Great teams prepare for critical situations on the practice court and in the video room, discussing what will happen ahead of time and debriefing what actually occurs. It is easy to coach offensive plays and decisions but often less time is devoted to the defensive component. There are a number of ways to handle each situation so all players must have a sturdy grasp of what the team will do at this moment in time. Misunderstanding and miscommunication leads to mistakes.
Below are a handful of late-game scenarios that result in stops because of solid play and sound strategy. No tactic can guarantee a stop but if all five players play together, effective processes will frequently result in satisfactory outcomes.
Tied Game
Collapse on the Ball: At the end of regulation, San Antonio throws the ball into Tim Duncan on the left block, which is a favourite area for his running hook shot into the lane. As he receives the pass, three defenders collapse on him (the Rockets also guard the return pass to the inbounder – Manu Ginobili – and the easy pass to the corner for a Danny Green three). Duncan catches the ball further from the basket than he prefers and is stripped (or loses the ball himself) when he tries to go up against contact.
Stop the Opponent’s Best Player: Firstly, after Grievis Vasquez made an incredible three, Memphis could lose their focus in the excitement but they were able to regroup during the subsequent timeout. In some situations, a timeout might not be taken so excellent defense means no exuberant celebrations until after the buzzer.
Oklahoma City brings the ball up and gives it to Kevin Durant on the wing. He could shoot a pull-up three from this area but Durant could enter a very high percentage area for him (ten to fifteen feet out on the left side) if he dribbled once or twice. Tony Allen fights through a ball screen and stays with his man. Memphis passively blitzes the screen in that Marc Gasol stays with Durant to stop penetration but does not really trap him. Zach Randolph rotates to Kendrick Perkins as he rotates and Sam Young covers Randolph’s man on the weak-side of the basket. Durant misses a long three and although there was no time for a rebound, the Grizzlies were well-positioned to grab it if there was.
Nothing Easy: Although they forgot the fact later in the game, Manu Ginobili is a capable outside shooter so he is guarded as soon as he approaches his scoring area. Draymond Green is not an ideal matchup to guard Ginobili but he possesses the athleticism and the temperament to stop him from driving. Other Warriors are in position to defend Ginobili’s passing lanes. As time expires, the nearest Warrior (Stephen Curry) runs towards Ginobili to challenge his twenty-two foot jumper.
Up 1
Close the Paint: The San Antonio Spurs lead the Dallas Mavericks by one and they are determined not to allow a good shot by a good player in the paint. Throughout the entire play, Boris Diaw sticks to Dirk Nowtizki, who cannot get free for a scoring opportunity. Vince Carter has the ball on the wing but the Spurs will not permit him to drive into the lane and get fouled, kick to a shooter in rhythm or make a lay-up. Tony Parker and Tiago Splitter switch a ball screen and Splitter shows more than San Antonio’s bigs usually would so that Carter is forced to take a three-point shot at the top of the lane.
Carter actually shoots a little better than average from the top of the key, although his makes likely come off catch and shoot threes. I think the Spurs were aiming to delay him and force him to attempt a pull-up from the foul line area, which is a weakness of his. The other Spurs play in the lane to discourage dribble penetration.
Stay Balanced: Norris Cole keeps his man in front of him and does not over react to any of Kyrie Irving’s ball moves, nor do his Heat teammates help preemptively. Miami trusts everyone to execute their assignments and when Irving finally attempts a wild shot, Cole is in position to block it and his teammates are ready to rebound.
Up 2
The underlying principles when defending up one basket is to be aware of the opponent’s key threats and go to overtime rather than lose in regulation. Even outstanding defenses can’t stop everything so players must comprehend what shots are acceptable in what conditions. Teams cannot allow lay-ups at the rim, catch and shoot jump shots in rhythm and uncontested threes. Play tough defense but do not foul a skilled shooter in the act of shooting.
Use the Rim Protector: Although not an end of game situation, this block by Dwight Howard shows how a team identifies the most dangerous player and takes away their best weapons. A transition three is not a high percentage shot for all players but some players are especially adept at the shot so everyone must know to close out those shooters and run them off the line (like a stellar shooter attempting a catch and shoot three). Orlando forces Ray Allen to put the ball on the deck and cuts off his direct line to the basket. By the team he makes it to the hoop, Howard is there to block his lay-up. In a late-game situation, the idea is no easy looks and make them tie the game at the line, if necessary.
Fight Through Screens: Up two, Indiana is not going to let a simple ballscreen create a mismatch and an easy bucket. The best player should not get an easy basket; the defense must make the opponent work. First, David West shocks the ball screen for LeBron James and gets a steal by keeping his hands in the passing lane. Later, Paul George goes through the ball screen and forces LeBron James away from the (left) block he would like to shoot from. As the Pacers collapse, George Hill steal s James’ pass and seals the game at the line.
Force a Catch on the Move: There is little more than a second left so Miami is not going to let a San Antonio player catch the ball in a shooting position. Everyone sticks to their man. This forces a player to catch the ball as they are moving, assess what is happening and make a decision in a short time. These shots are usually rushed and off-balance. It’s permissible to allow the opponent going away from the basket (or parallel to the baseline or at an awkward angle to the basket) but do not allow a player to catch the ball so that they can put up a good shot in one motion.
Up 3
Deny Good Shooters: Late in the game, facing a furious Chicago comeback, Indiana is up three points with about fourteen seconds left (enough time for the Bulls to have at least two more possessions if they chose). The Pacers decide that they will not allow the three and will make the opponent work for all of those possessions. Chicago enters the ball to Joakim Noah in the high post (often the Bulls use Noah as a passer back to the inbounder or to a player coming off the weak-side pindown screen). Indiana switches screens and sticks to anyone who is a shooting threat. Noah wastes a great deal of time due to his indecision and only Carlos Boozer (lifetime one for fourteen beyond the arc) is open.
That year, Chicago was a slightly better offensive team than Indiana (about four points per hundred possessions) although Indiana shot marginally better from the line. The Pacers had decided that they were agreeable to giving up a two point shot because they felt confident about making their free throws if the game was extended but they were not going to give up a quality look from behind the line.
Prevent Drive and Kick: John Wall is definitely not a standout three-point shooter so Washington’s best chance is for their point guard to drive into the lane and kick to someone who is ready and in rhythm. Chicago is not going to allow Wall to do this and forces him to take an awkward pull-up three point shot himself. Kirk Hinrich pressures the ball and does not concede anything to his opponent. Wall needs a ballscreen and when his teammate arrives to set one, Taj Gibson blitzes the screen and contests the shot. The Bulls know that it’s no time to take it easy and give the ballhandler time and space by staying under the screen or choosing not to pressure the ball. This characteristic enables the team to win many close games, even when they are undermanned or seemingly outgunned.
Foul to Prevent the Three: This is a controversial strategy among coaches. Although there is extensive research about when to foul, in the closing moments of the game I hold the principle that a well-coached time should box out and shoot foul shots well. If the team is well-coached, they can execute this strategy because they will get the rebound after the missed second shot (normally there is a twenty percent chance of an offensive board) or win the free throw contest should the game continue.
In the first case, a live ball after a missed free throw with eight seconds remaining, Philadelphia waits until the Washington has crossed midcourt before committing the foul, consuming 4.5 seconds. The 76ers did not allow the dribbler to get too close to the arc because they would have risked fouling in the act of shooting.
In the second case, a sideline out-of-bounds with 5.1 seconds left, Los Angeles fouls as the ballhandler approaches the arc after 3.2 seconds have elapsed. The Clippers left the foul until the last comment and could have fouled when Tyreke Evans caught the ball and had his back to the basket (Evans is a below average three-point shooter from the right side so perhaps they were not that worried). Giving the foul is a balance between using as much time as possible and the risk of fouling a player as they are shooting.