OKC Thunder Highlight NBA's Opening Week Schedule With Finals Rematch

The NBA has slowly trickled out its schedule for the 2025-26 season, with the full docket set to be released on Thursday afternoon.

Throughout the year, there are a few marquee dates in the NBA's calendar. The 82-game season is a grind, but on certain nights, the sports world –– including casual hoop heads –– tune in. Christmas Day is the biggest, but the NBA sees large returns on opening night and MLK Day without battling the almighty NFL.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are featured on every big showcase date for the league, granted an opening night slot by winning the league a year ago as it will double as ring night and banner night in Bricktown when the Houston Rockets come to town on Oct. 21. This will also be the first game shown on NBC under the league's new media rights deal.

That same week, ESPN will put together loaded double-header slates that include an NBA Finals rematch between the Thunder and Indiana Pacers on the mothership. That Oct. 23 game will represent the Thunder's second game of the season and first road tilt of the campaign.

The Finals rematch has lost some of its luster with Myles Turner jumping ship for Milwaukee and Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf for the entire season after tearing his Achilles in the NBA Finals. Though, these two teams will forever be linked and square off twice this season, with at least one of those bouts being showcased on National TV.

Christmas Day used to be a staple in Bricktown as the Thunder returned to the holiday slate for the first time since 2018. This contest will be must-see TV as the spunky Spurs core goes up against the reigning NBA champions, headlined by a Victor Wembanyama matchup with CHet Holmgren.

On MLK Day, the Thunder will head to Cleveland in a battle with the Cavaliers after these two squads owned the two best records in the league a year ago. Despite injuries hindering its regular season clashes last season, they were still a pair of fun games to watch in particularly the contest in Cleveland. There are only a few cross-conference matchups that will be worth watching and this is one of them.

OKC Thunder Known Games

• Opening Night, Oct. 21: vs. Houston Rockets on NBC/Peacock
• Opening Week, Oct. 23 @ Indiana Pacers on ESPN
• Christmas Day, Dec. 25 vs. San Antonio Spurs on ESPN/ABC
• MLK Day, Jan. 19 @ Cleveland Cavaliers on NBC/Peacock

As the best team in the NBA, it makes sense for the Thunder to be a poster child for National TV slots in the league's calendar. After shunning the star-riddled squad, a wrong has been righted by the league's schedule makers. The rest of the basketball world will be able to enjoy watching the Bricktown ballers this season as they attempt to repeat as NBA champions.