Editing Running up the score (section)

===Basketball===
In [[basketball]], some coaches of vastly superior teams team will keep in their starters in the latter stages of a grossly one-sided game (e.g., less than ten minutes left in the second half of a college game; or well into the fourth quarter of a high school or [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] game). Players may be told to continue to aggressively apply full-court pressure (in order to steal the ball), block shots, break away for slam dunks, or try three-point baskets and other fan-pleasing shots.

A team that is trailing by an undefined margin sometimes may prolong the game by fouling the opponent on every possession, in an effort to extend its chances of a comeback — although teams that utilize this strategy often do so only when the game is still somewhat competitive. However, this strategy does not always work, particularly if the fouled players or team is able to connect on free throws.

In cases where the score is lopsided much earlier in the game, the most common option is to just "play it out" as if it were a scrimmage, by trying to take the best shot possible and also attempt some sort of defense (without any taboos against fan-pleasing shots and plays). This is usually referred to as "[[garbage time]]", and while generally frowned upon for a lack of excitement it is considered to be the best way of ending a thoroughly uncompetitive game with minimal amounts of pride lost by the weaker side.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://girlshoops.scout.com/2/491610.html |title=Elite 11: Running It Up |date=January 22, 2006 |work=Scout.com |author=Nelson, Glenn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207232733/http://girlshoops.scout.com/2/491610.html |archive-date=2007-02-07 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Running up the score was a key element in the [[Knicks–Nuggets brawl]] on December 16, 2006, as [[New York Knicks|New York]] coach [[Isiah Thomas]] accused [[Denver Nuggets|Denver]] coach [[George Karl]] of implementing it late in the game. Karl defended himself by citing many games where his team had lost large leads late.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18047387/ |title=Angry Knicks accuse Bulls of running up score |date=April 11, 2007 |work=MSNBC (from Associated Press) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070524002036/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18047387/ |archive-date=2007-05-24 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Former [[Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball|Oklahoma Sooners]] basketball coach [[Billy Tubbs]] was often accused of running up the score against inferior opponents. On November 29, 1989, [[1988–89 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team|Tubbs' team]] went so far as to score 97 points in the first half of a game against [[Alliant International University|U.S. International]]. Oklahoma won the game in a 173–101 rout. Asked repeatedly about running up the score against opponents, Tubbs once famously replied, "If they don't like it, they should get better."

Occasionally, teams will run up the score because of crowd encouragement. Crowd encouragement can occur whether or not there is a physical incentive involved. Often, a crowd will start chanting "X more points" near the end of a game, where X is the number of points needed to reach 100. This usually occurs when the team is within 5 points of reaching the 100-point mark.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0WmW7K7ZA8 |title=Lutheran High Just Misses 100 pts In A Game |work=YouTube|date=11 January 2009 }}</ref> Also, crowd encouragement can happen as the result of a promotion for ticket-holders. In a [[Bradley Braves men's basketball|Bradley]] home game against [[Wichita State Shockers men's basketball|Wichita State]], coach Jim Les put in some reserve players during the last 1–2 minutes of the game after the score got to 62–50. During the final possession, the crowd started to yell "Shoot shoot shoot" because the season ticket-holders would get a buy-one-get-one-free rib-eye steak dinner at a local restaurant if the score reached 63. One of the Bradley players launched a buzzer-beating 3 because of the crowd encouragement and it went in, making the final score 65–50.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pjstar.com/sports_bu/x869016682/Bradley-snaps-Shockers-winning-streak |title=BU zone tenderizes Wichita |work=Journal Star |location=Peoria, Illinois |date=January 29, 2009 |author=Reynolds, Dave  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103001312/http://www.pjstar.com/x869016682/Bradley-snaps-Shockers-winning-streak |archive-date=2014-01-03 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php/wessler/article/live_wichita_state_at_bradley/ |title=Live: Wichita State at Bradley|date=January 28, 2009 |author=Wessler, Kirk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427120342/http://blogs.pjstar.com/wessler/2009/01/28/live-wichita-state-at-bradley/ |archive-date=2014-04-27 |url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, during a 2014 game against Southern Virginia, [[BYU Cougars men's basketball|BYU basketball]] led 98–48 with the clock running down. In response to chants of "Hundred! Hundred!" from the student section, Cougar reserve guard Jake Toolson launched a deep three-pointer as time expired. It was good, making the final score 101–48. Although the BYU fans and bench reacted with delight, Cougar head coach [[Dave Rose (basketball)|Dave Rose]] was upset by the incident.{{Explain|reason=Why?! | date=August 2019}} Toolson himself was privately reprimanded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://byucougars.com/m-basketball/byu-vs-southern-virginia-notes-quotes |title=BYU vs. Southern Virginia Notes & Quotes {{!}} The Official Site of BYU Athletics |website=byucougars.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141201180413/http://byucougars.com/m-basketball/byu-vs-southern-virginia-notes-quotes |archive-date=2014-12-01}}</ref>