The rule change NBA fans are demanding after the Thunder vs Timberwolves Game 4 ending: “This sh*t is anti-basketball”

The Oklahoma City Thunder now sit one win away from the NBA Finals, thanks to a nail-biting 128-126 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. But if you were expecting an iconic buzzer-beater to cap off one of the best games of the playoffs, you didn’t get it. What you got was what some people see as an example of how to legally kill the vibe of a classic.

How did Thunder vs Timberwolves Game 4 end?

With the Thunder up three and eight seconds left, Minnesota had a chance to tie. Instead, Oklahoma City executed their signature move – fouling up three – twice before the Wolves could even attempt a shot. It worked. It usually works. That’s the problem.

What is ‘fouling up three’ in basketball?

The strategy, legal and widely used across the NBA and college basketball, is designed to avoid giving up a game-tying three. The team leading intentionally fouls, sends the opponent to the line, and relies on chaos or math to win. It’s cold, calculated, and right now (at least for some) infuriating to watch.

Fans online were livid. “The foul up 3 shit is anti basketball,” one said, adding that it’s easier to accept if you’re a fan of the winning team “but entertainment product first, ruins the experience knowing its basically over when a team is down 3 having to inbound.”

Others called the ending “lame,” “boring,” and “a free-throw contest.”

The Thunder executed it perfectly, but the overwhelming sentiment felt like basketball fans were robbed. Of suspense, of a shot at overtime, of the payoff after all that went before.

How can the NBA fix the foul up three issue?

If the NBA wants to fix it, there’s a growing call for a simple rule change: one free throw and possession for intentional fouls up three outside the arc. The league has precedent for adjusting rules to protect the spectacle. Now the question is whether this one becomes a priority.

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