NBA votes to pick up pace
Fewer timeouts expected to speed up final minutes.
The NBA wants to see the finish of its games go a bit more quickly.
The league’s Board of Governors unanimously approved some changes that will potentially eliminate four timeouts per game, help speed up the final minutes of games and emphasize a timely resumption of play after halftime. The changes all go into effect starting this season, the NBA said Tuesday.
Teams will be limited to two timeouts in the final three minutes of a game, instead of having up to three. All four quarters will have two mandatory timeouts, after the seven- and three-minute marks.
“We’re pretty happy with the length of the game,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “We were more focused here on the pace and flow of the game. What we heard from our fans, what we heard from many of our teams, was that the end of the games in particular were too choppy. And I think since I was a kid, that was an issue people were talking about, the last two minutes of a game.”
Silver said the full complement of commercial-showing opportunities will still be available to the league’s broadcast partners, and that the league doesn’t believe player in-game rest will be affected by speeding up some aspects.
Also, all halftimes will be 15 minutes and delay-of-game penalties will be issued if teams are not ready to immediately play when intermission ends.
“These changes will help us fulfill our goal of improving game flow and pace of play,” NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell said. “Fewer stoppages and less time without action, especially at the end of a game, will further enhance the viewing experience for our fans.”
The league also changed the trade deadline, moving it up so teams would not have their rosters significantly altered during the All-Star break.
This season’s deadline will be Feb. 8 — 10 days before the All-Star Game. Under the old system the deadline would have been Feb. 22.
Jazz: Utah reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with free-agent swingman Thabo Sefolosha. Sefolosha, 33, spent the past three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 7.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 62 regular-season games (42 starts) in 2016-17.
Knicks: Carmelo Anthony could soon join his good friend Chris Paul in Houston. The Knicks and Rockets are working on Anthony trade scenarios, according to an ESPN report. Some of them involve three- and four-team deals.
Cavaliers: The team reportedly agreed to terms with Turkish forward Cedi Osman. The 6-foot-8 Osman was Cleveland’s second-round draft pick in 2015.