- Date: April 19, 2005
- Type: Television Episode
This Television Episode is based on The Lord of the Rings
Michael asks everyone if they are ready for the (basketball) game, but gets a half-hearted grumble from the group. Michael then says "Yeah, I know. Grumble, grumble, grumble. But you would follow me to the ends of the earth, grumbling all the way. Like that, uh, dwarf from Lord of the Rings." Dwight corrects him by telling him that he's referring to 'Gimli'. Michael quickly calls Dwight a nerd.
Michael comes in to work prepared to pit the office staff against the warehouse in a game of basketball, with the losers having to work on Saturday. Michael picks Jim, Ryan, Stanley (Michael's "secret weapon"), and, reluctantly, Dwight and Phyllis (as an alternate). The game begins and Stanley, despite being seen as a great option for Michael's team (due to his race), is a horrible player. Furthermore, Michael cannot make a shot, nor is he a fan of passing or defending. During the game, Roy and Jim gradually become aggressive toward each other, with Pam looking on. Pam is once caught staring a sweaty Jim. At a crucial point in the game, Michael is accidentally hit in the face. Michael claims it is a "flagrant personal intentional foul". He pettily stops the game and declares the office winners since they were winning when the foul occurred. The warehouse finds the call unfair and Michael caves under pressure, conceding the victory to the warehouse staff. As everybody returns to work, Kevin demonstrates his excellent shooting skills. Afterwards, Michael, in a rare moment of heart, tells the office that they don't have to come in on Saturday either. However, his justification does little to calm them: "Like coming in an extra day is going to prevent us from being downsized."