Night Hoops

Mom returns home from the hospital with groceries. She makes spaghetti for the Ushakov family. Mom says the doctors removed a bullet from Michael’s chest, but he’ll live. She says Zack shot him. Dad calls and tells Nick to anonymously call the police if he sees Zack. As for Trent, Dad orders Nick to avoid him as if he were a “ghost.”

After watching college basketball, Nick plays basketball on a misty, cold night. He sees something, and Trent steps out of the darkness. Trent explains what happened: He and Zack had the gun for years, and Zack finally got bullets. Michael was standing on the railroad bridge, and Zack carelessly fired the gun; he didn’t think it would work. Nick wants Trent to turn in his brother, but Zack is 18 now, so he’ll go to an adult prison. Trent thinks the best choice is to run away.

Trent wants to go tell Zack that Michael will live, but Nick convinces Trent to stay. Nick makes Trent a peanut butter sandwich and hot chocolate. He hides Trent in his basement. When Scott and Mom come home from another hospital visit, Mom says Michael has a blood clot in his legs, and doctors will have to operate. Everyone goes to bed, and Nick wakes early so he can feed Trent, who plans to go home and talk to the police. Trent says Zack left last night. Once Zack finds a secure location, Trent will join him.

Dinner includes Nick, Scott, Katya, and Mom, and Mom says the operation went well, so Michael will be fine. Katya thinks Zack belongs in jail, and Nick worries about Nick. Katya scolds Nick for caring more about Trent and basketball than Michael. She then lambasts him for not visiting Michael. Soon, Mom tells Katya to be quiet.

At school, the students talk incessantly about the shooting. Martha Judkins, a girl Nick has a crush on, thinks Zack should spend his life in jail. Once again, Nick defends the Dawson brothers. During lunch, Nick distances himself from the shooting discourse and eats outside in the January cold. Reflecting on what happened, he realizes Martha has a point: It’s unlikely Zack “accidentally” pointed and fired the gun at Michael.

Before practice, the team harps on the three losses in British Columbia. Nick is upset because no one mentions Trent’s absence. During practice, Nick plays well. After practice, Luke tells Nick that he’s the “key” to the entire season. Nick wonders why O’Leary didn’t address Trent’s absence. Luke says no one would care if he got in trouble—they’d just chalk it up to his Black identity.

Nick agrees to go to the hospital, but then he changes his mind. He wants to stay home and play basketball with Trent. This upsets Mom, but Nick reminds her that Trent didn’t go with Zack. More so, Michael has supporters: Trent doesn’t have anybody. Mom lets Nick stay home.

Nick knocks on Trent’s door and invites him to play basketball. They play until a neighbor asks them to stop. Over Pepsi, Nick wonders if Trent will come back to school and the team. Trent dismisses Nick as a guidance counselor, but he promises to go to school and play on the team until Zack calls.

Trent and Nick walk to school together, which makes kids who’d usually walk with Nick avoid him. In the locker room, the players greet Trent and Nick, but Nick detects suspicion. Once Nick and Trent enter the practice game, they dominate the first-team players. On the way home, they congratulate each other on their stellar play.

Upsetting Scott, Mom agrees to give Trent a ride to the game versus the Franklin Earthquake. Scott quips that Trent should just move in with them. He also speculates that the Dawsons are sending Zack money. Nick reminds Mom that he’s Trent’s only friend. He says Trent isn’t a bad person. Yet Mom wonders if Trent has also made bad choices. 

The Franklin atmosphere is intense. Though the Cougars are 2-5, O’Leary believes they’re a good team, so they can beat Franklin if they try. The team continues to distance themselves from Nick and Trent, but they stay close to Franklin. When Brian and Carlos struggle, Franklin’s lead grows to eight and then 18. The lead is 25 when Nick and Trent enter. Their energetic play helps the Cougars lose by only 12. Nick invites Trent back to his house, but Trent goes to his house, where there’s laughing, swearing, and loud music.

Nick’s name is in the newspaper, so as Scott predicts, Dad calls him. Nick says he’s on the second team again, and Dad promises to attend the next game against Roosevelt. Bothell falls behind 11-2, but then O’Leary puts Nick and Trent in. After Roosevelt misses a three-pointer, Nick leads a fast break that results in a momentum-changing layup by Trent. Once Bothell’s lead climbs to 22, O’Leary gives Nick and Trent a rest. Nick looks into the stands and pumps his fist.

During practice, Nick regularly passes to Trent. O’Leary reminds Nick to involve Luke and Darren. Nick says he was focusing on Trent because he was “hot.” O’Leary understands and asks if the police have caught Trent’s “crazy brother.” Nick says they haven’t.

The Cougars win their next four games, with Nick accumulating assists and Trent amassing points and rebounds. They’ve won six games in a row, but the locker room atmosphere is awkward. During lunch, Luke says they won’t keep winning if the team centers on Nick and Trent. They’re not a “real team.” Nick promises to involve him, Darren, and the other players.

While Bothell is predominately white, Garfield is mostly Black. The school is synonymous with great basketball, and their fans are passionate. Nick notices that even Luke looks “scared.” He then remembers that Luke lives in an affluent neighborhood, so he’s as unfamiliar with the “inner city” compared to Nick.

As the game starts, Trent is the only Cougar not intimidated by Garfield. When Trent rests, Garfield’s lead grows to 15. Bothell cuts the lead to single digits, but then Garfield adjusts and starts double-teaming Trent. Nick, too, adopts and gets the ball to Luke, who scores the game-winning bucket. The team celebrates together, but afterward, Trent becomes silent, and Nick makes an awkward joke about a police car in the parking lot.

Dad takes Nick to the mall and buys him an expensive pair of Gary Payton shoes. Once again, Dad tells Nick to look for his shot, but Nick ignores Dad, comparing Dad to a prattling child.

Luke has a barbeque at his house, and he wants Trent to come. Nick knocks on Trent’s door and speaks to Ericka about Trent’s exceptional basketball talent and passing grades. Nick talks to Trent, but Trent doesn’t want to go, so Nick arrives alone. The team eats hamburgers, shoots pool, and watches North Carolina play rival Duke. Nick asks Darren to pass him chips and a Coke, and Luke jokes that Darren can’t pass.