Oklahoma defeats Houston in double overtime to open the 2025-26 NBA season

During a celebratory day at Paycom Center, the Oklahoma City Thunder received their championship rings from the last NBA season and also reminded their rivals why they're a contender for a second championship. This Tuesday, in Oklahoma, the team defeated the Houston Rockets 125-124 in the opening match of the 2025-26 season.

The early going of the game was marked by a heated exchange of points. Making his official debut for the Rockets, Kevin Durant contributed to several offensive plays, mainly scoring. However, Chet Holmgren's calibrated touch ensured the Thunder couldn't let their opponents get away with it. At the end of the first quarter, the visiting team took a 30-27 lead.

In the second quarter, the Rockets capitalized on a series of mistakes by the defending champions and took advantage. Shooting nearly 50% from the field, the Texas team closed the first half with a 57-51 lead.

Having been quiet in the first two quarters, star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became more aggressive offensively early in the second half and demonstrated why he was named last season's MVP. Alongside Aaron Wiggins, Shai led a comeback from the home team, which cut the deficit to four points in the third quarter, making it 79-75.

In the decisive quarter, Turkey's Alperen Sengun hit a series of three-pointers to give the Rockets a cushion on the scoreboard again. But with a collective effort and Shai shining, the Thunder managed to tie the score at 104-104 and send the game into overtime.

In overtime, the Thunder regained the lead, but the Texas team chased the equalizer. In the final seconds of the period, the referee overlooked Kevin Durant's timeout call, which the Rockets weren't entitled to, and which would have been punishable by a technical foul. Since the infraction wasn't called, the score remained 115-115, and the game went into a second overtime.

With the support of the fans, Shai was instrumental in the game's most decisive moment, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a narrow 125-124 victory.

In addition to leading the game with 39 points, Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets also grabbed 11 rebounds and achieved a double-double. Also noteworthy was the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 35 points.

Next in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Indianapolis to face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. The Houston Rockets return to action on Friday at 9 p.m. when they host the Detroit Pistons in Texas.