Professional basketball games typically last around 2 to 2.5 hours, including timeouts, halftime, and other stoppages. Here’s a breakdown of the typical structure:
1. Regulation Time:
– NBA: 4 quarters, each 12 minutes long, totaling 48 minutes of gameplay.
– FIBA (International): 4 quarters, each 10 minutes long, totaling 40 minutes of gameplay.
2. Halftime:
– Typically lasts 15 minutes.
3. Timeouts:
– In the NBA, teams get several timeouts, which can extend the game duration. Each timeout can range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
– FIBA and other leagues have similar timeout structures.
4. Overtime (if necessary):
– Overtime periods are usually 5 minutes long. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, one or more overtime periods are played until a winner is determined.
So while the game clock is running for 48 minutes (NBA) or 40 minutes (FIBA), the actual duration can be longer due to stoppages and overtime.
