Spurs erase 21-PT deficit to outlast Nets in OT, 137-132.

Durant had his moments, but was clearly rusty.

Brandon Ingram capitalized on some rusty play by the Slim Reaper, oft compared to Durant, but swiping the ball from him in the clutch to help the Spurs erase a twenty-one point hole after a scoring drought in the second quarter. The Slender Man had 38 points of his own, dwarfing Durant's 23 points (despite 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 9-21 FG%) and helping force six turnovers from the former mega-star of Golden State. Ingram also had 11 rebounds to go with 5 steals, hitting a clutch 3PTer in the final quarter as the Spurs finally overcame the last hump of the comeback, after nearly losing control of the rally reigns once Brooklyn went back up 87-95.

"We just never gave up," Dejounte Murray told Doris Burke on the sideline, showcasing 30 points of his own on opening night, having sliced his way into the paint and spearheading the comeback alongside his compatriot, Ingram. Murray went 12-22 with 5 assists & 2 steals. A poor game by Kyrie Irving (20 points, 7 assists, 6-15 FG%) certainly helped the comeback effort. The quarters were split 25-26 (Nets), 17-31 (Nets), 31-23 (Spurs), 43-36 (Spurs), with OverTime 21-16 (Spurs).

The new faces on the Spurs also had strong debuts: Fred VanVleet hit two threes, dishing 6 assists as the de-facto backup point guard as the Spurs continue to scour the free agent pool for more contribution, on his way to 22 points, benefiting in the fast break for easy layups. Kent Bazemore looked sharp with 16 points and a career-high 10 assists, hitting 4-of-6 from long range, with 1 block and a steal. The big man down low Andre Drummond had 19 rebounds with 2 blocks, but suffered 4 turnovers and struggled for 14 points, missing some easy ones at the rim.

Joe Harris was cold, a big part of the drought as Brooklyn went up big, but hit 3 tres to make up for it on 11 points. Jarrett Allen had 9 rebounds with 2 blocks.

R.C. Buford studied the roster's effectiveness in Brooklyn.

For the Nets, a late turnover gave them the chance to tie the game, but the Spurs recovered to pull away in OverTime. DeAndre Jordan boasted 29 rebounds, a career-high, eating up glass during that awful drought by the Spurs. Caris LeVert had 18 points and former Spur T.J. Warren dropped 18 points, 7 rebounds with 5 assists. Spencer Dinwiddie got hot, fortifying the deficit with 14 points, 8 assists. The Nets gave up too many free throws, as the Spurs buried 36 at the line overall which also stopped the clock.

This was a monumental comeback, no doubt, but the Spurs definitely have the first eye test of the season to reevaluate the team's strengths and weaknesses. It helps to see the two stars, Ingram & Murray, start the season off so strongly, a testament to each player's growth. Rookie point guard slasher Malcolmn Cazalon had 1 assist, but clearly Coach Popovich isn't ready to trust him yet in a close game which is understandable, exposing a crucial need for a seasoned veteran point guard to support Murray's rest, an oversight given the front office's focus to land a major star like Drummond and shore up the perimeter defense. As with last season, there also continues to be stagnation on the scoring end by P.J. Tucker and in the mid-range by the two-guards, which helped J.R. Smith stick around last season. Other teams got stronger, so San Antone must respond and orchestrate a powerhouse for the court.