How to Write a Basketball Game Recap

Writing a good basketball gamer can be a difficult process, because for most publications, you'll probably have to file your first copy within five minutes of the final buzzer, and as we all know, the course of a basketball game can change drastically over the final two minutes.The key is to be prepared for anything. Create multiple leads, have multiple storylines to run and bide your time properly.

Instructions

1. Your lead: After you have all your quotes and you have some time, you can use quotes to spice up your lead. At first, you'll need a quick straightforward lead. Pick one stat to focus on and make it your lead. Every lead should have a stat or player's line, score, and the day.Ex: “Samuel Dalembert scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and added 12 rebounds as the 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucs 104-87 on Thursday.”You can also focus your lead on a trend in the game or multiple players statistics.Ex: “The Seattle Sonics ended the game on a 22-3 run to pull of a 101-98 come-from-behind victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday” or “Seven Washington Wizards players scored in double-digits as they blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-80 on Friday.”

2. Second and Third Grafs: Elaborate on your storylines a little before you get into the “play-by-play”. Elaborate on why Samuel Dalembert was able to explode in the fourth. Did he get fouled a lot? Did the Bucks put another defender on him? Did he score from the post or on jump shots?Also mention in the first few grafs what the implications are for the teams involved.Ex: “The win was the first on the road for the Sixers (22-21) since December 18.” or “The Wizards (19-13) have now won four of their last five against the Cavs (21-10), not including the playoffs.”Remember that it's okay to use various nicknames to refer to a team, like the “Wiz”, “Sixers” or “Cavs.” Also be sure to put the teams record in parentheses the second time you mention them in the article (The lead should be uninterrupted).

3. Play-by-play: Then get into telling the story of the game. Make sure to enhance this part of the article with lots of stats and mention other players with notable lines, or star players with subpar statistics.With basketball, you'll probably want to mention a run or two, as well as any good team stats. Also be sure to mention the leading scorer on both teams, if you haven't already in your lead.

4. Writethrus: After you turn in your first copy, you can get your quotes – make sure to talk to those featured in your lead and brighten up your article.Put a softer lead in front of your original one, that will help lead into the stats. So instead of going directly into Samuel Dalembert's stats, ease into it.Ex: “The last time the Philadelphia 76ers met the Milwaukee Bucks, they got outscored in the paint by 27 points.Samuel Dalembert was not going to let that happen again.Dalembert scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and added 12 rebounds as the 76ers beat the Bucs 104-87 on Thursday.”

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you get quotes from both teams

• Stats are important in any game recap, but basketball especially. The more stats the merrier.

• Have multiple storylines ready to go. Don't put all your eggs in the basket of one lead, because a couple quick three-pointers or a bad call can change everything around in a hurry in basketball.