All eyes were on Kevin Durant as he made his much-anticipated debut for the Houston Rockets in their Tuesday matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center. This early challenge came after Durant was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Rockets during the offseason. Adding to the drama, Durant faced his former team, which held its ring ceremony before tip-off.
The game delivered a cinematic tussle, going all the way into double overtime. Oklahoma City forced the first extension at 104-104 after a clutch jumper by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Houston answered back, tying it at 115-115 following an emphatic dunk by Alperen Şengün. When the dust settled, the Thunder escaped by the narrowest of margins, 125-124, sealed by Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throws.
Fans were absolutely thrilled with the wild ending. “Give me 82 Rockets-Thunder games,” tweeted @greatlakejake15, capturing the excitement of the contest. Another fan, @ZabuzaZanpack, pulled out a Martin Scorsese meme, perfectly illustrating the cinematic feel of the match.
“This Rockets and Thunder game is lightning straight to my veins,” added @HeyAntzNoPants, while @E_rich04 remarked, “This Rockets-Thunder game feels like a playoff game.” Meanwhile, @CJOffTheBench shared the perfect GIF and caption to sum up the thrilling encounter.
Even The Ringer’s Bill Simmons joined in, sharing his enthusiasm: “This game is awesome. What a start to the season! We are Roundball Rocking it the f*** up.”
On the stat sheet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a commanding performance with 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Durant contributed 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in his Rockets debut.
Looking ahead, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, while the Houston Rockets travel to battle the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-fans-wild-ending-kevin-durant-rockets-debut-thunder
