The start of the 80th NBA season is spectacular. After a double overtime, a German player has reason to celebrate.
German basketball star Isaiah Hartenstein and defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder started the new NBA season with a dramatic victory. Against the Houston Rockets, OKC won 125:124 after double overtime on Wednesday night, demonstrating great comeback qualities.
Center Hartenstein scored six points and nine rebounds in nearly 37 minutes of play – more than any other player on the 2024/25 season champions. Despite a poor three-point percentage, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was OKC’s top scorer.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrated a season-opening victory with OKC
The previous season’s MVP, who saved Oklahoma by sending the game into overtime three seconds before the end of regulation time (104:104), scored 35 points. The 27-year-old Canadian decided the match two seconds before the end of the second overtime with two converted free throws.
OKC wins after double overtime
For the Rockets, Alperen Sengün, who was Turkey’s top scorer in the lost European Championship final against Germany in September, contributed 39 points. Superstar Kevin Durant, who moved from the Phoenix Suns to Houston before the start of the 80th NBA season, scored 23 points.
After a good start, Oklahoma lost control of the game. Houston pulled away, and at the beginning of the third quarter, the Rockets were leading by twelve points at one point. However, Oklahoma managed to equalize just before the final buzzer. In the first overtime, OKC gave up a six-point lead, but ultimately secured the desired opening victory.