All excited by the great news that came by bottlemail to Humuhumunukunukuapua'a he made a massive amount of flips, twirls, barrel dives and all crazy stuff only he could do. As he read the name of his opponent he knew it would be tough!! How come he, just a simple exotic fishy from paradise win from that ruthless, rogue grabbing, credit scrooging winged killer??? He remember those awful talons, the glinstering beak and penetrating eyes. He knew he'd have to step up his game, and he started training, lobbing pebbles into the tiniest crevices he could find within his coral reef habitat. This was no joke, the whole coral reef depending on him getting the money to ensure it remained clean and bribe the humans to put it on protected habitat list!!!

Ahhh, i will work my ass off, find some allies and destroy Sisyphus before he even knows it!!! I will pluck him 1 feather at a time until he is as bald as me!! Muhahahhahahahaha

After what had been an eventful few days, Mezz knew that working on that jump shot instead of snatching grannies purses had been well worth the time and loss of income. After hitting all three points in the second place shoot off he dusted himself down and shook Right 's hand knowing it had been a well fought shoot out of a kind he was more comfortable talking about in the streets.

Now it was time to focus on his next goal. Finishing higher than Zahara...

Looking at the tough competition ahead, Mezz decided it was time to retreat from the streets to read back some game reports on his latest competitors skills.

The time had come! The tiers had been set! Mercury had been waiting to see the pairings and here they were! She only cared about one:

The winners of these contests play each other in the next round

Sisyphus v humuhumunukunukuapua

Sisyphus our triumphant Philadelphia winner! He was paired against a formidable opponent in humuhumunukunukuapua. Their qualifying scores were close! Sysiphus had been practicing and was more than up for the challenge. Mercury was positive Sysiphus could win it all. Mercury went out and purchased a megaphone. She practiced using it. She pulled the trigger and yelled

LETS GO PHILLY! SISYPHUS ALL THE WAY

The screeching sound from the microphone was like nails on a chalkboard. Everyone told Mercury to shut up. She turned the volume down and tried not to yell so loud. That worked better! The screeching was gone! Mercury and her megaphone were ready for the finals! Bring on the competition!

Being really disappointed with her performance Latom couldn't believe this was the end for her. Surely something could be done, someone could be paid or someone could have an accident in order for her to be able to keep going in this competition. She knew she had so much more to give. Sneaking up on Charles_Barkley she made her move.

"- How much for switching some names on the sheet?" Latom whispered.

After all of the excitement of the previous few days, Mezz stood back looking at the battle scared courts, empty shell casings, bodies and blood strewn everywhere. 

"No, no, no! This just won't do!"

Mezz mused to himself, after all no honourable player could let a competition be played on these courts. 

Mezz set about sweeping up the casings and washing the courts down, all so that he could get back to focussing on beating Zahara 's infamous jump shot and possibly even Victory...  the least he wanted from this was to  prevent himself from the embarrassment of having to create yet another song...

 

Chuck surveyed the damage of a few days of partying and arguments.  People had moved out and moved on and some of the participants he had hoped to welcome were no longer here at all.  Never the less the public demanded that the basketball continue to its conclusion, so his team of workers got stuck into making sure everything was tip top.  

Rows and rows of seats were now in place in a circle around the small arena that contained an entry door, some sprung wooden flooring, a scoreboard and a hoop.  The arena walls were empty but any enterprising company could have their name there for a very competitive price.

Chuckster had been unable to squeeze Latom into the draw un-noticed and all the finalists had survived the recent upheaval so he couldn’t even use that excuse. All of the surviving qualifying entrants had been invited to attend the National Final as guests of honour, however the recent city changes made things more interesting; would Mercury still root for Sisyphus even though she was in Las Vegas?  Would Elodin look to really dominate Rick_Dalton now they were in different cities?  Had Latom been in NY earlier she’d have taken that spot so even there she had been stymied by poor timing.

Now that everything was in place; Chuck took a step out to the main floor and the assembled crowd settled to a din.

Good afternoon everyone.  Welcome to the Finals of the First Annual Basketball Competition.  We have a treat for you now.  The last eight will take each other on in a series of 1 v 1 games to determine who is the greatest basketball player here; following the likes of JaVale McGee, Paul George and Larry Bird into the annals of brilliance.

A minion put up each of the matchups on the big wooden scoreboard behind the hoop

The winners of these contests play each other in the next round

Rick_Dalton v JimmyTheWeed

PureBloodedTexan v MezzaninE

Sisyphus v humuhumunukunukuapua

Zahara v Elodin

When each of the contestants are ready, can they let me know and we can get this underway.

I am ready whenever Zahara is ready ! Let's show them our best moves !  

Humu received the urgent bottle news and as soon as he managed to read the human scribbling he sent word that he was ready for anything

Ladies, gentlemen, fish and raccoons.  Here we are in the very first matchup in the National Finals with JimmyTheWeed and Rick_Dalton, Philly versus the ex Chicagoan and now New Yorker.

The crowd take their seats

Chuck tosses the ball up and when they both land, Rick appears with the ball.  Jimmy makes a move to get the ball but Rick takes an early jump shot.  It rattles the rim but Rick picks up the rebound.  Jimmy tries to knock the ball from Rick’s hand.  As the ball bobbles around, Rick manages to get it back and runs past Jimmy to finally make the layup.

Rick 1

Jimmy 0

Losing the first play, JimmyTheWeed starts with the ball and tries to make a move on@Rick_Dalton.  Rick holds him back from getting past and Jimmy tries to find another way past but Rick’s effort on defence is tough.  Given the difficulty getting out of Chicago, Rick was going to be hard to beat but with a quick shimmy between the legs Jimmy feints left…Rick goes with him.  Jimmy crosses the ball between his legs then feints the other way but Rick can’t get there in time.

Jimmy heads to the hoop and gets an nice looking layup.

Rick 1
Jimmy 1

With no horse (or fish) in this race, Mercury continues to root for Sisyphus!

SISYPHUS ALL THE WAY!!

Rick_Dalton grabs the ball, slightly embarrassed at the ease that Jimmy went past him.  JimmyTheWeed was looking a lot more confident.  Rick dribbles the ball at runs at Jimmy who swings an arm at the ball just missing it.  Rick tries again and goes for a layup but Jimmy manages to recover and Rick has his shot blocked in the nick of time.

Jimmy gets to the bouncing ball first and the crowd go wild but Rick is not for giving this up. 

Before Jimmy gets the chance to get a shot off Rick grabs at the ball and manages to get past Jimmy again.  This time Jimmy can’t quite get there as Rick makes the layup.

Rick 2
Jimmy 1

JimmyTheWeed was annoyed at losing that last one so eyed Rick_Dalton up.  He put the ball down at his feet briefly and waved his arms up and down trying to get the crowd onto his side.  A chunk responded, led by ex -Philly native Mercury.

Rick didn’t have the same amount of energy this time to thwart Jimmy.  It didn’t take too much effort for Jimmy to get past him this time.  Where Rick had struggled to get his layups goes, Jimmy had no such issues.  Strong when he had control of the ball he waltzed past Jimmy and stuck in a nice looking layup.

Everything to play for in the final play!

Rick 2
Jimmy 2

Rick_Dalton looks into the crowd.  The pro-@Elodin faction of Chicago are still there waving their little raccoon tails but the rest of the Chicago delegation are on their feet willing Rick on. JimmyTheWeed stares at Rick with little emotion.

Rick picks the ball up and moves at Jimmy.  He tries to head to Jimmy’s left but Jimmy manages to get a hand out to deflect the ball away and steal it.  Jimmy goes straight for the basket but this is do-or-die from Rick!  As Jimmy goes up for a layup Rick knocks the ball out of his hand and grabs the rebound.

As last rounds go, this is getting tasty!  Rick goes at Jimmy again but this time on the right side but loses the ball again.  Jimmy scrambles to get the rolling ball and this time Rick cannot recover.  JimmyTheLayupKing does what he does best and wraps up the win with a fine looking layup.

Bad luck for Rick there but what a contest first up in these National Finals.  Jimmy advances to the next round where he will meet either PureBloodedTexan or MezzaninE

Rick 2

Jimmy 3

Sweat pouring from his body, Jimmy was knackered. 

"Rick_Dalton, your one hell of a ballplayer, ill give you that, well-fought good sir. can't believe I came from behind for twice and managed to take the win. I hope I have a few days rest before I have my next game, this almost killed me."

With that Jimmy grabs some water and heads off to the showers.

Next up was the ex-Detroit, now Philladelphian PureBloodedTexan up against Seattle’s second finest MezzaninE. 

Chuck waits for the crowd to settle into their sections, the rowdy Philadelphia mob on the left kept separate from the sedate Seattle crowd on the right.

The toss is thrown skywards and as it comes down, PureBloodedTexan nudges MezzaninE out of the way and gets the ball.  Mezz recovers pretty well and is immediately on defence as Texan makes moves down his left side.  Mezz covers it and tries to defend.  Texan goes right this time and Mezz sticks an arm out to stop him but can’t quite reach.  Texan heads for the hoop for the layup but Mezz gets a block in just in time. 

As the ball bounces around, Mezz manages to get there just before Texan and the crowd go wild, well half of them but he doesn’t have total control.  In the scramble, Texan manages to pick it up and this time Mezz has no answer as the layup goes in at the second attempt.

PureBloodedTexan 1
MezzaninE 0

MezzaninE picked the ball up and went back to the start and tried to get the crowd going.  PureBloodedTexan wiped a little sweat away from his brow.  The crowd was a little oppressive and the arena was heating up quite quickly.  This could be a battle of the fittest!

Mezz started dribbling, he had been given no time to show off his skills just there so as he walked towards Texan he popped the ball through his legs.  Texan was completely unfazed, he’d spent his days chasing cattle on the ranch so he knew how to read situations well.  Mezz looked him in the eyes and shuffled right without taking his eyes off Texan.

As quick as a rattlesnake Mezz feinted right, then left and then drove right again.  That confused Texan just enough to let Mezz past.  He drove to the hoop but the fast food he’d just had weighed him down so the fancy dunk was off the table and he popped in a nice layup instead.

PureBloodedTexan 1
MezzaninE 1

PureBloodedTexan licks his wounds after that skirmish.  MezzaninE looks slightly satisfied at the outcome but Chuck knew that anything could change in this game.

Texan strode forward, he didn’t want to find himself falling behind and having to have the pressure of a last minute comeback. Texan made sure he was out of Mezz’s reach but all of a sudden Mezz lunges forward.  In desperation, Texan tries a jump shot, famed for his three point attempts in the qualifying the Philly crowd held their breaths but it just hit the backboard and bounced away.

Mezz picked it up and tried to do the same as the last round but this time the ball bounced off his toe as he dribbled it.  In a valiant attempt to get the ball back, Mezz dived for it but it rolled out of reach leaving Texan a simple layup again.

PureBloodedTexan 2

MezzaninE 1

Thoroughly impressed by the start that he had witnessed, Mezz knew that he would have to up his game to clinch a victory. Mezz has been practicing all week and he knew he had it in him, but how was he not streaking into a lead?

He looked down at his shoelaces... they were tied together!

Sneaky business from PureBloodedTexan !

After untying them Mezz mused;

“I’ll get you next time gadget!”

On with the ball!