The NBA is back. Basketball kicked off with an opening night doubleheader on Tuesday. First, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder earned an exhilarating 125-124 victory in double overtime. In the second game, the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Dončić face the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry. The game is streamed on fubo (Try for free).
The Rockets and Thunder may have just given us the best season opener in NBA history. Houston controlled most of regulation, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got hot in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. Oklahoma City controlled most of the overtime period, before a Rockets rally tied it at 115 apiece. However, after rebounding a potential game-winning shot from Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant apparently called a timeout that the Rockets did not have.
This should have resulted in a technical foul, which would have given the Thunder a chance to win the game at the foul line. Instead, we went to a second overtime, which was, you guessed it, another back-and-forth. Alperen Sengun gave the Rockets a one-point lead with 11 seconds left, but two free throws from Gilgeous-Alexander took it back with 2.3 remaining. That was enough to clinch it for Oklahoma City, as a Jabari Smith turnaround jumper was off-base as time expired.
One notable name will be missing from Tuesday’s nightcap. LeBron James is out for the season opener for the first time in his 23-year NBA career. James is suffering from sciatica and is not expected to make his season debut until November. Dončić will lead the Lakers against a veteran Warriors team. Forward Al Horford, 39, will make his debut with his team on Tuesday evening. He is the oldest player on a Warriors roster that also includes 35-year-old Draymond Green, 36-year-old Jimmy Butler and 37-year-old Curry.
CBS Sports will have live updates throughout Tuesday night’s action. Follow below.
