Season Description The 2011–12 NBA season was the 66th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to the lockout, the regular season was reduced to 66 games for each team, and began on December 25, 2011, coinciding with Christmas Day. The 2012 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 26, 2012, at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The regular season ended on April 26, 2012. The playoffs then began on April 28, and ended on June 21 with the Miami Heat defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals.