NBA reduces maximum amount of timeouts

The NBA has made changes to its timeout system in order to speed up the pace of games.

Here’s some great news if you’re tired of the last two minutes of an NBA game lasting 20 actual minutes. The NBA Board of Governors has voted to reduce the maximum number of timeouts from 18 to 14 per game.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarwoski was the first to report on the change.

This will certainly upset San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who loves to burn a timeout after the opposing team goes on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 15. With four less timeouts at his disposal, Popovich may think twice before asking for a stoppage of play.

Along with reducing the maximum number of timeouts during the course of a game, the NBA is also limiting the number of timeouts in the final minutes. Previously, teams were allowed three timeouts in the final two minutes. Now, teams are allowed two timeouts in the final three minutes.

Now, when we tell our significant others, “the game will be over in a minute” when there is 1:01 left on the clock, we won’t have to explain to them why the game is still on, 30 minutes later.

The NBA is clearly looking for ways to speed up the game, which tends to drag thanks to the endless amount of timeouts in the final five minutes. With these reductions, not only will the game end quicker, but coaching strategy will play a bigger role on the final possession. Out of timeout plays and saving timeouts in order to advance the ball late will become even more important as teams search for any edge they can get to pull off a victory.

Next: 5 players who signed with the wrong team

With the trade deadline being pushed up a week and timeout changes being implemented, the next item on the agenda will be for the NBA to do something about the hack-a-player gesture that could be used even more as teams look for that late game breather.