"Refs are playing for Houston": NBA fans infuriated by officials' decision to award Kevin Durant a free timeout in OKC-Rockets thriller

Kevin Durant returned to the Paycom Arena for the first time since his move to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. The opening-night clash turned into a nail-biter, but it didn’t come without drama as officials sparked controversy after granting Durant a questionable free timeout.

The incident occurred in the final seconds of overtime as Durant called for a timeout without having any left. The incident quickly went viral, with Underdog NBA re-sharing the clip on X (formerly Twitter) and dubbing it Durant’s very own “Chris Webber moment.”

"KD tried to pull a Chris Webber. Double OT," the caption read.

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NBA fans were left infuriated by the officials' apparent lack of awareness.

A few fans also believed the referees were favoring the Rockets and voiced their displeasure.

Despite the questionable call, the game continued to deliver as the Rockets and Thunder played out an entertaining season opener. After tying the game in regulation time, the two teams couldn't be separated in overtime either.

The battle raged on through double overtime, with both sides trading blows until the very end. Ultimately, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sealed the win for the Thunder, calmly sinking two clutch free throws to secure a dramatic 125-124 victory.

This was only the sixth time in history a season opener went into double overtime, and the first time since 2005.

While Durant’s timeout blunder left many fans fuming, the night couldn’t have been sweeter for the OKC faithful. They celebrated their championship banner being raised for the first time and capped it off with a thrilling win over their former star.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reflects on the officials' failure to act on Kevin Durant's timeout call

The OKC Thunder earned an impressive win against the Houston Rockets in their season opener. However, the conversations after the game primarily focused on Kevin Durant's timeout call in overtime.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander discussed the incident during the post-game conference, claiming the refs "missed" Durant's call.

"Kevin definitely called timeout about three times, verbally and physically with his hands. I think the refs just missed it," SGA expressed. "That's life. You make mistakes in life and you move on. Nothing too crazy."

With the win secured, Thunder fans and players were able to shrug off the controversy. But had the result gone the other way, that timeout call could have told a very different story.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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Edited by Arian Kashyap