Houston Rockets 124-125 Oklahoma City Thunder
Match Information
- Competition: NBA 2025-26 Regular Season (opening night)
- Stadium: PayCom Center (Oklahoma City)
- Date: 21 Oct 2025
Oklahoma City outlasted Kevin Durant and Houston in double overtime to open the 2025-26 NBA season with a win at the Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander’s two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in double OT secured OKC’s win.
OKC players and coaches received championship rings and unveiled the title banner before the game.
The Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers, 4-3, to win the 2024-25 NBA title.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points on 12-of-26 shooting, along with five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
It was the first opening-night NBA match to go to double OT since 2005, and the sixth overall.
Thunder vs Rockets showed OKC hustle plays did enough to win
The Thunder displayed enough hustle to secure a win despite a shaky start.
OKC had more assists (29-23) and steals (11-6), with SGA leading four players who each had five assists.
Chet Holmgren backed up SGA with 28 points, seven rebounds, and two assists for OKC.
The Thunder won despite the absence of All-Star Jalen Williams, who’s recovering from off-season wrist surgery.
Cason Wallace added 14 points and seven rebounds in Williams’ absence.
OKC’s bench contributed, with Ajay Mitchell scoring 16 and Aaron Wiggins 10.
Thunder vs Rockets 2025 stats
| Category | Rockets | Thunder |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals (FGs) | 43-of-97 | 46-104 |
| FG % | 44.3% | 44.2% |
| 3-Point FGs | 11-of-39 | 13-of-52 |
| 3-Pt FG% | 28.2% | 25.0% |
| Free Throws (FT) | 27-of-31 | 20-of-25 |
| FT% | 87.1% | 80.0% |
| Rebounds (Total) | 51 | 39 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 16 | 12 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 35 | 27 |
| Assists | 23 | 29 |
| Steals | 6 | 11 |
| Blocks | 5 | 4 |
| Total Turnovers | 24 | 12 |
| Points Conceded off turnovers | 26 | 12 |
| Fast Break Points | 2 | 16 |
| Points in Paint | 44 | 50 |
| Fouls (Total) | 26 | 27 |
| Largest Lead | 12 | 6 |
Durant’s Rockets debut, Houston’s tall starters not enough
It was a heartbreaking night for Durant, who ended up with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in his Houston debut.
Durant was qcquired by Houston in a massive seven-team trade during the offseason from the Phoenix Suns.
Big man Alpheren Sengun finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Rockets.
Houston started the NBA’s tallest opening-day lineup: Durant (6-11), Sengun (6-11), Steven Adams (7-0), Jabari Smith (6-11), and Amen Thompson (6-7).
The Rockets outrebounded the Thunder (51-39) and had more blocks (5-4) but committed more turnovers (24-12).
Houston’s lack of a true point guard, due to Fred VanVleet’s injury, contributed to their ball-handling struggles in regulation.
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Looking ahead to upcoming matchups:
Houston Rockets: Visit Detroit for the Rockets vs Pistons match on 24 Oct.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Visit Indiana for the Thunder vs Pacers fixture on 23 Oct. in a rematch of last season’s NBA finals. The Thunder won in seven games, 4-3.
OKC may have some shaky moments (both teams shot below 50% from the field) but the Thunder are figuring out how to win without Williams.
Look out for Cason Wallace to be asked for a bigger responsibility than just provide a spark off the bench with Williams out.
Houston, on the other hand, showed promise of its tall lineup with Durant leading the offensive and nearly stealing the win.
However, the lack of a pure starting point guard might convince coach Ime Udoka to tweak that lineup sooner than later.
Reed Sheppard (nine points, four assists) might just be inserted into the fray or Udoka may still try the lineup experiment for several more games.
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