Multiple Overtime Games in a Championship Series

The NBA Finals is off to a fantastic start as the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers split the first two games, with both contests going to overtime. It's the first time in NBA Finals history that the first two games required an extra five minutes, and only seven other championship series had more than one overtime game at any point in the series.

Year	Team	Team	OT Games	Series
1952	Lakers	Knicks	Game 1 at MIN: Lakers 83-79	Lakers 4-3
			Game 4 at NYK: Knicks 90-89
1957	Celtics	Hawks	Game 1 at BOS: Hawks 125-123 (2 OT)	Celtics 4-3
			* Game 7 at BOS: Celtics 125-123 (2 OT)
1969 ABA	Oaks	Pacers	Game 3 at IND: Oaks 134-126	Oaks 4-1
			* Game 5 at OAK: Oaks 135-131
1970	Knicks	Lakers	Game 3 at LAL: Knicks 111-108	Knicks 4-3
			Game 4 at LAL: Lakers 121-115
1974	Bucks	Celtics	Game 2 at MIL: Bucks 105-96	Celtics 4-3
			Game 6 at BOS: Bucks 102-101 (2 OT)
1984	Celtics	Lakers	Game 2 at BOS: Celtics 124-121	Celtics 4-3
			Game 4 at LAL: Celtics 129-125
2009	Lakers	Magic	Game 2 at LAL: Lakers 101-96	Lakers 4-1
			Game 4 at ORL: Lakers 99-91
2015	Warriors	Cavaliers	Game 1 at GS: Warriors 108-100	Tied 1-1
			Game 2 at GS: Cavaliers 95-93

* Clincher



This is much more common in hockey, as 22 Stanley Cup Finals have had multiple overtime games. Seven series have had at least three overtime games, including the 1951 Final in which all five games went to OT.

Year	Team	Team	OT Games	Series
1927	Bruins	Senators	Game 1 at BOS: Tied 0-0	Senators 2-0
			Game 3 at OTT: Tied 1-1
1931	Black Hawks	Canadiens	Game 2 at CHI: Black Hawks 2-1 (2 OT)	Canadiens 3-2
			Game 3 at MON: Black Hawks 3-2 (3 OT)
1934	Red Wings	Black Hawks	Game 1 at DET: Black Hawks 2-1 (2 OT)	Black Hawks 3-1
			* Game 4: at CHI: Black Hawks 1-0 (2 OT)
1940	Rangers	Maple Leafs	Game 1 at NYR: Rangers 2-1	Rangers 4-2
			Game 5 at TOR: Rangers 2-1 (2 OT)
			* Game 6 at TOR: Rangers 3-2
1946	Canadiens	Bruins	Game 1 at MON: Canadiens 4-3	Canadiens 4-1
			Game 2 at MON: Canadiens 3-2
			Game 4 at BOS: Bruins 3-2
1950	Red Wings	Rangers	Game 4 at DET: Rangers 4-3	Red Wings 4-3
			Game 5 at DET: Rangers 2-1
			* Game 7 at DET: Red Wings 4-3 (2 OT)
1951	Maple Leafs	Canadiens	Game 1 at TOR: Maple Leafs 3-2	Maple Leafs 4-1
			Game 2 at TOR: Canadiens 3-2
			Game 3 at MON: Maple Leafs 2-1
			Game 4 at MON: Maple Leafs 3-2
			* Game 5 at TOR: Maple Leafs 3-2
1954	Red Wings	Canadiens	Game 5 at DET: Canadiens 1-0	Red Wings 4-3
			* Game 7 at DET: Red Wings 2-1
1964	Maple Leafs	Red Wings	Game 2 at TOR: Red Wings 4-3	Maple Leafs 4-3
			Game 6 at DET: Maple Leafs 4-3
1968	Blues	Canadiens	Game 1 at STL: Canadiens 3-2	Canadiens 4-0
			Game 3 at MON: Canadiens 3-2
1978	Canadiens	Bruins	Game 2 at MON: Canadiens 3-2	Canadiens 4-2
			Game 4 at BOS: Bruins 4-3
1980	Flyers	Islanders	Game 1 at PHI: Islanders 4-3	Islanders 4-2
			* Game 6 at NYI: Islanders 5-4
1993	Canadiens	Kings	Game 2 at MON: Canadiens 3-2	Canadiens 4-1
			Game 3 at LAK: Canadiens 4-3
			Game 4 at LAK: Canadiens 3-2
1999	Stars	Sabres	Game 1 at DAL: Sabres 3-2	Stars 4-2
			* Game 6 at BUF: Stars 2-1 (3 OT)
2000	Devils	Stars	Game 5 at NJ: Stars 1-0 (3 OT)	Devils 4-2
			* Game 6 at DAL: Devils 2-1 (2 OT)
2002	Red Wings	Hurricanes	Game 1 at DET: Hurricanes 3-2	Red Wings 4-1
			Game 3 at CAR: Red Wings 3-2 (3 OT)
2003	Devils	Mighty Ducks	Game 3 at MDA: Mighty Ducks 3-2	Devils 4-3
			Game 4 at MDA: Mighty Ducks 1-0
2004	Lightning	Flames	Game 5 at TB: Flames 3-2	Lightning 4-3
			Game 6 at CGY: Lightning 3-2 (2 OT)
2010	Blackhawks	Flyers	Game 3 at PHI: Flyers 4-3	Blackhawks 4-2
			* Game 6 at PHI: Blackhawks 4-3
2012	Devils	Kings	Game 1 at NJ: Kings 2-1	Kings 4-2
			Game 2 at NJ: Kings 2-1
2013	Blackhawks	Bruins	Game 1 at CHI: Blackhawks 4-3 (3 OT)	Blackhawks 4-2
			Game 2 at CHI: Bruins 2-1
			Game 4 at BOS: Blackhawks 6-5
2014	Kings	Rangers	Game 1 at LAK: Kings 3-2	Kings 4-1
			Game 2 at LAK: Kings 5-4 (2 OT)
			* Game 5 at LAK: Kings 3-2 (2 OT)

* Clincher



Ending with baseball, there have been nine World Series that have had multiple extra-inning games, including the 1991 Fall Classic, which had three such games.

Year	Team	Team	Extra-Inning Games	Series
1911	Giants	Athletics	Game 3 at NYG: Athletics 3-2 (11)	Athletics 4-2
			Game 5 at NYG: Giants 4-3 (10)
1912	Red Sox	Giants	Game 2 at BOS: Tied 6-6 (11)	Red Sox 4-3
			* Game 8 at BOS: Red Sox 3-2 (10)
1924	Senators	Giants	Game 1 at WAS: Giants 4-3 (12)	Senators 4-3
			* Game 7 at WAS: Senators 4-3 (12)
1933	Giants	Senators	Game 4 at WAS: Giants 2-1 (11)	Giants 4-1
			* Game 5 at WAS: Giants 4-3 (10)
1958	Braves	Yankees	Game 1 at MIL: Braves 4-3 (10)	Yankees 4-3
			Game 6 at MIL: Yankees 4-3 (10)
1973	Athletics	Mets	Game 2 at OAK: Mets 10-7 (12)	Athletics 4-3
			Game 3 at NYM: Athletics 3-2 (11)
1975	Red Sox	Reds	Game 3 at CIN: Reds 6-5 (10)	Reds 4-3
			Game 6 at BOS: Red Sox 7-6 (12)
1991	Twins	Braves	Game 3 at ATL: Braves 5-4 (12)	Twins 4-3
			Game 6 at MIN: Twins 4-3 (11)
			* Game 7 at MIN: Twins 1-0 (10)
2001	Diamondbacks	Yankees	Game 4 at NYY: Yankees 4-3 (10)	Diamondbacks 4-3
			Game 5 at NYY: Yankees 3-2 (12)

* Clincher


Of the 39 series listed above, this NBA Finals is the sixth to have both of the first two games go beyond regulation, joining the Stanley Cup Finals from 1946, 1951, 2012, 2013 and 2014. It's odd that it happened only twice until 2012, but has now occurred in each of the last four Junes.

Looking ahead to Tuesday's Game Three in Cleveland, only two series have had three consecutive overtime games at any point: the aforementioned 1951 Cup Final and the 1993 Cup Final in which Montreal won Games Two, Three and Four.



Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, Shaun Livingston, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa, Marreese Speights, LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova, Kyrie Irving, James Jones, Mike Miller