NBA Moves to Cut Back Timeouts Late in Games

NEW YORK —  In an effort to speed up play when coaches are trying to slow it down, the NBA has cut back on late-game timeouts and also penalized teams trying to foul to get possession of the ball.

One rule change, announced Tuesday, trimmed timeouts from seven a game to six, from four to three in the fourth quarter and from three to two in the last two minutes of regulation or overtime.

Another change gives a player fouled when he has a clear path to the basket one free throw and his team possession at midcourt. The old rule gave the player two free throws.

After jump balls, if the offense retains possession, the 24-second clock is reset to 14 seconds or remains the same if there are more than 14 seconds on it already. If the defense gains possession, the clock is reset to 24 seconds. Previously, if the offense retained possession, the clock was reset to 24 seconds.