How Long Do NBA Games Take?

How long do NBA games take? Get the answer here, as well as tips on how to make the most of your game day experience.

NBA Game Length by Quarter

The average NBA game consists of four 12-minute quarters, for a total of 48 minutes of play. However, the game clock is stopped frequently throughout the game, so the actual time that the ball is in play is much less than 48 minutes. In addition, there are timeouts and other stoppages that add to the total time of the game. Let’s take a look at how long each quarter usually takes.

12 minutes per quarter in the regular season

In the regular season, each quarter is 12 minutes long. If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, play continues for up to five minutes of overtime, until a team scores enough points to win. In the playoffs, quarters are also 12 minutes long, but if the game is tied at the end of regulation time, play continues until a team scores enough points to win. There is no limit to how long playoff games can go.

10 minutes per quarter in the playoffs

In the NBA playoffs, each quarter is 10 minutes long. There are 12 minutes between quarters, so a typical NBA game clock in the playoffs would look like this:

1st Quarter: 10:00
2nd Quarter: 8:59
3rd Quarter: 7:59
4th Quarter: 6:59

The game clock is stopped frequently in the playoffs, so a typical game might last around 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Timeouts

In an NBA game, each team is allowed a total of seven timeouts. There are four different types of timeouts in the NBA. These are full timeout, 20-second timeout, 8-second timeout, and team huddle. A full timeout lasts for two minutes. A 20-second timeout lasts for 20 seconds. An 8-second timeout can only be called by the team with possession of the ball and lasts for 8 seconds. A team huddle is a timeout that can be called by either team at any time and lasts for 30 seconds.

Each team gets 7 timeouts per game

In the NBA, each team is allowed a maximum of 7 timeouts per game. There are 2 types of timeouts: full and 20-second.

Full timeouts can be called by either the head coach or any player on the floor, and they last for 60 seconds. These timeouts can be used at any point in the game, including during play.

20-second timeouts can only be called by head coaches, and they last for 20 seconds. They can be used at any point in the game, but not during play.

Each timeout is 1 minute long

In the NBA, each timeout is one minute long. There are four mandatory timeouts per game, and each team is allowed to call two additional timeouts per game. For example, if a team calls a timeout with 4:00 remaining in the first quarter, that team will have another timeout available at the earliest opportunity in the second quarter.

Halftime

The average length of an NBA game is 2 hours and 12 minutes, but games can often last longer due to timeouts, commercials, and the halftime show. Halftime is a time for the players to rest and the fans to enjoy entertainment. Often, famous musicians will perform at halftime, which can add to the length of the game.

15 minutes long

The length of an NBA game is 48 minutes, divided into four 12-minute quarters. However, the game clock does not stop for fouls, out-of-bounds calls, or timeouts. The clock is stopped only when the referee blows his whistle to indicate a dead ball. So, if there are a lot of fouls or timeouts in a game, it could last much longer than 48 minutes.

During the regular season, each team is allowed seven timeouts per game, with one 20-second timeout available in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime periods. Each timeout lasts 60 seconds. In the playoffs, teams are allowed six timeouts per game, with one 20-second timeout available in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime periods.

Commercial Breaks

There are four 12-minute quarters in an NBA game, but the game clock does not actually stop for the entire 48 minutes. That’s because the game clock stops during dead ball situations like timeouts, free throws, and injuries. There are also mandatory commercial breaks at the end of every quarter. So, how long do NBA games actually take?

There are 4 commercial breaks per quarter

Each commercial break lasts for 2 minutes and there are 4 commercial breaks per quarter. So, if a game is 48 minutes long, that means there are 12 minutes of commercials.

Each break is 2-3 minutes long

Each commercial break during an NBA game is 2-3 minutes long. This can vary depending on the amount of time remaining in the game, as well as whether or not there is a timeout. For example, if there is a timeout with under two minutes remaining in the game, there will be no commercial break.