In honor of the Arizona Diamondbacks: the Phoenix Suns’ longest game in history
By Adam Maynes
In honor of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 19-inning game on September 24/25, 2019, let’s take a look back at the Phoenix Suns’ longest game in franchise history: 4OT on November 14, 1997.
The Phoenix Suns have two of the most important triple overtime games in history, both in the NBA Finals in 1976 then 1993.
However, they are no longer the longest games in franchise history, that record being set in the regular season, on November 14, 1997, at the Portland Trailblazers, a quadruple overtime game that has yet to be matched – or surpassed.
A true back-and-forth affair, especially in overtime, the Suns appeared to be well on their way to a 5-1 start to the regular season with a hard fought victory with only moments left in regulation.
Up by nine points (95-86) with only 1:52 remaining, Phoenix turned the ball over twice (Jason Kidd and Cliff Robinson) and only managed one field goal attempt – a Jason Kidd missed 3 – over the next 1:45, all while Isaiah Rider nailed two quick trey’s himself, before Arvydas Sabonis nailed a 3 as well to tie the game at 98 with 2 seconds remaining sending the two teams into their first extra period.
Sixth man Danny Manning carried the Suns in the first OT scoring six of the team’s eight points, including two game-tying FTs with 24 seconds to go.
Rider missed two tip-ups with only seconds remaining, allowing the game to head into the second OT.
Portland scored only one field goal, however, in the second extra five minutes, eight Phoenix Suns fouls led to 12 free throw attempts (Portland made 11), including John Crotty nailing six in the OT’s final 40 seconds alone.
Crotty actually put Portland up by three points with seven seconds remaining, but with a 3-point shot that was reminiscent of the one made famous against the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the playoffs the season before, Rex Chapman caught an inbound pass (again) from Jason Kidd, and this time from near the top-of-the-arc, drained a “Shazam!” with four seconds remaining.
Portland was unable to get another shot off.
The franchise-high-tying third OT (for both teams) opened with Portland’s Brian Grant scoring the Blazers’ first six points, before Isaiah Rider spread it to a 127-121 lead with 2:45 remaining.
Chapman hit another clutch 3 for the Suns which was followed up with a Cliff Robinson 3 to tie the game, following four Blazers missed shots and a Phoenix Suns turnover over the interim 90 seconds.
Following a Sabonis layup with 40 second remaining, Danny Manning tied the game on his own layup just 13 seconds later.
Now tied at 129, Rex Chapman had an opportunity to win the game in three OTs, but missed a short, 8-foot jumper at the buzzer following a timeout, extending the game to a fourth overtime, the longest in the history’s of either franchise.
Phoenix Suns
It was there, in the fourth OT, that the Phoenix Suns finally gained control and pulled away, when the OT period opened on Rex Chapman’s third and final 3-point shot of the night (on 10 attempts), giving the Phoenix Suns a 132-129 lead they would not relinquish.
Chapman and Manning would do all the scoring for Phoenix in the final extra period, with King Rex bookending Danny’s scoring, ending the Suns’ scoring with two FTs, sandwiching in five points from the swing forward who finished with 35 total.
Isaiah Rider’s literal last second 3-point shot brought the game to it’s final score, 140-139, thus ending the longest game in Phoenix Suns history.
Jason Kidd led the Suns in minutes played with 55:32, although surprisingly did not really come anywhere near one of his patented triple-doubles, finishing with only 6 points and 7 rebounds to go along with 16 assists (and 5 steals for good measure). Kidd finished only 2-8 from the field (1-3 from beyond the arc), and 1-1 from the charity stripe.
On the other hand, Kevin Johnson (who did play in 62 minutes in the triple-overtime game at the Chicago Bulls in game three of the NBA Finals less four years earlier), nearly did triple-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, plus 7 assists.
Rex Chapman finished with 28 points, and oft-center Danny Manning scored 35 (as mentioned before), while grabbing 10 rebounds.
Steve Nash finished with 11 points in 28:29 off the bench.
For Portland, Brian Grant scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in 61:03 playing time, while Isaiah Rider scored 35 points (including 5-14 from 3-point range) and grabbed 10 boards in 59:02.
Three Blazers fouled out (as opposed to only Antonio McDyess for the Suns – 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals in 35:10), Arvydas Sabonis (31 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 49:37), Kenny Anderson (7 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in 46:42), and Rasheed Wallace (13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 45:00).
Next. Don Buse was an NBA preseason Nostra-Don-us. dark
The game remains tied for the third longest-game by overtimes in NBA history (6 OTs being the longest set on January 6, 1951), and although the Phoenix Suns have not tied or surpassed this length, Portland did tie it on May 3, 2019 in a Game 3 140-137 semifinals victory over the Denver Nuggets.