Isaac
Years ago

NBA to trial 44 minute game on Oct 19

From Twitter:

NBA announces it will experiment with a 44-minute game when the Nets host the Celtics in Brooklyn on Oct. 19.

From the NBA:

The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics will play a 44-minute preseason game on Sunday as the league tests a format that features fewer minutes and fewer mandatory timeouts.

The contest will be four minutes shorter than the NBA's standard 48-minute game. The league said Tuesday that the preseason game will feature four 11-minute quarters, one minute shorter than normal.

The suggested format would also see a reduction in mandatory time-outs from three to two in the second and fourth quarters.

Can't see them sticking with 11 minute quarters so it might just be moving slowly to a 40 minute game. They'll face loads of opposition to this, as we saw with NBL fans.

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MACDUB
Years ago

I don't really see what 4 less minutes is going to do.

Its neither here nor there so to speak. Not enough of a decrease to be aligned with FIBA.

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MACDUB
Years ago

And still not a 48min game - so scoring decreases.

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paul
Years ago

It would come down to broadcasters, most things in sport do.

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MACDUB
Years ago

That's what I initially thought. Perhaps to reduce the commonality of games going over that 2 - 2.5 hour mark and buggering up subsequent programming?

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Beantown
Years ago

Less time outs to close out the games would be good. Not a fan of shortening the game length though. I never have trouble sitting through 48 mins and it just distorts the statistical history of the game, which irks me. I wish NBL would go back to 48 mins.

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MACDUB
Years ago

Yes, the statistical history point is huge.

It makes me wonder how many points Goulding would have scored last season with 48 min games (in terms of one-off games, he probably would have had 60-65 in that massive night he had last season)

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Anonymous
Years ago

Beantown

The NBL will never go back to 48 minutes whilst a free to air provider like channel 10 hold its rights.

As it is the league are getting smashed to make sure games are completed within 2 hours otherwise there a fines levied.

48 minutes will never occur under the current media arrangements.

It's not about the fan being able to sit through 48 mins it's about what the broadcasters want.

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Anonymous
Years ago

I noticed on the Sunday game between Melbourne and Cairns Chris Reid the head ref kept hurrying everyone up when there was a stoppage for a foul shot or inbound. Thought it was strange and he perhaps had somewhere to go but it must be due to Network Ten.

These broadcasters have no idea and fk with our game, they should be grateful if it goes longer. What happens if it is an OT game do they fine them still? OT game means more excitement yet Ten probably would moan about one.

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Isaac
Years ago

MACDUB, I assumed it was a step on the way to trialling and moving to 40 minute games. Or maybe they need to go shorter, don't want to look like they're subject to FIBA's whims, so are picking 44 to be stubborn?

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Anonymous
Years ago

Referees have been instructed to speed up the game. No huddles at free throws, get teams at time outs 15 seconds to go instead of 10 etc etc

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Choppy Galopy
Years ago

The 40 minute version is horrible. Should be left for school/pick up. The game must be seen as serious.

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HO
Years ago

They cannot do this, the curtains will fade.

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Beantown
Years ago

I think its hilarious if Ten are worried about games running over, because NOTHING on free to air runs on time anymore!

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koberulz
Years ago

Particularly given games routinely finish 10-15 minutes early and have to be padded, and they're refusing to allow jump balls because of the extra time it takes.

The Wildcats game Friday night had a three-minute quarter time break for some reason, and even that finished with plenty of time to spare.

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Hendo8888
Years ago

11 is just an annoying number. Even numbers people!

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Cobra
Years ago

While I agree that the NBL should go back to 48 minutes (in fact, all world leagues should - FIBA should change THEIR standard to help the rest of the world drag in the US a bit more in international competition), just remember that the first 5 seasons in the NBL (1979-1983) were 40 minute games. It wasn't until the 3 pt line was introduced in 1984 that the game expanded to 48 minute games.

So "historical stats" have already been thrown off a bit since the change to 48 minutes, then again when they reverted. Not that you can tell when you look at historical NBL stats, they can't even get them right on their website.

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paul
Years ago

Unfortunately NBL games have regularly run over for a number of years due to constant player huddles etc, whereas 40-minute games around the world rarely pass the 2-hour mark.

The next step in the process is having segments ready to go for the when the game does finish early, even if its just the best highlights from the week before. With the NBL now having more control of the broadcast this isn't really too much to expect.

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Hoops

NBA to trial 44 minute game on Oct 19

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