Dragon Puncher and Mario's Free Throw Shootout

It's a fantastic day at Mario Stadium where Mario and I was playing basketball against each other. Then Mario came up with a great idea and said, "Say, do you want to shoot some free throws?"

"Of course I love to!" I replied, "But, since there are two of us, how about a little shootout?"

"That's more like it!" Mario agreed, "I love shootouts! Let's go to the Shootout Room."

So off we went to the Shootout Room for a little competition.

When we got there, Mario said, "Here we are, Dragon! The Shootout Room. Now, here are the rules of the Free Throw Shootout. This game is all about free throws. You have one minute to shoot as many baskets as you can from the free throw line. Each successful shot is worth one point and when there's only twenty seconds left, we'll double it to two points per basket. The player with the most points at the end of the game, wins."

"Wow! That was amazing!" I said to him as I heard the rules, "But, how do we keep score?"

"With our scoreboard." Mario replied to me as he points to the scoreboard, "We're going to play against each other and I know one referee who can keep this game fair and square. Our good friend Lakitu. Hey Lakitu!"

Lakitu came in and said, "Well hello, you two. So, what brings me here?"

"We're going to have a shootout and we need you to be our referee so, can you do that?" I asked him.

"Of course! I love sports!" Lakitu agreed as he took out the whistle. Then he said, "Alright then, let's get this shootout started!"

We went to the free throw line as Lakitu prepares to start the game. Then he said, "OK! We have Mario shooting on one end of the court, and Dragon Puncher on the other end. Now, let's set the game time to one minute and we are all set to play."

Then the scoreboard shows one minute as Lakitu got the whistle ready, Then he said, "Alright then, you know the rules. One point per successful shot, double points at the last twenty seconds. So, are you ready?"

"All set!" We said at the same time.

Lakitu agreed with us and said, "Then let the shootout… BEGIN!"

With the word shouted, he blew the whistle and we shot at the same time, scoring us the first point of the game. The shootout has begun.

As we kept on shooting, the timer keeps decreasing. Lakitu saw us shooting some baskets and said, "Wow! Both players are doing well as the game continues on and there's still forty seconds left with Dragon in the lead with a nice shot. This is going to be a great match, folks."

Just then, the game timer shows twenty seconds, which triggers the double point alarm. Lakitu heard it and said, "There's only twenty seconds left and that sound means we are now doubling the points for each free throw from this point on! Who will win the match? Will it be Dragon Puncher, or Mario?"

With only ten seconds left, we kept on shooting. It was a race to the finish as Lakitu saw the timer counting down the remaining five seconds. He said, "Only five seconds left! 4, 3, 2, 1..."

And then, the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the game. Lakitu heard it and said, "FINISH! That's the buzzer!"

We came out of the line and Lakitu said, "Great shooting, you two. That was a fantastic match and now, let's find out who won the shootout. Ready for the final score?"

"Of course!" I replied.

"Let's hear it!" Mario agreed with me.

"Alright then, let's go to the scoreboard!" Lakitu announced as we walked to the scoreboard. Then he said to us, "OK, then! Let's start with Mario. Mario, during the game, you made 17 baskets and 9 double-point baskets. So, your total score in the shootout is 35!"

Then the scoreboard shows 35 on Mario's side as Lakitu came to me. He said, "Well Dragon. You did an amazing job in the shootout and now, I have the final score for you. Ready to hear it?"

"Go ahead, Lakitu! Give me the official score!" I agreed to him.

Lakitu smiled at me and said "Alright then, here it comes! In the shootout, you made 15 baskets and 10 double-point baskets. Dragon, that means you have a total of 35 as well!"

Then, the scoreboard shows 35 on my side, which means the game is officially tied. Lakitu saw the final score and said, "Oh, my! Both Mario and Dragon Puncher have 35 points so, that means we go to overtime!"

"Overtime?" We asked.

"That's right." Lakitu agreed, "So, here's how overtime is going to play. For this part of the game, I'm going to give each player one shot. If you make a shot, then your opponent will go. We'll keep going until we have a winner. Got it?"

"OK!" We agreed.

"Alright then, let's start overtime and the first player to shoot is Mario!" Lakitu announced as Mario steps to the line.

He bounced the ball, took a shot and then, it went it the basket. Lakitu said, "It's a basket for Mario! Now it is Dragon's turn."

I did the same and then, it went in as well. Lakitu saw it and said, "Both players have successfully made their shots. That means overtime continues on! Let's do it again!"

Then it was Mario's turn again and then, he missed it this time.

Lakitu saw it and said, "Oh, dear. It looks like Mario has missed the free throw which means, the game can be won if Dragon makes the shot."

Then I stepped up to the line and Lakitu said, "Dragon Puncher! Before you make the basket, let me remind you about this situation. If you make it, you win. If not, then we'll keep playing. Got it?"

"Got it!" I replied with a smile.

"Alright then, the shot's yours to take. Go for it!" Lakitu said with a smile.

Then I stepped up to the line and bounced the ball. When everything is ready, I let go of the basketball as it begins to go to the net.

And then, the ball went in the net. It was a successful shot!

Just then, the buzzer went off, signaling the end of overtime. Lakitu heard it and said, "We have a winner! Dragon Puncher has won the game! Great shot!"

Then I shook Mario's hand and said, "Great game, Mario!"

"Same to you, Dragon." Mario replied as we finish another great basketball game.