NBA Takes Off: Season Is Underway as Many Teams Look To Start off With Wins

By Noah Donnellan-Doser Last updated Nov 2, 2025

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) keeps the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half at Paycom Center on Oct. 21. PHOTO CREDIT: ALONZO ADAMS-IMAGN IMAGES

The National Basketball Association’s 2025-26 season kicked off on Tuesday night with an exciting doubleheader. The Houston Rockets, featuring the recent addition of Kevin Durant, faced off against the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the 2025 Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Later on, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Golden State Warriors, respectively led by Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry. It was a night that all NBA fans had waited months for.

The Rockets v. Thunder game was the perfect start to the season. Houston held the lead fairly consistently throughout the first three quarters, but it was in the last quarter when their offense began to slip. Durant, one of the clutchest players in the league, took a single in the fourth quarter while Amen Thompson, who was 0-7 from three-point range, continued to make plays that did not incorporate the rest of the team well. Thompson’s defense, along with the rest of the team, kept OKC at bay until Gilgeous-Alexander did what he does best. When it mattered most, he continued to get into his mid-range pocket and continually drew fouls. Eventually, he tied the game in the last few seconds of regulation, leading to overtime. Both teams’ defenses continued to stifle the offense, but OKC began to gain the upper hand. With some poor plays from Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. on the Rockets, and some stunning defense from OKC’s Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace, the game was once again tied at the end of the first overtime. In the penultimate possession of the game, the Rockets were up by one point. That’s when Gilgeous-Alexander drew a foul off Durant with 2.3 seconds left on the clock. Durant fouled out of the game, and Gilgeous-Alexander made both free throws, all but securing the game for OKC.

It should be noted that Gilgeous-Alexander was arguably not the star of the show; 2025 All-Star and EuroBasket phenom Alpren Sengün led the Rockets with 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He also made 11 of 12 free throws and shot five of eight from three. He already had the greatest losing effort performance of the season, which was then overtaken by Luka Doncic’s performance in L.A. Doncic had 41 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists on 63 percent shooting. Many have been anticipating Doncic’s return to the court after he spent the off-season getting in shape and leading the Slovenian team in EuroBasket 2025. There was zero disappointment to be found. Although the Lakers lost to the Warriors, Doncic showed that he is not taking anyone’s shit this year, and he will lead his team back to the finals single-handedly if he must.

Speaking of finals, there are very worthy opponents who are looking to snag the Larry O’Brien trophy this year. The Thunder is still the heavy favorite to take home the 2026 championship, but the Rockets are looking to usurp their crown with a young and dedicated roster. After finishing as the West’s second seed and losing in the first round of the playoffs, the team traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and other assets for 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant. Durant brings a level of experience that the Rockets were lacking and a reliable offensive force; he’s a man who’s there to get buckets and ball – no more, no less.

The Denver Nuggets also made a series of off-season trades and acquisitions to flesh out their bench depth, acquiring forward Cameron Johnson and center Jonas Valanciunas to back up Nikola Jokic’s team-carrying load. The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to make it back to at least another Conference Finals, while the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks are looking to at least make the playoffs under the new leadership of their young stars.

As for the Eastern Conference, it is anyone’s game. The Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics have both lost their stars, Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum (respectively), to Achilles injuries. (God, why Tatum, why!) That leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks and, potentially, the Orlando Magic to fight over Eastern dominance. Personally, I have the Knicks making the cut this year to at least reach the finals (before ultimately being swept by the Nuggets (Shoutout Aaron Gordon)).

Only time will tell who will reign supreme, but all I know is that my mood is about to jump sky high thanks to the NBA’s return.