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Thunder 2025-26 Schedule: Five Key Matchups for OKC

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With the NBA finally releasing its schedule for the 2025-26 season, the big hype for the games has begun. That includes Oklahoma City Thunder fans gearing up for the team’s run as the defending champions. At this point, we are all expecting to see more from the champs—probably something historic.

The Thunder 2025-26 schedule is finally out, and there are a lot of key rivalry games and showdowns in OKC’s title defense campaign. After all, if there’s one team that has higher stakes for this year, it’s Oklahoma City. With all the expectations set before the Thunder, it is safe to say that we’ll be seeing big games from the champs this season.

Thunder 2025-26 Schedule: Five Key Matchups for OKC

There are 82 games to look forward to. But which showdowns for OKC will be worth your excitement? Is it the home opener? The Christmas showdown? Some random showdowns down the line? Or will there be a new team that will make the Thunder tremble?

1. Thunder vs Rockets (October 21st)

As far as everyone is concerned, the home opener for OKC is already a dramatic one. It sees the city grasp its first championship in front of its own homegrown, former star, Kevin Durant.  That’s already enough to add fuel to the fire that’s burning between the Thunder and the Houston Rockets. We have seen numerous online discussions that have drawn comparisons between the two teams. This one kicks off the rivalry to another level at this point.

We will get to see how the defending champions will shape up against a stacked team—one that is said to be designed to go against them. Both OKC and Houston have similar trajectories upon their rebuilds, and it seems this is a test for both teams. We’ll get to see one MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go against a former MVP, a strong big against another strong big, and rising stars versus rising stars. Above anything else, it’s a contender vs a defending champion.

2. Thunder @ Blazers (November 5th)

This is a wildcard on this list, but I’m ranking it high because it deserves more attention. Hear me out, while Damian Lillard is out of the picture with his injury, there’s still more to expect from this clash. The Portland Trail Blazers are projected to be one of the defensive teams in the league this year. With the Thunder being a prominent defensive team (arguably the best of all-time), it’s a great way to gauge how OKC can thrive once more.

Toumani Camara‘s rise to a defensive stalwart, Jrue Holiday‘s new groove with a new team, and Yang Hansen providing a new dynamic are something to watch. The Thunder are a great defensive team in their own right, and it is expected they will find ways to win against a same-minded squad. Let’s not forget that OKC fans will be thanking the Blazers for giving the team a chance to rebuild—and then win a title. It’s a good game to look out for on the Thunder’s 2025-26 schedule.

3. Thunder vs Spurs (December 25th)

There’s no other reason to watch this game than to look out for the Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama saga. These two generational bigs are the only reason this is worth considering as a rivalry. Both Chet and Wemby had limited runs in the previous season, and they met only once last year. Still, both players had a landmark season – Wemby was named an All-Star, while Chet earned his first championship.

The saga of comparison continues at this point, and locking the Thunder to a Christmas battle with the Spurs is a treat. At this point, one can expect bigger games from the two big men as they look to improve and offer bigger games. With more experience under their belts, both Chet and Wemby will be giving it their all for their fifth meeting.

Let’s not forget that San Antonio is also starting to be a threat in the West. They landed De’Aaron Fox in a trade February, and now they are gunning with him as Wemby’s co-star. They’ve also added new talents in the likes of Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle is coming off a great ROTY campaign. This is a gem on the OKC schedule to begin with.

4. Thunder vs Mavericks (December 5th)

There’s a reason this game is on Prime Video broadcast: it’s because the rivalry continues even with Luka Doncic gone. The revamped Mavericks are coming to town led by upcoming rookie Cooper Flagg. Should Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving be at full health, then it’s a contender showdown. To be fair, the 2023-24 Thunder never faced a healthy Dallas Mavericks more than once, and this is the perfect time to test it out.

A Dallas-OKC clash in the early parts of the season should set the tone on what the champs have to improve on. Basketball is a game of adjustments, and that applies here. The Thunder must get to know their potential playoff rival so they can make the best changes possible. Who knows? Maybe OKC can finally beat the Mavs in a regular season game this time around.

5. Thunder @ Pacers (October 23rd)

No Tyrese Haliburton – and we still saw a contested NBA Finals Game 7. While Hali’s absence is quite a bummer for many fans, Indiana being early on the OKC schedule this year is no surprise—an early rematch of the NBA Finals is a great move. Indy has made some roster changes, with Myles Turner departing from the squad. It’ll be fun to see how the Thunder take on the challenge against the Pacers on the road.

OKC only won once against Indiana on the road in the 2025 NBA Finals, so this remains a tough environment for them. With hostile crowds expected to greet them, this will be fun to watch as the Pacers’ unpredictability and versatility will be on display. How the Thunder will be adjusting to this is still a spectacle. After all, OKC has always made the best adjustments from time to time.

Get Ready to #ThunderUp in the 2025-26 Season

The OKC schedule features a lot of impressive games to watch. The five showdowns mentioned above are just a glimpse of what their campaign has to offer. If there’s a team expected to roar out loud now more than ever, it’s Oklahoma City. We’re still expecting to see more intense games—far more than what we’ve discussed.

If there’s one thing to expect from the Thunder, it’s that they are in for another magical season. Us fans and spectators are just here to witness their greatness unfold once more.

© Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

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