Open the game and choose your opponent: Two players on one keyboard, or the computer at Rookie, Pro or Legend. Pick the target score (11 or 21) and the possession rule (loser's outs or winner's outs), set the volume, then press Tip off. Your choices are remembered for next time.
The action key means different things depending on the situation:
There are no turns; play is continuous. Each possession begins with a check: the ball-handler stands at the top of the key and the defender four feet off. After a made basket the ball changes hands under the possession rule you chose (loser's outs gives it to the player who was scored on).
Move in eight directions. Dribbling slows you slightly. Running drains the stamina bar above your player; standing still recovers it. Tired players move slower, shoot worse and are easier to steal from.
A shot from inside the arc scores 2, from behind the arc 3. A drive that arrives at the rim moving fast becomes a dunk, which nearly always scores unless the defender is right there. Missed shots come off the rim as live balls; whoever reaches one first has it. If the defender takes a rebound or a steal they must carry the ball back past the arc before shooting — the screen says take it back past the arc until they have. Every possession has a 24-second shot clock; letting it expire is a turnover.
The first player to reach the target score wins. The final score is shown on the court; press Esc to return to the setup screen and play again.
Your opponent reaches the target score first. There are no draws.
A game lasts a few minutes and is not saved; only your setup choices are stored in the browser. Esc abandons the current game and returns to setup, where Tip off starts a new one.