The fourth quarter opened with a surprise. Crawford didn't immediately go back to his stars; instead, he rolled out a lineup of Darius, Lin, Stanley, Omar, and Kamara.
Kamara, the starting forward, had been a ghost for most of the night. He wasn't scoring, barely touching the ball on offense. Still, Crawford couldn't bury him completely. A starter needs his dignity. A coach needs to show trust, even when the production isn't there.
From the booth, Callahan raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting," he said, voice curling with curiosity. "Crawford's keeping Kamara in the rotation. He's a starter, sure, but tonight he's been ice cold. You've got to think this is about respect—or hope that he suddenly wakes up."
Hope was the operative word.
The Roarers ran their first set for Kamara almost immediately: a pick-and-pop to the elbow. The look was clean, mechanics solid… clank. The ball rattled cruelly around the rim before rolling out.
