Kevin Durant blamed himself for a Houston Rockets debut gone completely sideways Tuesday, as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder bested his new club 125-124 in double overtime at Paycom Center. Two specific plays haunted Durant afterward—the missed free throws and the foul that sealed Houston’s fate—and he believes those two moments are exactly why the Rockets lost.

On the night Oklahoma City celebrated its NBA title with a ring ceremony and raised a championship banner to the rafters, Durant scored 23 points on efficient 9-of-16 shooting but committed two crucial mistakes that cost Houston the game before fouling out with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime.

The final foul crushed Durant’s comeback

The Rockets led 124-123 with 11 seconds left in the second overtime when a pump fake by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lured Durant into his sixth foul, sending the reigning MVP to the line to hit the winning free throws. Durant fouled Gilgeous-Alexander and put the Thunder up one, admitting he needed to stay down and be more disciplined with those opportunities to get a stop and seal the game.

That play marked what Durant might consider the second squandered opportunity to walk out of a sold-out arena victorious. With 9.5 seconds left in regulation, Durant missed the first of two free throws with Houston leading 103-102. He connected on the second to put the Rockets ahead by two points, but Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 16-footer with 2.6 seconds left to force overtime. That first missed free throw became the difference between regulation victory and double-overtime defeat.

Durant nearly called a timeout Houston didn’t have

Catastrophe for Durant and the Rockets nearly unfolded in the first overtime period too. The 37-year-old swingman snatched a rebound with 2.2 seconds remaining and signaled for a timeout that Houston didn’t possess as teammate Alperen Sengun ran over to stop him. The play triggered a cascade of boos from the crowd of 18,203. A postgame pool report revealed referees didn’t whistle Durant for a technical foul because none of the game officials saw him signal for the timeout, according to crew chief Zach Zarba.

Gilgeous-Alexander said Durant definitely called timeout about three times—verbally and physically with his hands—but the refs just missed it. That’s life, according to Gilgeous-Alexander. People make mistakes and move on. The refs didn’t miss it on purpose; they just didn’t see it. Durant dodged a bullet there that could’ve made his debut even more disastrous.

Durant showed flashes of what Houston’s offense could be

Despite a rough debut, Durant flashed glimpses of what Houston’s offense could become once the Rockets iron out some wrinkles. Durant shot 5-of-6 on two-point jumpers for a team that experienced only one instance last season of a player hitting five or more two-point jump shots in a game. All of Durant’s made two-point field goals came within the final eight seconds of the shot clock, tying for his most such makes in a game since 2013-14 when player tracking began.

When Houston needed generating a solid look with the shot clock winding down, they made sure finding Durant. Sengun acknowledged Durant makes everyone’s jobs easier, and with more time together, the Rockets will only get better. Durant managed inflicting his damage in an offense mostly facilitated by Sengun, who made a career-high five three-pointers while scoring a game-high 39 points with 11 rebounds and a team-high seven assists.

Houston’s supersized lineup made history

The Rockets trotted out a starting unit against the Thunder that averaged 82.2 inches tall, registering as the tallest group of starters in an opener since 1970-71 when starters were first tracked. Durant started at guard for the first time since 2009 alongside Amen Thompson, who was hobbled late by calf cramps. The lineup also featured Jabari Smith Jr. and Sengun at forward with Steven Adams playing center.

Durant emphasized the Rockets make plays as a team, noting he’s not expected making every big shot in every close game. His presence can ease tension for everybody so they can make plays together. Some nights will be his night in the fourth quarter, other nights will be Sengun’s. Everyone just has to prepare for their moment.

That philosophy sounds great until you’re the guy who missed the crucial free throw in regulation and fouled the opposing MVP with seconds left in double overtime. Durant will get plenty more opportunities proving he can deliver those clutch moments for Houston, but this debut is one he’ll desperately want forgetting.