This Day In Sonics History: Bucks and Sonics Play Forever

On November 9, 1989, the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks played a game that lasted 73 minutes. The game went into overtime five times. It is the longest game since the implementation of the 24-second shot clock. Of the 73 minutes, Dale Ellis played 69, an NBA record still to this day. Ellis finished the game with 53 points on 46% shooting, including 3-7 from behind the three point line. Xavier McDaniel played just one minute less than Ellis and finished the game with a double-double of 37 points and 13 rebounds. Nate McMillan dished out 10 assists.

In the fifth overtime, Milwaukee outscored the Sonics 17-16 and by the time the game mercifully ended, it was the Bucks who took the win by a final score of 155-154 behind 36 points from Ricky Pierce, who would go on to join the Sonics the following season. The Bucks also got double digit scoring from seven other players, including 28 from Alvin Robertson and 23 from former Sonic Jack Sikma.