# Length Of A Basketball Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830 "2004-04-07T22:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/1 "2004-04-07T22:00:49Z")
How long are professional basketball games? ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/2 "2004-04-07T22:04:19Z")
If they vary, I mean an NBA game. I’m going to my first tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/3 "2004-04-07T22:08:02Z")
Someone will be along to correct me, but I believe NBA games are 60 minutes, college games are 48 minutes and high school games are 40 minutes. Each are divided into two halves. If you’re asking how long you’ll be at the game, I’d say 2-2 1/2 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/4 "2004-04-07T22:12:19Z")
The NBA plays four 12 minute quarters. Not counting myriad timeouts of course. [http://www.nba.com/analysis/00422960.html](http://www.nba.com/analysis/00422960.html) ---
**Author:** ![byomtoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@byomtoob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/byomtoob)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/5 "2004-04-07T22:13:13Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Someone will be along to correct me, but I believe NBA games are 60 minutes, college games are 48 minutes and high school games are 40 minutes. Each are divided into two halves. > > If you’re asking how long you’ll be at the game, I’d say 2-2 1/2 hours. Correct time wise, but NBA games have 4 15 minute quarters rather than two halves. I agree on the duration estimate. ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/6 "2004-04-07T22:16:56Z")
Great, thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/7 "2004-04-07T23:30:26Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Someone will be along to correct me, but I believe NBA games are 60 minutes, college games are 48 minutes and high school games are 40 minutes. Each are divided into two halves. > > If you’re asking how long you’ll be at the game, I’d say 2-2 1/2 hours. NBA games are 4 12 minute quarters. College games are 2 20 minute halves. High school is 4 8 minute quarters. An NBA game takes does take about 2 hours to be played. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/8 "2004-04-07T23:42:58Z")
it’ll take you an hour to get out of the parking lot too… ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/length-of-a-basketball-game/238830/9 "2004-04-07T23:52:19Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > NBA games are 4 12 minute quarters. > College games are 2 20 minute halves. > High school is 4 8 minute quarters. > > An NBA game takes does take about 2 hours to be played. And if the NBA game is tied at the end of regulation, they’ll play an extra 5-minute overtime period to decide the game (and if tied after that, additional 5-minute overtime periods are played until one ends with a winner). I think college handles OT the same way. D