The Oklahoma City Thunder just made NBA history, starting their season with back-to-back double-overtime wins. They squeezed past the Houston Rockets 125-124 on Tuesday before outlasting the Indiana Pacers 141-135 in another double-overtime thriller Thursday night.
No NBA team has ever opened a season with consecutive double-overtime victories.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was absolutely unstoppable against the Pacers, pouring in a career-high 55 points in what turned out to be a Finals rematch from last season.
“I’m tired, but it’s expected,” said the reigning NBA MVP after the game. “It’s a good way to break the ice on the season, shake the rust off, kind of bust the lungs up, get my cardio back.”
He’s certainly earning that MVP title. SGA has now scored 90 points in just two games – the fifth most through the first two games of a season in NBA history.
Only legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Anthony Davis, and Michael Jordan have started seasons hotter than this.
The Thunder are picking up right where they left off after last season’s championship run. They beat these same Pacers in a grueling seven-game Finals series back in June.
Last season was already record-breaking for Oklahoma City. They set the all-time NBA mark with 54 double-digit wins.
SGA reached the 50-point mark for the fifth time in his career Thursday night, tying Russell Westbrook for the most by any Thunder player. This came right after dropping 35 against Houston in the opener.
What’s crazy is he’s doing all this while struggling from long range. He shot just 2-for-7 from three-point territory against the Pacers and went a dismal 1-for-9 from deep in the opener.
But when it matters most, SGA delivers.
He played a grueling 45 minutes Thursday after logging 47 minutes in Tuesday’s opener. That’s 92 minutes of basketball in just three days.
“Two things. Being in the moment and understanding that we’re down five, it’s three minutes left, there’s a lot of time left,” the three-time All-Star explained. “Then also understanding the beginning of the season is just as important as the end of the season.”
He added: “The difference in home-court advantage in the playoffs could be one game and one win. We know firsthand home court in the playoffs is very helpful, especially when you go seven games. So we don’t ever want to take an opportunity for granted.”
The Thunder pulled off this win despite missing several key players. Jalen Williams (right wrist surgery), Cason Wallace (left knee sprain), Isaiah Joe (left knee contusion), and Alex Caruso (concussion protocol) were all sidelined.
Thankfully, second-year guard Ajay Mitchell stepped up big time, scoring a career-best 26 points off the bench.
“Everybody has a lot of trust in him and his talent,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said about Mitchell. “But I think the steadiness in these two environments… in both games he didn’t really blink.”
Aaron Wiggins added 23 points and nine rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 14 rebounds to help the cause.
The Thunder never led by more than seven points against the Pacers, making their victory all the more impressive.
They’ll look to keep their perfect record intact when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
