Warriors beat Lakers behind Jimmy Butler's 31 points; Thunder outlast Rockets in double overtime on opening night

The Warriors have won, 119-109, to open the 2025-26 season over the Lakers. Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 31 points for Golden State, while Luka Dončić scores 43 points for the Lakers (0-1).

Steph Curry hits a moonball 3-pointer from 35 feet to put the Warriors ahead 117-107 with 51 seconds to play. On a relatively quiet night, by his standards, Curry has scored 22 points but comes up big in the final seconds to give a bit more comfort for the Warriors, who are close to moving to 1-0 on the season.

Don't look now but the Lakers' double-digit deficit has been reduced to 105-99 with 3:59 left in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by 15 points with 5:09 to play, but the Lakers have since scored nine unanswered by four different players. There's some energy back in the building.

The arena in Oklahoma City to open this NBA tipoff night was a howling cacophony as the Thunder and Rockets dueled to double overtime. In contrast, the Warriors' fairly controlling hold over the Lakers has made for a much quieter scene in Los Angeles.

The Lakers haven't given the home crowd much to cheer for with 7:50 remaining and trailing 100-84. Both teams, remarkably, made 32 field goals, yet the Warriors have made eight more 3-pointers and eight more free throws, as well.

The Warriors have led by as many as 17 points, while the Lakers have led briefly, and only for two points. On a sloppy (33 combined turnovers), foul-filled (37 combined fouls) season opener, the Warriors have been able to repeatedly find openings for shots using their passing and off-ball movement, the kind that built the Warriors dynasty a decade ago.

With less than two minutes left in the third, Luka Dončić has 35 of the Lakers’ 75 points. He’s also made 12 of the team’s 26 field goals.

Can anyone on Los Angeles step up and play sidekick? Austin Reaves just picked up his fifth foul, and Deandre Ayton has only six points. The Lakers are somewhat within striking distance, but they desperately need another scorer to join the party.

Golden State had scored on four consecutive possessions to lead 88-75 before finally missing for the first time in nearly two minutes of game play. The third quarter still is not over. Golden State has assisted on 22 of its 28 field goals.

Jonathan Kuminga only very recently agreed to a contract with the Warriors after he was stuck in restricted free agency limbo until late September. The contract drama hasn’t seemed to affect him tonight.

Over midway through the third quarter, Kuminga has 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Warriors saw their 10-point lead disappear late in the first half but have opened the second half by running their lead up to as many as 17 points at 78-61. The Lakers' offense consists of solely baskets by Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić so far. It's been an adjustment without LeBron James.

The Lakers erased their 10-point first-half deficit after a flurry of buckets right before halftime, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Rui Hachimura. The run was capped by a 3-pointer by Luka Dončić that put the Lakers ahead, 54-53. Doncic now has 22 points.

But the Warriors will lead going into the break, 55-54, after Jimmy Butler was fouled and made both shots. Butler leads the Warriors with 16 points.

The Lakers' Marcus Smart just became one of several key players tonight in foul trouble. Smart picked up his fourth foul one minutes before halftime, not long after teammate Austin Reaves picked up his third. For the Warriors, Gary Payton II and Draymond Green have three fouls, as well.

The Lakers are nearly to halftime and have made two of their 14 3-pointers. That's largely accounting for their seven-point deficit, as the Warriors are 6-for-14 from deep.

If you're just tuning in to Lakers-Warriors after the Thunder-Rockets instant classic from Oklahoma City, you'll find a game that Golden State has largely controlled en route to a 39-33 lead midway through the second quarter. The Lakers are still trying to find the right balance between getting star guard Luka Doncic to put his stamp on the game and getting the rest of the team involved. And there have also been just too many turnovers, with 23 combined.

Steph Curry has five points. Dončić has 14, and Lakers teammate Austin Reaves has 10.

Snell, who is set to start Game 1 of the World Series on Friday in Toronto, got the biggest pop of any celebrity so far when shown on the jumbotron.

Snell posted a 2.35 ERA this season.

Jabari Smith Jr. can’t hid a fadeaway as time expires and that will do it! Thunder win 125-124.

After an errant pass by the Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt went out of bounds with 10:04 left in the second quarter here, Draymond Green of the Warriors tied Vanderbilt up with his arms, which the Laker took offense to and pushed back. The two were quickly separated but Vanderbilt earned a technical, giving the Warriors a 33-25 lead.

SGA used some fancy footwork to draw a sixth foul on Kevin Durant. And now the Thunder lead 125-124 with 2.3 seconds to go after two free throws.

After a missed jumper, the Rockets got an offensive board and Kevin Durant found Alperen Sengun for a go-ahead bucker with 11 seconds to go. Houston leads 124-123.

What a second overtime period.

These teams are trading haymakers. After a Cason Wallace three, Kevin Durant came back with a three-point play of his own. SGA followed that up with a pull-up jumper.

We’re tied at 122 with Gilgeous-Alexander headed to the free-throw line.

Golden State leads the Lakers, 28-22, after one quarter. Jimmy Butler leads all players with 12 points, while Luka Dončić has 10 for the Lakers. Mostly this game has been sloppy, with 15 combined turnovers, including nine for Los Angeles.

Horford, the 39-year-old veteran big man, signed this offseason with Golden State to provide rebounding and scoring inside. So far, so good.

In just four minutes of play, Horford has three defensive rebounds to go along with a 3-pointer he just drained.

Warriors lead 25-22 with 3.2 seconds left in the first.

Playing without the injured LeBron James, the Lakers haven't had a fluid offense, making just one of their eight 3-pointers. Golden State's bench, headlined by Al Horford and starter Jimmy Butler, has been much stronger, outscoring the Lakers' bench 8-0.

Kevin Durant tried to call a timeout the Rockets didn’t have — which should have resulted in a technical foul. But the refs didn’t recognize the timeout before the buzzer sounded, sending the game to a second overtime and Durant barely avoiding a Chris Webber moment.

A former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton has tantalizing talent that has shown itself at times tonight already in his Lakers debut, as he's scored four points and blocked a shot. Ayton is also on his third team because that potential has often shown itself in full only in spurts. We've seen one example of that inconsistency already tonight, as he had no idea Jonathan Kuminga was coming up behind him to steal his pass only feet from the Warriors' basket.

What a comeback by the Rockets, who trailed by six but tied the game at 115 with 8.8 seconds to go.

Famously irascible Warriors forward Draymond Green just earned his first technical foul of the season while sitting on the bench. We don't know what Green said, but he appeared to be barely on the court at the time he spoke with the nearest official, and the combination may have led to his tech.

Thompson is out as he deals with a cramp, and SGA immediately took advantage with a jumper.

Reed Sheppard hit one free throw to make it a 112-107 Thunder lead.

The Warriors wing, playing in his first full season in Golden State, has scored seven points in the first five minutes to put Golden State ahead of the Lakers, 12-11.

OKC is up 107-104 with 3:46 left in OT.

The Lakers guard spoke briefly to Lakers fans before the home opener of the new season.

"It's going to be a very exciting season, and go Lakers," he said.

The game between the Lakers and Warriors is starting now and is on Peacock as the Thunder and Rockets go to overtime.

Sengun misses a jumper as time expires and now we’re getting extra basketball on opening night.

SGA pulled up for a patented elbow jumper and we're tied at 104 with 2.0 seconds left.

Alperen Sengun hit a floater over Alex Caruso to give the Rockets the lead. The Thunder couldn’t answer as Cason Wallace missed a three. Then Kevin Durant was fouled on a jumper but he only hit one free throw.

Rockets lead 103-102.

Thunder lead 102-101

The Rockets lead 101-100 and are challenging a foul call on SGA with 1:42 to go. I think this one is going to stand as called? Looked like some contact on that play.

Gilgeous-Alexander is up to 18 points with less than four minutes to go. He hasn’t had a great night offensively, but he still has a chance to close this one out with a few buckets.

It’s 97-95 Houston with 3:07 to go.

OKC is only 8-38 from deep tonight.

Houston hasn’t been great either (only 10-34), but those two extra makes are playing a big role late.

The Rockets lead 93-89 with under five minutes to go.

Isaiah Hartenstein has four points and an assist early in the fourth quarter, while Alperen Sengun has hit two threes for the Rockets.

It’s a tight one — Houston leads 87-85 with under eight minutes to go.

The Rockets lead by four, 79-75, as we head to the fourth quarter.

The defenses have really shored up after a hot offensive start. It’s going to be a physical battle for buckets in the final frame.

The intensity is starting to pick up in the third quarter. Both teams are now shooting under 45% from the field and under 31% from three.

The Rockets’ size has certainly played a factor so far. They have 10 more rebounds but also four more turnovers than the Thunder.

Houston leads 69-65 with 4:33 left in the quarter.

And now a 9-2 from OKC has made it a 65-60 Houston lead with under 8 minutes to go in the third. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is up to 9 points after a quiet first half.

Houston scores the first six points of the third quarter, and now has its largest lead of the night at 63-51.

Michael Jordan says he wishes he could take a “magic pill” and still be playing in the NBA right now. But he’s happy to be sitting down talking about the game as opposed to getting on the court and popping his Achilles.

And why did MJ decide now was the time to lend his voice?

“One of the reasons why I did this is as professional athletes, we have a responsibility to pay it forward,” Jordan told NBC’s Mike Tirico.

Michael Jordan is on the NBA on NBC halftime show right now. He just told Mike Tirico the last time he shot basketball was at a Ryder Cup meetup in front of some kids, and it was the most nervous he’d been in years.

Jordan swished the free throw.

The Rockets were on their way to having a double-digit lead at halftime, but a Josh Okogie foul with 0.7 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer by Ajay Mitchell led a four-point play for OKC.

Houston still leads 57-51 at the break.

Chet Holmgren has 13 points for the Thunder, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 5.

Three Rockets starters are in double digits — Kevin Durant with 14, and Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson with 10.

Despite all the size they had to start, the Rockets have been the better team from the perimeter in the first half.

Houston is 7-18 from three compared to 4-18 for OKC.

The Rockets are plus-nine from deep...and plus-eight on the scoreboard. Houston leads 53-45 with 90 seconds left in the first half.

Last year’s third overall pick, Sheppard played only 12.6 minutes a game for the Rockets last season. He’s already played 10 for Houston tonight, and he scored six points on two threes in his first stint.

Sheppard is one of the players who should get a bigger opportunity in the wake of Fred VanVleet’s torn ACL.

Twenty players have appeared in this game and we aren’t even halfway into the second quarter. It’s 46-42 with 6:35 to go as a bunch of bench players are getting some run right now.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer hasn't practiced with the Lakers while dealing with sciatica, coach J.J. Redick said just now. Who picks up more of the slack with James out? The Lakers will be looking for more from center Deandre Ayton being a rim-runner and "defensively for us, he's just got to be an anchor," Redick said. The Lakers don't want the former No. 1 pick to just be anchored in the paint, but to use his athleticism to help in other matchups as well.

"Luka just feels more like himself on a daily basis, and that's a good thing for our team," Lakers coach J.J. Redick said before tipoff of Lakers-Warriors. Dončić is entering his first full season with the Lakers after last season's shocking trade from Dallas. And more will be on Dončić's plate given LeBron James will not be healthy enough to play for several more weeks.

Really fun opening quarter to the season. Both teams were crisp offensively — Houston shot 50% from the field, while OKC shot 52.6%.

Chet Holmgren leads all scorers with 13. Amen Thompson leads the Rockets with 10.

The second game of the opening-night doubleheader is coming at 8 p.m. ET from Los Angeles, where the Lakers face the Warriors. Lakers coach J.J. Redick is about to address reporters.

It’s 23-23 with 3:24 left in the first. Mark Daigneault is challenging whether a block on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was actually a foul.

Slow start for SGA so far, who was only two points and one field goal.

Jabari Smith Jr. joins "NBA Showtime" to describe his journey with the Houston Rockets, what he has learned from Kevin Durant and his goal of winning Most Improved Player.

Thompson is up to 8 points in the first quarter, and he’s been aggressive looking for his own offense as Houston’s de facto lead ball handler right now.

The Rockets have a 19-15 lead midway through the first.

It’s 13-13 with 7:10 to go in the first. The Rockets have a ton of size on the floor but still can’t figure out how to guard Chet Holmgren — he has 11 of OKC’s 13 points in the game’s first five minutes.

Thompson’s ability to hit that shot is going to play a major factor in Houston’s offensive success this year. For now, at least he is willing to let it fly.

Expect a lot of that tonight, as Houston is starting a supersized lineup, eschewing a traditional guard for height at every position. The Rockets will be crashing the boards on every possession.

Fred VanVleet, who started at point guard for Houston last season, will miss the entire year after tearing his ACL. The Rockets will lean on size in his absence.

The 80th season of the NBA — and the first NBA on NBC game in 23 years — is underway!

It’s been nine years since Kevin Durant left the Thunder, but even after the franchise received its championship rings tonight, the fans voiced their displeasure with the former OKC star.

Maria Taylor, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady discuss expectations for Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün for the Rockets before analyzing keys to success for Ime Udoka.

One reason the Thunder are eager to repeat as NBA champs?

“There was a lot of celebration stuff we didn’t get to do,” forward Jalen Williams told the NBC Sports crew pregame.

Williams, who is recovering from wrist surgery and will miss the start of the season, added on a more serious note he wants to “get better every day” in his fourth season in the NBA.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are receiving their championship rings from commissioner Adam Silver and team governor Clay Bennett right now.

OKC won 68 games in the regular season last year before winning the NBA Finals in seven games against the Indiana Pacers.

Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick preview tonight's game between the Warriors and Lakers on NBC and Peacock, explaining why the over should hit and Austin Reaves could have a huge game with LeBron James injured.

In September, Rockets guard Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL at an offseason workout, likely ruling him out for the entire 2025-26 season.

VanVleet has served as the team’s point guard over the last two seasons, leading Houston in assists per game each year.

The 31-year-old VanVleet — who during his time in Toronto won the 2019 NBA title and was a 2022 All-Star — signed with Houston in 2023. He re-signed with the Rockets to a two-year, $50 million contract (with a player option for 2026-27) in July after the Rockets declined his $44.9 million team option for this upcoming season.

Kevin Durant returns to Oklahoma City as it has its ring ceremony and title banner raising. Leading a youthful Rockets team, there's reason to believe the star is "happy" for his old team.

Ahead of the NBA tip off, John Tesh joins "TODAY" to talk about the iconic “Roundball Rock” that became one of the most recognizable themes in sports. He opens up about the origin story behind the song, how it was immortalized on “Saturday Night Live,” and more. 

John Tesh performs NBA theme ‘Roundball Rock’ live on 'TODAY'

04:38

Oklahoma City solidified its foundation over the offseason by signing its three biggest stars to longterm extensions:

• 27-year-old G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the NBA in scoring (32.7 points per game) and won NBA MVP and Finals MVP last season, signed a 4-year supermax extension reportedly worth up to $285 million.
• 24-year-old G/F Jalen Williams, who was a first-time All-Star and All-NBA selection (Third Team) last year, signed a five-year rookie max extension reportedly worth up to $287 million.
• 23-year-old F/C Chet Holmgren, who was third on the team in scoring (15.2 points per game) last postseason, signed a five-year rookie max extension reportedly worth up to $250 million.

Kenny Beecham dives into the rise of double big lineups in the NBA, explaining how this style of play is "extremely situational" and the importance of having an effective shooter.

With LeBron James out for the beginning of the season, the Lakers will run through 5-time All-Star G Luka Doncic, who enters his first full season with L.A. after being traded from Dallas in February.

This summer, the Lakers committed long-term to Doncic, signing him to a 3-year, $165 million extension that runs through the 2028-29 season (he has a player option for 2028-29).

Along with signing his extension this summer, Doncic introduced a new workout regimen and low-sugar diet and he told Slovenian media in August that he’d lost 30 pounds (though per the NBA’s official weight he gained 14 pounds from last year).

Kevin Durant's debut with Houston comes against Oklahoma City, the city where he spent his first eight seasons. Since leaving in 2016, Durant has played six games as a visitor in Oklahoma and averaged 30.5 points per game.

Basketball keeps getting more global.

The NBA season opens today and the league’s opening night rosters show a record 135 players who were born outside the U.S. They come from 43 countries — tying a record — and 71 are from Europe, the most ever from that continent.

That development comes with the NBA in talks, along with FIBA — the sport’s global governing body — to develop a new league in Europe, something that could happen as early as 2027.

“The state of the game of basketball in Europe I think is fantastic,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last month. “They have their own traditions, which we of course want to maintain, but we think there’s an opportunity to bring an NBA-style league to the continent and to take the game to another level.”

From the Hornets' trio with enticing "potential," Ace Bailey on a Jazz team with a "college-type feel," and the Wizards, there are several bright spots for emerging squads around the NBA as the season begins.

There have been seven consecutive seasons with a different NBA champion, the longest such streak in the league's history. And the parity isn't only in who wins the NBA Finals but how difficult it is for the past champion even to get back to the Finals.

Since 2019, every champion has failed to even reach the conference finals the following season.

• Raptors: won title in 2018-19, lost in East semis next season
• Lakers: won 2019-2020 title, lost in West first round next season
• Bucks: won 2020-21 title, lost in East semis next season
• Warriors: won 2021-22 title, lost in West semis next season
• Nuggets: won 2022-23 title, lost in West semis next season
• Celtics: won 2023-24 title, lost in East semis next season

Lakers star LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, will begin his record-breaking 23rd season on the sideline watching. Midway through training camp this month, the team announced James was suffering from sciatica and would miss approximately 3-4 weeks.

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve experiences irritation or inflammation. The nerve originates near the lower back, and travels down the legs. James was experiencing sciatica on his right side, the team said.

After Jimmy Butler's acrimonious exit from Miami last season, he thrived in Golden State and helped the Warriors reach the second round of the playoffs. Butler shot 47 percent, averaging 17.9 points and 5.9 assists with 5.5 rebounds, in 30 games.

Butler enters his 15th NBA season and his first full year with the Warriors. His presence is felt most with the way he can still get to the free-throw line, where he averaged 7.7 per game last season, above his career average of 6.7.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joins "TODAY" to celebrate the return of basketball on NBC for the first time in 23 years with the 2025-2026 season. Silver talks about the current state of dynasties in the league, breakout stars to watch, and how the game has evolved since it was last broadcast on NBC in 2002, saying, “Last time we were on NBC, big men could never shoot the way they can now.”

NBA’s Adam Silver talks dynasties, NBC Return, WNBA pay and more

05:49

Oklahoma City returns 14 of the 15 players from last season’s championship roster.

The only player to depart is guard Dillon Jones (the 26th overall pick in 2024 out of Weber State), who played a total of 10 minutes in the NBA Finals. Jones was traded to Washington on June 28 along with a 2nd-rd pick for guard Colby Jones (who OKC subsequently waived).

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman told ESPN last week. The new deal includes a player option in 2027-28. 

Durant was eligible for a max extension of $120M, but understood when he chose the Rockets as a trade destination that he’d be sacrificing money — in this case around $30M less — so that the sides can partner for the long term and give the franchise team-building flexibility.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off one of the most dominant individual seasons in NBA history in which he led the league in scoring, earned Most Valuable Player honors and won Finals MVP while leading Oklahoma City to its first championship.

The 27-year-old averaged 32.7 points per game and led the NBA with 7.9 free throws per game. That production earned him a four-year contract extension worth approximately $285 million.

Houston's NBA title odds decreased after guard Fred VanVleet's offseason knee injury that could sideline him the entire season. The Rockets are compensating without the 6-foot VanVleet by pivoting to an extremely tall starting lineup. The player likely to take up the majority of his ballhandling duties, Amen Thompson, is 6-7. The Rockets also will start Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams at center and forward and forward Kevin Durant, all of whom are listed in the vicinity of 7 feet.

Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick discuss the first matchup of the 2025-26 NBA season and why the Houston Rockets have the potential to upset the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night.