The Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet in an NBA Preseason game on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Toyota Center in Houston. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. local time at the arena), with live broadcast coverage in the United States on KSBI, NBA TV, Space City Home Network (SCHN), NBA League Pass, SCHN+, Thunder+, and Fubo.
Houston enters its final exhibition game of the 2026-27 preseason with a 1-1 record after splitting a two-game series against the Dallas Mavericks in Macau, winning 135-117 on Friday (9) and losing on Sunday (11). Oklahoma City comes off a 114-112 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday (13). In the 2025-26 regular season, the Rockets finished fifth in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, while the Thunder posted the league’s best regular-season record at 64-18 and lost in the Western Conference Finals to Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs. In the most recent official meeting between the two franchises on February 7, 2026, the Rockets defeated the Thunder 112-106 on the road.
Where to watch Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder live
Fans in the United States can watch the preseason matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder across seven television and digital platforms:
- KSBI (over-the-air TV)
- NBA TV (cable TV)
- Space City Home Network (SCHN) (cable TV)
- NBA League Pass (pay-per-view)
- SCHN+ (streaming)
- Thunder+ (streaming)
- Fubo (streaming)
Start time and location for Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Start time: 8:30 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. local time in America/Chicago)
- Location: Toyota Center, in Houston
- Competition: NBA — Preseason
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How the Houston Rockets arrive
Head coach Ime Udoka begins his fourth season in charge of the Houston Rockets. The projected starting lineup confirmed by Udoka and utilized in the preseason opener features point guard Fred VanVleet, shooting guard Amen Thompson, small forward Kevin Durant, power forward Jabari Smith Jr., and center Alperen Sengun. However, VanVleet — who is returning after missing the entire 2025-26 season with an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury — along with centers Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, are listed as questionable on the injury report for rest.
For the 2026-27 campaign, the Rockets added veterans Bogdan Bogdanovic and point guard Marcus Smart, who signed a two-year, $13 million contract. Smart leads Houston in the preseason with an average of 20.0 points per game, followed by point guard Reed Sheppard with 16.5 points per game. “He’s really cerebral on both sides of the ball and has played in big games. His experience, and the edge and toughness that he brings every night, is going to be invaluable for us. Nights where maybe Fred (VanVleet) can’t play back-to-back early in the season, it’s great to have another point guard out there that’s gone through the fire,” said Ime Udoka regarding Marcus Smart.
How the Oklahoma City Thunder arrive
Guided by head coach Mark Daigneault in his seventh season with the franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a projected starting five composed of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (league’s top player award) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at point guard, shooting guard Cason Wallace, small forward Jalen Williams, power forward Chet Holmgren, and center Isaiah Hartenstein. In the current preseason, Jalen Williams is averaging 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. During the offseason, the 2025 NBA champions traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins to clear salary cap space, while selecting Spanish center Aday Mara and point guard Bennett Stirtz in the first round of the Draft.
Regarding absences, rookie shooting guard Otega Oweh is out for the entire 2026-27 season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during overtime against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday (13) and undergoing surgery on Wednesday (14). Additionally, the Thunder listed multiple players as questionable in the pregame update, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso, Kenrich Williams, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber. In the previous game on Tuesday (13), Chet Holmgren (quadriceps contusion), Jaylin Williams (heel soreness), Ajay Mitchell (rest), Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber (injury management) did not play.
Officiating for Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The official referee assignment for the game between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder had not been released by the NBA on its official portal as of the latest pregame update.
Recent matchup history and next games for Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder
In the last official game between the two teams during the 2025-26 regular season on February 7, 2026, the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-106 at the Paycom Center. In that contest, Tari Eason scored 26 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 22 points for Houston, while Cason Wallace recorded 23 points for Oklahoma City.
Following the conclusion of the preseason, both teams turn their attention to the opening of the 2026-27 NBA regular season. The Oklahoma City Thunder make their regular-season debut on Tuesday (20) on the road against the San Antonio Spurs. The Houston Rockets play their season opener on Wednesday (21) at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Toyota Center against the Dallas Mavericks.