On January 6, 1951, the Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75–73 after six overtimes—one of the longest OT marathons ever.

Before the 24-second clock, endgame strategy favored stalling and only high-percentage attempts, slowing scoring while taxing stamina.

Six extra periods magnified foul management, sideline inbound craft, and timeout strategy.

A single turnover or missed free throw could rewrite history.

In 1954–55 the NBA adopted the shot clock, boosting pace and entertainment and reducing marathon OTs.

This “marathon game” explains why the league embraced speed and space and chronicles a shift from stall-ball to high-tempo basketball.