In the first game with the targets on the Oklahoma City Thunder's back as the defending champions, they beat the Rockets in double overtime, 125-124. The Thunder were down by double digits in the third quarter, but thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's late-game heroics, OKC powered back to win game one of 82.
The story of the first quarter wasn't SGA, but Chet Holmgren, who scored the Thunder's first seven points and 11 of their first 13. Gilgeous-Alexander didn't make his first shot until there were over four minutes left to play in the first quarter. Ajay Mitchell finished the first half with nearly double the number of shot attempts (nine) as SGA (five).