On Tuesday night, the new-look Houston Rockets faced off against the defending champion Thunder in Oklahoma City, officially kicking off the NBA’s 2025-26 slate.
Having traded for superstar Kevin Durant in the offseason, there’s been plenty of buzz surrounding the Rockets, and the team was finally able to roll out its roster against a tough test in OKC.
In the league’s opener, the Rockets ultimately couldn’t come away with the win, falling in a double-overtime thriller.
The end of regulation was a nail-biter, with the teams going bucket-for-bucket right down to the wire. One-time All-Star Alperen Sengun would hit a floater to give the Rockets’ a late lead, but reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would hit a patented step-back to earn extra basketball.
The controversy of the night would come at the end of the first overtime, when Durant would field the rebound and call timeout when Houston had none, usually signaling a technical foul. The refs would miss this, and a second overtime frame would ensue.
Despite the loss, the Rockets showed plenty of great things in Game 1, with Alperen Sengun finishing with 39 points and 11 rebounds, and Durant flashing his efficient greatness with 23 points.
The first half was a slug-fest, with the Rockets’ able to grapple a lead late in the half. They would extend that in the third quarter, fueled by stingy defense and all the offense they could muster against a feisty defensive team.
Houston would hang onto the lead until deep into the fourth quarter, when Gilgeous-Alexander and his squad would make their run.
Here was how social media reacted to the opening, double-overtime game:
Starting out big tonight 🏙️@ReliantEnergy pic.twitter.com/hatHBD7y7J
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 21, 2025Welcome the supersized Houston Rockets 😲
🔴 6’7″ Amen Thompson
🔴 6’11” Kevin Durant
🔴 6’11” Jabari Smith Jr.
🔴 6’11” Alperen Sengun
🔴 6’11” Steven Adams pic.twitter.com/xORpBhZHRF
— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) October 22, 2025KEVIN DURANT THROWS DOWN A DUNK FOR HIS FIRST POINTS AS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON ROCKETS! 🚀🎥 pic.twitter.com/3JBksuJ7Qy
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) October 21, 2025Hard to think of a taller starting lineup in recent memory than these Houston Rockets starters
— Inside Hoops | The NBA (@InsideHoops) October 21, 2025— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) October 21, 2025— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 22, 2025Spacing looks rough right now
— Houston Rockets Central (@RocketsCentral4) October 22, 2025Alex Caruso doing Alex Caruso things, totally mucking up everything Sengun was trying to do and ruining this possession for the Rockets. pic.twitter.com/S6HW5fawl2
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 22, 2025This rockets team pic.twitter.com/UUmor38PZJ
— brady (@burgermanders) October 22, 2025Rockets offense look like they just met yesterday and still got 30 in the quarter
— Bask (@baskgod) October 22, 2025I’ll say this tho, okc is probably the best ball pressure team in the nba. They are the best equipped to test our guys play initiation chops. And rockets still put up 57 in the half
— Dr. Madison Moore (@MadManLeaks) October 22, 2025Rockets first half team stats in 11 minutes with Adams and Sengun on court…
Continuing to defy the spacing police pic.twitter.com/uGPku9e6Ch
— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) October 22, 2025This Houston Rockets offence is so bad but they’re somehow winning pic.twitter.com/eMgReyzAdA
— Agent 0 (@FT_Merchant05) October 22, 2025KD hesi pull up in the Rockets red just hits different 🥶 Master of his craft still at the top of his game. pic.twitter.com/1GZmzi3KxY
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) October 22, 2025Amen Thompson you’re a monster, completely dusts Cason Wallace + finishes over Chet Holmgren. pic.twitter.com/3qLfbThcTs
— Rockets Clips (@Rockets_Clips) October 22, 2025Rockets offense look like they just met yesterday and still got 30 in the quarter
— Bask (@baskgod) October 22, 2025Build up a double digit lead at the half only to ruin it right at the buzzer.
Rockets basketball is indeed back, folks. 😂
— Siddharth Kumar (@RocketsfanSid) October 22, 2025shoot that thang Sengun 🎯 pic.twitter.com/IrUwBegr6u
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 22, 2025KD watching Alpi cook 👨🍳 pic.twitter.com/Y5TPiGFNOR
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 22, 2025Few things on this Rockets possession:
1) This is what jumbo lineups + cutting gets you
2) this is what Alpy shooting opens up for you pic.twitter.com/XpdFsk1hLI
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025ALPEREN SENGUN TONIGHT pic.twitter.com/b3XFTYLiYn
— SleeperRockets (@SleeperRockets) October 22, 2025wait for the bench reaction 😏 pic.twitter.com/hFK7LQiO4A
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 22, 2025Rockets and Thunder going to war on premiere night
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) October 22, 2025gimme THAT 👋 pic.twitter.com/wA6HFjnNo7
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 22, 2025Regardless of the outcome of this game, the Rockets are GOOD, and OKC being in this game late without Jalen Williams is incredibly impressive.
— Nick Crain (@CrainNBA) October 22, 2025It’s one game, but if the Rockets can stay healthy, they can be special this season.
KD is the best offensive player they’ve had since Harden left. He just fits this team.
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) October 22, 2025This is a playoff-esque level of physical basketball by both sides
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 22, 2025Let’s see this Rockets crunch time offense
— Corban Ford (@corbannba) October 22, 2025It’s been a great game and a great broadcast. And now the final two minutes are being dominated by replay reviews. What a shame.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) October 22, 2025This Houston Rockets vs OKC Thunder game pic.twitter.com/W613Nysjtk
— 𝓜𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓪🐍🖤 (@HoodiiMamba) October 22, 2025Good things are going to happen when the Rockets involve these two guys on offense. pic.twitter.com/jkJ18PglWR
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025What a game….
OKC up 115-113…. 16.7 seconds left
Houston ball. Timeout Houston
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) October 22, 2025Sengun can’t be stopped tonight. He’s 5 points away from 40
— Aubyn Phippen (@AubynPhippen) October 22, 2025what just happened omg
— Daily Thunder (@dailythunder) October 22, 2025This game should be over. KD called timeout right in front of the ref. How is that not called?
— Nick Crain (@CrainNBA) October 22, 2025WE’RE GOING TO DOUBLE OVERTIME 🤯 https://t.co/JeNoKM3mqu
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2025Double OT. Tied at 115 pic.twitter.com/ECVzXc3l70
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 22, 2025— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) October 22, 2025Reed Sheppard crazy man
— PeeWeeDaPlug (@PeeWeeDaPlug) October 22, 2025The last time a game on the opening night of the NBA season went to double OT…20 years ago when the Mavs won 111-108 in Phoenix in 2OT (Nov. 1, 2005).
— Mark Followill (@MFollowill) October 22, 2025LOL Game of the Year, what are we watching
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025SGA got KD dancing and fouled him out, phew
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025The Rockets will now head East for several games, taking on the Pistons, Nets, Raptors and Celtics before returning to Texas for an inter-state bout with No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.
