On Ring Night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder past the Rockets in a thrilling double overtime game.

Between the entertaining back-and-forth between Oklahoma City and Houston to kick off the season and SGA’s incredible play down the stretch, it was certainly a night to remember in OKC as the Thunder came away with an epic double-overtime 136–131 win over James Harden, Chris Paul, and all of their friends.

The Thunder’s star guard shot tearfully out of his mind, amassing 43 points and 9 assists to go along with 7 rebounds and four steals in an incredible night that had everybody at the arena on their last set of legs. Both were denied in a game that not only honoured the Thunder by hanging the championship banner, but also served as notice to the league and an early reminder of what makes Oklahoma City so deadly in the Western Conference.

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It was a festive sound to start the game, as fans were excited to see their heroes hit the floor. Oklahoma City carried that momentum into the game, building a 12-point lead early in the first quarter. But Houston, behind Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün, refused to go quietly.

The Rockets new young core responded with composure, erasing that deficit to just two points by halftime. Green had 35 points for the night and Şengün finished with 22 points, adding 14 rebounds.

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It was a slugfest by the third quarter. Every possession seemed like a statement — the Thunder’s defense drawing energy from crying fans who countered back with cheers and the Rockets blaring right back in fearless cycle.

Double Overtime Drama

With less than a minute remaining in regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander made a pull-up jump shot to give the Thunder led 110–108. But on the next possession, Fred VanVleet hit a deep 3-pointer to tie the game at 111–111 with two seconds remaining in regulation.

The first overtime had its share of drama. The two teams traded buckets and defensive stands, with no one able to take a step away. Houston’s rookie Amen Thompson brought the crowd to their feet with a coast-to-coast layup, but Chet Holmgren chased down the play for a game-saving block the next trip down.

In the second OT, Gilgeous-Alexander did it all by himself. He scored 11 of Oklahoma City’s 15 points in the period, hitting a dagger three with 27 seconds left that clinched the victory. “It’s moments like this we’ve been working for all summer,” SGA said after the game. “It comes down to composure and trust — trusting my teammates, trusting the work.”