The First Spark

In November he had tried to answer every insult himself. By December he had learned that point guards did not control games by owning the ball. They controlled games by deciding when the ball needed them. He rejected a screen, drew two defenders, and hit Luka on the short roll. Luka fired to the corner. Tyrese's three hit the back rim, bounced straight up, and fell. On the next possession Marcus called "Black 45," a set Dawson had installed that morning. It looked like a horns entry, became a ghost screen, and ended with Jamal slipping behind a confused switch for a two-hand dunk. The bench exploded. Jamal landed, slapped his chest, and for one second looked like the lottery pick he used to be. Charlotte won 108-103.