So from what I've gathered, if I play take it easy and I see "xxx put more into this game than Shooting Star Hoops," that team played normal.
Yes, this line denotes a difference of one level in effort, so it is also shown for games with
normal vs.
crunch time. In addition, this is the line you will see if teams play at different effort levels when the "Playoff" efforts are used (playoff games, final rounds in Cup).
Does it follow then that if I see, "xxx looked like the only team trying out there," it means they played crunch time?
Yes, this line is used for a two-level difference in effort, so it's always TIE vs. CT.