The Oklahoma City Thunder began their title defense in dramatic fashion, edging the Houston Rockets 125-124 in double overtime in their season opener. The night carried extra weight: before tip-off the Thunder raised their championship banner and received rings to mark their 2024-25 campaign success.
Leading the way was Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander, who scored 35 points and delivered the game-winning free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime. He took over in the late fourth quarter and both overtimes, showing the poise of a champion. Meanwhile, for Houston, Alperen Şengün posted a superb stat line of 39 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, including a career-high five three-pointers. The Rockets also had Kevin Durant making his debut in Houston, tallying 23 points and nine rebounds, though he fouled out after drawing the final foul on Gilgeous-Alexander.
The flow of the game was wildly competitive. Houston’s sizeable starting lineup, featuring four players listed at 6-foot-11, troubled Oklahoma City’s defence early. At one point the Rockets led by as many as 12 points in the second half. But the Thunder kept chipping away, relying on tough defence, steal opportunities and late-game heroics. In regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander forced overtime with a pull-up jumper with 2.6 seconds remaining. That set the stage for the extra periods.
In the first overtime the Thunder even jumped ahead by six, but missed their last four shots in that period and the Rockets tied it with a putback dunk with 8.8 seconds left. Then, in the second overtime, with the game still locked in the balance, the decisive moment came when Durant committed his sixth foul, sending Gilgeous-Alexander to the line. The guard calmly sank both attempts and Jabari Smith Jr.’s buzzer-beater attempt for Houston missed badly.
From a broader perspective this game underscores the Thunder’s championship mentality. Coming into the season as reigning champions, they showed resilience and composure when it mattered most. Even when their three-point shooting and other offensive metrics wobbled, their defence and late-game execution carried them. Meanwhile, the Rockets, though convincingly competitive and insightful in their new formation, revealed some late-game miscues and a lack of closing experience. The performance of Şengün is a clear positive sign for their future trajectory.
For Oklahoma City the win is more than just one game — it’s a statement. Raising the banner, getting the rings and then winning in dramatic fashion sets the tone for what they hope will be a sustained campaign. For Houston it will be a matter of learning from the close loss, tightening late-game decision-making and building on the promise their young core has shown.
As the season progresses both teams will have plenty of challenges ahead, but opening night delivered exactly the kind of high-stakes, edge-of-the-seat drama the league hoped for.
