10. Celtics defeat Rockets 68-61 in Triple OT (June 25th, 2018)
Entering the contest, GM Julian Quintero’s Celtics had yet to put a tally in the win column throughout their franchise’s young history (Founded in 2017, Boston had finished their inaugural season winless). The franchise’s first victory, coming here in triple overtime, would end up being as thrilling as it was difficult, as the Rockets & Celtics would combine for 20 three-pointers that night, with 13 of them being made by a player with the last name of Starling (Chris, Xavier, & Al all participated in the shootout). Brandon Colon, one of the more prominent players in the league taking on the role of a fan at Plant Drive for the game’s duration, was recorded saying, “If you aren’t enjoying this, then you shouldn’t be a part of Big Guys Basketball.”

9. Rockets defeat Heat in Game 3 of the 2014 Semifinals (August 2014)
In the early years of the league, no rivalry was more fierce than Heat-Rockets. The fact that this game was a win-or-go-home to advance to the BGBL Finals was just the cherry on top. Andrew Owers had been Houston’s leading scorer throughout the season. However, this would be Nick Chiocca’s night, as the Rockets General Manager would go on to record a career high 25 points, along with 5 three-pointers. With just two seconds to go and his team down by a point, the Rockets’ crafty rookie Claude Lincoln, known for his ability to get to the free throw line, would draw a foul and hit arguably the two clutchest free throws in BGBL history to earn his team a trip to the Finals.

8. Blazers defeat Heat 41-38 in OT of Game 3 of the 2019 Semifinals (August 12th, 2019)
After taking over Michael Conforti’s squad in 2018, Blazers GM Ham Long took a team that finished winless a season prior to the brink of making the Finals, contributing to him earning the GM of the Year award in 2019. Documented by cameraman John Mollica, this instant classic would be back and forth throughout regulation and have to be decided in overtime. Although the impact of the fans, particularly the energizing presence of Blazers leading scorer Dairo Gonzalez’s father, should not be underestimated, the hero of this game was the legend Lenworth Crawford himself. With his team trailing by two points with 20 seconds remaining in the extra period, Lenworth would hit a corner three-pointer off point guard Ozzie Jiminez’s assist. The bucket would end up being the game-winner, advancing Portland to the Finals.

7. Warriors defeat Spurs 56-55 in Game 3 of 2017 Semifinals (August 6th, 2017)
Taking a temporary leave of absence following a championship season, Andrew Owers would hand his franchise down to his teammate and longtime friend Alex Pavlov. Surprising many early season critics, Pavlov would lead the Spurs to the number two overall seed. San Antonio would then go to battle against the eventual 2017 champion Warriors in probably the most competitive series this league has ever seen. The first two games in this series were decided by one possession, and this game would be no different. The Spurs would be the team to wind up with the final possession in this one, but Travis Hughes’s driving layup would rim out at the buzzer, sending Brandon Colon’s Warriors to the Finals in their first season together.

6. Nuggets defeat Warriors 51-49 in Double OT (August 24th, 2020)
At this point in time, the Warriors-Nuggets rivalry had reached its peak. The two franchises had been the top title contenders for three seasons in a row, and this contest between the undefeated Warriors and defending champion Nuggets was essentially for the regular season title. As Nuggets rookie Lit Kid accurately predicted, “this game goin’ to be lit.” Despite warnings from veteran referees Casey McClure & Andrew Owers before tipoff to be respectful, tensions would rise to a point of no return, but so would the entertainment. During a thirty second timespan in double overtime, Denver’s Travis Hughes and Golden State’s Brandon Colon would combine for 3 three-pointers. After Milk’s halfcourt hit the rim just short, the Nuggets would conclude the night clinching the number one overall seed.

5. Heat defeat Warriors in Triple OT (June 2014)
On the opening night of 2014, GM Mike McClure, who had taken his talents to South Beach to team up with his good friends Jared Mesches & John Hickman, would begin his new era against Kevin Henderson’s old school Warriors, not to be confused with the modern era Warriors led by Rob Burns & Brandon Colon. The game would get feisty pretty quickly, as Miami’s Jared Mesches and an obnoxious Warriors fan base would exchange some colorful language. At the end of regulation, Heat guard Bam Adeyemi would hit a clutch three-pointer to send the game to overtime. With the game tied and time ticking down at the end of the first overtime, Mesches would launch a full court shot that would swish through the hoop, touching nothing but nylon. However, league commissioner Mike McClure waved the bucket off in spite of his own team, later admitting it was the wrong call. However, the Heat survived the second overtime thanks to a buzzer beating putback by Timothy Nolen that was not confirmed until after it was reviewed by referees Andrew Owers & Casey McClure. The Heat would finally prevail in the third overtime, beginning their new era on a positive note.

4. Spurs defeat 76ers in Game 3 of the 2016 BGBL Finals (August 2016)
In the league’s fourth season, Casey McClure’s 76ers, who had won all three championships at this point in time, entered a Game 3 against the number one overall seed San Antonio Spurs led by former Philly star Andrew Owers. Alex Pavlov, another former Philly star, also followed Andrew to San Antonio that season. Casey McClure did everything he could to try to bring a fourth consecutive championship to Philadelphia, recording 30 points on the night and nailing a half court shot at the buzzer to end the first half. Spurs GM Andrew Owers, however, was not holding back against his good friend, playing with intense physicality throughout and ultimately leading his expansion franchise to a Finals victory in their first season together. The GM had promised his older brother, Peter Owers, a championship if he joined forces with him in San Antonio and Andrew delivered on that promise, as Pete would retire that night, cementing his legacy as a BGBL great. The Spurs would secure their spot as one of the signature franchises for years to come. Dee McGrady, Josh Robles, & Sean McInerney all began their BGBL careers on this 2016 Spurs team put together by GM of the Year Andrew Owers.

3. Mavericks defeat 76ers 61-60 in the Play-in Game in Triple OT (July 29th, 2022)
The reason this game is not in the top spot is because the two above it ended with a team hoisting the BGBL trophy. This game looked like it was over on multiple occasions. First, the 76ers held a 40-34 lead with 2 minutes to go in regulation, but the Mavericks would force overtime thanks to converting on 4 of 5 free throws down the stretch, including 1 of 2 for Allen Brown with 3.4 seconds left off a foul call that was heavily criticized by the Philly fan base. Scott would begin overtime 2-for-2 from the field, completing an 11-0 Mavs run and giving his team a 45-40 lead less than a minute into the extra period. Down 47-43 with just 44 seconds to go, Philly three-point specialists Dan Brown & Marc Ortiz would convert on two consecutive three-pointers to give the Sixers a 49-48 lead. Down 50-48, Scott Witkowski would draw a foul with 0.9 seconds left, and convert on both free throw attempts, forcing a second overtime. The two teams would only combine for one field goal in the defensive-oriented second overtime, as Daniel Brown would foul out for the 76ers, leaving the score at 52-52 entering a third overtime. Shortly into the third overtime, Philly’s leader Casey McClure would also foul out and Dallas would open up a 56-52 lead. However, thanks to an Adil Hamadeh three-pointer and an Andy Dominics drive, the 76ers would retake the lead. There would end up being a combined four lead changes and one tie in the third extra period, as Dee’s game-winning runner with 6 seconds to go would be the dagger, advancing Dallas into the playoffs and breaking the hearts of the city of Philadelphia.

2. Grizzlies defeat Warriors 59-57 in OT of Game 2 of the 2021 BGBL Finals (August 27th, 2021)
Memphis entered this game after having snagged a victory in Game 1 at the expense of losing their star defensive center Connor O’Rourke. O’Rourke had gone down in the waning minutes of the Grizzlies’ Game 1 victory, and would most certainly not be active again by Game 2. However, he did make an appearance that night in crutches, rooting his squad on from the sidelines. The Grizzlies would play inspired. GM Connor McCool performed like the former league MVP he was, recording 21 points, 5 three-pointers, & 5 assists. With 35 seconds left in regulation and Memphis holding onto a two-point lead, Grizzlies defensive specialist Eric Mattison would make an iconic block on Milk’s three-point attempt from the left wing, giving possession back to the Grizzlies. However, as expected, the Warriors would not go down quietly. ‘Game 2 Brandon’ (33 points, 19 rebounds on the night) would respond by grabbing an offensive rebound with 15 seconds left and converting on a three-point play the old-fashioned way. In overtime, Taylor Welte would foul out, eliminating yet another member of Memphis’s ‘Big 3’. It would be up to the Grizzlies’ so-called role players to step up in the extra period, and that they would. Three-point specialist Justin Ehrler converted from downtown off the steal & assist by Eric Mattison to give the Grizzlies a one-point lead late in overtime. Brandon would again tie the game up with 15 seconds to go, setting up an opportunity for history to be made. McCool brought the ball up as the seconds counted down, dribbling through traffic, and eventually beaming a pass to Ryan Doherty who was cutting baseline. Two seconds to go, Doherty took a dribble and noticed Hunter Kempton, former BGBL Fan of the Year, cutting to the basket. Kempton received the ball and high arched a short range fadeaway over the sprawled arm of Rob Burns. The ball gracefully entered the hoop, and Kempton would subsequently be embraced by his best friend Nick Gallo. The Grizzlies team followed shortly with a dogpile, Connor O’Rourke included. The last league game played at Plant Drive courts concluded in legendary fashion.

1. Nuggets defeat Blazers 44-43 in Game 3 of the 2019 BGBL Finals (August 16th, 2019)
This game deserves the top spot for a variety of reasons. The Nuggets were attempting to earn back-to-back titles, and GM of the Year Ham Long had led his Blazers as the surprise team of 2019. It would all come down to this game, and the fans were clearly aware of what was at stake, as this would be the highest attended BGBL game in history at the time. The Nuggets would jump out to a 17-7 lead, led by Offensive Player of the Year Frantz Dumas. Suddenly, though, the Blazers would accumulate some life, storming onto a 34-14 run spanning through the two halves to obtain a double-digit lead of their own. The run was largely attributed to the performance of police officer George Mastics, who would convert on 4-for-4 from downtown against his former team. “Turn the sirens on! The cops are shooting out here!” commentator Rob W would famously exclaim. With less than ten minutes to go though, Denver would prove why they are one of the greatest, if not the single greatest, franchise in BGBL history, maintaining their composure to comeback and tie the game to get within 43-42. Finally, with 15 seconds remaining, eventual Finals MVP Brandon “The Mountain” Kemmerer would grab an offensive board and put up the winning bucket. GM John Mollica’s quest for back-to-back titles was complete.