The Big Game Championship Heist
The golden championship trophy has vanished from the vault right before the big tournament! The Hoop Bandit slipped past court security and made off with the prize. It is up to you, Detective, to crack the basketball stats, run the plays, and catch the thief before the final buzzer!
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
| Name | Signature Move | Super Gear | Shooting Hand | Hairstyle | Defensive Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe | Windmill Dunk | Glow Jerseys | Left Handed | High Ponytails | Double Teams |
| Zion | Windmill Dunk | Golden Whistles | Right Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Zone Defense |
| Booker | Windmill Dunk | Glow Jerseys | Left Handed | Curly Fades | Full Court Press |
| Joker | Crossover Dribble | Golden Whistles | Right Handed | High Ponytails | Full Court Press |
| Giannis | No-look Pass | Laser Goggles | Right Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
| KD | No-look Pass | Golden Whistles | Left Handed | Curly Fades | Full Court Press |
| Luka | Ankle Breaker | Laser Goggles | Left Handed | High Ponytails | Zone Defense |
| Curry | Ankle Breaker | Sticky Socks | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
| Hal | Windmill Dunk | Laser Goggles | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
| Jordan | Windmill Dunk | Glow Jerseys | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Zone Defense |
| Ja | Ankle Breaker | Glow Jerseys | Right Handed | Curly Fades | Full Court Press |
| Dame | Windmill Dunk | Spring Sneakers | Right Handed | High Ponytails | Double Teams |
| Spida | Ankle Breaker | Glow Jerseys | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
| LeBron | Windmill Dunk | Sticky Socks | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Zone Defense |
| Shaq | Half-court Shot | Spring Sneakers | Left Handed | Curly Fades | Zone Defense |
| Slammin Sammy | Half-court Shot | Golden Whistles | Right Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
| Muggsy | Half-court Shot | Sticky Socks | Left Handed | Curly Fades | Double Teams |
| Kyrie | No-look Pass | Spring Sneakers | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Zone Defense |
| Buzzer Bobby | No-look Pass | Golden Whistles | Right Handed | Curly Fades | Full Court Press |
| Jimmy | No-look Pass | Laser Goggles | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
| Tatum | No-look Pass | Golden Whistles | Left Handed | Spiky Mohawks | Full Court Press |
Multiplication facts (1-12)
The arena coach is stacking boxes of brand new basketballs. There are several equal rows of boxes on the equipment cart. We need to multiply the rows to count the balls and reveal our first lead.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Rounding
The digital scoreboard was damaged by the thief, making the numbers flicker. We have to round the broken score to the nearest ten to fix the screen and see the security camera footage.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Addition
The concession stand worker needs to count the total drinks sold tonight. Let us add the sodas, sports drinks, and water bottles together to unlock the locker room door key.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Subtraction
The referee has a pile of jerseys, but some are missing from the rack. By subtracting the current jerseys from the original total, we can find out how many the thief stole.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Division facts (1-12) — the last clue
The junior team wants to split the practice balls equally among all the players on the court. If we divide the balls up fairly, the coach will share a secret witness report.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Big Game Championship Heist
- Clue 1 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "THE BANDIT DOES NOT WEAR GOLDEN WHISTLES"7 × 10 = 70 (T) · 2 × 5 = 10 (L) · 4 × 12 = 48 (E) · 5 × 7 = 35 (S) · 4 × 8 = 32 (G) · 9 × 7 = 63 (B) · 5 × 11 = 55 (R) · 5 × 8 = 40 (D) · 2 × 12 = 24 (O) · 5 × 6 = 30 (I) · 1 × 7 = 7 (N) · 4 × 7 = 28 (W) · 2 × 10 = 20 (H) · 11 × 11 = 121 (A)
- Clue 2 (Rounding): "THE THIEF DRIVES HARD TO THE LEFT SIDE"Round 22 to the nearest ten = 20 (T) · Round 4,620 to the nearest thousand = 5000 (R) · Round 6,562 to the nearest thousand = 7000 (V) · Round 167 to the nearest ten = 170 (F) · Round 8,916 to the nearest thousand = 9000 (I) · Round 286 to the nearest ten = 290 (L) · Round 53 to the nearest ten = 50 (A) · Round 127 to the nearest ten = 130 (S) · Round 1,319 to the nearest hundred = 1300 (H) · Round 944 to the nearest hundred = 900 (O) · Round 111 to the nearest ten = 110 (E) · Round 475 to the nearest hundred = 500 (D)
- Clue 3 (Addition): "THE THIEF TRIPS AGAINST A FULL COURT PRESS"2845 + 1732 = 4577 (T) · 4117 + 3765 = 7882 (U) · 2046 + 2829 = 4875 (R) · 767 + 1382 = 2149 (N) · 4036 + 5741 = 9777 (L) · 3062 + 5527 = 8589 (F) · 3373 + 3572 = 6945 (S) · 741 + 1704 = 2445 (C) · 4221 + 4069 = 8290 (G) · 1749 + 2976 = 4725 (H) · 2837 + 5420 = 8257 (P) · 3810 + 4068 = 7878 (E) · 2750 + 3599 = 6349 (O) · 4049 + 4979 = 9028 (I) · 3423 + 2021 = 5444 (A)
- Clue 4 (Subtraction): "WE FOUND SPIKY MOHAWK HAIR ON THE RIM"6741 - 737 = 6004 (W) · 5315 - 788 = 4527 (T) · 5844 - 3593 = 2251 (N) · 5516 - 2899 = 2617 (O) · 8980 - 2423 = 6557 (M) · 5781 - 1333 = 4448 (U) · 6030 - 896 = 5134 (P) · 8144 - 2372 = 5772 (E) · 8524 - 3261 = 5263 (H) · 2378 - 959 = 1419 (I) · 11593 - 3784 = 7809 (K) · 9362 - 3444 = 5918 (A) · 9734 - 3655 = 6079 (R) · 8662 - 1989 = 6673 (D) · 8256 - 4862 = 3394 (S) · 4494 - 1607 = 2887 (F) · 11730 - 4303 = 7427 (Y)
- Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 12) → Jimmy120 ÷ 12 = 10 · 88 ÷ 11 = 8 · 18 ÷ 9 = 2 · 30 ÷ 6 = 5 · 90 ÷ 10 = 9 · 72 ÷ 12 = 6 · 2 ÷ 2 = 1 · 77 ÷ 11 = 7 · 33 ÷ 11 = 3 · 20 ÷ 5 = 4 · 132 ÷ 12 = 11
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 4 math
- Math topics
- Multiplication, Rounding, Addition, Subtraction, Division
- Reading level
- grades 3-4
- Theme
- The Big Game Championship Heist — set in The All-Star Arena
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects