Historical 44 minute NBA game has "better flow" according to some

The Celtics won what I assume was the first 44 minute NBA game last night.  For the most part players and a lot of fans couldn't tell much difference from a 48 minute game, but some felt that the game flowed better because of the shortened clock.

3 Things We Learned From The Celtics Win In the First Ever 44-Minute NBA Game - Celtics Blog - Boston.com

The average NBA game lasts about two hours and 17 minutes. Sunday’s contest between the Nets and Celtics clocked in at one hour and 58 minutes. Some of the trimmed-off time came thanks to the four-minute reduction in game play, but the biggest factor was the elimination of two commercial breaks in the second and fourth quarters, which served to improve the overall flow of the game.

Brian Scalabrine agrees.  So does Brad Stevens, though it took a little getting used to.

Watching the clock: The 44-minute game - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

"You noticed it a little bit when you were subbing at the start of quarters, but I thought the flow with one less [timeout] was actually a little bit better in the second and fourth [quarters]," Stevens said after Sunday's game. "I didn't notice it other than that. When I am subbing and I'm looking at the clock and it's seven or six [minutes] on the clock, and I have to get myself back on that only five minutes has gone on if it says six on the clock. That is a little bit different, but I had it mapped out, so I kind of knew what I was going to do. I didn't notice it a whole lot, and I don't know how much impact it had on the game."

So what about you?  Did you notice a difference?  Which game-length would you prefer as a fan?