What is the record number of overtimes in NBA history? Explaining rules regarding team fouls, timeouts and more

The NBA is a highly competitive basketball league. Every team has only one goal in mind - winning a championship - for which teams fight for a spot in the playoffs during the regular season. That makes regular season games, especially towards the end of the season, highly competitive and intense.

Due to the intensity every NBA team brings to the court, there are occasions when a matchup goes to overtime. One good example was when the Sacramento Kings beat the LA Clippers in a historic double-overtime game. Most games now typically need one or two overtime periods, which may lead some to wonder: which NBA game has had the most overtimes?

According to sources, the longest game in NBA history took place all the way back in 1951. It was a game between the Indianapolis Olympians and Rochester Royals. The matchup lasted for a record 78 minutes and needed six overtimes. However, it was during the time when shot clocks weren't a thing in the league.

If one considers the period when shot clocks came into being, the longest NBA game that took place was in 1989. That matchup between the Minneapolis Bucks and Seattle Supersonics lasted 73 minutes, spanning five overtimes. None of the games post 1989 - in the modern era - have had as many overtimes.

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Breaking down team fouls and timeouts in NBA

Team Huddle

While it's exciting to watch a game of basketball, the NBA and other leagues have implemented a lot of technical rules to keep things in order. Without these rules, players tend to use certain violations to their advantage. Some of the most important rules to look out for are fouls and timeouts.

One of the most crucial elements of a game is timeout. Play is stopped during timeouts for coaches to speak with players and issue instructions that may have an impact on the result of the game.

Each team is permitted seven timeouts throughout regulation, according to the rulebook. In the fourth quarter, teams are only permitted four. Then come the final three minutes of the final period, each team is only allowed two timeouts, assuming they didn't use it all up before. Each team gets two additional timeouts if the game goes into overtime.

As for fouls, there are two types of these violations: personal foul and team foul. Personal fouls aren't much of a concern for the team but more for the players. It's team fouls that tend to affect the course of games more.

In each quarter of a game, team fouls are tallied. Four fouls are permitted before two free throws are awarded, starting with the fifth. Team fouls are only counted with defensive fouls.