OKC Thunder schedule release: What to know about 2023-24 NBA regular-season slate
The Oklahoma City Thunder will begin the 2023-24 NBA season on Oct. 25 with a road game against the Chicago Bulls. Its home opener will be a game against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 29.
The NBA released its entire regular-season slate of games on Thursday.
OKC is looking to build off last season’s momentum after going 40-42, its best record since 2019-20, and reaching the play-in tournament.
OKC’s regular-season schedule begins with a two-game road stretch. Following its season opener against the Bulls, the Thunder will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 27.
OKC will conclude its regular season on April 14 with a home game against the Dallas Mavericks. It'll also mark the conclusion of a four-game home stretch.
Here's what you need to know about the Thunder's schedule:
More: NBA releases inaugural in-season tournament schedule. Here's who the OKC Thunder will play
Your Ultimate Schedule Day Gift: 2023-24 Thunder Schedule⚡ pic.twitter.com/hTJUNg8HOy
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 17, 2023
2023-24 Oklahoma City Thunder schedule
Date | Opponent | Time | National TV |
Wednesday, Oct. 25 | at Chicago | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, Oct. 27 | at Cleveland | 6:30 p.m. | |
Sunday, Oct. 29 | vs. Denver | 2:30 p.m. | |
Monday, Oct. 30 | vs. Detroit | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Nov. 1 | vs. New Orleans | 6:30 p.m. | |
Friday, Nov. 3 | vs. Golden State | 7 p.m. | |
Monday, Nov. 6 | vs. Atlanta | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Nov. 8 | vs. Cleveland | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, Nov. 10 | at Sacramento | 9 p.m. | |
Sunday, Nov. 12 | at Phoenix | 7 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Nov. 14 | vs. San Antonio | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
Thursday, Nov. 16 | at Golden State | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
Saturday, Nov. 18 | at Golden State | 7:30 p.m. | |
Sunday, Nov. 19 | at Portland | 8 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Nov. 22 | vs. Chicago | 7 p.m. | |
Saturday, Nov. 25 | vs. Philadelphia | 4 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Nov. 28 | at Minnesota | 7 p.m. | |
Thursday, Nov. 30 | vs. L.A. Lakers | 7 p.m. | |
Saturday, Dec. 2 | at Dallas | 8 p.m. | |
Monday, Dec. 11 | vs. Utah | 7 p.m. | |
Thursday, Dec. 14 | at Sacramento | 9 p.m. | |
Saturday, Dec. 16 | at Denver | 8 p.m. | |
Monday, Dec. 18 | vs. Memphis | 7 p.m. | |
Thursday, Dec. 21 | vs. L.A. Clippers | 7 p.m. | |
Saturday, Dec. 23 | vs. L.A. Lakers | 7 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Dec. 26 | vs. Minnesota | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Dec. 27 | vs. New York | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, Dec. 29 | at Denver | 8 p.m. | |
Sunday, Dec. 31 | vs. Brooklyn | 6 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Jan. 2 | vs. Boston | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Jan. 3 | at Atlanta | 6:30 p.m. | |
Friday, Jan. 5 | at Brooklyn | 6:30 p.m. | |
Monday, Jan. 8 | at Washington | 6 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Jan. 10 | at Miami | 6:30 p.m. | |
Thursday, Jan. 11 | vs. Portland | 7 p.m. | |
Saturday, Jan. 13 | vs. Orlando | 7 p.m. | |
Monday, Jan. 15 | at L.A. Lakers | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
Tuesday, Jan. 16 | at L.A. Clippers | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Thursday, Jan. 18 | at Utah | 8 p.m. | |
Saturday, Jan. 20 | at Minnesota | 7 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Jan. 23 | vs. Portland | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Jan. 24 | at San Antonio | 6:30 p.m. | |
Friday, Jan. 26 | at New Orleans | 7 p.m. | |
Sunday, Jan. 28 | at Detroit | 5 p.m. | |
Monday, Jan. 29 | vs. Minnesota | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, Jan. 31 | vs. Denver | 9 p.m. | |
Friday, Feb. 2 | vs. Charlotte | 7 p.m. | |
Sunday, Feb. 4 | vs. Toronto | 6 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Feb. 6 | at Utah | 8 p.m. | |
Saturday, Feb. 10 | at Dallas | 2 p.m. | NBA TV |
Sunday, Feb. 11 | vs. Sacramento | 2 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Feb. 13 | at Orlando | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
Thursday, Feb. 22 | vs. L.A. Clippers | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, Feb. 23 | vs. Washington | 7 p.m. | |
Sunday, Feb. 25 | at Houston | 6 p.m. | |
Tuesday, Feb. 27 | vs. Houston | 7 p.m. | |
Thursday, Feb. 29 | at San Antonio | 7:30 p.m. | |
Sunday, March 3 | at Phoenix | 8:30 p.m. | |
Monday, March 4 | at L.A. Lakers | 9:30 p.m. | |
Wednesday, March 6 | at Portland | 9 p.m. | |
Friday, March 8 | vs. Miami | 7 p.m. | |
Sunday, March 10 | vs. Memphis | 6 p.m. | |
Tuesday, March 12 | vs. Indiana | 7 p.m. | |
Thursday, March 14 | vs. Dallas | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Saturday, March 16 | at Memphis | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, March 20 | vs. Utah | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, March 22 | at Toronto | 6 p.m. | |
Sunday, March 24 | at Milwaukee | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
Tuesday, March 26 | at New Orleans | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, March 27 | vs. Houston | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, March 29 | vs. Phoenix | 7 p.m. | |
Sunday, March 31 | at New York | 6 p.m. | |
Tuesday, April 2 | at Philadelphia | 6 p.m. | |
Wednesday, April 3 | at Boston | 6:30 p.m. | |
Friday, April 5 | at Indiana | 6 p.m. | |
Sunday, April 7 | at Charlotte | 5 p.m. | |
Tuesday, April 9 | vs. Sacramento | 7 p.m. | |
Wednesday, April 10 | vs. San Antonio | 7 p.m. | |
Friday, April 12 | vs. Milwaukee | 7 p.m. | |
Sunday, April 14 | vs. Dallas | 2:30 p.m. |
Thunder get more national TV time
The Thunder will play in 13 nationally televised games this regular season, which is nine more than last season.
Four of those games will be on ESPN. The contests will be on Nov. 1 vs. Pelicans, Jan. 24 at Spurs, Jan. 31 vs. Nuggets and March 3 at Suns.
OKC will also play another four games on TNT. Those games are on Nov. 14 vs. Spurs, Jan. 16 at Clippers, Feb. 13 at Magic and March 14 vs. Mavericks.
Finally, The Thunder have five games scheduled to be aired on NBA TV. Those games are Nov. 16 at Warriors, Jan. 15 at Lakers, Feb. 10 at Mavericks, March 4 at Lakers and March 24 at Bucks.
More: OKC Thunder set to have quite the basketball hall of fame lineage
Thunder will compete in inaugural in-season tournament
The NBA will hold its inaugural in-season tournament, which tips off on Nov. 3 and ends in a championship game on Dec. 9.
The first stage of the tournament is group play, which is sorted by six five-team groups.
OKC will face the Golden State Warriors (at home on Nov. 3), the Sacramento Kings (on the road on Nov. 10), the San Antonio Spurs (at home on Nov. 14) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (on the road on Nov. 28).
The winners of each group and two wild card teams will then advance to the knockout rounds. The semifinals (Dec. 7) and championship will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Other than the championship game, every in-season tournament contest will count toward the regular-season standings.
Not as many back-to-backs
The NBA reduced the team average for back-to-backs involving travel between games to a record-low nine this coming season. The previous low was 9.6 last season.
OKC is slated to play on consecutive days 12 times this season. The Thunder will have to travel between those games eight times.
OKC's back-to-back games for the 2023-24 season:
Oct. 29-30: vs. Denver and Detroit
Nov. 18-19: At Warriors and Trail Blazers
Jan. 2-3: vs. Celtics and at Hawks
Jan. 10-11: at Heat and home vs. Trail Blazers
Jan. 15-16: at Lakers and Clippers
Jan. 23-24: vs. Trail Blazers and at Spurs
Jan. 28-29: at Pistons and home vs. Timberwolves
Feb. 22-23: vs. Clippers and Wizards
March 3-4: At Suns and Lakers
March 26-27: at Pelicans and home vs. Rockets
April 2-3: At 76ers and Celtics
April 9-10: vs. Kings and Spurs
More: Tramel: James Harden up to his old antics with battle against 76ers, Daryl Morey
Chet Holmgren’s overdue homecoming
OKC will face the Timberwolves on the road on Nov. 28.
It’ll mark a homecoming game for Chet Holmgren, who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it’s an overdue one.
OKC began last season with a road game against the Timberwolves, but Holmgren didn’t suit up. The former No. 2 overall pick suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot just two months prior and missed his entire rookie campaign as a result.
Assuming he’ll be available this time around, Holmgren will get to compete against talented bigs such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in front of a hometown crowd.
Eastern Conference competition
OKC’s longest road trip is a five-game stretch from March 31-April 7, and each game is against an Eastern Conference foe.
The Thunder will first face the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden followed by games against the Philadelphia 76ers (April 2) and the Boston Celtics (April 3). All three opponents competed in the playoffs last season.
OKC will then wrap up the road stretch with games against the Indiana Pacers (April 5) and the Charlotte Hornets (April 7).
More: OKC Thunder announces 2023 NBA preseason schedule, will open vs. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Finishing at home
OKC will finish its season with a four-game home stretch.
The Thunder will face the Sacramento Kings (April 9), the San Antonio Spurs (April 10), the Milwaukee Bucks (April 12) and the Dallas Mavericks (April 14).
Although it's against good competition, finishing the regular season with a four-game home stretch is a favorable draw for OKC. It could be a difference maker for the Thunder, which hope to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20.
Mark your calendar
Oct. 30: OSU alum Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons will be in town.
Nov. 6: OU alum Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks come to OKC.
Nov. 12: OKC hosts No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. The contest is also part of group play for the in-season tournament.
Nov. 25: The Thunder hosts the 76ers. Will James Harden still be with Philadelphia by then?
Nov. 28: The Thunder faces the Timberwolves on the road. The last time OKC played in Minnesota was on April 14, when its season ended with a play-in loss.
Dec. 9: The first-ever in-season tournament championship game will take place in Las Vegas.
Jan. 13: OKC hosts Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic. Banchero was selected No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, while Holmgren was selected No. 2 overall.
Jan. 15: OKC battles the Lakers on the road on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Jan. 24: OKC travels to face the Spurs on Jan. 24 as a part of the NBA's second-annual Rivals Week.
Feb. 16: The start of All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.
More: OKC Thunder set to have quite the basketball hall of fame lineage
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder schedule 2023-24: NBA game times, dates, TV info