The Oklahoma City Thunder is back in Montreal for their preseason game against the Detroit Pistons. Home of Lu Dort, Montreal welcomed him with open hands. The Bell Centre in Montreal was filled to the rim with fans. It almost felt like it was a regular season.

OKC’s guard Lu Dort scored a game-high 18 points in the first half on 6-of-10 shooting, including a 3-of-6 mark from 3-point range. Dort, who sat out the fourth quarter, finished with 24 points in 24 minutes on 8-of-12 shooting. Though it wasn’t a happy ending for the Thunder, it did not dampen their spirits.

Lu Dort and Shai are swathed in “Montreal love”

Shai and Dort are both Canadian natives. Stepping foot into Quebec must have been a refreshing experience for them. Montreal showed their love for their NBA stars in the form of Montreal Canadien stars, the oldest operating ice hockey team in the NHL. OKC Thunder’s official Instagram page posted a lovely video of Shai and Dort “connecting with Canadiens.”

Their smiling faces are all fans need to know just how excited they are to be back.

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Montreal fans’ loyalty and love did not sway even when faced with a loss.

Gilgeous-Alexander and team face loss at the hands of Cunningham’s Pistons

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and hometown favourite Lug Dort took the Bell Centre court for the Thunder in a 128-125 pre-season loss to the Detroit Pistons. Centre James Wiseman led the Pistons with 20 points as Detroit came back from being down 12 in the fourth quarter to win.

OKC superstar SGA had 12 points, two rebounds and three assists, shooting 3-for-4 from the field. But Dort’s play was the highlight of the night. He led all scorers with 24 points and received a standing ovation before tip-off when he addressed the crowd.

The Pistons took their first lead of the game on a Stanley Umude 3-pointer with 1:34 left. Marcus Sasser made two free throws to give Detroit a three-point lead with 14.9 seconds left. The Thunder, down 128-125, in-bounded the ball with 4.9 seconds left. Cason Wallace airballed the game-tying attempt.

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Well, the rest, you know. It was surely an amazing night. The Canadian fans embraced both teams with equal fervour. Wouldn’t you love to be part of such a crowd? The Pistons and Thunders surely did.