The timeout buzzer faded, and Coach Crawford shuffled his lineup, giving the starters a breather.
The Roarers' new unit hit the floor: Darius, Kamara, Lin, Deshawn, and Sloan. Deshawn, riding high from his standout performance last game, had earned Crawford's trust. This five-man group was a gamble—a small-ball lineup built for speed and spacing. Except for Sloan, every player could stroke it from deep, stretching the defense thin.
The downside? The paint was a ghost town, their interior defense as soft as tissue.
But thankfully for the Roarers, the Bullets had pulled John Adebayo-Kambon and Holloway for rest, and one of their twin towers, Blake Larez, was also on the bench. The height gap wasn't as brutal now. Only Benny Porter loomed large for the champs.
The buzzer sounded. The game resumed.
