There is no fixed number of “hits” in a basketball game because “hit” is not an official basketball statistic. If by hit you mean a successful shot into the basket, the correct term is a made field goal or made free throw.
The number of successful shots changes in every game depending on shooting accuracy, pace, possessions and the teams playing.
Personally, I think the confusion comes from other sports where “hit” is a normal statistical term. In basketball, you'll usually hear commentators say “made a shot,” “hit a three,” or “made a field goal,” rather than counting total hits.
Meaning of “Hit”
Casually, someone might say:
“He hit five three-pointers.”
Here, hit simply means the player successfully made five three-point shots.
But if you're reading a basketball box score, you won't normally find a column called HITS.
Instead, you'll see statistics such as FGM (field goals made), FGA (field goals attempted), 3 PM (three-pointers made) and FTM (free throws made).
Basketball Scoring
Under FIBA rules, a successful basket can have three different point values.
Successful shot | Points |
|---|---|
Free throw | 1 |
Field goal inside three-point area | 2 |
Field goal beyond three-point line | 3 |
So 10 successful shots don't necessarily equal 20 points. Those shots could include a mixture of free throws, two-pointers and three-pointers.
Number of Successful Shots
There is no required number of baskets a team must make.
Imagine Team A makes:
20 two-pointers = 40 points
10 three-pointers = 30 points
15 free throws = 15 points
Their total would be 85 points from 45 successful scoring shots.
But another team could reach 85 points using a completely different combination.
That's actually something I like about basketball scoring. Two teams can finish with nearly identical scores while getting there in completely different ways.
Made vs. Attempted Shots
This distinction is important.
Suppose a player shoots 15 times and scores on 6 of those attempts.
Field goals attempted (FGA) = 15
Field goals made (FGM) = 6
Their basic field-goal percentage would therefore be 40%.
A missed shot still counts as an attempt, but obviously not as a made field goal.
FIBA describes a goal as made when a live ball enters the basket from above and remains within or passes entirely through it.
Other Statistics
Basketball performance goes far beyond successful shots.
You'll commonly see points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, fouls, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
This is why I wouldn't judge a player's performance purely by how many baskets they made. Someone can shoot less but completely influence the game through defence, assists and rebounds.
FAQs
How many shots are allowed in basketball?
There is no fixed total number of shots a team can attempt during a game.
What is a successful basketball shot called?
It is generally called a made field goal, while a successful free throw is recorded separately.
How many points does one basket give?
A basket can produce 1, 2 or 3 points depending on the type and location of the shot.
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