Falling Short

Marco stops practicing to knock on Isaac’s door and ask where he is. Isaac’s mother brings Marco inside to ice one of his fingers, which he injured while practicing. Afterward, Marco goes back outside to keep working on his shooting, but he still cannot make a basket. He refuses to give up because Muggsy would not give up. When his mother comes outside to check on him, he asks whether she will ask his father to teach him about basketball. She hesitates, and Marco realizes that she does not believe his father will be willing to do it. He goes back to practicing on his own.

At eight o’clock that night, Isaac returns home, excited to tell his mother about his father’s new television. She is angry that his father has kept him so late without calling, not considering Isaac’s homework and other school obligations. As she confronts his father, Isaac thinks that his mother does not understand that the people around her are trying their best. He is hurt when his father tries to shift the blame to Isaac, but he apologizes to his mother. When she tells him he needs to try even harder, he worries that he is already trying as hard as he can.