What Was the Longest NBA Game Ever?

The longest NBA game ever played was on January 6, 1951, between the Indianapolis Olympians and Rochester Royals. The game went into seven overtimes, with the Royals finally winning, 78-75.

Introduction

The longest NBA game ever played was on January 6, 1951, between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals. The game went into overtime, and lasted a total of six hours and thirty-three minutes!

The Longest NBA Game by Time

The longest NBA game by time took place on January 6, 1951, when the Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 in six overtimes. The game was played atEdgerton Park Arena in Rochester, New York, and lasted nearly four hours. It remains the only six-overtime game in NBA history.

The game was originally scheduled to be played on December 20, 1950, but was postponed due to a blizzard that struck the Midwest. When it was finally played two weeks later, both teams were exhausted. The Royals had been playing three games in four nights, while the Olympians had been on the road for a week and had lost their previous game in overtime.

Despite being tired, both teams played well. The score was tied at 63 at the end of regulation, and neither team could gain an advantage in the overtime periods. Midway through the sixth overtime,Olympians guard Bob Dove hit a jump shot to give his team a 75-73 lead. The Royals had a chance to tie the game with seconds remaining, but guard Bobby Wanzer’s desperation shot went wide of the basket as time expired.

Dove led all scorers with 19 points, while Wanzer was the high scorer for the Royals with 18 points. center Mel Hutchins played all 63 minutes for Indianapolis, while forward Saul Rosen *played all 84 minutes for Rochester. Hutchins went on to be named an All-Star that season, while Rosen won Rookie of the Year honors.

The Longest NBA Game by Number of Overtimes

On January 6, 1951, the Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 in six overtimes, the longest game in NBA history. The game was played in Indianapolis.

The previous record for the longest NBA game was four overtime periods, set twice: once in 1949 and once in 1950. The 1949 game was between the Anderson Packers and theSheboygan Red Skins, and it ended with Anderson winning 97-93. The 1950 game was between the Syracuse Nationals and the Anderson Packers (again), and it ended with Syracuse winning 111-105.

Both of those games were also played in Indianapolis.

Why These Games Were So Long

There have been a number of reasons why NBA games have run long. One is that the games are played in a regulation-size basketball court, which is larger than the international standard size of 28 by 15 meters (92 by 49 feet). This results in more time for players to make their way up and down the court, and more time for defenders to contest shots.

Another reason for longer games is the fact that there are more timeouts in an NBA game than in other professional basketball leagues. Each team is allowed seven timeouts per game, which can add up to quite a bit of extra time. Additionally, teams often use these timeouts to stop the clock late in tight games, which can make games even longer.

Finally, the rules of the NBA include a number of additional stoppages of play that are not found in other professional basketball leagues. For example, after every made basket during the last two minutes of regulation or during any overtime period, play is stopped so that officials can review whether or not the basket should count. This can add quite a bit of extra time to close games.

Conclusion

In summary, the longest NBA game ever played was between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks on January 6, 1993. The game went into three overtimes, with a final score of 155-154 in favor of the Bucks. The game lasted a total of 78 minutes and was played in front of a sellout crowd at the Bradley Center.