TO request when you have no timeouts

[rbruno]

Had a HS varsity game where the table told me one team had a time out remaining and I informed the bench. Later in the period they call the time out, I report to the table and the official book who had just told me they had one left tells me they have none. Technical foul and I am the bad guy. Like stated above... I don't care how many they have until they have none forever more. Then I check the book and inform. They can figure out themselves how many they have... that's what all those people sittin on the bench are for.
The NBA playoff game mentioned above is the famous triple OT game Boston/Phoenix. Also in that game Paul Silas a Celtics player requested at TO that they didn't have and Richie Powers the referee is seen ignoring the request that could have cost the Celtics the game. He is quoted as saying "I didn't want someone to lose a game like that."