Overheard at the basketball world cup, recently held (and described) on my back deck by my five-year-old son Sam...

"...pass to Sam Worley, who takes a three. Oooh, it's in! That's his first professional three-pointer, ladies and gentlemen. And he was fouled! He gets a free throw.

"Oh, he missed it. But that's okay. It was only worth one point. So now the U.S. leads Canada twenty to nine. It's right before halftime. Canada tries a three...oooh, no good. U.S. runs backup the floor. It's a layup!. It's good! The U.S. leads twenty-two to nine.

"And there are four seconds left. Can Canada get a basket? They shoot a three! [horn sound, like the ones they do for home hockey goals] Oooh! Off the rim. No good! So it's halftime in the game, and the U.S. leads twenty-two to nine. That's a low score, but it's good for the U.S.

"Time to go to the sideline and talk to Sam Worley. Are you ready?

"Yep. I'm here with Sam Worley. Sam, it looked like a tough first half. But you made some shots."

"Well, I made some shots, and I missed some shots, but I played some good defense. They only got nine points, you know. So I'll have to go out and play more good defense. And I have to shoot more baskets. You know twenty-two to nine is a low-scoring half."

"It is."

"Yeah, and so I've got to make more baskets so we win better. But that's okay. Oh, it's time for us to start again. I have to get on the court."

"Thanks, Sam. And now it's time to start playing again. Up to you."

"Thanks. Well, the U.S. is ahead twenty-two to nine, and they get the tip-off. Sam Worley passes to Matthew Kim [most names vaguely changed to protect the innocent], who tries a two. It's good! That's Matthew's third basket this game.

"Now Matthew is coming out, and Caleb Robert is in the game. He's a little short, but he can run fast. Sam Worley brings the ball up the court and he passes to Caleb. Caleb takes a shot and...oooh, Canada blocks it and runs down the court. But they miss, and Caleb Robert gets the rebound. He passes to Sam Worley, who shoots a three...it's good! That's his second professional three-pointer!"

[we now move ahead in the game, where the score is 39-9]

"Not much time left. Sam Worley passes to Matthew Kim, who passes to Caleb Robert. They've got ten seconds left, and the U.S. leads Canada thirty-nine to nine. That's a real pounding, folks. Canada is not going to win this game. They're just watching the U.S. pass the ball around...oooh, and Sam Worley shoots a two-pointer. It's good. [another horn sound] Oooh, and the game is over. The U.S. has won Canada forty-one to nine. That's a real pounding. Now Canada has to go home and be sad.

"It's time to go to the floor and talk to the players. Down to you."

"Thanks. I've got Sam Worley here. Sam, how did you play?"

"Well, I shot some better hoops in the second half, and I played good defense. But I have to do better against China. China is a bunch better than Canada. If the U.S. is going to win the world cup of basketball, I have to shoot a lot better. Especially the threes. I'm not shooting three-pointers very good at all. But I'm ready to play China. That's what the world cup is all about. The U.S. and China. Boy, that's gonna be a good game."

Jon Worley is expecting a much closer game between the U.S. and China.