The average length of an nba game
The NBA season starts on the first Thursday in October. This is a change from previous seasons, as the starting date was previously on the third Tuesday in October. This year's opening day will feature five games between Eastern Conference teams and two games between Western Conference teams.
How long is an nba game
The NBA game lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes. This includes 1 hour and 12 minutes for fans to watch the pre-game introductions, warmups and other events before the opening jump ball.
Players get a 12 minute break between halves and a 15 minute timeout called by coaches can be used during that time. Teams also have one mandatory timeout in the second and fourth quarters.
An NBA game is 48 minutes long, but this includes stoppage time when the referees are administering penalties and calculating shot attempts. The total length of a game can be more than that if there are multiple delays or injuries. Games that go into overtime add an additional 5 minutes to the total length of an NBA game.
Are there any exceptions to when the season starts?
NBA pre-season games can begin in August, and while these games do not count towards the final standings, they are used by coaches and team officials to determine what areas of a team need improvement once the regular season begins. NBA teams often play back-to-back games during the pre-season. This can result in some very long days for coaches and players, as a game can start around 8pm and a team may have to take an early morning flight the next day for a road trip.
A typical NBA season lasts about 7 months from October to May with a month or so off during December for the annual NBA All-Star Game.
What factors influence how long a game lasts ?
The final length of an NBA game is mostly determined by how long it takes players to make free threw shots. If a team misses its first two free throws, the opposing team usually has possession of the ball at the other end of their court. This can result in a missed shot which leads to fast break opportunities for the opposing team, and this can lead to a scoring opportunity.
The only time the ball gets back to the first team is if they make a field goal or a free throw, and this usually takes less than 10 seconds even if there are no timeouts called during that possession. Another factor that will lengthen an NBA game is overtime. If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, a 5 minute overtime period is played.
The consequences of a longer or shorter game
The game length of 2 hours and 15 minutes is not much time for fans to enjoy, but the actual amount of playing time is even less. For example, NBA players spend around 12-15 minutes on the court during a game because of mandatory timeouts and halftimes. This brings the average amount of time that players are actually playing basketball during a game to about 5 minutes. If a team is playing on the road, they have more travel time added to their total of time spent on court. This means that, if a player averages 30 minutes of playing time per game, this equals only about 150 minutes of real gameplay during an entire season.
As conclusion, the NBA season starts on the first Thursday in October, beginning with five games between Eastern Conference teams. The game lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes, but only 5 minutes of that is actual gameplay.
