# Analysis of Offensive Patterns After Timeouts in Critical Moments in the EuroLeague 2022/23
## 4 Discussion
This pattern highlights the strategic importance of timeouts in these moments, as they allow coaches to design specific plays, disrupt the opponent's momentum, and manage player fatigue and psychological pressure. In elite basketball, such as the NBA, games are often decided in the final minute since a single possession can influence the final outcome [58]. This aligns with a study [3] showing 64.9% of timeouts occur in the last five minutes, especially with a score difference of \(-2\) to 3 points (one possession). In the final minute, timeouts become increasingly critical due to the heightened stochasticity and complexity inherent in late-game scenarios [59]. Another factor that could be associated with this is the significant physical fatigue that might accumulate during the final quarter of the game [60]. Additionally, the psychological pressure players could experience in these critical phases [56] might contribute to a decline in performance [61]. Coaches might choose to use timeouts to give players recovery opportunities and to execute plays under more optimal physical and mental conditions. Through examining the team's status when requesting a timeout, our analysis revealed that in 60.8% of the cases, the team was losing, which seems consistent, as one of the main reasons for requesting a timeout is to try to reverse a negative trend [3]. After the timeout, teams that were losing scored 44.1% of the time, compared to a 58.7% success rate for teams that were winning. These data are consistent with the findings of another study [3], where it was shown that the offensive performance of losing teams remained similar before and after the timeout, while teams that were winning exhibited an improvement in performance. This difference could be attributed to the psychological advantage held by winning teams, who may approach timeouts with greater confidence and focus, allowing them to execute plays more effectively. Additionally, teams in the lead often play with less urgency and are better positioned to control the game tempo, reducing the likelihood of rushed or pressured decisions [62]. Similarly, other researchers [56] reported that teams in the lead showed higher shooting accuracy during the last five minutes of the game, suggesting that these teams are less affected by pressure in the offensive phase during the final minutes. The combination of tactical adjustments and psychological resilience may contribute to the superior performance of leading teams during crunch time. Another factor could be attributed to the natural tendency of the game to return to its baseline state [12], where teams that are leading might maintain their scoring momentum following a timeout. As for the defensive strategies following timeouts, it was observed that in almost all instances, the opposing team opted for man-to-man defense. These findings are consistent with the results of another study [63], which also found that man-to-man defense was the most frequent, both for home and away teams. This preference may be explained by the tactical advantages of man-to-man defense in high-pressure situations, such as those following timeouts during the final minutes of close games. Man-to-man defense allows for greater control over individual matchups, making it easier to neutralize key offensive players and disrupt set plays designed during the timeout. The greater the defensive pressure, the higher the difficulty in scoring [64], assuming that high defensive pressure can only be achieved through man-to-man defense. Additionally, this strategy facilitates quick switches and adjustments, which are critical during unpredictable, high-stakes moments. The situational urgency of 'crunch time' may also discourage the use of zone defenses, which could be more susceptible to breakdowns against well-organized offensive plays. However, other authors [6] identified a higher use of zone defense in the phases before and after the timeout.