Blatt: Not everyone knew timeout plan in Cavs' loss to Bucks
The Cavaliers ended up losing a tough one in double overtime to the Bucks on Saturday, but an inadvertent whistle by a referee cost them a chance at getting a good look to win at at the end of the first extra session.
Only a head coach or players in the game can call a timeout by NBA rule, but after LeBron James came away with a blocked shot and the Cavs had numbers in transition, some of the bench players and assistant coaches began calling for a timeout, and a referee ended up blowing the whistle which temporarily stopped the play.
Head coach David Blatt said the plan as communicated to the players in the huddle was to push the ball without a timeout in that situation, and at practice on Monday, admitted that not everyone else on the bench may have been aware of what the plan actually was.
This is not uncommon by any means. Watch any NBA timeout huddle, and you'll always see plenty of players, coaches and trainers off to the side not paying attention. And, the referee ultimately should have known better than to blow the whistle. But this is one instance where everyone not being aware of the strategy ended up costing the Cavaliers.
Asked specifically Monday if he informed his assistants and the rest of the players on the bench about the plan, Blatt said no.
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“It was the element of surprise there, kind of all around,” Blatt said. “Unfortunately it didn’t work our way.”
James and Blatt had to act quickly and hatched the plan during a 20-second timeout, but the Bucks had to use another 20-second timeout when they couldn’t get the ball inbounded. That theoretically should’ve provided enough time to inform the bench of the plan.
Yet Blatt said twice Monday not everyone on his bench knew.
“What needed to be known was known and unfortunately the ref made a call which he admittedly knows he shouldn’t have,” Blatt said.
The crew chief, Marc Davis, told a pool reporter after the game he realized after he blew his whistle Blatt had not signaled for a timeout.
“The plan was not to call timeout to advance the ball,” Blatt said. “The players knew it. The coach knew it. Everything else is insignificant.”
