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The 2025-26 NBA season tipped off Tuesday night with a pair of marquee games.

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder raised their championship banner before beating Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets in overtime after SGA sank two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to finish with 35 points. Then, Jimmy Butler scored 31 points to lead Golden State past the Los Angeles Lakers, who got 43 from Luka Doncic while LeBron James sat out with sciatica, delaying the start of his record-breaking 23rd season in the league. Both games were televised by NBC, which marked its first NBA broadcast in almost a quarter century by reintroducing the beloved Roundball Rock theme music from the '90s.

The Toronto Rapto

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