The Houston Rockets will play in the first regular-season game of the 2025-26 season when they travel to Oklahoma City to face the defending champions. Kevin Durant's official Rockets debut will coincide with NBC's first NBA game since 2002. Tuesday, Oct. 21, will be epic.
Rockets-Thunder will be the first of two games that night, with Warriors-Lakers taking up the late game slot. The East will sit out opening night, a testament to how dominant the Western Conference is.
Houston surprised everyone by securing the No. 2 seed this past season. The Rockets clashed with the Warriors in the playoffs, but lacked the firepower to make it past Game 7 for their first series win in five years.