An NBA overtime period is 5 minutes long, and if the game is still tied after that, additional 5‑minute overtime periods are played until one team wins.

How long is one overtime?

Each overtime period in the NBA lasts exactly 5 minutes of game time. This is shorter than a regulation quarter (12 minutes), but the clock stops frequently for fouls, timeouts, and out‑of‑bounds plays, so the real‑time length is longer.

What happens if the game is still tied?

If the score is tied at the end of the first overtime, the teams play another 5‑minute overtime period. This continues — second OT, third OT, etc. — until one team is ahead when the final overtime period ends.

How many overtimes can there be?

There’s no limit on the number of overtimes in the NBA. Games can go into double overtime (2 OT), triple overtime (3 OT), or even more in rare cases. The longest NBA games in history have gone 4–6 overtimes, making the total game time over 3 hours.

Overtime rules (quick highlights)

  • Overtime starts with a jump ball in the center circle.
  • Each team gets 2 team timeouts per overtime period (not carried over from regulation).
  • The shot clock is 24 seconds, same as regulation.
  • Teams switch baskets for overtime, just like at halftime.
  • The game clock stops often in the last 2 minutes of any overtime after made baskets, similar to the end of regulation.

How long does an NBA game last with OT?

A regular NBA game is about 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes with commercials and stoppages. Each overtime adds roughly 15–20 minutes of real time (5 minutes of game clock plus stoppages, timeouts, and breaks). So:

  • 1 OT → roughly 2:30–2:45 total
  • 2 OT → roughly 2:45–3:00 total
  • 3+ OT → can easily go over 3 hours

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.