Free The Final Four by Paul Volponi

on my family,” said Malcolm, before throwing a shove.
    MJ tackled Malcolm on the spot. They went tumbling over MJ’s bed, and then they crashed up against the wooden door, punching and kicking at each other.
    LIVE RADIO BROADCAST OF THE GAME

7:32 P.M. [CT]
    There are three broadcasters: a play-by-play man, a color commentator, and sideline reporter Rachel Adams.
    Play-by-Play Man: An air ball from the foul line! My goodness! You know this young man, Michael Jordan, must be feeling the immense pressure of the moment for that to happen.
    Color Commentator: That’s why it was so important that he stepped away from the line just then, to shake everything loose, to reset and collect himself. That slapping hands with his teammates really serves a purpose beyond emotional support. It gets you to readjust your whole body, to relax yourself and come to the line again. And whatever Malcolm McBride came in to say, I’m sure it will help him to focus.
    Play-by-Play Man: You’ve been to the Final Four and played nine seasons in the NBA. What’s your mental outlook after an air ball on a stage this big? It has to be damaging.
    Color Commentator: Personally, I haven’t done something like that since junior high school. And I never did it in my college or pro career, thankfully. I have seen it at this level, though. It’s tough to deal with. But I’m sure young MJ is no stranger to pressure.
    Play-by-Play Man: All right, Michael Jordan readies himself at the line. It sends chills through me just to say his name, like partof me is reliving the past. Here’s his second foul shot. It’s up. It’s perfect. Michigan State leads by two points.
    Color Commentator: Great job by young MJ in blocking out the negative and putting that air ball behind him.
    Play-by-Play Man: Roko Bacic bringing up the ball with sixty-eight seconds on the clock. The Spartans playing man-to-man defense. Bacic over the mid-court stripe. McBride in front of him. Bacic passes to Aaron Boyce. The last time Boyce was in the Superdome, he and his family were seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina. But a different type of storm is brewing here tonight. Boyce passes down low to Crispin Rice. He puts the ball on the floor. Bacic cuts to the hoop. Shovel pass from Rice through heavy traffic. Bacic scores! He laid it in! Troy ties it up at seventy-one apiece.
    Color Commentator: Credit the cut. Credit the pass. Like my mother always said, the best soup is made at home by more than one chef. And then it’s shared at the table together. Terrific teamwork right there.
    Play-by-Play Man: The crowd on its feet. Forty-five seconds remaining, McBride into the frontcourt with the ball. The freshman sent us into overtime with a last-second shot, saving the Spartans’ season and extending his college career. Bacic cuts off McBride’s dribble. The pass left to Baby Bear Wilkins. Now the ball right back into the hands of McBride. Michigan State withtwenty seconds left on the shot clock, thirty-six remaining on the game clock. McBride trying to break down Bacic one-on-one. The Croatian glued to his every move. McBride into the lane. He hesitates, steps back. He goes up. He hits! He hit it! McBride made the shot! Michigan State is back up by a bucket with twenty-two ticks left!
    Color Commentator: For all of his complaining about the state of college basketball, with that shot McBride says, “Put the NBA and all its riches on hold—I’m taking my team to the National Collegiate Championship Game.”
    Play-by-Play Man: Troy inbounds. Now they get it to Bacic. The Red Bull with a full head of steam. Seventeen seconds. McBride hounds him. He cuts right, McBride still with him. Now left. Bacic launches a jumper. It’s good! It’s good! We’re all knotted up at seventy-three. Time out Michigan State, their last.
    Color Commentator: Red Bull got the separation he was looking for. And without hesitation, he went straight up with the shot. That was beyond clutch. The only