The new NBA season opened with excitement – two games on Wednesday night brought double overtime, the return of big names and impressive individual performances.
In a spectacular game, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets in front of the home crowd with a score of 125:124, and only after two overtimes. It was an evening to remember – the fans witnessed the championship flag raising ceremony, but also the victory over former Thunder star Kevin Durant.
The hero of the night was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current MVP, who hit the crucial free throws with 2.3 seconds left to secure the victory for his team. He finished the game with 35 points, 5 rebounds and assists, while Chet Holmgren added 28 points and 7 rebounds. Among the Rockets, Alperen Sengun was the most effective with 39 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, while Durant scored 23 points with 9 rebounds.
In the second game of the evening, the Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Golden State Warriors with a score of 109:119. The home team played without the injured LeBron James, who will miss about a month of competition in his 23rd NBA season due to the injury.
However, all the attention was stolen by Luka Dončić, who played masterfully in his debut for the Lakers. The Slovenian representative finished the game with 43 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists, narrowly missing a triple-double. It was the first time since 2007 that a Lakers player opened the season with 40+ points, and the last one to do so was Kobe Bryant.
Austin Reaves added 26 points and 9 assists, while Deandre Ayton added 10 points. But the lack of wider support was obvious.
On the other hand, the Warriors were led to victory by Jimmy Butler with 31 points and Stephen Curry, who entered his 17th season, with 23 points. Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield added 17 points each.
(Vijesti.ba)
