Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. It can seem pretty simple at first glance, but there is a lot more to the game than meets the eye. For example, the goal of the game is to score more points than your opponent before the clock runs out. This can be done in many different ways, but the most common is scoring a basket. There are also other methods for scoring points, such as free throws and 3-pointers. There are several different rules that must be followed when playing nba, but the most important is keeping the ball away from the other team’s defense.
A typical NBA game consists of four quarters that last 12 minutes each, and an overtime period of five minutes. Each team has five players on the court at a time, including two guards, two forwards and a center. Teams can swap out players for fresh ones during stoppages in play, allowing them to make strategic adjustments to the game. Each player is assigned a specific position, with the tallest and strongest players being called centers. The shortest and fastest players are called point guards, while the best shooters are known as shooting guards.
The regular season of nba includes 82 games, with each team playing teams in their own division four times a year and each of the other conference’s divisions three or four times. The teams that finish in the top two spots in each division, and the top six in each conference, earn playoff berths. In the playoffs, a best-of-seven series is played between the winners of each conference. The victors of the series are awarded the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. The winning team’s players and major contributors—including the coaches and general managers—also receive a championship ring.
During the regular season, the league tracks player statistics, such as points, rebounds, assists and steals. These stats determine the overall standing of each team and its individual players. Player statistics are also used to create league-wide rankings. These rankings are then used to determine the playoff berths and seeding.
Since the 2020-21 season, the playoff field has expanded to 20 teams—10 from each conference—with seeds 7 through 10 participating in a single-elimination play-in tournament. This allows more teams to extend their seasons and increases the chances of a conference-record winner earning the No. 1 overall seed in the Finals. Despite this, there are still a number of teams that miss the postseason each year. Those that do qualify face stiff competition from other teams in the playoffs, and the top-seeded team usually has home-court advantage throughout the entire series.