Are you tired of watching basketball teams play against the clock instead of the game? Tired of watching teams build big leads and then squander them with terrible offensive possessions in an effort to clear time and escape safely with a win?
Well, then you’ll love the Elam Ending – a format in which basketball games drop the game clock during the fourth quarter and play to a target score instead.
It happens in the NBA G League:
“Starting in 2022-23, games that advance to overtime will be determined by a final target score. The winner of an overtime game during the season will be the first team to reach or exceed the final target score, which will be the tied score after four quarters plus seven. For example, if the teams are tied at 100 -100, the final target score would be 107. Overtime will not be timed and games will end when a team makes a field goal or a free throw to meet or exceed the final target score.
MASSIVE NEWS: The Elam Ending is coming to the NBA G League
-During the 4th quarter of all Winter Showcase 2022 games
-During extra time for all other matches of the 2022-2023 seasonThe revolution continues…
— Elam Ending (@ElamEnding) September 1, 2022
The end of Elam is far from new. He was first introduced in the TBT in 2017 and became most popular when he made his way to the NBA All-Star Game in 2020.
We’ve seen the NBA take the “Coach’s Challenge and the 14 Second Shot Clock Reset on Offensive Rebounds” straight from the G League and ultimately implement them in their league. So don’t be surprised if the Elam Ending comes to the Association at some point.
