NBA Connections (HoopGrids)
Sort 16 NBA players into four groups of four that share something.
Every day: One numbered board of 16 NBA players a day, the same for everyone, to sort into four groups of four, with four mistakes allowed and past boards in an archive. New puzzle: 8 PM Eastern Time (the game's day changes at 20:00 New York time in its code).
NBA Connections, from the makers of HoopGrids, shows sixteen NBA players and asks you to find the four hidden groups of four. A group can be a team's retired numbers, a college, a draft class or a shared surname. You have four mistakes, and a new numbered board goes up every evening.
About NBA Connections (HoopGrids)
NBA Connections takes the four-groups-of-four puzzle that the New York Times made famous and builds every board out of basketball players. The sixteen tiles are NBA players, past and present, and each belongs to exactly one of four hidden categories. It sits alongside HoopGrids and I Called Game in the same family of daily NBA games.
The categories run from plain to sly. Recent boards have asked for Clutch Player of the Year winners, Lakers whose numbers are retired, number one overall picks, players from the same college, rookies from one season, and players who share a last name with a US president. Groups are colour coded by difficulty, and the usual trap is a player who seems to fit two groups at once.
You pick four players and submit. A correct set locks in; a wrong one costs one of your four mistakes, and if three of your four belong together the game tells you that you are one away. Hints are available if you are stuck. A new board is numbered each day and changes at 8 PM Eastern, and older boards stay playable in the archive. Players can also build and share their own boards.
It suits NBA fans who know careers, drafts and trivia well, and anyone who already plays Connections and wants a basketball version.
How to play NBA Connections (HoopGrids)
- Open NBA Connections to load the day's numbered board of 16 players.
- Look for four players who share a team, award, draft, college, name or other link.
- Select those four and submit them as a group.
- A correct group locks in; a wrong one costs one of your four mistakes, and a near miss shows as one away.
- Find all four groups before your mistakes run out, then share your result or play past boards in the archive.
Tips
- Spot the player who could fit two groups and leave him until the others are settled.
- Name-based groups (shared surnames, presidents, colleges) often hide behind obvious team groups.
- Solve the easiest colour first to shrink the board.
- If the game says one away, swap out the player most likely to belong elsewhere rather than starting over.
- Save hints for the last two groups, where the trap usually sits.
Questions
When does NBA Connections change?
At 8 PM Eastern Time each day, when the next numbered board starts.
How many mistakes do I get?
Four. Each wrong group of four costs one.
Can I play older boards?
Yes. Past boards are in the archive by number.
Is it the same as the NYT Connections Sports Edition?
No. It is a separate game from the HoopGrids team, and every tile is an NBA player.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free to play in the browser.
Games like NBA Connections (HoopGrids)
Connections: Sports Edition
The New York Times' four groups of four, with sports terms across every sport
HoopGrids
The same team's daily NBA grid: one player for each row and column
I Called Game
The same team's daily NBA game about one historic game
Connections
The original four-groups-of-four puzzle, with words
Poeltl
Guess a mystery NBA player each day from team, position and age clues
Dribble
Link two NBA players through shared teammates
Draft Dawg
Six daily NBA games: draft lineups to a stat target, fill leaderboards and name players against the clock.
Roster Relay
Link two star players through a chain of teammates from the same team and season.