After the final bell, Tre places a God’s Eye he made in Ojibwe Arts and Crafts class in his locker. Nate wishes him luck, joking that he shouldn’t shoot any airballs. Mr. Thomas congratulates him on making varsity. Wes and Khiana find Tre to film an interview about the upcoming game. Tre notices how well Wes and Khiana click and feels a twinge of jealousy. They film in the old, unused theater and band room, and Khiana suggests questions for Wes to ask.

Later, in the crowded gym lobby, Tre examines trophy cases—one for his dad’s era and one for Jaxon’s. He presses his hand to Jaxon’s case and whispers that he hopes to make him proud. Dallas waves Tre over to sit with the varsity team. At the JV game halftime, Dallas tells Tre it’s time to suit up.

In the locker room, Dallas says Tre can use Jaxon’s former locker. Inside, Tre finds a Post-it note with an inspirational message signed by Jaxon. He touches the note, hoping to feel closer to his brother. Coach Whitefeather brings Tre to his office, where Tre sees a photo of Coach and Jaxon. Coach issues him the last available jersey (number 10) for the home game, along with his away uniform. Tre is awed by the new jersey, which features the word Ogichidaa (warriors in Ojibwe). Coach explains why he didn’t initially put Tre on varsity: He wanted to protect team chemistry and shield Tre from the pressure of following in his family’s footsteps. Emotional when mentioning Jaxon, Coach lays out team rules: Play hard, learn, stay out of trouble, and keep grades up. He says Tre will start as point guard and confirms that he’s comfortable with the plays.

In his pregame speech, Coach tells the team that their Clearbrook opponents are racist and motivated by hate, so they must play hard from the start. During introductions, Tre is announced as a sophomore making his debut. The overwhelming crowd noise is tempered by a reassuring nod from his dad. Dallas points out Tre’s untied shoelace, which he quickly ties.

The game begins. Kevin tips the ball to Tre, who assists Dallas on the first basket. Tre commits his first foul less than a minute in. On offense, he gets confused, runs a play the wrong way, and botches several plays. After Tre’s second foul, Coach benches him. Without him, the team plays smoothly, using a full-court press to take a commanding lead. At halftime, the Warriors lead 45-24.

In the second half, after causing a turnover, Tre grabs an offensive rebound and dunks. On the next possession, he throws a no-look alley-oop to Kevin for another dunk. However, Tre picks up a third foul and then a fourth after shoving an opponent who taunts him. He sits for the rest of the game, which the Warriors win. Afterward, fans swarm the other starters for autographs, but no one approaches Tre.

At home, Tre tells his mom they won but declines to eat. She apologizes for missing the game because of her online class. Tre resists the temptation to point out that she never missed Jaxon’s games. In his room, he scrolls through social media and smiles at clips of his alley-oop pass to Kevin.

On the bus to Bemidji, Kevin tells Tre they’ve never beaten Bemidji before. When Tre tries to sit with Nate, Kevin says the varsity players sit in the back and invites Tre to sit with him. Tre reads an article about Jacob Griffin, a Minnesota basketball prodigy from Crestview Christian Academy committed to Duke. Kevin recognizes Jacob from online highlights and hopes they don’t face his team if they make it to the state championship.

Tre recounts how his dad’s team lost to Bemidji by one point on a last-second half-court shot. Kevin says they would have beaten Bemidji last year if Jaxon had been playing. Kevin asks Tre about his basketball goals. Afraid to share his true ambitions, Tre says he’d like to get a college scholarship. The bus arrives at the packed Bemidji High School, where Red Lake fans greet the team with cheers.

The game begins. Tre tips in a missed shot for the first basket, but later hesitates on an open look and passes to Robert, who sinks a three. Late in the first half, Tre takes a hard charge and gets a blocking foul, his third. Bemidji’s Paul Bunyan mascot points and laughs at him. The half ends tied 53-53. Tre commits his fourth foul early in the third quarter and is benched. Bemidji goes on a run, and Coach sends Tre back in. He immediately hits a deep three-pointer and then gets a steal that leads to a layup, sparking a comeback.

With two minutes left and the game tied, Tre is fouled on a layup that goes in. He makes the free throw, putting Red Lake up 80-77. On defense, Tre contests a dunk and is called for his fifth foul, fouling out. As he walks to the bench, Red Lake fans give him a standing ovation. Bemidji fans hold up signs taunting the Warriors. Red Lake loses 81-80 after a last-second shot by Robert rattles out.

In the locker room, Kevin comforts Tre, reminding him that it’s only the second game of the season and offering him an apple. Dallas finds Tre still in the locker room and notes that Kevin never shares his snacks with anyone. As they walk through the empty gymnasium, Dallas consoles Tre, saying they win and lose as a team.

After the Bemidji game, Tre lies in bed replaying the loss. He texts Khiana, and she offers to come over. He lets her in quietly. They hug on the front step for a long time, and then watch stand-up comedy in his bed and share ice cream. Tre tries to define their relationship. Khiana stops him, acknowledging his feelings but saying they can’t be more than friends. She explains that she values their friendship but is leaving for California in a few months. Tre agrees to just be friends.

The Monday after the Bemidji game, Tre is distracted at school. Mason and Mike, back from their suspension, appear in the hallway. Mason surprises Tre, Dallas, and Kevin by complimenting Tre’s performance, but then makes a backhanded remark about Tre getting experience during blowout victories. He says he’s ready to take back his starting spot. Tre retorts that the team almost beat Bemidji without Mason and Mike. Kevin backs him up. Mike leads Mason away to the gym, and Kevin tells Tre that Mason is simply scared of losing his starting spot.

Before practice, Coach Whitefeather announces that Tre will remain the starting point guard for the next game. Mason angrily argues that he has earned his spot and knows the plays better. Coach tells him he must earn his place back after letting the team down. Mason declares that it’s his team, flips his chair, and storms out of the locker room.

Tre, Nate, Khiana, and Wes are Christmas shopping at a crowded mall. Nate reveals that his grandma gave him money for family gifts, but he plans to spend minimally on his siblings and keep the rest. Wes and Khiana, finished shopping, go to the arcade while Tre and Nate finish up. Tre glances back at them, half-expecting to see them holding hands.

In the bookstore, Tre asks Nate if it would be weird to buy Khiana a gift. Nate teases him about lingering feelings. Tre selects a graphic novel about female vampires for Khiana. Nate starts to say Tre is lucky he doesn’t have a sibling, but stops, feeling bad about mentioning Jaxon. Tre changes the subject, and they go to a candle store to buy gifts for his mom.

At the arcade, they find Wes and Khiana emerging from a photo booth, laughing hysterically. The photos show Khiana making cute poses while Wes makes goofy faces. On the way out, Khiana invites Tre to hang out later to wrap gifts and play video games. Tre declines, explaining that he has been exhausted and sore from the season and has to wake up early on Sunday for shooting drills with his dad.

On Christmas morning, Tre’s dad hands him a gift: a new pair of basketball shoes. Tre becomes emotional, explaining that new basketball shoes were always Jaxon’s main Christmas gift. The family shares a moment of grief, acknowledging how hard the first holidays are without Jaxon. They reminisce, telling funny stories. Tre’s dad abruptly leaves the room. Tre opens other gifts: graphic novels and a Batman Funko Pop.

Dad returns, holding the LeBron shoes that Jaxon received the previous Christmas. He explains that Jaxon wore them when he scored his career high and that Tre is now the same shoe size. Dad suggests that Tre wear the new shoes for school and Jaxon’s shoes during games as a good-luck charm, to carry a part of his brother with him.

Before the game against Minneapolis, Tre ties on Jaxon’s shoes, asking his brother for strength. Coach Whitefeather warns the team that Minneapolis is a perennial state champion and won three titles in the last four years. Minneapolis dominates the first half through size and skill, leading 57-38 at halftime. Their center taunts Kevin after dunking on him.

In the locker room, Coach challenges Tre to stop playing timidly and take over, warning that he’ll put Mason back in otherwise. Mason laughs, but Tre accepts the challenge. In the second half, Tre calls for isolation plays and hits two consecutive three-pointers, sparking a comeback. By the end of the third quarter, Red Lake has cut the deficit, trailing 60-53.

Late in the fourth, Tre attacks the rim for a dunk, switches hands in midair through contact, floats in a short shot for an and-one, and makes the free throw to put Red Lake up four. Minneapolis answers with a three-pointer and a fast-break layup to take an 81-80 lead with 20 seconds left. Coach calls a play to isolate Tre for the final shot. With the crowd counting down, Tre crosses over to make his defender stumble and launches a deep three-pointer at the buzzer, celebrating as it drops.

His teammates tackle him in celebration. Fans from the reservation flood the court. Wes, Nate, and Khiana fight through the crowd. A cheerleader from the opposing team flirts with Tre and asks him to follow her on social media. Khiana teasingly calls him a sports star. A little girl asks for his first autograph. A crowd surrounds him for more autographs and selfies. Wes, Nate, and Khiana leave to get food, and Tre learns that Khiana came with Wes, making him wonder if they’re a couple.

On a weekend afternoon, Tre, Nate, and Wes watch a Timberwolves game at Tre’s house. The house is full, and Tre’s parents and uncles create a happy atmosphere that Tre notes has been absent since Jaxon’s death. Nate comments on the highlight video Wes made and on Tre’s growing social media following, which has jumped from 100 to 700 followers. Nate shows pictures from Khiana’s recent trip to the Mall of America.

Uncle Ricky declares that this is the year the team will go to the state championship. Liver describes getting into an online debate about whether Tre, his dad, or Jaxon is the best Warriors player of all time. Overwhelmed by the pressure and compliments, Tre escapes to the bathroom. Staring at his reflection, he questions whether he can live up to expectations and wishes Jaxon were there. The family and friends talk about how packed the gym has become for games.

During a blowout win against Nevis, Tre is on the bench. Dallas tells Tre to stand and acknowledge the fans, who are giving him a standing ovation for scoring 49 points, just four shy of Jaxon’s school record of 53. With the starters resting, Nevis keeps their starters in and cuts into the lead against the bench. With the lead down to six points and a minute to go, Coach subs only Tre back into the game.

When Tre asks what play to run, Coach simply tells him to trust himself and casually eats popcorn. Tre breaks a double-team and throws down a massive dunk, bringing his total to 51 points. On defense, he pins a layup against the backboard. The Nevis crowd and a player heckle Tre, comparing him unfavorably to his brother. In response, Tre uses a crossover that makes his defender fall. He launches a three-pointer as the final buzzer sounds. The shot goes in, and his teammates mob him. Dallas and Kevin tell Tre that he scored 54 points, breaking Jaxon’s school record.