Understanding the Ending of ‘Running Point’: Did Isla Guide the Team to Victory in the Conference Championship?

To quote Drew Tarver‘s character in Season 1, Episode 10 of Running Point, “Jesus Christ, basketball is intense.”

Kate Hudson and Mindy Kaling’s debut Netflix comedy series managed to evoke laughter and tears in its first season. Isla Gordon (played by Hudson) and her family faced a series of challenges as they endeavored to revive the Los Angeles Waves from a difficult season and guide them towards the championship. The season’s concluding episode, “Game Seven,” left viewers questioning whether the team achieved their objective, if Isla emerged as a capable leader for the Waves, and what repercussions awaited following a last-minute appearance.

**This should go without saying, but spoilers ahead for the first season of Running Point**

The show’s premise, mirroring real sports, often left audiences puzzled by the decisions made by the writers, leading many to question the unexpected conclusion. Echoing the sentiments of Kelly Kapoor, Kaling’s character from “The Office,” who famously quipped, “I have a lot of questions. Number one: How dare you?”

If you find yourself in need of clarity after binge-watching the entire series and are eager for an explanation of the heart-stopping finale, fear not; we have you covered. Whether you seek a recap following the binge-watch or are on the edge of your seat waiting to discover the outcome, below is a detailed breakdown of Season 1’s dramatic conclusion of “Running Point.”

After taking Travis Bugg (Chet Hanks) to rehab at the expense of her relationship with Lev (Max Greenfield), the Season 1 finale of Running Point kicks off with Isla feeling lost in her personal life without her fiance of half a decade by her side. Isla even latches onto the idea that Lev left behind his waterpik while packing up his stuff so he could reach back out to her when he is ready. I believe this is what the kids call “delulu” because that could not be further from the truth. In fact, Ali (Brenda Song) soon informs Isla that Lev is moving across the country to Minnesota to take a new job, something that is news to Isla amid their break.

At the end of Episode 9, “The Playoffs,” Lev told Isla that he just needed a minute to step away and reevaluate their relationship, which apparently resulted in a decision to uproot his entire life. Whereas Isla thought they’d just been taking some time apart from each other, it’s clear that Lev is ready to move on. Downtrodden over the Lev news and panicking about the playoff game later that evening, Isla also rejects the request of her new brother, Jackie (Fabrizio Guido), when he asks if he can run an important errand in the afternoon. What she doesn’t know is that Jackie wants to swing by the restaurant he used to go to with his mom in honor of her birthday. Remember, it was the death of Jackie’s mom that led to his paternity reveal at the start of the show and while the other Gordons are not close with their respective mothers, Jackie is the exception to this rule. More on this later!

After a quick chat with Jay (Jay Ellis), where he tells her that she needs to prep some rousing words to the team for their big game, Isla starts to panic even more over the thought of having the whole championship hopes ride on whether or not she can excite and drive the team. This scene also yields one of the best lines from Season 1, “They need me to give a speech to motivate them? Isn’t that what the money is for?” Isla’s so averse to the idea that she tries to ask Ali if AI can do it and even unsuccessfully offers Jackie $50 to put some word together.

Isla’s problems do not end there, though, because after Sandy (Drew Tarver) and Ness (Scott MacArthur) find out that their sister is planning to let Jay out of his contract early, they confront her about the situation. Tearfully, she confesses that she is letting Jay follow his ex-wife and his kids to Boston, which also leads to her breaking down over the status of her relationship and the pressure she is feeling going into the evening’s big game. Still peeved about Jay but putting their feelings aside, Sandy and Ness tell Isla to go after Lev and stop him from moving.

Showing up at Lev’s office uninvited and unannounced, Isla crashes a work birthday party for one of Lev’s coworkers — played by Kaling’s former assistant and Running Point writer, Akshara Sekar — and demands to speak with him. She admits to undervaluing him and not putting in the time or effort into their relationship, which Lev appreciates but ultimately rebuffs. He tells her that her attempt to reconcile is not a hard no, but that he just needs a little more time to process his feelings. Fair enough, she did miss the one event he asked her to prioritize.

Back at Waves HQ, Isla, Sandy, and Ness realize that Jackie has disappeared with mere hours until the game that will decide if the Waves make it to the finals. Realizing how much they rely on him and that they are worried about his sudden vanishing, the trio hunts down Jackie’s friend Sofia (Marissa Reyes), who tells them that they can find him “where he is every year on his mom’s birthday.” The revelation leads the Gordon siblings to Maya’s Grill, where they find Jackie solemnly remembering his mom.

After a heart-to-heart and a promise to work on the whole “family thing,” Isla and her brothers realize they have less than an hour to get back to the arena for tip-off. Unfortunately, because of road closures for the game, the group must run the three-plus miles from Lincoln Heights to downtown Los Angeles (as an Angeleno, I must roll my eyes) in order to make it back in time for Isla to give her speech. Thankfully, this is television and not real life because Isla arrives in the locker room just in time to inspire the team to go out and win.

To move the players, she calls the team underdogs and pushes them to tap into their anger at how underestimated they have been throughout the season. She also relies on a perfectly-timed reference to John Wick — a recurring character brought up throughout the final episode — to send the Waves players over the edge and ready to take on the Portland Storms for a spot in the championship.

Coming back from a six-point deficit and relying on Marcus (Toby Sandeman) to sink three-pointer after three-pointer, the game all comes down to the final minute. With just seconds left, Marcus successfully pulls the team ahead by one point only for Portland to take another two-pointer, leaving the game at 98-97, Portland. Thankfully, a foul on Dyson (Uche Agada) gives the Waves one final chance to clinch the game. No longer embarrassed of his granny free throws, the undrafted rookie brings the SoCal team’s total to 99 vs. Portland’s 98.

And you can end it here if you don’t want to experience any heartbreak.

As Isla, her brothers, and Ali are cheering from the sidelines for Dyson’s two free throws, Portland makes one final pass at pulling out a win, shooting a Hail Mary half-court shot and sinking it. The three-pointer at the buzzer falls into the basket in slow motion as the fans watch the Waves’ championship dreams flush down the drain with the shot. It’s a brutal defeat for the team who had the clearest of heads and the fullest of hearts for the game.

Reeling from the loss and still feeling the burn of her potential breakup with Lev, Isla lets the rest of the group go ahead to drown their sorrows in alcohol, taking a minute to herself in the empty arena. She isn’t alone for long, however, as Jay makes his entrance and thanks her for helping to turn the team around and get the Waves this far. He doesn’t just thank her with his words, though. After a brief moment of silence, Jay goes in for a kiss, sharing a tender moment with Isla and further complicating the situation… Will he go to Boston? Does Isla want Jay or Lev?

Just as Isla thinks the blows have ended and she’s ready to wipe the slate clean, the final punch comes in the last seconds of Episode 10. The season ends with Isla walking into her office to find her older brother, Cam (Justin Theroux), sitting at her desk with his feet up. He tells our protagonist that he’s finally ready to take back the reins after stepping away at the start of the season, which prompts Isla’s inner monologue to end the season with, “what the –.”

Clearly, there is a lot that has to be explored in a second season and the stars are ready and waiting for Netflix to give the green light. In an interview with Decider, Tarver, MacArthur, and Ellis each expressed interest in returning to the basketball comedy to continue exploring the relationships and dynamics of these lovable b-ball fanatics.

“We all hope there’s a Season 2, for sure,” said Ellis. “We’d be excited to work together again[…] I think it could go as long as Netflix is willing to write the check.” Here’s hoping.

You can watch all 10 episodes of Running Point Season 1, currently streaming on Netflix.