New NBA season opens with two thrilling games

The new NBA season opened with two thrilling games on Tuesday, full of intensity, overtimes, and impressive individual performances.

The champions, the Thunder, edged out the Rockets 125-124 after two overtimes, while the Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-109 on a night that saw LeBron James miss a season-opening game for the first time in his career, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued from where he left off last season, leading the Thunder to a thrilling victory over the Houston Rockets 125-124, thanks to two clutch free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the second overtime. The Canadian star finished the game with 35 points, confirming that he will once again be the team’s leader this year.

Before tip-off, the Thunder raised their championship banner at the Paycom Center and players received their title rings, but the Rockets threatened to spoil the celebration. Alperen Sengun had an outstanding performance with 39 points (5/8 three-pointers), 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Kevin Durant, making his Houston debut, added 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Chet Holmgren contributed 28 points and 7 rebounds for Oklahoma before fouling out in the first overtime. Despite the Rockets leading by as much as 12 points in the second half, the Thunder fought back with key defensive plays and decisive shots from Keyson Wallace and Gilgeous-Alexander. The game initially went into overtime after Sengun scored with 2.6 seconds left, and was ultimately decided again in Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands when he drew a foul from Durant (who fouled out with six personal fouls) and made the free throws.

At the Crypto.com Arena, Jimmy Butler scored 31 points and Steph Curry added 23, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 119-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors dominated the second half, opening the third quarter with an 18-4 run and capitalizing on their three-point shooting (17/40 from beyond the arc).

Jonathan Kuminga added 17 points and 9 rebounds, while Buddy Hield also scored 17 with 5/10 from three. Butler was perfect from the free-throw line (16/16), contributing heavily to the Warriors’ 26/29 total from the charity stripe.

On the Lakers’ side, Luka Dončić impressed in his season debut with his new team, scoring 43 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points and 9 assists. Deandre Ayton scored 10 points in his first game with the Lakers, who struggled with 8/32 from three-point range and 17/28 from the free-throw line.

It is worth noting that LeBron James missed a season opener for the first time in his 23-year career due to sciatica.

The Warriors opened a 15-point lead in the middle of the third quarter (73-58) and maintained control until the end, with Butler and Curry sealing the game in the final minutes.