There may have been some nervous moments towards the end, but the Oklahoma City Thunder had the best player on the floor all night long for their opening night tussle against the Houston Rockets in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander played uncharacteristically lethargic basketball for the first few quarters, but he came alive in the dying moments of the game — finishing with 35 points in OKC's 125-124 win over Houston in overtime.

In the fourth quarter was where Gilgeous-Alexander did his most damage; with the Thunder trailing the Rockets for most of the game, the reigning NBA MVP stepped up when his team needed him the most. He ended up with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field and 4-4 from the charity stripe in the period, including two of the most important points of the game when he drilled a midrange shot in Amen Thompson's grill to send the game to overtime at 104-104.

Thompson is one of the best defenders in the entire NBA, so taking him on one on one is not for everyone. But Gilgeous-Alexander clearly isn't just some random nobody; he is arguably the best player in the league, or at least the second-best behind Nikola Jokic, and the Thunder would not have come close to winning this game if it weren't for his services.

This is not to say that Gilgeous-Alexander is a perfect player. He did uncharacteristically miss a few free throws, and a strong finish to the game rescued what was such a quiet night from the Thunder star.

But it's not about how one starts, it's about how one finishes. Gilgeous-Alexander also nailed the game-winning free throws in 2OT after he put Kevin Durant through the ringer and drew his sixth foul of the game in double overtime. He is already in MVP form, and it's just the first game of the new season.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder overcome Rockets in slugfest

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes up for a basket between Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) and center Steven Adams (12) during the first half at Paycom Center.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The intensity during the Thunder's double-overtime win over the Rockets wasn't very typical of a regular-season contest. But the two teams are expected to vie for Western Conference supremacy, and Houston, in particular, will be eager to measure up to the league's best team.

But in the end, Gilgeous-Alexander's composure in the clutch triumphed over the Rockets' brutal physicality. Alperen Sengun looks like he took a big leap, ending up with 39 points on the night with a barrage of triples. Nonetheless, the Thunder's defense made it difficult for a Rockets team that might end up needing a point guard considering how difficult it seemed for them at times to get the ball down the court.