Durant left the game with 6 fouls, the Rockets lost to the Thunder, and there was "bad news"!

124:125, in the opening game of the NBA 2025~2026 regular season, the Rockets suffered a reversal from the Thunder and lost the game. Durant suffered a "bad start" and left the game with six fouls. The team also had "bad news."

The Rockets played against the Thunder. Durant led the team to defend the championship and was the "absolute focus" of the first round of the NBA. The Thunder raised the "Goose City's first championship flag" at home and received a championship ring. The game was really exciting, and the two sides played two overtimes.

Reviewing the game, Amen, Durant, Smith, and Shenjing Adams became the starting lineup. Alexander, Wallace, Dort, Holmgren, and Hartenstein took the lead on behalf of the Thunder.

The Rockets started, and they had the advantage of height. At the beginning of the game, the two sides' offenses were stalemate. It was a draw at 13:13. Amen and Durant scored a layup. The offense was successful. The Rockets led by 3 points in the first quarter. In the second quarter, neither side could open up the difference. The Rockets led by 6 points at 57:51. Entering the second half, the Rockets expanded their lead to 12 points. They made consecutive mistakes and were chased by the Thunder, leading by 4 points. Entering the final quarter, they "dropped the chain" and lost to the opponent by 4 points at the critical moment. The two sides were tied during the regular period. Each scored 11 points in the first overtime. When the second overtime started, the Rockets failed to seize the opportunity and lost the key game at 9:10. The midfield score was fixed at 124:125, and the Thunder reversed the loss.

The Rockets have an advantage in height. Their strong point is that they won 12 rebounds in the interior, lost 6 assists to their opponents, were stolen 11 times, and made 21 turnovers, 10 more than their opponents. They also lost one two-point shot to their opponents and two three-pointers. If they hadn't won 7 points on free throws, their efficiency would have been more stable, and the game would have been uglier to lose.

There is also "bad news" for the losing Rockets:

In this game, the Rockets were in the lead for most of the regular season, but they made continuous "brainless fouls" at critical moments, made various mistakes, and missed free throws. The opponent seized the opportunity and bit the score, and they really suffered a loss.

Durant made his debut for the Rockets. He played 47 minutes and scored 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. The data looked good, but he made 0 of 4 shots from the outside, 16 shots, no offensive rebounds, 4 turnovers, 6 fouls, and left the game directly. He didn't make any free throws at critical moments. As a star, this kind of performance was obviously "unqualified."

Shepard, who performed well in the preseason, was outmatched by the Thunder in this game. His defense was "stretched", he organized a series of connections, seized opportunities, and had no overall perspective. Let alone being a core defender. In this state, even playing as a substitute is too difficult. In 27 minutes of playing time, he scored 9 points on 11 shots, 2 of 7 outside shots, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, low shooting rate, excessive waste of ball rights, and two turnovers. This state of adjustment was not good, the Rockets' backcourt was difficult to stabilize, and the game was difficult to play.

The Rockets' five starting players made 15 turnovers and 22 fouls. In this state, no team is sure of "absolute victory" let alone facing the Thunder. The loss exposed shortcomings and the Rockets urgently need to adjust.

Shen Jing, played 48 minutes, the longest time in the team, 12 of 24 shots, 5 of 8 from the outside, 10 of 11 free throws, 39 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, the highest score in the game, the most assists in the game, the highest efficiency and power of the Rockets , the performance was impressive enough, and they suffered a reversal and lost to the Thunder, which sounded a "wake-up call" to the Rockets. Large-scale reinforcements do not equal an excellent record. On October 25, at 8 o'clock, the Rockets will face the Pistons. What adjustments will be made to the team's lineup? How will the "stars" perform? Let’s see the outcome of the competition...

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