Oklahoma City, 1-0 and first in the West, plays four times between Oct. 22 and Oct. 28, three of them at home. Denver on Thursday sets the bar, and the Clippers and Suns on consecutive nights will show how deep the rotation is.
Denver Tests the Defense
The Nuggets come in Thursday on ESPN for the first home game of the regular season, one day after the 116-104 win in San Antonio. Denver's offense rated 121.2 last season on the way to 54-28, and Nikola Jokic ran it at 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. Jamal Murray added 25.4 points and 7.1 assists. That attack goes straight at what this roster is built on, a defense that rated 106.5 and finished first in the league. Denver is 0-0, without Julian Strawther because of his left knee, and Spencer Jones is day-to-day with a hamstring issue.
Two Nights, One Rotation
The Clippers visit Sunday and the Suns come in Monday, the first back-to-back of the season. That is where the second unit earns its minutes. In the opener the bench scored 45, Jared McCain was +20 in 22 minutes, Alex Caruso +16 in 25 and Ajay Mitchell +12 in 23. Help may be on the way: Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic moved from out to day-to-day on Oct. 21, both projected back on Oct. 22. Otega Oweh is out with his right Achilles injury, with July 1, 2027 listed as his return date.
Dallas Opens the Road
After a day off, Oklahoma City visits the Mavericks on Wednesday on ESPN. Dallas knocked the Thunder out of the 2024 conference finals, and this roster has climbed past them since. The trip goes on to Houston on Oct. 31. A 1-0 start leaves no cushion to protect yet, so this stretch is more about learning the rotation: who closes games, and whether Sorber and Topic are back in time to take on any of those minutes.
When do the Thunder play the Nuggets?
Thursday, Oct. 22, at home, on ESPN. It is Oklahoma City's second regular-season game and the first at home.
Will Topic and Sorber play against Denver?
Both were upgraded from out to day-to-day on Oct. 21 and are projected to return Oct. 22. Otega Oweh remains out.
