Doodle Basketball

Doodle Basketball is the shooting game Google put on its homepage on 8 August 2012, during the London Olympics. You get 24 seconds to sink as many baskets as you can.

How to play

• Press and hold to wind up the shot, then let go to shoot.
• The longer you hold, the harder the throw. Power is full after one second.
• The 24-second clock starts with your first shot, or after 10 seconds if you wait.

Controls

• Mouse: hold the button down on the court, then release.
• Keyboard: hold the Space bar, then release.
• Phone or tablet: the game has no touch controls of its own, so the power is hard to set. Play on a computer for full control.

Scoring

Each basket is worth 2 points. From your tenth basket on, each one is worth 3. After every fourth basket your player steps further back, so the shots get longer. A ball still in the air when the buzzer goes counts if it drops in.

Tips

• Find the hold time that scores from the first spot, then hold a little longer after each step back.
• Don't hold much past one second: the throw is already at full power and the player starts to shake.
• Shoot again as soon as the ball leaves your hands. Every second counts.

FAQ

Is Doodle Basketball free?

Yes. It runs in your browser, with no download or sign-up.

Which Olympics was it made for?

London 2012. Google also made playable Hurdles (7 August), Slalom Canoe (9 August) and Football (10 August, called Soccer 2012 in Google's archive) doodles that week.

More sports: Doodle Soccer, Doodle Baseball and Doodle Cricket.