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

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. But 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. In the NFL, Super Bowl LVII in 2023 went into overtime. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22. The Patriots and Falcons also had a long game in 2017. It went into overtime, and the Patriots won 34-28. The NBA has had some long games too. In 1993, the Phoenix Suns beat the Chicago Bulls in three overtimes. The score was 129-121. The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns also had a long game in 1976. It went into three overtimes, and the Celtics won 128-126. The NHL has had some long games too. In 2013, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins in three overtimes. The score was 4-3. The Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils also had a long game in 2000. It went into three overtimes, and the Stars won 1-0. The WNBA has had some long games too. In 2024, the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime. The score was 67-62. The Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky also had a long game in 2021. It went into overtime, and the Mercury won 91-86. College basketball has had some long games too. In 2006, Maryland beat Duke in overtime. The score was 78-75. In 1957, North Carolina beat Kansas in three overtimes. The score was 54-53. 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.