When will Thunder face Pacers for NBA Finals rematch in 2025-26 regular season?
The NBA revealed its Opening Week and Christmas 2025 schedule. It shouldn't be surprising to see the Oklahoma City Thunder heavily featured in both. The NBA champion will be involved in two of the biggest days of the regular season.
The Thunder will host the Houston Rockets for the 2025-26 Opening Night on Tuesday, Oct. 21. As tradition, they will celebrate their NBA championship with a pregame banner drop and ring ceremony. Kevin Durant's attendance across the court gives this matchup some extra juice as it will start the NBC era.
The Thunder's second opponent was also revealed on Tuesday morning. They will travel on the road to face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, Oct. 23. The game will be broadcast on ESPN with a 6:30 p.m. CT tipoff.
Of course, this will mark the first time these squads will meet up since the 2025 NBA Finals. The championship series rematch the following season usually attracts eyeballs, but this year might see a low turnout. Tyrese Haliburton will be out as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
Either way, it's nice to know who the Thunder will face for their second game. It'll be exciting to see what their full 2025-26 regular season schedule looks like when it's released. They enter next year as a popular pick to repeat as NBA champions.
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