Kevin Durant was everything the Houston Rockets wanted throughout most of his debut with the team while taking on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Durant helped lead the Rockets in a double-overtime thriller against the Thunder, but fell short in the final seconds of the 125-124 loss.
He finished 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists for Houston in 47 minutes of play.
Durant also shot 9-of-16 from the field, but went 0-for-4 from the three-point line, turned the ball over four times and recorded six fouls.
Kevin Durant’s overtime mishaps
Durant’s last foul came in the final seconds of the second overtime period shortly after he produced a third assist of the night, dishing the ball to Alperen Sengun with 11 seconds left.
It would’ve been the game-winning bucket, but Durant played the dangerous game of fouling reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and sending him to the line, where he sealed the game.
It was the seventh time that Durant had fouled out of a game in his NBA career.
The overtime period was not kind to Durant, showing that even a veteran could make some mistakes under pressure.
He slipped up trying to call a timeout at the end of the first overtime period when Houston didn’t have one left, but the referees didn’t call it. While it didn’t cost the Rockets the game, it did lead to some trolling on social media.
Kevin Durant begins a new journey with Rockets
Whether Durant had his mind set on playing the spoiler against his former team on Oklahoma City’s “ring night” and banner raising ceremony, he contributed to Houston’s scoring output with 14 of his 23 points coming in the first half.
Durant joined the Rockets in the offseason after he was at the center of a seven-team trade. Earlier this week, he agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Rockets, according to ESPN. The deal was expected to include a player option for the 2027-28 season.
The future Hall of Famer has now spent time with five different organizations during his 18-year career, including the Thunder.
Durant, who played collegiately at the University of Texas, scored just two points in the early minutes of his NBA debut with a Texas-based team before finishing out the opening quarter with eight points, while hearing boos from the OKC fan base that once cheered him.
And Durant had some fun with the fans before tip-off, playfully echoing the booing crowd.
“Walking onto the court, at the hotel, walking around town, every time I come here, it’s just so much love and respect,’ Durant told reporters after the game. ‘People are always telling me they appreciate my time here. And I feel the same way.
“It’s part of the brand of OKC to boo me when my name gets introduced, but I think it’s all love after that.”
He sat out a chunk of the second quarter before entering the game at the midway point to extend the Rockets’ lead, scoring back-to-back jumpers to put his total at 12 points with 2:15 left in the second quarter.
When do the Houston Rockets play next?
Durant and the Rockets will regroup on Friday with their home opener against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Oct. 24.
Kevin Durant stats
- Points: 23
- FG: 9-for-16 (0-for-4 from 3)
- Free Throws: 5-for-6
- Rebounds: 9
- Assists: 3
- Steals: 0
- Blocks: 0
- Turnovers: 4
- Fouls: 6
- Minutes: 47
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
