How Long Is An NBA Basketball Game?

The average NBA basketball game is 48 minutes long.
The game is divided into four 12 minute quarters.
Each team has two minutes to shoot before the other team gets the ball.
The clock stops during the last two minutes of the fourth quarter if the score is within five points.

Introduction

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the foremost professional basketball league in North and features 30 teams from across the United States. An NBA game consists of four 12-minute quarters, for a total playing time of 48 minutes. However, the clock is stopped frequently during game play, so the actual playing time is usually between 40 and 50 minutes.

The Length of an NBA Game

The length of an NBA game is 48 minutes, divided into four 12 minute quarters. However, the game clock is stopped during timeouts, foul shots, and other events, so the actual playing time is usually less than 48 minutes. The average NBA game lasts about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

The Length of an NBA Game by Quarter

An NBA game is 48 minutes long, divided into four 12 minute quarters. There is a halftime break after the second quarter. If the game is tied at the end of regulation time, there will be a five minute overtime period.

The clock stops during the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and during all overtime periods. In the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and during all overtime periods, the game clock will stop when:
-A player is shooting free throws.
-A foul is called but no free throws are to be attempted.
-There is a held ball.
-Time out is called by either team.
-A player scores, provided it’s not an and-one situation (when a player scores and gets fouled). If it’s an and-one, the clock will start again once the basket is made or missed.

The Length of an NBA Game by Halftime

The length of an NBA game is 48 minutes, divided into four 12-minute quarters. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, there will be a five-minute overtime period. The overtime period is sudden death, meaning that the first team to score in overtime will win the game.

The Length of an NBA Game by Overtime

The length of an NBA game is 48 minutes, but if the game is tied at the end of regulation, then the game will go into overtime. Overtime is 5 minutes long, and if the game is still tied, then the game will go into double overtime, which is 10 minutes long.

The Length of an NBA Game by Double Overtime

The average NBA game lasts 48 minutes, but games can often go into overtime. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, each team is given five minutes to score as many points as possible. The first team to score wins the game. If the score is still tied after five minutes, the game goes into “double overtime.” Each team is given another five minutes to try and score. If the score is still tied after double overtime, the game ends in a tie.

Conclusion

An NBA game is 48 minutes long, but there are actually only 47 minutes of playing time. That’s because the clock stops during certain types of dead balls:
-After a scoring play, until the ball is touched by a player on either team.
-When a foul is committed and the referee needs to review the play.
-After a timeout is called.
-When there’s a fight or some other disturbance on the court.

So, if you’re really paying attention, an NBA game actually has more like 43 minutes of actual playing time.