West Notes: Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Rockets, Alperen Sengun, Mavericks

Thunder

The Thunder’s banner night turned into a thriller.

Oklahoma City opened defense of its NBA title with a 125-124 double-overtime win over the Rockets, capped by two clutch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throws with 2.3 seconds left.

The reigning MVP also forced overtime with a 15-foot jumper in the closing seconds of regulation.

It wasn’t without drama. Late in the first overtime, Kevin Durant appeared to try calling a timeout the Rockets didn’t have — a move that would have resulted in a technical foul — but the officials didn’t see it. The controversy fizzled once OKC sealed the win.

Alperen Sengun led all scorers with 39 points, while SGA poured in 35 for the champs, who now head out on a three-game road trip that begins Thursday in Indiana. That, of course, is a Finals rematch.

Rockets

For Houston, this one stung.

Sengun was nearly unstoppable, finishing with 39 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists while hitting five threes and going 10-for-11 from the line.

But the Rockets couldn’t close on ring night in Oklahoma City, falling just short in double overtime.

Durant had 23 points and 9 assists in his return to OKC, but also committed a costly foul on Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-winning free throws.

“Those two plays are the reason we lost,” Durant said, via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets also turned it over 21 times, a number that loomed large without injured point guard Fred VanVleet. Amen Thompson added 18 points before leaving late with calf cramps, and second-year guard Reed Sheppard struggled to fill the void, shooting just 3-for-11 in 28 minutes.

Houston will look to regroup Friday in its home opener against Detroit.

Mavericks

Top pick Cooper Flagg will debut Wednesday against the Spurs, but he isn’t treating it like a rebuilding project.

“We’re a really deep team,” Flagg told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “That takes the pressure off me to just be myself and help this team win.”

The 19-year-old rookie joins a Dallas roster that already features Anthony Davis and other veterans (including Kyrie Irving when healthy), giving him a rare chance to develop within a contender.

“It’s the start of a great season and a great journey,” Flagg said. “I think we have a really good chance to be successful.”