There are a lot of things to discuss about Kevin Durant’s debut with the Houston Rockets. At the top of the list is the team going away from an elite clutch player in the clutch — KD shot 6-of-11 in the first half but was 2-of-3 in the fourth quarter and overtime as he just did not get enough touches (this is where the team misses Fred VanVleet running the point). After the game, Durant owned getting sucked in and fouling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on what became the game-winning free throws for the Thunder.
However, it was Durant getting away with a “Chris Webber” that was the most stunning. At the end of the first overtime, Gilgeous-Alexander attempted a corner 3 game-winner, but Tari Eason appeared to get a piece of it. Durant caught the ball under the basket and called for a timeout — except the Rockets were out of timeouts. It would have been a technical free throw for the Thunder, plus the ball out of bounds, essentially sealing the game.
KD tried to call timeout without having any, but it goes unacknowledged, and we’re off to double overtime.
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The referees didn’t see it (or Jabari Smith Jr., who also called for one). Here is crew chief Zach Zarba after the game, speaking to a pool reporter:
“None of the three game officials saw Kevin signal that timeout. That’s why it wasn’t granted before the expiration of time.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault saw it and rushed out onto the court to complain, flanked by Thunder players. It didn’t matter, the referees never saw it and this was not reviewable. The game went into double overtime, becoming an instant classic. The Rockets looked like legit contenders to the throne, even if they need to work on timeout awareness.