NBA Games With the Most Overtimes
The NBA record for the most overtime periods in one game is
six. The Indianapolis Olympians defeated the
Rochester Royals 75-73 on January 6, 1951, after playing a total
of 78 minutes.
| Overtimes |
Minutes |
Year |
Winner |
Loser |
Score |
More Info |
| 6 |
78 |
1951 |
Indianapolis Olympians |
Rochester Royals |
75-73 |
Info |
| 5 |
73 |
1949 |
Syracuse Nationals |
Anderson Packers |
125-123 |
|
| 5 |
73 |
1989 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
Seattle SuperSonics |
155-154 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1951 |
Rochester Royals |
New York Knicks |
102-92 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1952 |
Rochester Royals |
Indianapolis Olympians |
99-96 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1953 |
Boston Celtics |
Syracuse Nationals |
111-105 |
Playoffs |
| 4 |
68 |
1974 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
131-129 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1980 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Los Angeles Lakers |
154-153 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1982 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Seattle SuperSonics |
127-122 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1984 |
Chicago Bulls |
Portland Trail Blazers |
156-155 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1987 |
Golden State Warriors |
New Jersey Nets |
150-147 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
1997 |
Phoenix Suns |
Portland Trail Blazers |
140-139 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
2012 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Utah Jazz |
139-133 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
2015 |
Detroit Pistons |
Chicago Bulls |
147-144 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
2017 |
Atlanta Hawks |
New York Knicks |
142-139 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
2019 |
Chicago Bulls |
Atlanta Hawks |
168-161 |
|
| 4 |
68 |
2019 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Denver Nuggets |
140-137 |
Playoffs |
Longest Game in NBA History
On January 6, 1951, the Indianapolis Olympians and Rochester Royals
played the longest game in NBA history. The game required
six overtime periods before Indianapolis finally
won 75-73.
A normal NBA game lasts 48 minutes. Six five-minute overtime periods
increased the playing time to 78 minutes.
The unusually low score is a product of the era. The game was played
before the NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock, allowing teams to
hold the ball for extended periods without attempting a shot.
The six-overtime record has stood since 1951 and remains one of the
oldest team records in NBA history.
Five-Overtime Games
Only two other NBA games have reached five overtimes.
On November 24, 1949, the Syracuse Nationals defeated the
Anderson Packers 125-123 after five overtime periods.
Forty years later, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Seattle
SuperSonics 155-154 in five overtimes on November 9, 1989.
Seattle's Dale Ellis played an NBA-record 69 minutes in that game.
Longest NBA Playoff Games
Two NBA playoff games have reached four overtime periods.
On March 21, 1953, the Boston Celtics defeated the Syracuse
Nationals 111-105 in four overtimes during the Eastern
Division Semifinals.
On May 3, 2019, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the
Denver Nuggets 140-137 in four overtimes during the Western
Conference Semifinals. The game lasted 68 minutes, with Nikola Jokic
playing 65 minutes and CJ McCollum leading Portland with 41 points.
Overtime Record Facts
Most overtimes: 6 — Indianapolis Olympians vs.
Rochester Royals, January 6, 1951.
Longest playing time: 78 minutes — Indianapolis vs.
Rochester in 1951.
Most overtimes in the playoffs: 4 — Boston vs.
Syracuse in 1953 and Portland vs. Denver in 2019.
Most minutes played by one player: 69 — Dale Ellis
for Seattle against Milwaukee in the five-overtime game on
November 9, 1989.
Most overtime games by a team in one season:
14 — Philadelphia in 1990-91.
