Drama, history, tension, talent, you name it; the NBA’s tip-off night had it. After a long wait through the summer months and the rather unserious preseason games in September, October 21st rolled around, and with it came the buzz of the NBA.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander (#2) drives to the hoop in his opening night victory against the Rockets. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)
The commissioner definitely knew what he was doing with the schedule because the season tipped off with two matches destined to have fireworks, and they didn’t disappoint. The first match of the night was last year’s NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, versus last year’s two-seeded Houston Rockets. The match was a shootout between the stars with last year’s league MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander supplying the Thunder with 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while up-and-comer Alperen Sengun dumped 39 points and 9 rebounds for the Rockets; effectively one-upping Shai. The match was close throughout the four quarters, but as the clock wound down, the Rockets had the lead and didn’t look like they were going to give it up, that is, until the Thunder put on a heroic team effort and clawed back, eventually tying the match just before the end of regulation. With the game headed into overtime, all fans were on the edge of their seats, the teams traded baskets for what felt like eternity – even stretching into a second period of overtime after the Rockets tied the game up again right before the end of the first overtime. In the end, however, the Rockets’ luck ran out, despite Sengun’s heroic effort. It was Shai Gilgeous Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder who came out on top, starting the season as they mean to continue, as they follow the quest to defend their title.
Doncic after scoring 3 of his 43 points against the Warriors on opening night. (William Liang-Imagn Images)
Hard to follow that game up, I know, but in the second and final fixture of the night, the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Golden State Warriors somehow managed to live up to the expectations. In a battle between one of, if not the most historic franchises in NBA history, and the most dominant franchise basketball has seen in the last couple of decades, it was the new signings who showed up for their teams. In last year’s mid-year trade window, the Golden State Warriors picked up veteran and journeyman Jimmy Butler, while the Lakers picked up Luka Doncic, a young star who many consider to be the face of the league. The match, while not being as close as the Thunder-Rockets game, was once again a shootout between the two stars. Butler assisted his Warriors with 35 points and 5 assists, which helped his team edge Doncic’s Lakers despite his heroic 43-point, 9-assist night.
Safe to say that this preview for the NBA season will have drawn in viewership from all over the world. Who could watch that and not be intrigued about the rest of the season? The title defense will not be easy for the Thunder this year. That is a fact. With challengers coming from every part of the U.S every week for the next nine months, it will be a near miracle if they can hold them all off. All eyes will most definitely be glued to the NBA this season, keen to see if Shai and the Thunder can retain the title they worked so hard to get, or if the title contenders will knock them off in their ruthless pursuit to be basketball’s number one team.
