Basketball is a game.
Basketball . While most often played as a team sport with five players on each side , three-on-three , two-on-two , and one-on-one competitions are also common . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins , but additional time ( overtime ) is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation . The game has many individual techniques for displaying skill -- ball-handling , shooting , passing , dribbling , dunking , shot-blocking , and rebounding .