Ayrton Oneill
The number of overtimes in a basketball game varies depending on the league and level of play. In the NBA, overtime periods last five minutes each, with the teams playing continuously until there is a winner. The longest NBA game in history, in terms of overtimes, occurred in 1951 when the Indianapolis Olympians played the Rochester Royals for a record six overtimes. In terms of high school basketball, the record for the most overtime periods is 13, set in 1964 by Angier High School and Boone Trail High School.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time between end of regulation and start of overtime | 130 seconds |
| Overtime period duration | 5 minutes |
| Number of timeouts per team per overtime period | 2 |
| Number of overtime periods played in the longest NBA game | 6 |
| Duration of the longest NBA game | 78 minutes |
| Teams involved in the longest NBA game | Indianapolis Olympians and Rochester Royals |
| Final score of the longest NBA game | 75-73 |
| Year of the longest NBA game | 1951 |
| Longest high school basketball game | 13 overtimes |
| Duration of the longest high school basketball game | 3 hours |
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What You'll Learn
Overtime rules in the NBA
An NBA game consists of four 12-minute quarters, but this can be extended if there is a tie at the end of the fourth quarter. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams play a five-minute overtime period. There are 130 seconds between the end of regulation and overtime. During this break, the teams will change baskets, and all overtime periods are considered extensions of the second half.
Each team is allowed two team timeouts per overtime period. Previously, teams had three. The entire overtime period is played with no sudden-death provision, meaning that if the score is still tied at the end of the first overtime, the teams will play another overtime period. This process will continue until one team has the lead at the end of an overtime period.
During any overtime period, the first three common fouls committed by a team shall result in the ball being awarded to the opposing team on the sideline nearest to where play was interrupted. The ball shall be awarded no nearer to the baseline than the free-throw line extended. Common fouls charged as team fouls in excess of three will be penalised by one free throw plus a penalty free-throw attempt. If a team has not committed three team fouls during the first three minutes of any overtime period, it shall be permitted to incur one team foul during the last two minutes without penalty. During the last two minutes of any overtime period, the ball may be passed anywhere on the court during inbound plays.
The longest game in NBA history took place in 1951, when the Indianapolis Olympians defeated the Rochester Royals in a game lasting 78 minutes, including six overtime periods.
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Longest NBA games
Only three games in NBA history have reached more than four overtimes. The longest NBA game ever played was a six-overtime game between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) on 6 January 1951. The game lasted 78 minutes and ended with a score of 75-73 in favour of the Olympians.
The second-longest game in NBA history was a five-overtime game between the Seattle Supersonics and the Milwaukee Bucks on 9 November 1989. The game lasted 73 minutes and ended with a score of 155-154 in favour of the Bucks. Dale Ellis of the Supersonics played a record-breaking 69 minutes and scored a career-high 53 points, with 20 of those points coming during the overtimes.
The third-longest game in NBA history was another game featuring the Atlanta Hawks. On 1 March 2019, the Hawks took on the Bulls in a game that lasted four overtimes and eclipsed the 3.5-hour mark. The final score was 168-161 in favour of the Bulls.
The Hawks also feature in the second of their three appearances in the longest NBA games, this time against the New York Knicks on 29 January 2017. The game required four overtimes to determine the winner, with the Hawks eventually prevailing 142-139.
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Longest high school basketball game
While researching the longest high school basketball game ever played, I came across two notable games, one played by high school students and the other by college students.
Longest Basketball Game Played by High School Students
On March 18, 1972, a group of Bemidji State College students in Minnesota played the world's longest basketball game, lasting 125 hours until March 23. The game was played between members of the BSC's Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and was a fundraiser for the Special Olympics program. The final score was 9,475 to 8,855, with Team 2 winning by 620 points.
Longest Basketball Game Played by College Students
In Queensland, Australia, a group of boys played a basketball marathon at the Wongai Courts. The game started with Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen throwing the first jump ball, and the boys played for three hours straight before taking a break to eat or sleep. The game lasted for over 100 hours, and the last 10 players on the court displayed an impressive performance that thrilled the spectators. The game finally ended at 1:30 AM on May 6, 1972, after five days of continuous play.
In summary, while the game played by the college students in Queensland lasted longer in terms of hours, the game played by the high school students in Minnesota holds the official record for the longest basketball game by duration. The Queensland marathon may not have been an official attempt at breaking the world record, as it was played by college students rather than high school students.
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Overtime periods in other basketball leagues
Overtime rules vary across different basketball leagues. In the NBA, overtime periods are 5 minutes long, and there is no limit to the number of overtime periods that can be played until a winner is determined. The longest NBA game ever played lasted 78 minutes and included six overtime periods when the Indianapolis Olympians defeated the Rochester Royals 75-73 in 1951.
EuroLeague Basketball implemented a rule in 2010-2011 that applies to all two-legged ties in its competitions. In the FIBA Europe competitions, overtime is only played if the aggregate score after the second game is tied. FIBA rules were changed in 2017 to permit drawn games at the end of either leg of a two-legged tie, stating that "If the score is tied at the end of the first game, no extra period shall be played."
In 3x3 basketball, a formalized version of the half-court three-on-three game, ties after a 10-minute game are settled by continuing play with no game clock (only the shot clock) until one team scores two additional points. The 21-point rule, where a regulation game ends once either team reaches 21 points, does not apply during overtime; a tie at 20 must go to 22.
Since 2019, the gold medal game for the World Championships and Olympics uses multiple 20-minute 3-on-3 periods until one team scores, winning the game.
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The rarity of overtime in the NBA
Overtime in the NBA is a rare occurrence. In the 2022 playoffs, there was only one overtime, and that nearly went into a second overtime period. Typically, NBA games are 48 minutes long, and even with timeouts, fouls, and breaks, they are still one of the faster sports.
The longest NBA game in history, in terms of overtimes, was in 1951 between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals. The game lasted 78 minutes and went into six overtimes, with the Olympians winning 75-73. Interestingly, this game had a surprisingly low score, and since the introduction of the 24-second shot clock, games have had higher scores.
While the 1951 game holds the record for the most overtimes in the NBA, it is worth noting that a high school basketball game in North Carolina in 1964 went into 13 overtime periods, a record unmatched by the NCAA or NBA. This game, between Angier High School and Boone Trail High School, started at 8:30 pm and ended just before midnight, making it the longest high school basketball game on record.
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Frequently asked questions
An overtime period in the NBA lasts for five minutes.
There is no limit to the number of overtimes that can be played until a winner is decided. The record for the most overtime periods is six, which occurred in a game between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals in 1951.
In high school basketball, overtime periods typically last for four minutes each. The game ends if the score is no longer tied at the end of any extra period. The record for the most overtime periods in a high school basketball game is 13, which occurred in a game between Angier High School and Boone Trail High School in 1964.
