Shai Giljus-Alexander’s Mad Quarter adds to the drama of Opening Night

Maybe there were some nervous moments towards the end, but Oklahoma City Thunder had the best player on the floor all night during the championship fight against the Houston Rockets at Shai Gilgie-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander played uncharacteristically lethargic basketball for the first few quarters, but came alive in the final moments of the game — finishing with 35 points in OKC’s 125-124 overtime win over Houston.

In the fourth quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander did the most damage; with the Thunder trailing the Rockets for most of the game, the reigning NBA MVP stepped up when his team needed him most. He finished with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field and 4-4 from the charity stripe in the span, including two the most important points game when he drilled a mid-range shot into Amen Thompson’s crossbar to send the game into overtime at 104-104.

Thompson is one of the best defenders in the entire NBA, so his one-on-one performance isn’t for everyone. But Gilgeous-Alexander is clearly not just some random nobody; he is by far the best player in the league, or at least the second best behind Nikola Jokic, and the Thunder would not have come close to winning this game without his services.

This is not to say that Gilgeous-Alexander is a perfect player. He missed an uncharacteristic few free throws, and a strong finish to the game saved such a quiet night for the Thunder Stars.

But it’s not about how one starts, it’s about how one ends. Gilgeous-Alexander also made the game-winning free throws in 2OT after he fouled Kevin Durant at the buzzer and drew his sixth foul of the game in double overtime. He is already in MVP form, and it is only the first game of the new season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder beat Rockets in slugfest

The intensity during the Thunder’s double-overtime win over the Rockets was not typical of a regular-season contest. But these two teams are expected to battle for Western Conference supremacy, and Houston in particular will be eager to match up against the league’s best team.

But in the end, Gilgeous-Alexander’s composure in the clutch triumphed over the Rockets’ brutal physicality. Alperen Sengun looks like he’s made a big splash, finishing with 39 points on the night with a string of 3-pointers. Regardless, the Thunder’s defense made it difficult for a Rockets team that could end up needing a point guard given how difficult it seemed at times to get the ball down court.