Sink it Rusty Read Online Free Page A

total of four points.
    Several fathers drove their cars to the game at Benton, four miles away from Cannerville. The Lakers looked sharp and eager
     in their blue and red uniforms. The Benton Braves were flashy in their green ones.
    The game started. The Braves took the tap from center. They dribbled quickly and surely. Their passes were swift and accurate.
     Within thirty seconds they sankthe first basket. Before the minute was up, they sank another.
    Rusty watched the game from the bench. The Braves looked as courageous as their name suggested. By the end of the first quarter
     they were leading, 17 to 9.
    Rusty noticed how much more action there was in this game than the ones they had played in the barn. It frightened him. How
     could he, slow as he was, play with such fast players? He wouldn't have a chance!
    And then he heard his name. He turned, his heart beating rapidly.
    “Rusty! Report to the ref! Tell him you're going in in place of Mark!”

9
    R USTY played forward with Joby. Corny Moon and Bud Farris played guard. Jim Bush was at center. He was taking Perry's place.
    It was the Lakers' out near their own basket. Corny passed the ball from out of bounds to Bud. Bud dribbled a couple of steps
     and shot a quick pass to Joby, who was running toward the basket. Joby caught the ball and leaped. A Braves man jumped, slapped
     the ball, and it squirted from Joby's hands.
    Rusty caught it!
    What shall I do with it?
he thought,standing as if paralyzed. The ball had bounced to him unexpectedly.
    “Shoot, Rusty! Shoot!” someone yelled.
    He was near the corner, just about in the same position from where he had practiced taking shots at home and in the big barn.
    A Braves player bounded forward. He swung his arms wildly in front of Rusty. Rusty tried to feint to the left, and then to
     the right. The player bobbed up and down in front of him like a puppet.
    Rusty leaped as high as he could, and that wasn't high. He flipped the ball with his wrists toward the basket. It sailed in
     a high arc, struck the rim, and bounced up into the air. Then it dropped — right through the net!
    A roar burst from the Lakers fans. “Thataboy, Rusty!”

    Rusty's heart melted. All at once his fright was gone. He had done it. He had made his first basket in a real game.
    The Braves' ball. They moved it down-court quickly. Rusty trotted after them. He tried to hurry and felt his toes scraping
     the floor. Those legs! You'd think they were against anything he wanted to do!
    The Braves player shot a pass across the court. Another Braves player caught it, feinted Corny Moon out of position, then
     broke fast for the basket. Just as he leaped to try a lay-up, Bud hit his wrist.
    Freeeee-e-et!
    “Two shots!” said the referee. He held up two fingers, Bud's number.
    Bud shook his head discouragingly. He held up his hand to show he was the offender.
    The Braves man sank the first shot, missed the second. Jim Bush caught the rebound, zipped a pass to Bud. Bud dribbled the
     ball up-court. He bounce-passed to Rusty. Rusty passed it back to him, then hurried to his corner spot. He hoped the ball
     would be passed to him. But his man guarded him well. No one dared to pass it.
    Corny tried a set shot from the opposite corner. He missed. Jim and the Braves center leaped for the rebound. They both came
     down together with the ball gripped tightly in their hands.
    Freeee-e-et!
Jump ball.
    A Braves man took the tap, passed to a teammate. Once again the ball zipped quickly in the other direction. Just as Rusty
     let out a sigh of disappointment, a player accidentally kicked his right foot.The player was Rusty's man. He stumbled forward, but regained his balance hurriedly.
    The kick knocked Rusty off balance, too. Rusty fell. He struck the floor with his hip, then skidded and rolled over.
    Again the whistle.
    “Tripping!” shouted the referee, pointing at the Braves player. “You shoot one!” he said to Rusty.
    Rusty stared, wide-eyed, as he rose to