| Annual coll. basketball competition |
| Alternative to man-to-man defense, in basketball |
| Miami's pro basketball team |
| George nicknamed "Mr. Basketball |
| Basketball teams. |
| Cryptographers' successes (and what can be found in the circles in this puzzle's long answers) |
| Cartoony yell if your butt's on fire and you're running in circles |
| Basketball or football defense method |
| Circles overhead? |
| Basketball datum |
| Basketball's trajectory |
| Basketball Hall-of-Famer Hawkins |
| Basketball area |
| Advances the basketball |
| Primitive area, and what's literally found in this puzzle's circles |
| Basketball movie |
| Alcoholic drink served at basketball games? |
| Basketball's Stoudemire |
| Advice that the four long entries with circles failed to follow |
| Basketball tactics |
| Baking conveniences, and a hint to this puzzle's circles |
| Angelic circles |
| Airborne basketballer |
| Basketball's King James, for one |
| Sound of a basketball shot that's "nothing but net |
| Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny |
| Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" sitcom ... or, literally, occupants of this puzzle's circles |
| Basketball's ___ Alcindor |
| Basketball's Saperstein |
| Basketballer Rodman is a suitor? |