The NBA has to punish teams for intentionally fouling while being up points

[Baller234]

We've reached the point where if you're down 3 with under 40 seconds you basically can't win the game.

Minnesota was down 3 but they weren't even allowed to get a shot off because each time down the floor OKC just intentionally fouled them and sent them to the line for 2. They just kept doing it until time ran out. This seems to be the general strategy now for most teams.

The team down 3 just has to keep trading free throws and pray the other team misses and gives you a glimmer of hope. You have no other chance to win. Not only does this totally go against the spirit of competition, it's incredibly tedious and unnecessarily stretches the end of the game even longer than before.

This is yet another problem caused by the 3pt line that our basketball ancestors could have never predicted. If you're going to keep the 3pt line, this needs to be addressed now.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Yeah, not like we saw this backfire in game 1 of the Denver series just a few weeks ago.

Just a pointless and mindless take. It's a part of the game. It will never be changed and never should be changed.

[SouBeachTalents]

I agree it's a shitty way for a playoff game to end and is very anticlimactic, but I don't know what the solution to this would be. You can't just change the rules in the final 20 seconds when committing fouls.

It reminds me of the onside kick in football, in how the NFL made recovering one so impossible, you legitimately have no chance to win if you're down more than 1 score at the end of the game.

[Baller234]

Yeah, not like we saw this backfire in game 1 of the Denver series just a few weeks ago.

Just a pointless and mindless take. It's a part of the game. It will never be changed and never should be changed.

Pointless and mindless take???

So Minnesota goes down 3 with half a minute left and doesn't have a chance to tie the game???

Every close game should just boil down to both teams trading free throws for 20 minutes???

Yea, sorry that sucks and is awful for the fans. This game was on course to having an exciting climactic finish but this "strategy" totally ruined all that.

Not surprised someone with a Bron avatar said this stupid shit.

[Baller234]

I agree it's a shitty way for a playoff game to end and is very anticlimactic, but I don't know what the solution to this would be. You can't just change the rules in the final 20 seconds when committing fouls.

It reminds me of the onside kick in football, in how the NFL made recovering one so impossible, you legitimately have no chance to win if you're down more than 1 score at the end of the game.

Why do fans always act like changing the rules is impossible? You know at one point there was no such thing as a 3pt shot right?

They can change the rules whenever they want, especially if it is in the spirit of competition and improves the product. All they would have to do is make it illegal to intentionally foul if you have the lead. Reward the other team with foul shots and possession. Either that or you have to get rid of the 3pt line.

It can't continue this way. This isn't basketball. That was AWFUL.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Pointless and mindless take???

So Minnesota goes down 3 with half a minute left and doesn't have a chance to tie the game???

Every close game should just boil down to both teams trading free throws for 20 minutes???

Yea, sorry that sucks and is awful for the fans. This game was on course to having an exciting climactic finish but this "strategy" totally ruined all that.

Not surprised someone with a Bron avatar said this stupid shit.

So you want ti penalize the team that earned the 3 point lead by not allowing them to send players to the line in the same fashion that the opposing team can?

You're a ****ing moron. They did have a chance, Ant missed on purpose and they failed to get a rebound. Free throws are a part of the game and OKC wasn't guarenteed to make them. OKC literally lost a game because of this just weeks ago.

[Baller234]

Don't tell me it's "part of the game".

The 3pt line didn't always exist so it wasn't always "part of the game". Before the 3pt line there was no scenario where the team that was up had any incentive to foul. That's not the case currently. Now the team that's up has an incentive to foul.

It's gay, boring and goes against the spirit of the game. It needs to be legislated out immediately.

That ending was AWFUL. That wasn't basketball.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Don't tell me it's "part of the game".

The 3pt line didn't always exist so it wasn't always "part of the game". Before the 3pt line there was no scenario where the team that was up had any incentive to foul. That's not the case currently. Now the team that's up has an incentive to foul.

It's gay, boring and goes against the spirit of the game. It needs to be legislated out immediately.

That ending was AWFUL. That wasn't basketball.

We've seen like 6 or 7 all-time great finishes in this playoffs alone and you're crying about the end of 1 game in which the strategy wasn't pleasing enough for you. Think about how gay you sound. You're an actual fakkit.

[Baller234]

We've seen like 6 or 7 all-time great finishes in this playoffs alone and you're crying about the end of 1 game in which the strategy wasn't pleasing enough for you. Think about how gay you sound. You're an actual fakkit.

Mark my words the league will address this within the next 2 years max and everyone is going to applaud it when it happens.

You will be the only one crying about it.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Mark my words the league will address this within the next 2 years max and everyone is going to applaud it when it happens.

You will be the only one crying about it.

Yeah bro, they're gonna just alter the ability to intentionally foul with a lead even though it's been around since, practically forever, because people like you don't find it exciting enough.

So you're cool with the opposing team intentionally fouling and stopping the clock in order to get back in the game, but its not cool if the team with a small lead does it, because "it's not basketball" even though it's quite literally been around forever.

Amazing take. You're really going places in life.

"But they introduced the 3 line 50 years ago, the game is always changing!"

:roll:

[Baller234]

Yeah bro, they're gonna just alter the ability to intentionally foul with a lead even though it's been around since, practically forever because people like you don't find it exciting enough.

So you're cool with the opposing team intentionally fouling and stopping the clock in order to get back in the game, but its not cool if the team with a small lead does it, because "it's not basketball" even though it's quite literally been around forever.

Amazing take. You're really going places in life.

No it quite literally has not been around forever because the 3pt line didn't always exist. Also for the most part this was not a common approach until at least the mid 2010's. Since then it's exploded and now it's commonplace.

It definitely wasn't something that's always been here. You're recalling alternative facts and you made that part up yourself. But hey enjoy your gay brand of basketball and your never-ending free throw contests.

You can apologize to me when they make the rule change official because it's definitely happening. I hope you don't cry too hard.

[AlternativeAcc.]

No it quite literally has not been around forever because the 3pt line didn't always exist. Also for the most part this was not a common approach until at least the mid 2010's. Since then it's exploded and now it's commonplace.

It definitely wasn't something that's always been here. You're recalling alternative facts and you made that part up yourself. But hey enjoy your gay brand of basketball and your never-ending free throw contests.

You can apologize to me when they make the rule change official because it's definitely happening. I hope you don't cry too hard.

No moron, the ability to intentionally foul has been around forever. It's not all of a sudden going to change because you don't like the late game strategy.

If you actually think they will start preventing teams from intentionally fouling with a lead then I genuinely think you're retarded. Clinically retarded.

[Baller234]

No moron, the ability to intentionally foul has been around forever. It's not all of a sudden going to change because you don't like the late game strategy.

If you actually think they will start preventing teams from intentionally fouling with a lead then I genuinely think you're retarded. Clinically retarded.

Before the 3pt line was adopted, the team that was up never had any incentive to foul. So once again you're just making shit up.

Even after the 3pt line was introduced, teams didn't adopt this "foul while up" mindset until at least the last 10 years. It was done here and there but it wasn't commonplace like it is now.

The league has a history of making drastic rule changes, way more drastic than anything I've proposed in this thread. I can probably name 10 off the top of my head that occurred in just the last 25 years. Were you crying when they reduced the shot clock to 14 seconds for the team that got an offensive rebound? Doesn't that "penalize" them?

Like I said if you want to keep things as they are, with the gay foul shooting back and forth, then by all means... keep being gay. Just remember to apologize when they change the rule.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Before the 3pt line was adopted, the team that was up never had any incentive to foul. So once again you're just making shit up.

Even after the 3pt line was introduced, teams didn't adopt this "foul while up" mindset until at least the last 10 years. It was done here and there but it wasn't commonplace like it is now.

The league has a history of making drastic rule changes, way more drastic than anything I've proposed in this thread. I can probably name 10 off the top of my head that occurred in just the last 25 years. Were you crying when they reduced the shot clock to 14 seconds for the team that got an offensive rebound? Doesn't that "penalize" them?

Like I said if you want to keep things as they are, with the gay foul shooting back and forth, then by all means... keep being gay. Just remember to apologize when they change the rule.

But what you're proposing is that one team can intentionally foul, but the other team can't. That is not analogous to a shot clock change which affects both teams equally, or the 3 point line being introduced, or anything you could possibly bring up.

If you change the rules for intentionally fouling, then it has to be across the board, which would then prevent teams from intentionally fouling to be able to get back into games... so OBVIOUSLY, it will not change. It's not rocket science you dumb mother ****er :oldlol:

[Baller234]

But what you're proposing is that one team can intentionally foul, but the other team can't. That is not analogous to a shot clock change which affects both teams equally, or the 3 point line being introduced, or anything you could possibly bring up.

If you change the rules for intentionally fouling, then it has to be across the board, which would then prevent teams from intentionally fouling to be able to get back into games. It's not rocket science you dumb mother ****er :oldlol:

Why? Because AlternativeAcc said so?

Why can't you just apply the penalty for the team that has the lead?

[AlternativeAcc.]

Why? Because AlternativeAcc said so?

Why can't you just apply the penalty for the team that has the lead?

Yeah man, why not just stop allowing teams to shoot 3s if you have a lead with less than 3 minutes left?

Why not radically change the rules for the winning team even though there is zero precedent for it across any sport.

You are just brilliant. I hope you now understand how much of a moron you are. Go to sleep now little guy.

[Baller234]

Yeah man, why not just stop allowing teams to shoot 3s if you have a lead with less than 3 minutes left?

Why not radically change the rules for the winning team even though there is zero precedent for it across any sport.

You are just brilliant. I hope you now understand how much of a moron you are. Go to sleep now little guy.

I hope you keep this same attitude when they change the rule, because I promise you it's going to happen and soon.

Hopefully you don't lose too much sleep over it.

[Baller234]

Bigger accounts on X are already complaining about it and some are proposing to change the rules:

https://x.com/SeanFennessey/status/1927203048184582403
https://x.com/NateDuncanNBA/status/1927203494848536910
https://x.com/MasterTes/status/1927202885814681975
https://x.com/RajChipalu/status/1927202334657966314
https://x.com/BiasedHouston/status/1927201788597334106

I give it 2 years max.

[tpols]

With the amount of absurd 4th quarter and last minute comebacks we've seen in this playoffs I don't think we need to handicap a team thats up any further.

They've also been doing this since forever I remember watching Nets games in the early 2000s and if a team was up 3 with < 5 or 10 seconds left they would intentionally foul to prevent the 3 pt shot. This has been around for decades bro, its wierd timing you pick now to complain about it.

[Baller234]

With the amount of absurd 4th quarter and last minute comebacks we've seen in this playoffs I don't think we need to handicap a team thats up any further.

They've also been doing this since forever I remember watching Nets games in the early 2000s and if a team was up 3 with < 5 or 10 seconds left they would intentionally foul to prevent the 3 pt shot. This has been around for decades bro, its wierd timing you pick now to complain about it.

It definitely has not been commonplace for decades. You can cherry pick isolated moments all you want, this definitely wasn't always a thing. Either you just started watching basketball a few years ago or you're recalling alternative facts. It didn't become conventional wisdom until at least Silver took over. Now it's just the norm, last night cemented it.

Only the team that's trailing should be incentivized to foul. You should never be "rewarded" for fouling. Putting the other team on the line for 2 so they can't attempt a game tying 3 is rewarding for fouling.

When both teams are incentivized to foul, it stops being about which team can pull a miracle or which team can make a defensive stop. It just becomes a never ending free throw contest.

Gay.
Boring.
Retarded.

Not real basketball.

[ShawkFactory]

It definitely has not been commonplace for decades. You can cherry pick isolated moments all you want, this definitely wasn't always a thing. Either you just started watching basketball a few years ago or you're recalling alternative facts. It didn't become conventional wisdom until at least Silver took over. Now it's just the norm, last night cemented it.

Only the team that's trailing should be incentivized to foul. You should never be "rewarded" for fouling. Putting the other team on the line for 2 so they can't attempt a game tying 3 is rewarding for fouling.

When both teams are incentivized to foul, it stops being about which team can pull a miracle or which team can make a defensive stop. It just becomes a never ending free throw contest.

Gay.
Boring.
Retarded.

Not real basketball.

It hasn’t always been the norm for the NBA but NCAAB has practiced this commonly for a while now.

[tpols]

Dude intentional fouling has been around for decades. Some of the worst, ugliest intentional fouling happened in the early 2000s specifically against Shaq.

That was actually way worse. So you're beating a horse thats long been dead.

And again... we've seen an absurd amount of last minute comebacks this 2025 playoffs. Its wierd that you see 1 game and just lose your shit over it as if its the norm which its not at all right now.

[Baller234]

Dude intentional fouling has been around for decades. Some of the worst, ugliest intentional fouling happened in the early 2000s specifically against Shaq.

That was actually way worse. So you're beating a horse thats long been dead.

And again... we've seen an absurd amount of last minute comebacks this 2025 playoffs. Its wierd that you see 1 game and just lose your shit over it as if its the norm which its not at all right now.

Obviously it isn't just one game because more people are starting to talk about it. Believe me I'm not the only one. The conversation is only going to get louder if this keeps happening.

After last night's game I imagine most if not all teams are going to adopt this method. So long as you hit your free throws you can't lose the game. Obviously it's not a guarantee that you're gonna hit every free throw but I think most teams would sign up for that instead of giving the other team a chance to tie themselves. Just keep grinding the clock down.

I'll be honest, if I were a coach I would be doing it 100%. Why not? It makes perfect sense.

Which is why something needs to be done.

[L.Kizzle]

In the NFL, you're literally able to take a knee and burn 30+ seconds until it's time to do it again for the next down.

[04mzwach]

No free throws for the last minute and fouls are doubled and cause a change of possession. Discourages fouls in the last minute. If you have 4 fouls and you foul then you would have 6 fouls. Personally think it's better than watching players shoot free throws for the last minute of action sometimes.

[talkingconch]

i think the best way to address this is if you commit a foul within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock, the opposing team gets 2 + the ball. ofc this can only be done maybe within the last minute or so? Not sure how this can be regulated.

[diamenz]

as long as the simpletons keep going nuts over dunks and long threes, nothing will change.

[FilmyCogTurner]

Meh, it sucks but it's not like the winning team doesn't have to make the same shots to keep their lead.