OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 9: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder attempts to drive past Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Paycom Center on March 9, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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The Oklahoma City Thunder knows the regular season is about more than just stacking wins. For a team with championship aspirations, it’s the platform to build playoff habits, establish continuity and secure the kind of seeding that matters in the postseason.
Oklahoma City has earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference each of the past two years, and locking it down a third straight time would be a great first step in attempting to win another NBA Championship this season.
To get there, though, the Thunder will need to navigate the grind of an 82-game slate, and there’s one eight-game stretch leading into the NBA All-Star break that could serve as a real momentum shifter in the standings.
- Jan. 29: at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Feb. 1: at Denver Nuggets
- Feb. 3: Orlando Magic
- Feb. 4: at San Antonio Spurs
- Feb. 7: Houston Rockets
- Feb. 9: at Los Angeles Lakers
- Feb. 11: at Phoenix Suns
- Feb. 12: Milwaukee Bucks
This is an eight-game stretch over the span of two weeks against primarily teams that are either contenders or very strong playoff rosters. In fact, outside of the Phoenix Suns, every other team on here, in theory, has what it takes to make real noise in the playoffs.
On top of that, this stint kicks off with a pair of road games against the two teams the Thunder beat on its road to the NBA Finals — starting with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who Oklahoma City beat in the Western Conference Finals, followed by the Denver Nuggets, who the Thunder narrowly defeated in a seven-game series just before that.
From there, it’s a stretch of contests against teams with extremely high expectations this season after making moves to acquire star talent in recent months, as the Thunder takes on the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. The Magic and Spurs set is the first back-to-back in this eight-game stretch, with the opener being in Oklahoma City and the second game in San Antonio.
From there, the Thunder heads out on a long West Coast trip to take on the Los Angeles Lakers and the Suns, and then right after playing Phoenix, the Thunder travels home to face the Milwaukee Bucks to wrap up the second back-to-back of this stint to close it out and begin enjoying the NBA All-Star Break.
Another factor to consider is that this is more than just a road-heavy stretch with a West Coast swing. Since it falls right before the NBA All-Star break, there are additional factors to consider. While the Thunder is a poised team and one that takes every game seriously, those handful of days before the break are always tricky, as we often see teams lose games they probably shouldn’t.
Overall, no game is easy at the NBA level. While the Thunder will be the favorite in most games it plays this season, assuming everybody is healthy, this eight-game stretch in late January into the middle of February will be the most challenging of the season. It’s one that will be critical to handle in order to go into the break with momentum and be set up to lock down the No. 1 seed again once play resumes.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholascrain/2025/09/12/the-schedule-stretch-that-could-define-the-thunders-season/
