Chapter 17: The Final Four

The flight to Phoenix felt different.

There were no cameras on the plane. No interviews. No distractions. Just quiet focus. Duke had returned to the mountaintop, but no one was celebrating yet.

The Final Four. Two games away from glory.

In the hotel, Jordan sat by the window, watching the desert sky fade into dusk. Kyrie was across the room, earphones in, hoodie pulled over his face.

“You ready?” Jordan asked.

Kyrie didn’t look up. “As I’ll ever be.”

They were matched up against Kansas, the number one overall seed. Big bodies. NBA wings. Everyone on their roster was a future pro.

But Duke came out swinging.

Jordan opened the game with a steal and a transition dunk, slamming the ball with both hands and roaring into the crowd. It was a statement.

Kyrie followed with a stepback three the next possession.

They traded blows all night. Kansas pounded the ball inside, but Jordan kept the tempo fast. He ran pick and rolls, hit floaters, found cutters.

Kyrie found his groove in the second half. Four straight buckets, including one where he split a double team and kissed it off the glass with his left.

With thirty seconds left, Kansas tied the game.

Duke called timeout.

Coach Reynolds drew up a double screen for Jordan to get downhill, but Jordan waved it off.

“Let Kyrie cook,” he said.

Kyrie looked surprised. But he nodded.

Back on the court, he dribbled at the top, crossed over, spun, rose from midrange…

Swish.

Duke 74, Kansas 72.

Final score.

They were going to the national championship game.