End of game - the comeback

We've all experienced this scenario. It's late in the game, our team is trailing by a small margin, the game is exciting, the crowd is yelling, your team is battling, the game could be decided by a single late play. This situation should be fun, and will be if you are prepared and remain poised. This is the time when the hard work and preparation in practice should shine through in your team. As for the strategy of the moment, the coach has many tools available in order to craft a win out of the opportunity. Coaches need to be mindful of the following:

• remain patient - based upon the time and score, understand how many possessions remain for your team
• in order to get into your offence quickly, have some full court quick hit plays ready
• philosophically, players must attack the rim and put themselves at the free throw line (in both the attack and the free throw, importance is just as much mental as physical)
• use your assistants - have a clear understanding of team and player foul counts for both teams
  
• to help with setting up pressure, sub players at free throws and dead balls
• in FIBA play, remember the clock stops after made baskets under two minutes
• if expecting full court defensive pressure, an option is to have a time out pre-called after being scored upon - if under two minutes in a FIBA game, your team inbounds the ball from midcourt and can enter the ball either front or back court (hence reducing pressure and advancing the ball half the distance)
• know what the other team is likely to do if they are up or down by a few points (think, what would you do if you were them?)
• do you have a plan for the scenario of having just scored to go up by 3 points - are you fouling in order to get the ball back after opposition free throws?