Rockets battle Thunder In Final Preseason Game

Houston Rockets vs. ONT Thunder

October 15th, 2026

Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Time: 7:30 PM CST

TV:NBA TV and Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Probable Starting Lineups?

Rockets: Fred Vanvleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chetnik Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein

I truly have no idea what the starting lineups will be for this game, and whether either team will try to play their first string against each other. My sense is, they won’t. This is the Rockets third, and last preseason game, and it will be the fifth and last for OKC, too. NBA preseason basketball wraps up tomorrow night, with the actual season (hooray!) beginning on Tuesday the 20th, which will see the Thudner play the Spurks.

The Rockets will begin their season on Wednesday the 21st, at home against their overseas foe, the Dallas Mavericks.

The following players are listed as Game Time Decisions or Day To Day:

Rockets: Steven Adams, Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Kevin Durant

OKC: Jaylin Williams, Chetnik Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Thomas Sorber, Nicola Topic – Otega Oweh is out for the season.

There’s a reason I picked Bruce Thornton for the picture. I suspect we might see a good bit of Basher Thornton.