What a return to basketball we noticed on the NBA’s opening evening. The 2025-26 season started with the defending champion Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder internet hosting the Houston Rockets and their former star, Kevin Durant, as they hoisted their banner and acquired their rings from June’s championship. The NBA hoped that bringing Durant again to Oklahoma Metropolis would ship some drama, and it completely did, because the Thunder pulled out a 125-124 double-overtime victory.
The sport was one of many extra thrilling you will in all probability see all season. The Rockets led many of the method, however the Thunder clawed again into the sport within the fourth quarter and despatched the sport to time beyond regulation. Within the first additional interval, it was Oklahoma Metropolis who constructed an enormous lead, however Houston managed to tie issues up forward of 1 final Thunder possession. A Shai Gilgeous-Alexander miss within the closing seconds seemed to finish that first time beyond regulation interval in yet one more tie.
Besides, earlier than the clock formally expired, it seemed as if Durant referred to as a timeout after gathering the rebound. The issue? Houston did not have a timeout. Due to this fact, the Rockets ought to have been assessed a technical foul, and Oklahoma Metropolis theoretically ought to have been awarded a possible game-winning free throw. Nonetheless, the officers seemingly did not discover, and the sport continued into the second time beyond regulation.
“Kevin undoubtedly referred to as timeout about 3 times verbally and bodily along with his palms,” Gilgeous-Alexander instructed reporters after the sport. “I feel the refs simply missed it. That is life. You make errors in life.”
It is a technical foul we see referred to as now and again, and it occurred most notably to Chris Webber within the 1993 Nationwide Championship Recreation when he was taking part in for Michigan. But it surely’s nonetheless a rarity, and it might have been a humiliation for Durant to start his Rockets tenure by doubtlessly blowing his debut in opposition to his former staff on such a mistake.
“Not one of the three sport officers noticed Kevin sign that timeout,” crew chief Zach Zarba defined after the sport. “That is why it wasn’t granted earlier than the expiration of time.”
So, Durant was bailed out. The officers missed the sign. The sport resumed within the second time beyond regulation, and the Rockets nonetheless had an opportunity to win. Sarcastically, it was one other Durant mistake that gave the sport to the Thunder. Within the closing seconds with Houston main by one, Gilgeous-Alexander managed to get Durant within the air early and drew a foul because of this. He made each free-throws, and that was the distinction within the Thunder victory.
