Oklahoma City’s championship celebration came with extra drama on opening night. The Thunder unveiled their 2025 NBA championship banner and collected their rings before edging the Houston Rockets 125–124 in a double-overtime win on Tuesday at Paycom Center.
It marked just the sixth time in league history that an opener reached double overtime and the first since 2005.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP and last season’s scoring leader, hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the second overtime to seal the victory. He finished with 35 points after scoring only five in the first half.
The matchup also served as Kevin Durant’s return to Oklahoma City—this time as a member of the Rockets. The former Thunder star, who left the franchise in 2016 for Golden State, was met with heavy boos throughout the night. He tallied 23 points and nine rebounds before fouling out in the final seconds.
Durant’s sixth foul sent Gilgeous-Alexander to the line with Houston up 124–123. The crowd erupted as Durant walked to the bench, and the Thunder guard calmly sank both free throws. Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. missed a potential game-winner from mid-range at the buzzer.
Chet Holmgren provided 28 points and seven rebounds for the defending champions. Ajay Mitchell added 16, including a four-point play just before halftime.
Alperen Sengun was dominant for Houston, posting 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while hitting five three-pointers—a career high. Smith contributed 16 points, while Amen Thompson added 18.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s fadeaway jumper with 2.1 seconds left in regulation forced the first overtime after Sengun missed a turnaround attempt at the horn.
In the closing moments of the first overtime, Durant appeared to call a timeout that the Rockets didn’t have, but officials did not acknowledge the gesture. Crew chief Zach Zarba later explained that none of the referees saw Durant’s signal, allowing play to continue into a second overtime.
Oklahoma City played without All-Star forward Jalen Williams, who is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery.
The Thunder shot 44.2 percent from the field and outscored Houston 20–19 in the final overtime. The defending champions now begin their title defense 1–0, while the Rockets fall to 0–1 in their first game of the Kevin Durant era.
