Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made the most of his chances, and scored 35 points, draining two free throws with 2.3 seconds to go in double OT and Oklahoma City Thunder won the season opener over the Houston Rockets, 125-124.
The city of Oklahoma City was celebrating the championship of the previous year before the game, that is why they have already hoisted the title banner and gave the players their championship rings.
The first game was soon turning into a frenzy back and forth contest. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren delivered big plays to the Thunder, and Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant spearheaded the charge of the Rockets. Eventually, Gilgeous-Alexander was able to deliver late heroics, and the win was decided.
When Sengun put Houston ahead with a one-point lead, with a driving finger roll following a Durant assist with 11 seconds to go, Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the hoop where he was fouled on Durant, whose debut as a Rocket. Gilgeous-Alexander had previously missed four of his previous free throws, but coolly made both of them to give Oklahoma City the lead. The buzzer-beater by Jabari Smith Jr. was unsuccessful and the Thunder got the victory.
Holmgren, who was the first to foul in the first overtime, had 28 points and seven rebounds. Sengun scored 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and made a personal record of five 3-pointers in a career night. Durant contributed with 23 and nine rebounds.
Houston stood to ruin the partying of the Thunder much of the night. Their tall roster, with four players standing 6-foot-11 and above, caused problems in Oklahoma City at the beginning. However, the champions of the year made a comeback by means of solid defense, overtime, and then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren were brought in to take charge on the offensive.
The Rockets were as far as 12 points ahead in the second half but the Thunder remained tough, as they had been the previous season in their title run. The distance proved to be to the benefit of Oklahoma City, but a 3-pointer by Cason Wallace with 2:01 to play reduced the gap to 101-100. Thunder then got the ball on the following possession of Houston and Gilgeous-Alexander stole the ball and made a jumper that gave the Thunder their first lead since in the second quarter.
Sengun reacted with a driving jumper over Alex Caruso to get Houston back up with 38.4 seconds. Durant was fouled by Luguentz Dort with 10 seconds left after Wallace has missed a 3-pointer. He hit one of two free throws that would have put Houston up 104-102, but a pull-up jumper by Gilgeous-Alexander with 2.6 seconds remaining on the clock took the game to overtime.
During the first overtime, Oklahoma City started the game with a six-point lead courtesy of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren, but the Thunder missed their last four shots, which allowed Sengun to tie it by a putback dunk with 8.8 seconds left, soon after Holmgren was foiled out.
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