What a return to basketball we’ve seen on NBA Opening night. The 2025-2026 season began with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Houston Rockets and their former star, Kevin Durant, raising their flag and receiving their championship rings in June. the NBA He was hoping that bringing Durant back to Oklahoma City would bring some drama, and it certainly did, as the Thunder cruised to a 125-124 double overtime win.
The game was one of the most exciting games you’re likely to see all season. The Rockets led most of the time, but the Thunder got back into the game in the fourth quarter and sent the game into overtime. In the first overtime period, it was Oklahoma City that built a big lead, but Houston pulled the score back before the Thunder’s final possession. A Shai Gilgeous-Alexander miss in the final seconds appeared to end the first overtime period in another game.
Except, before the clock was officially up, it appeared as if Durant called a timeout after collecting a rebound. The problem? Houston had no timeout. Therefore, the Rockets should have been awarded a technical foul, and in theory Oklahoma City should have been awarded a potential free throw to win the game. However, the referees did not seem to notice this, and the match continued into the second overtime.
“Kevin certainly called time out three times verbally and physically with his hands,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the game. “I think the referees overlooked it. That’s life. You make mistakes in life.”
It’s a technical foul we see every now and then, and it most notably happened to Chris Webber in the 1993 national championship game when he was playing for Michigan. But that’s still rare, and it would have been embarrassing for Durant to begin his tenure with the Rockets by potentially losing his first game against his former team due to such a mistake.
“None of the three game officials saw Kevin indicate that timeout,” crew chief Zach Zarba said He explained After the match. “That is why it was not granted before the expiration of the specified time.”
So, Durant was saved. The officials missed the signal. The game resumed in the second overtime, and the Rockets still had a chance to win. Ironically, it was another Durant mistake that gave the game to the Thunder. In the final seconds with Houston leading by one, Gilgeous-Alexander was able to pick Durant out in the air early and drew a foul as a result. He made both free throws, and that was the difference in the Thunder’s win.