Houston Rockets vs OKC Thunder player stats and box score (Oct. 21) | 2025-26 NBA season

The OKC Thunder had a 125-124 double overtime win over the Houston Rockets in the 2025-26 NBA season opener on Tuesday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 35 points, five rebounds and five assists on 12-for-26 shooting. Chet Holmgren finished with 28 points and seven rebounds on 11-for-17 shooting, including 2-for-5 from 3-point range.

Ajay Mitchell contributed 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting (3-for-6 from the 3-point line) off the bench. Cason Wallace added 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals on 5-for-10 (3-for-8 on 3-pointers), while Aaron Wiggins chipped in 10 points.

Alperen Sengun led Houston with 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists on 12-for-24 shooting, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Kevin Durant finished with 23 points and nine rebounds on 9-for-16 shooting in his Rockets debut.

Amen Thompson had 18 points and five assists on 8-for-17 shooting, while Jabari Smith Jr. added 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting.

Tuesday's opening night also included the ring ceremony for the reigning champion Thunder. OKC began its title defense against the retooled Rockets, which finished No. 2 in the Western Conference behind the Thunder last season.

OKC started Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, along with Wallace, who was inserted in place of injured star Jalen Williams. Meanwhile, Houston's starting lineup consisted of Durant, Sengun, Thompson, Smith and Steven Adams.

The Thunder will next face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in a rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Rockets return to action on Friday against the Detroit Pistons.

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Houston Rockets vs. OKC Thunder player stats and box score

Houston Rockets player stats and box score

PLAYER	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	+/-
Jabari Smith Jr.	7	15	46.7	2	6	33.3	0	0	0	5	0	1	0	0	16	2
Alperen Sengun	12	24	50	5	8	62.5	10	11	90.9	11	7	2	1	4	39	9
Steven Adams	1	4	25	0	0	0	2	2	100	13	3	0	0	3	4	2
Kevin Durant	9	16	56.3	0	4	0	5	6	83.3	9	3	0	0	4	23	0
Amen Thompson	8	17	47.1	0	7	0	2	2	100	4	5	1	1	4	18	-11
Tari Eason	1	6	16.7	1	4	25	0	0	0	5	0	0	1	3	3	-4
Reed Sheppard	3	11	27.3	2	7	28.6	1	2	50	2	4	1	1	2	9	0
Clint Capela	1	1	100	0	0	0	2	2	100	0	0	1	0	1	4	5
Josh Okogie	1	3	33.3	1	3	33.3	5	6	83.3	2	1	0	1	0	8	-8
JD Davison	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dorian Finney-Smith	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jeff Green	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kevon Harris	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Aaron Holiday	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jae'Sean Tate	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

OKC Thunder player stats and box score

PLAYER	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS	+/-
Luguentz Dort	2	12	16.7	0	8	0	2	2	100	6	5	1	0	1	6	2
Chet Holmgren	11	17	64.7	2	5	40	4	4	100	7	2	0	0	3	28	-1
Isaiah Hartenstein	2	5	40	0	1	0	2	2	100	9	5	1	0	1	6	9
Cason Wallace	5	10	50	3	8	37.5	1	2	50	7	5	4	0	2	14	8
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	12	26	46.2	1	9	11.1	10	14	71.4	5	5	2	2	3	35	3
Jaylin Williams	1	5	20	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	-3
Aaron Wiggins	4	8	50	2	5	40	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	10	2
Alex Caruso	3	9	33.3	2	6	33.3	0	0	0	2	3	2	1	0	8	-15
Brooks Barnhizer	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-2
Chris Youngblood	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ajay Mitchell	6	12	50	3	6	50	1	1	100	2	2	0	1	0	16	2
Ousmane Dieng	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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Houston Rockets vs. OKC Thunder game summary

The Houston Rockets had a 30-27 lead over the OKC Thunder at the end of the opening quarter. Amen Thompson had 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting for the Rockets, while Chet Holmgren scored 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting for the Thunder.

Houston increased its lead to 10 (57-47) towards the end of the second quarter. However, Ajay Mitchell converted on a four-point play with 0.7 on the clock to cut the Rockets' lead to 57-51 at halftime.

Kevin Durant led Houston in the first half with 14 points and four rebounds. Alperen Sengun added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Holmgren had a game-high 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the first half for OKC, while Mitchell added 12 points off the bench.

The Rockets increased their lead to 12 early in the second half. The Thunder trimmed the lead to four (79-75) heading into the final frame.

Sengun scored 11 in the fourth quarter as Houston maintained its lead. Down the stretch with less than two minutes remaining, OKC reclaimed the lead (102-101) on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's mid-range jumper. Sengun converted a hook shot to give the Rockets a 103-102 lead with 38 seconds remaining.

The Thunder couldn't convert on the other end, and Durant went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. Gilgeous-Alexander tied the game at 104 with two seconds remaining. Sengun missed a turnaround jumper at the buzzer.

OKC scored the first six points in overtime. The teams then went back and forth. With the Thunder leading by two (115-113), Sengun's putback dunk tied the game with 8.8 seconds left. On the other end, Tari Eason blocked Gilgeous-Alexander's jump shot as the game went to another overtime period.

In the second overtime, Sengun gave the Rockets the 124-123 lead with 11 seconds left. In the following possession, Gilgeous-Alexander went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line to give the lead back to OKC. In the final possession, Smith missed a turnaround jumper.