SPORTS

Extending the Game: A Look at Some of the Longest Championship Matches

Los Angeles, USASun Nov 02 2025

Baseball: The 2025 World Series Marathon

Sports fans love a good game, but sometimes, the excitement comes from the length of the match. In 2025, the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays had a game that lasted 18 innings. That's a lot of baseball!

  • Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run to win the game for the Dodgers.
  • The teams threw 609 pitches and got 31 hits.
  • It was a long night, but the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the series.

The World Series didn't end there. Game 7 was also a long one, with the Dodgers winning in 11 innings.

Other Sports with Epic Long Games

Baseball isn't the only sport with long championship games. The NFL, NBA, NHL, and WNBA have all had games that went into extra time.

NFL: Super Bowl LVII (2023)

  • Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime.
  • The Patriots and Falcons also had a long game in 2017, ending 34-28 in overtime.

NBA: Triple Overtime Classics

  • In 1993, the Phoenix Suns beat the Chicago Bulls in three overtimes, 129-121.
  • The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns had a 1976 game that went into three overtimes, ending 128-126.

NHL: Overtime Thrillers

  • In 2013, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins in three overtimes, 4-3.
  • The Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils had a 2000 game that went into three overtimes, ending 1-0.

WNBA: Overtime Wins

  • In 2024, the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime, 67-62.
  • The Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky had a 2021 game that went into overtime, ending 91-86.

College Basketball: Historic Overtime Games

  • In 2006, Maryland beat Duke in overtime, 78-75.
  • In 1957, North Carolina beat Kansas in three overtimes, 54-53.

Conclusion

These games show that sometimes, the best moments in sports come from the longest games. Fans love to see teams push themselves to the limit. It's not always about the score. Sometimes, it's about the effort and the excitement of the game.

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questions

    How do the rules and regulations of different sports leagues contribute to the likelihood of extended championship games?
    Are there any hidden motives behind the frequent overtime games in the NFL, such as increasing advertising revenue?
    What are the potential health and safety concerns for athletes participating in marathon championship games?

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