NBA players are some of the best-conditioned athletes in the world since they have to run up and down the court for four quarters.
That elite conditioning comes in handy for NBA guys in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line and they are still able to play defense at a high level and make jump shots even when their legs are dead.
This is why most NBA head coaches always have players run to begin and end practices.
With that said, let’s take a look at the five longest games in NBA history. The players who played in these games were certainly dead tired afterward, but their stellar conditioning helped them finish the contest without collapsing on the court.
5. Pistons-Bulls, Dec 18, 2015, 4OT
The Detroit Pistons won this game by a final score of 147-144. Detroit outscored the Chicago Bulls 20-17 in the fourth overtime to win the contest.
Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 33 points and 21 rebounds while Reggie Jackson poured in 31 points and 13 assists. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler scored 43 points for the Bulls and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose added 34.
The game lasted for three hours and 24 minutes.
4. Bulls-Hawks, Mar 1, 2019, 4 OT
Chicago scored a whopping 168 points to defeat the Atlanta Hawks by a final count of 168-161. The game lasted three hours and 35 minutes.
Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine scored 47 points and played 55 minutes. It was really impressive considering the two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion has torn his ACL before.
For the Hawks, Trae Young notched 49 points and dished out 16 assists. His efforts, though, weren’t quite enough to get the win for Atlanta.
3. Hawks-Knicks, Jan 29, 2017, 4 OT
The New York Knicks and Hawks played a classic NBA game in Atlanta, one which took three hours and 40 minutes to complete.
The Hawks defeated the Knicks by a final score of 142-139. Atlanta scored 12 points in the fourth overtime while limiting New York to just nine.
Paul Millsap scored 38 points for the Hawks and also grabbed 19 rebounds. For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony notched 45 points but he fouled out with 13 seconds left in the second overtime.
2. Nationals-Packers, Nov 24, 1949, 5 OT
The Syracuse Nationals won this game in five overtimes. They outscored the Anderson Packers 18-16 in the fifth overtime to take home the win, 125-123.
Johnny Macknowski finished with 21 points for the Nationals while the Packers were led in scoring by Frankie Brian, who put up 18.
1. Olympians-Royals, Jan 6, 1951, 6 OT
The longest game in NBA history went six overtimes. The Indianapolis Olympians came out victories, winning by a final score of 75-73.
Indianapolis scored two points in the sixth overtime and didn’t let the Rochester Royals score once.
Alex Groza and Ralph Beard each scored 17 points for the Olympians. The Royals, meanwhile, were led by Arnie Risen, who finished with 26 points.
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