Thunder fans got everything they wanted on Tuesday – a ring ceremony, a championship banner unveiling and a win over ex-Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime to give the Thunder a 125-124 win. Last season’s scoring champion had just five points at halftime but finished with 35.
Durant fouled Gilgeous-Alexander with the Rockets leading 124-123 in the second extra period. The crowd cheered gleefully as Durant exited the game with his sixth personal foul. Gilgeous-Alexander made both free throws for the decisive points. Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr missed a 19-foot jumper as time expired, and the Thunder survived in the season opener for both teams.
Thunder fans still haven’t forgiven Durant for leaving the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, their biggest rival, back in 2016. Durant had 23 points and nine rebounds in his first game with Houston after being traded in the offseason. He was booed loudly during pregame starter introductions and that continued for much of the game.
Chet Holmgren added 28 points and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, a first-time All-Star last season, sat out as he continues to recover from a right wrist injury he sustained last season. He had surgery on 1 July, and coach Mark Daigneault said he is “progressing”.
Alperen Şengün had 39 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s short jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter tied the game at 104. Şengün missed a fadeaway at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
With the score tied at 115 in the closing seconds of the first overtime, Gilgeous-Alexander missed and Durant rebounded and tried to call a timeout that the Rockets didn’t have. The Thunder noticed and tried to alert the officials, but no call was made and the game went to a second overtime.
The Rockets visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
The Thunder visit the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in a rematch of last season’s NBA finals series the Thunder won in seven games.
Golden State Warriors 119-109 Los Angeles Lakers
Jimmy Butler scored 31 points, Stephen Curry added 23 and the Warriors overcame Luka Dončić’s 43-point performance to beat the Lakers 119-109 on Tuesday night in both teams’ season opener.
LeBron James missed a season opener for the first time in his 23 years in the NBA, watching from the Lakers’ bench. The top scorer in league history has sciatica that is expected to sideline him until mid-November.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 17 points while the Warriors largely shut down the Lakers apart from Dončić. who scored 40 points for the 47th time in his NBA career and the third since joining the Lakers.
Dončić added 12 rebounds and nine assists in his first season opener with the Lakers, but the Slovenian superstar was 2 of 10 on three-point attempts as Los Angeles lost their season opener for the ninth time in 10 years.
Curry began his 17th season with just three three-pointers while ceding major offensive roles to Kuminga and Buddy Hield, who hit five three-pointers.
Butler made all 16 of his free throws, and Curry hit a three-pointer in the final minute for his first points of the fourth quarter.
Austin Reaves scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter after struggling with foul trouble.
Golden State opened the second half with a 19-4 run to open a lead that grew to 17 points. Reaves led a fourth-quarter rally, trimming the Warriors’ edge to 105-99, but LA couldn’t close get closer.
Draymond Green scored only eight points and got an early technical foul while sitting on the bench, but his three-pointer with 3:33 left stopped the Lakers’ surge.
Deandre Ayton had 10 points and six rebounds in his Lakers debut, while Marcus Smart had nine points.
Al Horford scored five points in his Warriors debut, hitting a three-pointer on the first shot of his 19th NBA season.
