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The Bricktown Brief · Week ahead

Thunder's Preseason Week: Bucks Tonight, Then Hawks, Pacers, Rockets

Four preseason games stand between Oklahoma City and its Oct. 20 opener, with the week's only national game at Houston.

32-50Bucks Last SeasonMilwaukee's record before this matchup
NBA TVRockets Broadcastweek's only nationally televised preseason game
2026-10-20Regular Openerat San Antonio, NBC and Peacock
0-0Current Recordpreseason continues before opener
By the Thunder Nightly Desk · Wednesday, October 7

Oklahoma City hosts Milwaukee tonight, then plays at Atlanta on Oct. 12, hosts Indiana on Oct. 13 and closes the week at Houston on Oct. 15 on NBA TV, four games before the regular-season opener Oct. 20 at San Antonio. Milwaukee is 0-0 this preseason after finishing last season 32-50 under Taylor Jenkins, who returns as head coach.

32-50: Bucks Last Season

A Slate Before The Opener

This week brings four games before the lights come up for real: Milwaukee at Paycom Center tonight, a trip to Atlanta on Oct. 12, Indiana at home on Oct. 13 and a road closer at Houston on Oct. 15. Only the Houston game is on national television, carried by NBA TV, making it the one broadcast window for a wider audience to check the rotation before Oklahoma City opens the regular season Oct. 20 at San Antonio on NBC and Peacock.

Milwaukee Is Still Rebuilding

Tonight's opponent enters at 0-0 this preseason but carries a 32-50 finish from last season, an offensive rating of 112.2 and a defensive rating of 118.3, the figures behind a -6.1 net rating. Taylor Jenkins' roster leans on Tyler Herro, who averaged 20.5 points over 33 games last season, alongside Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and center Myles Turner, who posted 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a night. AJ Green added 10.4 points across all 78 games, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds over 75 games. Milwaukee also played at a pace of 98.3 last season, slower than Oklahoma City's own 100.4 mark from a year ago.

Who's Missing Tonight

Eight Thunder players, including Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Hartenstein, carry a day-to-day tag, each targeted to return tonight, Oct. 7. Rounding out the list are Caruso, Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Sorber, tied to that same target date. How many of the eight actually play determines how real a measuring stick Milwaukee can be, and how much the picture clears before the Oct. 12 trip to Atlanta.

When do the Thunder play next after tonight's game?

Oklahoma City is off until Oct. 12, when it plays at Atlanta, before hosting Indiana on Oct. 13 and closing the week at Houston on Oct. 15.

When does the Thunder's regular season start?

Oklahoma City opens the 2026-27 regular season Oct. 20 at San Antonio, broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

By the Thunder Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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