The Thunder party continued on the court, with an overtime victory over Durant’s Rockets

An unforgettable evening Thunder fans lived, as their team not only received championship rings and raised the title banner, but also started the new NBA season with a dramatic 125-124 victory against the Houston Rockets of their one-time favorite, Kevin Durant.

Last year’s league MVP Cy Gilgeous-Alexander was the hero once again, hitting two crucial free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the second overtime to give the Thunder the win. The Canadian star, who had just 5 points at halftime, finished the game with 35.

Durant, who fouled Gilgeous-Alexander, was ejected with six fouls, drawing cheers from the Oklahoma crowd. The one-time Thunder leader finished the game with 23 points and 9 rebounds, but he was heavily booed every time he touched the ball, as fans haven’t forgotten his 2016 exit for the Golden State Warriors — the team that then knocked off Oklahoma in the Western Conference finals.

Jabari Smith Jr. had a chance to give the Rockets the win, but he missed a two-point shot from 5.8 meters in exhalation.

Chet Holmgren picked up where he left off last year with 28 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma City, while coach Mark Daigneault was without Jaylen Williams, who continues his recovery from a right wrist injury and July 1 surgery.

For Houston, Alperen Sengun was impressive, finishing the game with 39 points and 11 rebounds, keeping his team in the game until the final.

Gilgeous-Alexander sent the game into overtime with a crucial mid-range shot with 2.1 seconds left in regulation (104-104). Shengun missed a last-minute fadeaway, sending the match into overtime.

The game went into a second overtime after a controversial period: with the score tied at 115-115, Durant grabbed the rebound and tried to call a timeout that the Rockets didn’t have, but the refs didn’t call a foul.

The Rockets travel to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday (Saturday morning ET), while the Thunder return to the court on Thursday (Friday morning) for a repeat of last year’s finals against the Indiana Pacers.