Beating the clock also works for the Pacers

” I will not talk about it. The reasons for this are obvious. It’s not a good idea to talk about internal strategy. “Rick Carlisle won’t stop at a strategy that’s becoming more common around the league, and one that his Pacers use as well: to bite the clock before ‘money time.’

This tactic has historically been used by teams behind in scoring, who aim to waste no time getting to the ball in hopes of maximizing their chances of a comeback by delaying possession for 24 seconds. .

Now, this funny little play that the Celtics have mastered this season is being used in another direction: a formation with a lead can take seconds to limit the amount of playing time an opponent can take advantage of a comeback.

Remember that when the ball is put back into play, after a basket or layup, the 24-second timer starts only when the player touches the ball. That’s it for the eight seconds a team has to cross the halfway line. On the other hand, the game clock continues to run until the last minute of the first, second and third quarters, and the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, except for the whistle.

This is what led to the recent improbable sequence in which Ja Morant, who used this “trick” a lot, caused a 30-second game to pass. incredibly unruly The Charlotte team, as the commentator said, before Terry Rozier pushed him for possession. Note that this move happened late in the third quarter, when the Grizzlies already had an almost 30-point lead…

It is better to take the smallest advantages

Sporty or not, this trend doesn’t seem to bother certain formations that only use existing rules. ” We try our best to win matches. If there’s any way to get any benefits from brushing your teeth in the morning, we’re going to try it. », Carlisle makes clear, his team will be one of them who benefit most from this strategy.

This pick also correlates to the type of game the Pacers employ and how their opponents respond. Indiana, averaging 19 points, is the leading offensive scorer. In other words, the opposing team will be more naturally inclined to drop back very quickly, with five defenders in the half of the field, instead of pressuring Tyrese Haliburton et al. This phenomenon thus facilitates the possibility of chrono eating.

” It makes sense in the course of the match. You might as well let the ball roll, especially if you have to retrieve the ball anyway. Rival teams don’t take me all the way. They have to respect my ability to pass players as well as our firepower in transition. They don’t really accept me, let’s try to get the ball rolling, try to control the clock, I think that’s important “He is the second best passer in the league.

His replacement, TJ McConnell, assures that one of the team’s assistants, Mike Weinar, commented on this matter. Therefore, the Pacers should not be deprived of it in the future. ” If they don’t pressure us and force us to take the ball, we should continue to enjoy it. When our opponents try to slow us down because of our speed and force us to play in the half court, it is important for us to gain as much time on the clock as possible. McConnell says.