2025-26 regular season schedule: All 3 Thunder-Rockets games to be on national TV

After the NBA released its entire 2025-26 regular season schedule, there's one matchup it's betting on will be a top storyline. The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the six-month campaign as the popular championship favorite, but the Houston Rockets are regarded as a team that could dethrone them.

While the Thunder continue to enjoy their NBA championship, expect the rest of the league to circle their dates against them. They now sit on the throne, which means teams spent their offseason trying to figure out how to construct the best roster to beat them.

The Rockets were the loudest in that department. They made the biggest offseason move with their trade for Kevin Durant. Other savvy veteran additions, like Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, have catapulted them near the top of most rankings.

The NBA schedule-makers believe the Thunder and Rockets will be a must-watch viewing. All three of their regular-season matchups will be on national television. The inevitable rivalry between both teams will also add some flavor. There's no love lost between the two franchises' histories.

Of course, OKC will host Houston for the 2025-26 Opening Night. That will occur on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at NBC and Peacock. Durant's attendance as the championship banner is dropped and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is handed his ring made it an easy decision to see who kicked off the new season.

It'll be a while before both teams face off again. The Thunder will travel to play the Rockets on Thursday, Jan. 15. It will be on Amazon Prime. By then, Durant should be comfortable with his new teammates. That should be an entertaining contest.

Lastly, the Thunder will host the Rockets on Saturday, Feb. 7. It will be on ABC. This could be an important game for tiebreaker purposes. Both teams are expected to contend for the West's top two seeds.

The Thunder will enter the 2025-26 regular season as the championship favorite. They'll have rare continuity from their historic season that saw them dominate the rest of the league. That said, Durant's addition to the Rockets suddenly makes them an even more dangerous opponent.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2025-26 regular season: All 3 Thunder-Rockets games on national TV