Tabar postgame.
DAMIEN:
"You gotta kill me to beat me."
TABAR (calm):
"Bet."
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NEXT — Chapter 36: "Everything On The Line"
Game 5. One game for the crown. Who really brings their game?