Four 12-minute quarters
An NBA game is 48 minutes of playing time: four 12-minute quarters. That is longer than the WNBA’s 10-minute quarters. The team that scores more points wins.
Basketball · 2026–27
NBA, explained.
Thirty teams. Sixteen playoff clubs. One NBA champion. Here’s the quick guide.
The NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world: 30 clubs in two conferences, an 82-game regular season, a Play-In Tournament, and a four-round playoff that ends with the NBA Finals.
League contact
League-office details published by the NBA. For tickets or a specific club, use that team — not league headquarters.
- Headquarters
- National Basketball Association
645 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10022 - Phone
- (212) 407-8000
A short history
The league began as the Basketball Association of America in 1946. It took the National Basketball Association name in 1949 after a merger with the National Basketball League. The championship is the NBA Finals. The Larry O’Brien Trophy goes to the winner.
There are 30 clubs — 29 in the United States and the Toronto Raptors. 2026–27 is the 81st regular season. The defending champion is the New York Knicks, who won the 2026 Finals.
Current teams
Fifteen clubs in each conference, five per division. Open a team for scores, the next game, and news.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Northwest
Pacific
2026–27 schedule
The regular season runs October 20, 2026 to April 11, 2027. Each team plays 82 games. The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament is April 13–16. All-Star weekend is February 19–21 in Phoenix.
How the league works
Four quarters, a 24-second shot clock, and conference tables that feed a Play-In and then the playoffs.
Standings
Teams are ranked by winning percentage inside each conference. The top six in each conference go straight to the playoffs. Seeds 7–10 play in.
NBA Cup
An in-season tournament inside the regular-season schedule. Cup group games still count in the standings. The Cup champion is separate from the NBA Finals champion.
Scoring
A field goal inside the arc is two points. A three-pointer is three. A free throw is one. Overtime periods are played if the score is tied after four quarters.
Fouls and the clock
A team in the bonus sends the other side to the line. The shot clock is 24 seconds. A broadcast usually runs about two and a half hours.
Conferences
The East is the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast. The West is the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest. Five clubs in each division.
The season
Training camp in late September, 82 regular-season games from October into April, then the Play-In and four playoff rounds into June.
How the playoffs work
Sixteen teams — eight from each conference. The Play-In decides seeds 7 and 8. After that, every series is best-of-seven.
Who gets in
Seeds 1–6 in each conference are in. Seeds 7–10 play three Play-In games per conference: 7 hosts 8 for the 7-seed; 9 hosts 10; then the 7/8 loser hosts the 9/10 winner for the 8-seed.
Conference bracket
First-round pairings are 1–8, 2–7, 3–6, and 4–5. Winners move to the conference semifinals, then the conference finals. Every series is best-of-seven.
NBA Finals
The East and West winners meet in a best-of-seven. The higher remaining seed typically hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 in the 2-2-1-1-1 format.
2027 dates: The regular season ends April 11. The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament is April 13–16. A 9-seed or 10-seed has to win two games in a row to reach the playoffs.
For the live tables that feed these seeds, see the NBA standings.
Office address, 2026–27 dates, and playoff rules checked September 24, 2026. Use the official NBA links if an address, number, or date changes.