How the Boston Celtics' new game clock trick is confusing referees and frustrating opponents

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How the Boston Celtics' new game clock trick is confusing referees and frustrating opponents


Aaron Gordon was called for a flagrant foul on Friday while the Celtics were running their scheme


By Jack Maloney
20 hrs ago


Late in the fourth quarter of the Boston Celtics' 131-112 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, Aaron Gordon was called for a flagrant foul after he ran over Grant Williams in the backcourt. The bizarre nature of the play and Williams' comical miss on one of the ensuing free throws received most of the attention, but the bigger story was what led to the incident in the first place: the Celtics' new game clock trick.

Let's use Friday night's incident to illustrate how it works. Nursing a 13 point lead with just over five minutes to play, the Celtics inbounded the ball following a Gordon dunk. But instead of picking it up, Jayson Tatum just let it sit there, while Williams and Al Horford acted as screeners until Gordon blew things up.


The obvious question is why? Everyone is familiar with teams letting the ball roll up the floor in the final seconds of games in order to save time, but why have the Celtics started doing it with minutes remaining? In short, they've discovered a loop hole in the way the clock operates.

Prior to the final two minutes, the game clock runs continuously on made baskets. However, the shot clock for a possession does not begin until the ball is touched. In theory, then, a team could keep the ball for minutes at a time if they are not forced to pick it up and initiate the shot clock.

The Celtics have figured this out and have been using it to their advantage to waste time when they have a lead in the fourth quarter. On this example, Gordon's dunk happens at 5:16 and the foul to stop play is at 5:06; 10 valuable seconds rolled off that the Nuggets may have needed if they had attempted a comeback.

While the Nuggets never got close enough after that point for it to matter, the Celtics' trick has been successful in helping them stave off a comeback attempt already this season. Going back to the first week, they were desperately trying to hold off the Miami Heat in an Eastern Conference finals rematch. Marcus Smart used the maneuver twice in the final five minutes to drain 27 seconds off the clock.


Fifteen seconds here after a Jimmy Butler dunk.


And another 12 seconds here after a Tyler Herro layup.


The Celtics held on for a seven-point win, in large part because they took nearly 30 seconds off the clock.

In another early-season win against the Orlando Magic, they were using the ruse so successfully that the referees got confused and stopped the game. After Paolo Banchero scored a layup, Smart let the ball drift for 15 seconds and may have gotten even more time off the clock if the refs didn't blow the whistle. In that game, the Celtics survived with a six-point win, again in part due to this play.


This could be something the league's competition committee takes a look at during the offseason, but there won't be any rule change mid-season so expect the 9-3 Celtics to continue using this ploy when they have a lead in the fourth quarter -- which will be often. It's just smart basketball.


Bob
MY NOTE: To make a long story short I can't copy the links for the videos and post them here. You can click on the link provided at the top, to the whole article, if you want to see them.

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I heard commentators questioning this tactic on telecasts. I didn't know the game clock was running and I don't think they did either. Kudos to Mazulla?

This is one fun season and usually a joy to watch.

Has there been any rule changes relating to this?

I have never seen this before until the last couple of weeks, but it makes perfect sense and is easy to do. I find it hard to believe that nobody has thought of this through the years.

Hi,
This rule existed for ages. I don't know why other teams don't employ it. Well. I don't watch other teams games, so I don't know - maybe other teams also use it. But on a couple occasions, in Celtics games, it was funny to watch players being baffled by this rule of the game that they are paid millions to play. Dah...

AK

It's no one fault but the defense. They lay back across mid-court. If they charge the ball the offense has to pick up the ball to avoid it being turned over or stolen by the defense.

If the defense wants to lay back and burn their own clock waiting for the ball to come up the court, so be it. You're an idiot. No rule change is necessary. Defensive Player/Team approach and some modicum of playing full-court defense solves the problem.

Good article.

db

Very clever. Now lets see how long it takes before the league finds a way to stop it from continuing.

I know GSW does not leave two players in the backcourt but Curry is big on letting the ball roll, picking it up in time to make a play and score points. No one that I have seen has done what the Celtics are doing. Everyone is asking….how long before they put in a rule to stop this play. My question is, how long before other teams try the exact same thing. I’d love to know who developed this idea, Ime? I don’t think so, it is someone from this year’s coaching staff or the coach himself. Pretty smart, but it won’t last

At least in my time and in the pros, I believe the person that started rolling the ball up court from the backcourt without touching it was....Rajon Rondo!

Now whether that has evolved into this syncing up the game clock with the 24-second clock or whether Rondo knew this from the beginning and just didn't say anything (I'm going with that. Rondo may be smarter than all of us) we'll never know.

The last 2 minutes of the game, the game clock stops after every made basket. And of course the 24-second clock still doesn't start until the offense touches the ball in-bounds.

So this article seems to be saying, "You know this has been going on for 14 years, don't you?"

The offense does this so they can maximize 24-seconds in their half-court. The defense slacks off because they want everyone packed in and set on the defensive side. Having one person on defense "attack" the one bringing up the ball is a choice. If they sit back on defense prior to 2 minutes left, that's on them. The game clock will still continue to run. You are essentially shooting yourself in the foot on defense by allowing the offense to bring the ball up that way.

But knowing the quick-trigger NBA, there will be a rule change coming!!

db

Joe has figured out a new version of Bob Cousy just dribbling out the clock when we had a lead.  The league took note and created the 24 second shot clock to stop The Cooz from doing that.  They'll change something again, but it won't be mid-season.  So expect more of this, especially from Team Green.

Very, very clever of Joe.


Bob


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I seem to remember the Celtics (usually Marcus) doing this last year also, but correct me if I am mistaken.

Smart and Rondo , and probably others , had done this previously. I knew it kept the shot clock from running, but was unaware that the game clock continued to run. Old dog learns new trick.