What a spectacle of competitive hoops we witnessed on the NBA’s inaugural evening. The 2025-26 season commenced with the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder playing host to the Houston Rockets and their former luminary, Kevin Durant, as they celebrated their title and were presented with their rings from June’s championship victory. The NBA anticipated that the return of Durant to Oklahoma City would ignite some intensity, and it undoubtedly delivered, culminating in the Thunder clinching a 125-124 double-overtime triumph.
The contest was among the most thrilling you’re likely to encounter throughout the season. The Rockets maintained a lead for the majority of the duration, but the Thunder valiantly fought their way back into contention during the fourth quarter, forcing the game into overtime. In the initial extra session, Oklahoma City established a significant advantage, but Houston managed to equalize the score before a final possession for the Thunder. A missed shot by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the waning moments appeared to conclude the first overtime period in yet another stalemate.
However, just before the clock officially expired, it appeared that Durant requested a timeout after securing the rebound. The issue? Houston had exhausted all of their timeouts. Consequently, the Rockets should have been penalized with a technical foul, and Oklahoma City, in theory, should have been granted a potential game-winning free throw attempt. Nevertheless, the officials seemingly overlooked the infraction, and the game proceeded into the second overtime.
“Kevin explicitly requested a timeout approximately three times, both verbally and through hand gestures,” Gilgeous-Alexander communicated to reporters following the game. “I believe the referees simply missed it. That’s part of the game. People make mistakes in all aspects of life.”
It’s a technical infraction that is occasionally called, and it notably occurred to Chris Webber during the 1993 National Championship Game while he was representing Michigan. However, it remains a rarity, and it would have been an unfortunate commencement to Durant’s Rockets tenure if he had potentially jeopardized his debut against his former squad due to such an oversight.
“None of the officiating crew observed Kevin signaling for a timeout,” crew chief Zach Zarba indicated after the game. “Consequently, it was not granted before the expiration of time.”
Thus, Durant was spared from the call. The officials missed the indication. The game progressed into the second overtime, and the Rockets retained an opportunity to secure victory. Ironically, it was another miscue by Durant that ultimately handed the game to the Thunder. In the closing seconds, with Houston holding a one-point advantage, Gilgeous-Alexander successfully maneuvered Durant into the air prematurely and drew a foul as a result. He converted both free throws, which proved to be the deciding factor in the Thunder’s triumph.
