The clock ticks down. The point guard sets up the play at the top of the key while his center jockeys for position at the hoop. A quick toss into the lane, and the center sinks the shot. The home fans roar. The National Basketball Association's ultimate prize is on the line. The NBA Finals are full of amazing shots, legendary games, and star players. Readers will discover it all in this book.

Nick Abbott and Trent Dawson have nothing in common but basketball. Or so it seems. But as the basketball season progresses, their lives become unexpectedly intertwined. In this story of an unlikely bond, award-winning author Carl Deuker explores that dark and confusing place between loneliness and friendship, between faithfulness and betrayal. Filled with gripping game play, the novel will leave readers wondering how much they themselves would reach out to a kid like Trent.

Tim Tingle?s first novel in the contemporary No Name series depicts the struggles of Choctaw teen Bobby Byington. A strong-willed and determined high school basketballer, Bobby must carve a path through the dark world of his father?s alcoholism and angry nature. In the second book, No More No Name, Bobby?s mother returns home, and Bobby?s basketball team, galvanized by his impressive shooting skills, begins to win. But trouble looms when his father?s cravings resurface ?Son, I hope you never fully understand what I?m going through. Every day, every hour, every minute. An owl claws on me from inside my chest. The desire to have one?just one more drink?that is the owl.?

Inspired by the traditional Choctaw story "No Name," this modern adaptation features a present-day Choctaw teenager surviving tough family times--his mother splits, leaving him with a mean-spirited, abusive father. The one place the teen can find peace is on the neighborhood basketball court. But after a violent confrontation with his father, the teen runs away, only to return home to find an unexpected hiding spot in his own backyard. His hiding spot becomes his home for weeks, until the help and encouragement of a basketball coach, a Cherokee buddy, and a quiet next-door girlfriend help him to face his father.

Playing in an out-of-town tournament can be rough, especially when you know you're the worst team on the court. But when you've got nothing to lose and Chip Carson on your side, anything can happen

Point guard Mercedes Morgan is on track to set the all-state record for three-pointers. She's even caught the attention of a big-time college recruiter. But her sister has fallen in with a gang from the old neighborhood, and a drive-by shooting lands her in a coma. Now their little brother might be headed down the same dangerous path. Can the star player help her family leave the past behind them while also saving her season, or will they always be on guard?

From the critically acclaimed author of Amina’s Voice comes the second book in an exciting new middle grade series about a scrawny fourth-grader with big dreams of basketball stardom. Now that Zayd has made the Gold Team, he’s hustling hard and loving every minute of the season. But when team starts to struggle, Zayd can’t help wondering if it has something to do with him. Even worse, his best friend Adam suddenly starts acting like he doesn’t care about basketball anymore, even though they are finally teammates. He stops playing basketball with Zayd at recess and starts hanging out with other kids. Then, Adam up and quits the Gold Team to play football instead. While his uncle’s wedding preparations turn life into a circus at home, Zayd is left on his own to figure things out. He has to decide how to still be friends with Adam and step up to fill the empty shoes he left on the court. Does Zayd have what it takes to be on point and lead his team back to victory?

Thirteen-year-old basketball star Jordan Ryker feels like his life is falling apart. All Jordie wanted was for his parents to stop fighting. Soon, he gets his wish. His parents separate and then his dad announces he's gay. Shocked, Jordie struggles with how to process all this. His dad taught him everything he knows about basketball, and there's an important championship game coming up. He needs him more than ever. But Jordie feels like his dad has abandoned his family. He doesn't want anything to do with him now and he definitely doesn't want to meet his dad's new boyfriend. It takes a new girl with wicked basketball skills and a revelation from his best friend to help Jordie realize that while some things change, other things never do.

As if it isn't bad enough that Jay's family home has been destroyed by fire, Jay has to switch schoolswhich means he has to choose between playing for the enemy, Centreville, and not playing basketball at all. And he can't decide which is worse.

Eighth-grader Richie Mallon has always known he was a shooter, but will his amazing shooting talent be enough to keep him on the team? Outside Shot tells the story of eighth-grade basketball player Richie Mallon, who is known as ?the shooter,? the one on the team who scores most of the baskets. He has practiced every day at his driveway hoop, perfecting his technique. Richie never plays any other roles on the court; he lets his teammates do the assisting and rebounding. Richie makes the team under a tough new coach, but he?s not a starter. Then when his shooting skills go into a slump, he must find a way to become a more well-rounded player. Author Fred Bowen continues his Sports Story Series with full court, play-by-play action that?s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats!

Lucas has big dreams of getting a basketball scholarship and helping his mom out of poverty. When a growth spurt helps Lucas become a force on the court, his dreams finally seem within reach. But Lucas's brother tries to steer him toward a very different path: making easy money on the street. Can Lucas keep his focus and stay true to his dream?

Jay finally gets to go to Basketball Nova Scotia Summer Camp, and he even gets to stay in a real dorm with his best friend, Mike. But Mike's older brother is also there, and he's not exactly acting like a good coach or a good big brother...

Jazz Smith-Mohapatra is the toughest and best player on her basketball team -- and this year she's determined to lead the team to a championship win. But in the last game of the regular season, Jazz sets an offensive move called a pick and roll. A player on the other team doesn't see it coming; she crashes into Jazz, and then onto the floor. Though it's a play that Jazz has done many times, she's never hurt anyone before. Now there's going to be a Fair Play Commission hearing to determine whether the play was legal or not. But even worse than the possibility of being suspended for the playoffs, Jazz's teammates are suddenly questioning her physical style of play and whether the team can make it all the way to the pennant without her. [Fry reading level - 3.0

"Nine all-stars in the field of YA lit contribute stories. . . . An anthology of stand-alone stories that invite — no, demand — a straight read-through." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) Nine of YA literature’s top writers, including Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams-Garcia, Adam Rapp, Joseph Bruchac, and Sharon Flake reveal how it all goes down in a searing collection of short stories, in which each one picks up where the previous one ends. Characters weave in and out of narratives, perspectives change, and emotions play out for a fluid and fast-paced ode to the game of street basketball. Crackling with humor, grit, and streetball philosophy, and featuring poems and photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr., this anthology is a slam dunk.

From the critically acclaimed author of Amina’s Voice comes the first book in an exciting new middle grade series about a fourth-grader with big dreams of basketball stardom. Fourth grader Zayd Saleem has some serious hoop dreams. He’s not just going to be a professional basketball player. He’s going to be a star. A legend. The first Pakistani-American kid to make it to the NBA. He knows this deep in his soul. It’s his destiny. There are only a few small things in his way. For starters, Zayd’s only on the D-team. (D stands for developmental, but to Zayd it’s always felt like a bad grade or something.) Not to mention, he’s a bit on the scrawny side, even for the fourth grade team. But his best friend Adam is on the Gold Team, and it’s Zayd’s dream for the two of them to play together. His mom and dad don’t get it. They want him to practice his violin way more than his jump shot. When he gets caught blowing off his violin lessons to practice, Zayd’s parents lay down the ultimate punishment: he has to hang up his high tops and isn’t allowed to play basketball anymore. As tryouts for the Gold Team approach, Zayd has to find the courage to stand up for himself and chase his dream.