The Final Shot
Leo tied his orange sneakers extra tight. The school gym smelled like floor wax and excitement. Today was the championship game against the Blue Tigers. Leo was a point guard for the Wildcats, which meant he had to be fast and smart with the ball. He felt a flutter of butterflies in his stomach as the referee blew the silver whistle to start the game.
The game was very close from the very beginning. Every time Leo dribbled the ball down the court, he could hear the crowd cheering in the stands. "Go Leo! Go Wildcats!" they shouted. By the start of the fourth quarter, the score was tied. Leo was tired, and his face was red from running, but he remembered what Coach Miller always said during practice: "Keep your eyes on the rim and remember to breathe."
With only ten seconds left on the clock, the gym grew quiet. Leo's teammate, Sarah, was trapped by two defenders. She saw Leo standing open near the basket and bounced a perfect pass to him. Leo caught the ball firmly. A tall player from the Blue Tigers rushed toward him to block the shot. Leo knew he didn't have enough time to pass the ball back. He had to make a choice.
- Point guard:
- A position in basketball for a player who is good at handling the ball and leading the team's offense.
- Dribbled:
- Moving the ball by bouncing it on the floor with one hand.
- Defenders:
- Players on the other team who try to stop you from scoring.
- Buzzer:
- An electronic device that makes a loud sound to signal the end of a period or the game.
- Swish:
- A basketball shot that goes through the basket without touching the rim or the backboard.
- referee:
- An official who watches a sports game closely to make sure the rules are followed.
More sheets from this passage
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fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed — rewrite each one correctly.
vocabulary worksheet
Match the passage words to their meanings, then fill the missing words back into real sentences.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
- All 4 sheets as one workbookPro
One PDF with a cover, contents page and every answer key at the back.
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About this short story passage for 3rd Grade
“The Final Shot” is a short story reading passage about Basketball, written for 3rd Grade. It takes about 2 minutes to read (323 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.