The Oklahoma City Thunder opens up the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets, but before that happens, they will be presented with their championship rings. The championship banner will also be revealed, and then it will be game on as OKC’s bid to repeat as champs begins with perhaps some of their toughest competition in the conference.
The Thunder enters this season as the favorite to win the 2026 NBA Finals, and there are plenty of other accolades from last season that will receive focus for this year as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP, Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams are members of last year’s All-Defensive Teams, and Chet Holmgren still has plenty to prove after missing a chunk of last year due to injury before coming back to contribute to the final stretch and eventually playoff run.
The Rockets were the number two team in the standings last season before falling 4-3 to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. They enter this year looking quite a bit different after a massive trade for Kevin Durant, but they still maintain a lot of their youthful spirit that allows them to play tenacious defense.
The Thunder and the Rockets have had more than their fair share of grudge matches, but with Kevin Durant in the house for the ring ceremony, the crowd is bound to have plenty of cheers and boos. Regardless of emotions from past events, the start of the new season is ultimately what’s important, and while OKC has earned the right to celebrate the accomplishment of becoming NBA Champions, the grind truly does not stop as they must continue their work to stay in control and vie for another ring.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 6:30 PM CT
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Television: NBC/Peacock
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Houston Rockets Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Cason Wallace
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Chet Holmgren
- C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Rockets
- PG: Amen Thompson
- SG: Kevin Durant
- SF: Jabari Smith Jr.
- PF: Alperen Sengun
- C: Steven Adams
Injury Report
Thunder
- Isaiah Joe (left knee contusion) is OUT.
- Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgical recovery) is OUT.
- Nikola Topic (surgical recovery) is OUT.
- Jalen Williams (right wrist surgical recovery) is OUT.
- Kenrich Williams (left knee surgical recovery) is OUT.
Rockets
- Isaiah Crawford (sprained left ankle) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle surgery) is OUT.
- Jae’Sean Tate (right ankle surgery) is OUT.
- Fred VanVleet (ACL repair in right knee) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 31-32 against the Rockets in the regular season (22-11 at home, 9-21 on the road) and 7-9 against the Rockets in the playoffs (5-2 at home, 2-7 on the road).
- The Thunder has won the season series with the Rockets 7 times, lost it 5 times, and tied 5 times.
- The Thunder went 3-2 against the Rockets last season (2-0 at home, 0-2 on the road, 1-0 at a neutral location).