[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is about running up the score, if done in the context of trying your best. How can bad teams improve if much better teams go all soft on them? I personally think it's more of an insult if a team ahead by a lot of points stops trying, as if to say "you're not worth our full effort any more".

I can see taking your starters out to rest them in the fourth quarter, but for my money, whichever players are on the court should play as hard as if the score were tied. If that makes the score lopsided, so be it.

I'm not saying I'd enjoy being on the losing end of a game like this, but if I were playing such a game, and I drove to the basket, and nobody bothered to stop me, I'd be insulted. Play hard. Play fair. Don't show me up, but don't treat me as not worth the effort, either.

Anyone agree with me?

[1L]

whichever players are on the court should play as hard as if the score were tied.

There's no question that this is true. If I'm coaching, any player not playing hard is benched. I will simply slow down the offense, take as much time as possible getting the ball across the division line, pull up on fast breaks, and go into a very loose zone defense. However, the players must take the open shot, they must block out on rebounds, they must hustle after loose balls, they must agressively challenge the shot, and they must not make dumb mistakes. If that results in a blowout, sorry Charlie. That's life.

[Dakmar]

Agreed 100%. Should smarter kids be required to stop answering test questions after they've got 60% of them because that's all the dumber kids will get?