Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brings the Thunder to double overtime!

We couldn’t have dreamed of a better scenario for the start of the 2025/26 season! The first conflict between Thunderthe reigning champion who saw his ring ceremony and the raising of his banner, and Houston kept all his promises.

Now reinforced by the arrival Kevin Durant (23 points), the Rockets’ young guns thwarted the Rockets’ plans for a long time, for the most part Alperen Sengun (39 points, tied career high, 11 rebounds, 7 assists).

Until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander it does not mark the end of a break. Scored 12 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying basket with 2 seconds left, OKC’s leader led his team to the end to pull off its first win, after two overtimes.

Fierce battle from A to Z

Chet Holmgren stepped up first and showed his versatility in the “KD style” (15-14). After releasing Isaiah Hartenstein, Houston was able to gain an advantage thanks to his physical impact and his size to follow the already operational Kevin Durant (27-30). The Rockets increased their lead in the second quarter, thanks to three-pointers by Okogi-Eason-Sengun and a hot shot by Kevin Durant (51-57).

Dropped to +12 after going on a 6-0 run (51-63), Houston then suffered from a more aggressive home defense, and had to withstand a wake-up call from SGA, whose three baskets brought OKC back into the game (63-67).

Kason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins took Wiggins’ thunderous dunk on Capela and kept the Thunder in the game after three quarters (75-79). Alperen Sengun scored two 3-point baskets and 2+1 to give the momentum back to the Rockets (85-90). But SGA’s persistence paid off in the end, her three baskets, four free throws and the decisive 3-point pass to Cason Wallace allowing OKC to retake the lead (102-101).

Alperen Sengun used his size advantage to score two more points, and Kevin Durant then had a chance to pull the Rockets back to +3 with 9 seconds left. His first missed free throw kept the Thunder alive, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t hold back in punishing Amen Thompson mid-range to tie the score at 104-104.

SGA forces of fate

In overtime, the reigning champion thought he had his chance, stringing threes like uppercuts, SGA and Chet Holmgren twice (115-111). But this time Houston refused to die to grab another follow-up on a dunk from Alperen Sengun.

The suspense was unbearable until the end, especially when KD’s 2+1 and Alperen Sengun’s basket gave Cason Wallace three points and SGA (123-124). With his team’s life in his hands, SGA was then able to get KD to bite on his feint to finish the job on two free throws, registered without a jitter two seconds from the buzzer. This time, after Jabari Smith Jr.’s last failed attempt, OKC was able to enjoy its first success (125-124).

WHAT TO REMEMBER

SGA fashion diesel. We hardly saw him in the first half, and then last season’s MVP gradually regained his aggressiveness as the minutes ticked by. Successful in the first at the end as he carried his team in “money-time” and in overtime to his final two points on a free throw after Kevin Durant was fouled for his sixth personal foul.

Le «Very (very) high ball» des Rockets. “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” and the saying rang true once again last night with this big five of beautiful babies, especially Kevin Durant (2’08), Jabari Smith Jr (2’11), Alperen Sengun (2’11) and Steven Adams (2’11). 55 years since we last saw such a big five at “The Opening”! A profile that sometimes resulted in an experimental style of play, with Amen Thompson in the “post 1”, but also a great dominance under the panels.

KD first with Houston. Led by Luguentz Dort and booed by the Paicom Center, Kevin Durant still managed a few good passes, true to his style. A few flaws despite everything: his 0/4 from 3-point range, a missed free throw at 103-102 and a sixth foul against SGA that kept him out of the game’s final action.

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