OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder fans got everything they wanted on Tuesday — a ring ceremony, a championship banner unveiling and a win over ex-Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime to give the Thunder a 125-124 win. Last season’s scoring champion had just five points at halftime but finished with 35.
Durant fouled Gilgeous-Alexander with the Rockets leading 124-123 in the second extra period. The crowd cheered gleefully as Durant exited the game with his sixth personal foul. Gilgeous-Alexander made both free throws for the decisive points. Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. missed a 19-foot jumper as time expired, and the Thunder survived in the season opener for both teams.
WARRIORS 11*9, LAKERS 109
LOS ANGELES (AP) —Jimmy Butler scored 31 points, Stephen Curry added 23 and Golden State overcame Luka Doncic’s 43-point performance to beat Los Angeles in both teams’ season opener.
LeBron James missed a season opener for the first time in his 23 years in the NBA, watching from the Lakers’ bench. The top scorer in league history has sciatica that is expected to sideline him until mid-November.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 17 points while the Warriors largely shut down the Lakers apart from Doncic. who scored 40 points for the 47th time in his NBA career and the third since joining the Lakers.
Doncic added 12 rebounds and nine assists in his first season opener with the Lakers, but the Slovenian superstar was 2 of 10 on 3-point attempts as Los Angeles lost its season opener for the ninth time in 10 years.