overtime thriller
Extra-period heart-stopper
A game or match that remains close until the end and extends beyond regulation time, creating maximum tension and drama for spectators.
The phrase appears frequently in sports journalism: Last night's overtime thriller saw the home team win on a buzzer-beater.
Any contest that goes to extra time after a tight finish qualifies, though the term is most common in basketball, hockey, and football coverage.
- buzzer-beaterScore at the horn
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- nail-biterSuspensefully close competition
- dramaticStrikingly expressive or sudden
- comebackRecovery after decline
back and forth · victory · final seconds · last minute · game-winner · suspense · tension · championship · shootout · extra-innings · heroics · upset · underdog · edge-of-seat · heart-pounding · electrifying · gripping · playoff
- Epic Sports MomentsSuper Bowl, title fight, championship game, gold medal match, buzzer beater
- basketballbasketball, rebound, dunk, basketball camps, dribble
- sports dramacomeback story, underdog story, rivalry, upset, buzzer beater
- epic gameschampionship game, playoff game, title match, showdown, decider
- close callsclose call, near miss, narrow escape, close shave, skin of teeth