Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports
Most combined fouls in an NBA game: 106 fouls
In the NBA, there have been instances when fouls defined the course of the game and have forever been etched into history. Let’s take a look at what the history books say about what games have the most fouls in NBA history.
On March 21, 1953, the Boston Celtics squared against the Syracuse Nationals in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. While the Celtics would defeat the Nationals in two games to advance to the Eastern Division Finals (where they would lose in four games to the New York Knicks), the second game against Syracuse would go down in NBA history. Both teams combined for an astounding 106 personal fouls in a contest that ended up going into four overtime periods. During this foul-fest, 12 different players fouled out, and neither the Nationals nor the Celtics were able to make substitutions in the last two overtime frames.
The game was also highlighted by fisticuffs between Dolph Schayes and Bob Brannum — both of whom were ejected after police had to get involved in sorting out fans and players off the floor. Paul Seymour and Red Rocha both logged 67 minutes in the contest.
On April 9, 1990, the Utah Jazz logged the most fouls by a single team in a single game. They were whistled 52 times in a 119-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
There is one more foul record that has stood the test of time. On November 13, 1999, an early-season tilt featured the Atlanta Hawks taking on Portland. The Hawks were completely outmatched, getting blown out 131-95. The record book notes that Dikembe Mutumbo had a single blocked shot and Alan Henderson was the team’s top scorer, but there is one stat that stands out all these years later.
Cal Bowdler, Atlanta’s first-round pick of that season subbed into the game during garbage time, hitting his first two of three field goals. While Bowdler logged 15 minutes of action, he managed to rack up fouls at an incredible rate. At one point, he was listed as having seven fouls. Obviously a mistake, the box score was changed after the fact to list six, but history has forever named Cal Bowdler as the man who wracked up the most fouls in a single NBA game.
See more Basketball Trivia & Questions