The Elam Ending isn't a Better Basketball Ending, but it's Great for the TBT

Like a kite in a thunderstorm, the Elam Ending produces electricity. Some see it as a way to solve basketball’s end-of-game woes, but those folks are woefully mistaken.

If you’ve been under a rock for the last week, the Elam Ending brings every TBT game to a close. During the final TV timeout after the 4-minute mark, the clock is turned off and replaced by a target score, which in the TBT is 8 more points than the total of the leading team.

Every single game with an Elam Ending has a game-winner. Whether you’re on the right side of it, or the wrong side of it, like La Familia was on Tuesday night, it’s highly entertaining. In a single-elimination tournament, the stakes are even higher. You don’t need to manufacture drama artificially. It’s inherent in the format.

The Elam Ending has created a few jaw-dropping moments in the 2025 edition of the TBT. Kansas State’s Purple Reign trailed by five entering the Elam Ending. At one point, they needed a 13-4 run to win it. Guess what happened… The Shine went four minutes without scoring, until they hit a three to get within one point of the target score. Close, but no cigar. Purple Reign hit a contested three to secure a miraculous one-point win.

It was a much more tightly-contested game on Tuesday night in Wichita. The AfterShocks hosted the top-seed of Houston alumni. With the game tied, the next three-point make would secure a win. Marcus Keene called game.

MARCUS ELAM KEENE JUST BECAME A LEGEND IN WICHITA!!!!

HE WINS IT FOR THE AFTERSHOCKS OMG WHAT A GAME😱

BEDLAM IN KOCH ARENA!!!! pic.twitter.com/WeFqkFloJG

— TBT (@thetournament) July 23, 2025

Those are the best moments of the Elam Ending. Not every TBT fan is lucky enough to see a game end in such dramatic fashion.

Nick Elam created a new way to end games because he was tired of seeing teams sit on a lead and run out the clock. In his mind, endlessly fouling wasn’t “real basketball.” The Elam Ending forces teams to play aggressive basketball until the game is over.

After eight years, it’s clear that the pendulum can swing in the opposite direction. During La Familia’s final two games of the TBT, the Elam Ending turned into a manic three-point contest without anyone around to grab a rebound. That’s not “real basketball” either.

The Elam Ending has been used in a few other instances, like the NBA All-Star Game and the G League. It has a natural way of amplifying the stakes of a game that needs it. It’s perfect for the TBT, but it’s not a better way to end a basketball game.