On Tuesday, Thunder fans got everything they wanted – a ring ceremony, the unveiling of the championship banner and a victory over former Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant and Houston Rockets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, made two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the second overtime to give the Thunder a 125-124 victory. Last season's high-scoring champions had just five points at half-time but ended up with 35.
Durant fouled Gilgeous-Alexander as the Rockets led 124-123 in the second overtime period. The crowd cheered when Durant left 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 both teams' season opener.
Thunder fans still haven't forgiven Durant for leaving the Thunder to join the team. Golden State Warriorstheir main rival, back in 2016. Durant had 23 points and nine rebounds in his first game with Houston since being traded in the offseason. He was loudly booed during the pre-game starters introduction, and this continued throughout most 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, missed the game as he continues to recover from a right wrist injury he suffered last season. He had surgery on July 1 and trainer Mark Daigneault said he was “progressing.”
Alperen Shengyun had 39 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets.
Gilgeous-Alexander's jumper with 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 104. Shengyun missed the buzzer fade and sent the game to overtime.
With the score tied at 115 in the final seconds of the first overtime, Gilgeous-Alexander missed, and Durant came back and tried to call a timeout that the Rockets didn't have. The Thunder noticed this and tried to alert the officials, but there was no response and the game went into 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. NBA The Thunder won the final series in seven games.
Golden State Warriors 119-109 Los Angeles Lakers
Jimmy Butler scored 31 points Stephen Curry added 23 and the Warriors outlasted Luka Doncic's 43 points to beat the Lakers 119-109 on Tuesday night in both teams' season openers.
LeBron James missed the first game of the season for the first time in 23 years in the NBA, watching from the Lakers bench. The league's all-time leading scorer has sciatica, which is expected to sideline him until mid-November.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 17 points as the Warriors nearly destroyed the Lakers, minus Doncic. who scored 40 points for the 47th time in his NBA career and third since joining the Lakers.
Doncic added 12 rebounds and nine assists in his season opener against the Lakers, but the Slovenian superstar was 2 of 10 on 3-point attempts as Los Angeles lost its season opener for the ninth time in 10 years.
Curry entered his 17th season with just three 3-pointers, ceding the primary offensive roles to Kuminga and Buddy Hield, who made five 3-pointers.
Butler made all 16 of his free throws and Curry hit a 3-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 battling foul trouble.
Golden State opened the second half with a 19-4 run to open up a lead that grew to 17 points. Reeves led a fourth-quarter rally to cut the Warriors' lead to 105-99, but Los Angeles couldn't get any closer.
Draymond Green scored just eight points and picked up an early technical foul while sitting on the bench, but his 3-pointer with 3:33 left stopped the Lakers' momentum.
Deandre Ayton had 10 points and six rebounds in his Lakers debut, and Marcus Smart had nine points.
Al Horford scored five points in his Warriors debut, hitting a 3-pointer on his first shot in his 19th NBA season.
