The Timeout

Over the past decade much has been made of Phil Jackson's philosophy of playing through an opponent's run without calling a timeout. Having seen this philosophy and having tried it, we've come to the conclusion that if you want a moral victory, don't call a timeout. You can go into the locker room after your loss and tell your team that they need to improve their mental toughness. If you want to win the game when the wheels are falling off the car, call the timeout and regroup.

Case in point, the Dallas Mavericks vs. Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta up 8, Dallas goes on a tear and Atlanta "plays through it". Eventually Dallas takes the lead and the game goes to overtime where Dallas is able to pull out the victory.

Here's why we would have taken the time out.
1. Atlanta was getting outworked by Jason Kidd (who put on a show getting a triple double). Kidd got an offensive rebound off a free throw, stole the ball from a post player from the blindside, and knocked down several jumpers. He even beat Atlanta's coach to the spot and got a technical called for the coach being on the floor.
2. Dallas' zone defense gave Atlanta's offense fits, there were too many settle for jumpers possessions late in the game. Yes Mike Bibby hit some big shots, but there was little penetration of the zone and a timeout could have set up a better attack.
3. Momentum. Dallas ripped off an incredible run, Jason Kidd energized the entire Dallas lineup. Call a timeout and cool their jets.

Instead Dallas gets the win on the road. Now will this loss benefit Atlanta in the future? We don't know. But if it costs them a higher playoff seed and an earlier exit, it wouldn't have been worth it.