Slam Dunks

• Play-by-Play Man: Things are looking a bit difficult for the Montana Shot Shooters. They had a lead of 14 points at halftime, but now the Idaho Passmakers have hit two three-point shots in a row. Whammo. They're back in the game. The Shot Shooters have called a time-out to regroup.

• Color Man: Putting six points on the board that way really sends a message. They made it look easy.

• PBPM: Those two swishes announced, "We're still here. You can't beat us that easily. We've got pride, intestinal fortitude, and pluck." The emphasis is on pluck.

• CM: And composure too. They whipped the ball around the key. They signaled, "We can move the rock and then send it home. We can pass the pill and force you to swallow it whole. We know basketball. This is our game too."

• PBPM: There was even a startling subtext to the message. I believe the Passmakers were telling the Shot Shooters that this game was different from the last. Yes, the Shot Shooters beat them at home by 22 points, but that was two months ago. Now, Jimmy D's leg is better. He's quicker. The injury he sustained while drinking too much in the vicinity of a slippery pool deck is behind him. The nasty, skanky, golddigging girlfriend is history. The Passmakers are reminding the Shot Shooters that a bit of cortisone is a time-proven solution for knee problems, but moving on with your life and putting...