All key dates for the upcoming Thunder season
On Monday, August 14th, the NBA released the full schedule for the 2017-18 season. Find out when the OKC Thunder play Golden State, Houston and other top teams.
The NBA schedule release isn’t as exciting, because each team plays each other, so there isn’t any excitement about particular team contests. That’s not going to stop us from circling the biggest matchups on our calendar. This piece takes a look at all the key dates and what makes them so critical.
Thursday October 19th
Why: The Thunder’s home and season opening game against the New York Knicks
Newcomers Paul George, Patrick Patterson, Raymond Felton and Terrance Ferguson* will all make their Thunder debuts. Also this will be Russell Westbrook’s first game home since winning the MVP award. It will be interesting to see how the team honors him. It may not be the most exciting game, especially if Carmelo Anthony ends up being traded. That being said, the atmosphere should be electric.
*If he isn’t on the OKC Blue
Sunday, October 22nd
Why: The new look Minnesota Timberwolves visit Oklahoma City
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The additions of Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and Jeff Teague give Minnesota the vets needed to complement Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. The Thunder travel to Minnesota five days later for a rematch. They play the Timberwolves again at home on Friday, December 1st and on the road Wednesday, January 10th.
Friday, November 17th
Why: The Thunder head to San Antonio for their first matchup of the season with the Spurs
While having a down offseason, San Antonio is never to be taken lightly. The Spurs will likely compete with Oklahoma City for the second best record in the Western Conference. This should be a good test to see how far this team has come with all its new additions. The Thunder host San Antonio on Sunday, December 3rd and Saturday, March 10th. The two teams play one final game in San Antonio on Thursday, March 29.
Wednesday, November 22nd
Why: The Golden State Warriors first visit to Oklahoma City
This will be Kevin Durant’s first game back since being crowned an NBA champion and finals MVP. Assuming he is healthy, this will be just the second game he plays in Oklahoma. He missed last seasons second game in OKC with a leg injury. The Thunder visit Golden State on Tuesday, February 6th and Saturday, February 24th. They host Golden State again on Tuesday, April 3rd.
Wednesday, December 13th
Why: Paul George returns to Indiana for the first time as an opponent
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While this won’t have the same negative reaction as LeBron returning to Cleveland or Durant returning to OKC, there should be a hostile environment filled with Pacer fans. Many feel George quit on his former team. The Thunder host Indiana earlier in the year on Wednesday, October 25th. This will be Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis’ first game back in OKC. While their time as members of the Thunder was short, the fan base will certainly show their appreciation for the two.
Monday, December 25th
Why: The Thunder host Houston on Christmas day
Well if you read my Christmas Day piece earlier in the offseason you already knew this was happening. I even was right that this would be the first time these two teams play this season. Westbrook and Harden will face off for the first time since the MVP award was announced. This rivalry was only encapsulated with the additions of Paul George and Chris Paul. Both teams had excellent offseasons and a great game should be in store. The Thunder host Houston again on Tuesday, March 6th. They visit the Rockets on Saturday, April 7th.
Wednesday, January 3rd
Why: The Thunder’s first visit to Staples Center to play the Los Angeles Lakers
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This will be the Lakers first chance of wooing free-agent-to-be Paul George, as well as possible free-agent Russell Westbrook. The game may not be exciting, but the surrounding factors will certainly provide intrigue. The Thunder also visit the Lakers on Thursday, February 8th. They host L.A. on Wednesday, January 17th and Sunday, February 4th.
Tuesday, February 13th
Why: LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers make their lone visit to OKC.
While this matchup has lost significance without Kevin Durant, it’s always nice to see the best player on the planet play against your favorite team. The Thunder visit Cleveland earlier in the season on Saturday, January 20th.
The Thunder’s full schedule can be found here.