The opening game of the NBA season delivered a storybook ending. The NBAâs current.
Oklahoma City Thunder resident MVP beat the OKC MVP of yesteryear on one of the final possessions of overtime to deliver the raucous, sold out crowd in the Paycom Center a dramatic 125-124 double overtime win against the Houston Rockets.
OKCâs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew a foul on Houston Rocket Kevin Durant with an up-fake, disqualifying Durant from the game with his sixth foul, and calmly sunk two free throws to give OKC the game-clinching lead. A missed shot by Jabari Smith on the other end couldnât steal SGA’s early season signature moment, and preserved a near holy experience for the Thunder faithful.Â
âGrit determination and defense,â Gilgeous-Alexander said of how the Thunder won on the NBC broadcast. âWe know when we do it down there on thatm end we give ourselves a chance no matter whatâs going on.â
NBA media and fans immediately relished the moment. With the perfect ending, the game captivated NBA fans and delivered a massive moment for NBC and Peacock as they reintroduce themselves to audiences this season.Â
Yahoo Analyst Kevin O’Connor tweeted afterward: “Best start ever for @NBAonNBC with a Thunder/Rockets double overtime opening night classic.”
How OKC-Houston Delivered Fans A Perfect GameÂ
The game saw Alperen Sengun, fresh off a summer where he showcased his immense talent in Europe, post a game-high 39 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists, lead a Rocketsâ offense that made headlines before the game as it started a massive lineup. Durant, in his Rockets debut, scored 23 points and added nine rebounds.Â
Yet, as OKC fans have become accustomed to, it was SGA delivering in the biggest moments and powering his team when they needed it most. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points, five rebounds and five assists, to go along with two steals and two blocks. He shot 10-for-14 from the foul line.
As OKC battled without their secondary scoring threat Jalen Williams, it was Chet Holmgren who provided a massive uplift of offense. Holmgren scored 28 points and added seven rebounds, showing OKC is going to be a difficult team to defend this season â especially when Williams returns.Â
It was a game full of back-and-forths, and plenty of extra energy in the arena as OKC celebrated their 2024-25 championship with a ring ceremony and banner unveiling.
âIt wasnât an easy night.. Iâm glad the guys enjoyed the ceremony. Thatâs a great life moment for everybody,â Thunder coach Mark Daigneault told reporters afterward.Â
Ring Ceremony, Banner Unveiling, Drama
The atmosphere inside Paycom Center matched the stakes. The Thunder unveiled their championship banner before tipoff, a moment years in the making for a franchise that rebuilt from the ground up after losing Durant in 2016. Fans showered Durant with boos throughout the game, a nod to the complicated legacy he left behind in Oklahoma City.
The game itself felt symbolic â old Thunder vs. new Thunder, past greatness vs. the next generationâs MVP. Thunder fans surely felt emotions watching Durant and Steven Adams each play 35+ minutes for the Rockets, after the pair had starred in so many wins in OKC. Each time Durant hit a mid-range jumper, the crowd relented; each time Shai answered, they erupted. When Gilgeous-Alexander finally drew Durantâs sixth foul and buried the free throws, it wasnât just a win, it was poetic therapy.Â
OKCâs defense, once viewed as a weak point early in the Gilgeous-Alexander era, now looked battle-tested. Even against the Rocketsâ towering lineup, the Thunderâs rotations and help defense forced late-game turnovers and held Houston to just nine points in the final overtime.
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