Close games in the NBA Finals often come down to a few crucial possessions—and when regulation ends with a tie, overtime rules take over. While overtime procedures remain largely consistent across the league, the stakes during the Finals make understanding the details even more important.
Here’s a breakdown of how NBA Finals overtime works in 2025, what fans and players can expect, and how the extra period plays out differently from regulation.
Overtime in the NBA is a five-minute period, the same regardless of whether it’s a regular-season game or the Finals. The clock resets to five minutes, and the game resumes with a jump ball at center court—not possession based on prior quarters.
If the score remains tied at the end of an overtime period, another five-minute overtime is played. There is no limit to the number of overtimes that can be played until a winner is decided.
Each team receives two timeouts during each overtime period, separate from any remaining timeouts from regulation. These timeouts can be used at any point during the overtime but do not carry over into subsequent overtimes if unused.
Coaches must be strategic about when to call timeouts, especially in games where momentum swings quickly in the extra period.
Fouls in overtime continue from where they left off in the fourth quarter. That means:
Free throw rules remain consistent—shooting fouls result in the same number of shots as in regulation, and technical or flagrant fouls are assessed accordingly.
Substitution rules in overtime are identical to those during regulation:
In extreme situations where a team has fewer than five eligible players, the NBA’s rarely used “last player standing” rule applies—allowing disqualified players to return with technical fouls assessed for any additional infractions.
During overtime in the NBA Finals, replay is used frequently to ensure accuracy. Key reviewable moments include:
Coaches still retain one challenge per game, and that challenge can be used in overtime if it hasn’t been used—or if it was used successfully in regulation.
Unlike some other basketball leagues, the NBA does not use a possession arrow. Every overtime period begins with a jump ball, and all tie-up situations (held balls) are resolved with another jump.
This keeps possession decisions competitive rather than automatic, which adds another layer of strategy and intensity to overtime play.
While the rules don’t change between the regular season and the Finals, the pressure certainly does. Coaches may shorten their rotations, ride starters for longer minutes, and make fewer substitutions. Officials are also under more scrutiny, with every foul, call, and review having outsized impact.
The pace of play in overtime often becomes more half-court oriented, with teams valuing each possession even more. Mistakes are magnified, and decision-making tightens as the clock winds down.
NBA Finals overtime in 2025 follows the same rule structure as the rest of the season, but the stakes make every call and possession feel bigger. From jump ball procedures to team foul limits and review protocols, understanding how overtime works helps fans and viewers appreciate the subtle adjustments teams make during these crucial extra minutes.
When the game goes beyond regulation, every second matters—and the overtime rules keep the focus squarely on execution under pressure.
