The NHL and NBA playoffs have arrived, and the fans are ready. Which sport is more entertaining? The NHL playoffs are far more entertaining than the NBA. Both are fun to watch, but the NHL playoffs, which draw more attention, are far more entertaining.
The NHL Playoffs Are Entertaining
The NHL playoffs have been exciting thus far. The games are entertaining from start to finish, with tight games being the most fun to watch. In the NHL, games don’t feel decided before they start, with most matchups feeling like a toss-up between teams. Many of the games stay close, drawing fans in, anxiously enjoying every possession.
Playoff physicality is extreme, bodies flying around, building the intensity. The tone and energy are completely different, giving an atmosphere that feels like the opposite of basketball. Higher physical play gets fans amped and out of their seats with hit after hit.
The pace and flow of the games are faster. Teams are flying around the ice with constant energy. The game runs continuously, with interruptions happening occasionally. Not having much stoppage allows a better viewing experience, keeping fans glued to the screen.
The atmosphere in stadiums stands out. Fans who attend games are rowdy, giving an electric and undeniable environment. The stadium noise is loud, easily heard through the television, and rattling the visiting team. The energy in the stands is echoed on the ice, making the games fantastic to watch, whether live or from a couch in the living room. Overall, it builds much higher energy in gameplay and when watching at home.
Overtime games are a frequent occurrence in the playoffs, and the fact that they are sudden death keeps everyone dialed in and on the edge of their seats. It is complete chaos, with every possession holding incredible importance. The entire game could come down to something that happens on one possession. Waiting for the next goal to happen, not knowing when it will come, gets everyone excited.
NBA Playoffs Downsides
The NBA playoffs are great to watch, but they don’t match up to the NHL. A lot of contests are blowouts, leaving fans bored. 20-point blowouts happen far too often, and people at home lose interest in the game.
Playoff series are easier to predict in the NBA. The top-end seeds often win their respective series. Upsets can happen, but it’s extremely rare. Sometimes it leads to people not even watching a game, thinking they already know what’s going to happen. Many of these series end up in sweeps or finish 4-1. They hardly go the full seven games. So far this season, most have been close, which makes it more intense. With a series going six or seven, it doesn’t always mean it’s fun to watch due to blowouts.
Constant whistles and foul baiting make it hard to watch, frequently stopped with whistles, especially towards the end of the game (crunch time). The final two minutes of an NBA playoff game can take north of 20 minutes of real time. When the whistles aren’t blown, fans watching the game get to see grown men crying to the officials about no-calls. Soft calls happen often, and the refs tend to decide who wins, which is awful.
This Year’s Playoffs
In this year’s playoffs, fans have gotten a good taste of both leagues in round one. There have been good games alongside bad. So far, the NHL playoffs have been more entertaining than the NBA. The seeding of teams has created attractive draws between organizations. Matchups have been a lot closer from start to finish. There have been many contests ending in overtime, which is a blast. Higher-scoring games, while still close, have made the NHL a better product to watch overall.
In the NBA, it seems that half the games are close, and the other half aren’t as good to watch. While basketball has been more difficult to watch at times, this year’s series have been going six, or even the full seven games. As the postseason moves forward, better games are coming.
Overall, the playoffs are awesome to watch regardless, due to the stakes. Viewers want to watch their teams play on the biggest stage.
