OKC Thunder Preseason Begins Tuesday in Tulsa Against Pelicans
OKC Thunder Preseason Begins in Tulsa Before Five-Game October Tune-Up
The Oklahoma City Thunder return to the court Tuesday night, opening their five-game preseason schedule against the New Orleans Pelicans at the BOK Center in Tulsa. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. October 6, beginning a compressed 10-day exhibition schedule that will take Oklahoma City from Tulsa to the Paycom Center and then through Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Houston.
The OKC Thunder preseason gives head coach Mark Daigneault five games to evaluate lineups, manage playing time and prepare his roster before the regular season begins October 20 in San Antonio. Oklahoma City will play two preseason back-to-backs, including games on consecutive nights immediately after Tuesday's Tulsa opener.
OKC Thunder Preseason Opens Against Pelicans at BOK Center
Tuesday's game gives northeastern Oklahoma fans their annual opportunity to see the Thunder without making the drive to Oklahoma City.
The Thunder will face the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the BOK Center, with doors opening at 6 p.m.
It will be Oklahoma City's 16th preseason game in Tulsa, continuing a tradition of bringing the state's NBA franchise to the Tulsa market during the exhibition schedule.
The BOK Center's official Thunder game page lists tickets and parking for Tuesday's matchup and reminds fans that the arena operates under both a clear-bag and cashless policy.
Once the game ends, Oklahoma City has little time to reset.
The Thunder return home to face the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, at Paycom Center, creating the first of two back-to-backs on the preseason schedule.
After several days without a game, Oklahoma City travels to Atlanta to play the Hawks at 6 p.m. Monday, October 12.
Then comes another immediate turnaround.
The Thunder return to Paycom Center to face the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, before finishing the preseason at Houston against the Rockets at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 15.
The official Thunder schedule confirms the complete five-game exhibition lineup:
Date | Matchup | Location | Time CT |
Oct. 6 | vs. New Orleans Pelicans | BOK Center, Tulsa | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 7 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Paycom Center, OKC | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 12 | at Atlanta Hawks | State Farm Arena, Atlanta | 6 p.m. |
Oct. 13 | vs. Indiana Pacers | Paycom Center, OKC | 7 p.m. |
Oct. 15 | at Houston Rockets | Toyota Center, Houston | 7:30 p.m. |
That means the Thunder will play five games in 10 days, with only five days separating the final preseason game from the start of the regular season.
Two Back-to-Back Sets Give Daigneault Plenty to Evaluate
Preseason results do not count in the standings, but the schedule gives Daigneault and his staff a concentrated opportunity to make decisions before opening night.
The unusual part of Oklahoma City's exhibition slate is the pair of back-to-backs.
The first comes Tuesday and Wednesday against New Orleans and Milwaukee. The second comes October 12 and 13 against Atlanta and Indiana, with the added complication of traveling from Atlanta back to Oklahoma City between games.
Those stretches could provide opportunities for Oklahoma City to spread minutes across its roster rather than heavily extending established players during exhibition games.
Preseason also allows coaching staffs to experiment with lineup combinations, evaluate players competing for roles and determine which groups function effectively together before the games begin counting.
The Thunder will get a variety of opponents while doing it.
New Orleans provides the opening test in Tulsa, followed immediately by Milwaukee. Atlanta gives Oklahoma City its first road game before the Thunder return home against Indiana. Houston then provides the final preseason matchup before the roster turns its attention completely toward San Antonio.
The schedule also means Oklahoma City fans have two preseason games at Paycom Center, October 7 against Milwaukee and October 13 against Indiana, in addition to Tuesday's regional game in Tulsa.
After the Houston finale, the Thunder get four full days without a game before beginning the 82-game regular-season schedule.
Regular Season Opens With National TV Test Against San Antonio
The preseason leads directly into a significant opening-night matchup.
Oklahoma City travels to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Tuesday, October 20, where the Thunder will face the Spurs at 8:30 p.m. Central on NBC and Peacock.
The NBA's official 2026-27 schedule announcement places Thunder-Spurs in the final game of an opening-night national television tripleheader.
There is already considerable history behind the matchup.
Oklahoma City and San Antonio finished first and second in the Western Conference during the 2025-26 regular season before meeting again in the Western Conference Finals.
San Antonio won that playoff series in seven games.
The teams also met in the NBA Cup semifinals during the season, meaning the October 20 opener will renew a matchup that became one of the West's most significant during the previous campaign.
Oklahoma City's first regular-season home game follows two nights later.
The Thunder host the Denver Nuggets at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at Paycom Center, with ESPN carrying the game nationally.
The remainder of October stays busy.
Oklahoma City hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on October 25 and Phoenix Suns on October 26, travels to Dallas on October 28 and finishes the month at Houston on October 31.
That gives the Thunder six regular-season games in the first 12 days of the season, including another back-to-back.
Before any of those games count, however, Oklahoma City's focus shifts to Tulsa.
The OKC Thunder preseason begins Tuesday, October 6, at 7 p.m. against New Orleans at the BOK Center, launching a five-game exhibition schedule that gives Daigneault and his roster just two weeks to prepare for an opening-night showdown with San Antonio.
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