abstract:Hack-a-Shaq is the name commonly ascribed to a basketball defensive strategy initially instituted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson to hinder the scoring ability of the opposing team by continuously fouling one of its opposing players, the player chosen being the one with the lowest free throw percentage among players on the court.
The Thunder is the league's most athletic team, and yet it was helpless: After almost 10 minutes of this domination, it resorted to a variant of the old hack-a-Shaq tactic, repeatedly fouling the Spurs' Tiago Splitter (a shaky free-throw shooter) to slow the game down.