NBA: Opening night recap

The NBA returned to action on Tuesday night, bringing with it two games that didn’t disappoint.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets faced off in a double-overtime thriller, while the Golden State Warriors matched up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Both contests came down to the wire, making up for the long, basketball-less offseason.

Thunder Spoil Durant’s Return in 2OT

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his Thunder teammates received their championship rings Tuesday night as the Thunder celebrated last season’s NBA title.

Chet Holmgren recorded the season’s first basket just over 30 seconds into the game, reaching over Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and drawing a foul in the process. The 7-foot-1 center finished with 28 points, the Thunder’s second-most on the night.

The game also marked a return for Rockets forward Kevin Durant. The 37-year-old spent his first nine NBA seasons as a member of the Thunder, and his name is littered throughout the franchise’s record books.

In his return to Oklahoma City, Durant shot 56.3% from the field, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The scoring performance was the Rockets’ second-best, only outdone by Alperen Şengün, who dropped a 39-point double-double to lead all players in scoring.

Şengün’s Rockets led by as many as 12 points during the contest, but the Thunder battled back to keep it close late in the fourth quarter. Down 104-102, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a tough midrange jumper with 2.6 seconds remaining to send the contest to overtime.

The Thunder quickly took a six-point lead in overtime, but the Rockets wouldn’t go out easily. They cut the lead to just two, and would tie it back up when Şengün grabbed the rebound from his own missed shot and dunked it home to tie the game at 115.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to sink home a game-winning three-pointer, but it was blocked, leading to a controversial moment at the end of the first overtime. Durant grabbed the rebound and tried to call a timeout, but apparently wasn’t aware that the Rockets didn’t have any remaining.

Per NBA rules, that should have resulted in a technical foul on Durant, which would have given Oklahoma City a chance to win the game via a free throw. The foul call never came, much to the dismay of the 18,203 fans packed into the Paycom Center.

True to the quarters preceding it, the second overtime period remained back-and-forth. With the Rockets leading 124-123, Gilgeous-Alexander was fouled by Durant, sending the Canadian guard to the line with a chance to win the game for the Thunder.

Gilgeous-Alexander sank both shots, and time would expire shortly after, as Smith Jr.'s corner three sailed harmlessly past the basket.

The 125-124 victory made what was already a celebratory night for the Thunder even sweeter. Gilgeous-Alexander continued on last season’s MVP-winning form, scoring 35 points in his season debut.

Despite the loss, it was a promising season opener for the Rockets. It’s clear that the core of Durant, Şengün, and young guard Amen Thompson will be able to keep Houston competitive with the league’s top teams.

Butler pushes Warriors past Lebron-less Lakers

In the late game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Golden State Warriors traded the Bay for the big city as they headed south to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers begin this season without LeBron James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, who is reportedly sidelined until at least mid-November with sciatica. Until then, the Lake Show is Luka Dončić’s.

In Tuesday’s matchup with the Warriors, Dončiċ led all scorers with 43 points. It wouldn’t be enough, however, as Golden State ultimately took the 119-109 victory.

While the first half was relatively close, the Warriors took the lead with one second remaining in the second quarter and never relinquished it. Golden State expanded its lead early in the second half and cruised to the victory from there.

For the Warriors, forward Jimmy Butler led the team with 31 points. Butler shot 50.0% from the field while going a perfect 16/16 on free throws.

Steph Curry contributed 23 points to the Warriors’ total, while Jonathan Kuminga added 17 points. The majority of Kuminga’s points came from long range, as the fourth-year forward went 4-for-6 on three-pointers.

In addition to Dončić’s 43 points, guard Austin Reaves had 26. It was essentially a two-man show for the Lakers, as only one other Los Angeles player reached double-digit points.

It was a strong start to the season for the Warriors, who are looking to build on last season’s second-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

For the Lakers, it’s clear that LeBron’s absence will have an impact on the team. While they wait for him to return to action in the next month or so, they’ll have to find another scoring option to take the load off of Dončić and Reaves.

Elliott Inscho is a first-year student studying digital and print journalism. To contact him, email eli5026@psu.edu