OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – OCTOBER 21: Oklahoma City Thunder players pose with their rings in front of the championship banner prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center on October 21, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)
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Inside a roaring Paycom Center, Oklahoma City finally lived the moment it had been dreaming of for close to two decades. The Thunder fanbase watched its team receive championship rings as the franchise’s first-ever banner was raised into the rafters. The atmosphere felt like a continuation of last year’s playoff run, anything but a typical regular season night.
Doors opened early, and seats were filled nearly an hour before tipoff as fans soaked in the pregame festivities, celebrating one last time before turning the page to a hopeful repeat campaign. There was a mix of excitement and anticipation, as the championship season and hopeful repeat season clashed pregame as a pivot happened in real-time.
The opponent couldn’t have been more fitting. The Houston Rockets, one of the few teams talented enough to threaten the Thunder’s throne this season, served as OKC’s first test of the 2025-26 campaign. Their offseason addition of Kevin Durant, a name that needs no introduction in Oklahoma City, added another layer to an already fascinating storyline. He was back in OKC and hoping to get a win with his new team over his former.
From the opening tip, the noise inside Paycom Center was deafening. Houston came out strong, capitalizing on a short-handed Thunder lineup missing Jalen Williams and four other players due to injury. For much of the night, the Rockets controlled the pace, but when it mattered most, the reigning MVP took over. After a quiet first three quarters, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander found his rhythm in the fourth, delivering a stretch of clutch buckets that reignited the crowd and reminded everyone why he’s arguably the best player in basketball.
Chet Holmgren carried the scoring load early, providing a steady stream of timely buckets in the first half, but the closing moments belonged to Gilgeous-Alexander. Despite key plays from his teammates on both ends, it was his poise and control that defined the finish.
Regulation ended in a tie, and the battle stretched into a grueling first and second overtime.
When it was all said and done, with the Thunder trailing by one in the final seconds of the second overtime, Gilgeous-Alexander found himself isolated against Durant. Unable to create space to get a clean shot off, he used his signature footwork to get Durant in the air and drew a foul. The reigning MVP calmly sank both free throws, putting Oklahoma City ahead by one before Houston’s final attempt missed as the clock expired.
The Thunder escaped with a one-point win — and a statement. On a night that began with memories of the past, Oklahoma City proved its championship mettle remains very much in the present. Short-handed or not, this team looks poised to dominate once again. The Thunder was able to enjoy the moment pregame, but quickly turn the page on a new season.
It was the perfect encapsulation of a night that will live in Thunder history. The rings, the banner and a double-overtime classic that reminded everyone why the city fell in love with basketball in the first place.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholascrain/2025/10/22/from-rings-to-resilience-thunder-celebrates-history-with-double-overtime-thriller/
