Both teams had a rough time against a feisty Mavs this week, who crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-96 on Wednesday, then handed the Houston Rockets their first loss of the season with a 116-111 win on Friday . Now, the Thunder head to the Toyota Center to face the Rockets on Saturday, October 31, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with both looking to get back on track.
Houston is still sitting second in the West at 5-1, with a 2-0 home record, while Oklahoma City is right behind at 4-1, third in the conference and 1-1 on the road. Kevin Durant has been at 23.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for the Rockets, with Alperen Sengun putting up 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. The Thunder have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way with 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while Isaiah Hartenstein is adding 9.4 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Oklahoma City won last season's series 2-1, but things look a little different now. The Thunder are dealing with several injuries, and Houston just played last night, so there's a lot to consider heading into their first meeting of 2026-27.
Fred VanVleet: Out (right knee management)
Reed Sheppard: Out (lower back soreness)
Steven Adams: Out (right soleus strain)
Chet Holmgren: Out (right patellar tendon tear)
Jalen Williams: Out (left ankle fracture and dislocation)
Cason Wallace: Out (left shoulder labral tear)
Alex Caruso: Out (right ankle sprain)
Nikola Topic: Out (back surgery)
Thomas Sorber: Out (right knee surgery)
Houston's offense has been really good so far, and the numbers are showing it. The Rockets rank third in the NBA with 121.0 points per game, shooting 49.8% from the field and 37.9% from three. They're also averaging 27.8 assists, and even with Sengun missing the last two games, they've managed to keep scoring at a high level.
They dropped 132 points on the Bucks on Wednesday, winning by 32, before struggling a bit more against the Mavericks. Houston made only seven threes on Friday, but still scored 111 points and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds. The problem was the defense, especially in the fourth quarter, when they allowed 40 points and wasted an 11-point lead.
This matchup should be a little easier offensively, though. The Thunder are missing Chet Holmgren , after they had already lost Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace , which leaves them without three starters. Durant should have more opportunities to score, and Amen Thompson can take advantage of the missing perimeter defenders.
For all the injuries OKC has been dealing with, its defense has actually been excellent. The Thunder are allowing just 104.6 points per game, second-fewest in the NBA, and holding opponents to 44.0% from the field. Their 106.2 defensive rating ranks fifth, so it's not like teams have suddenly started scoring easily against them.
SGA is obviously their biggest weapon offensively, averaging 26 while shooting 45.9% from the field. Houston has 16.2 turnovers per game, and that's something he can take advantage of. If the Thunder can get steals and score in transition, they won't have to rely so much on their struggling half-court offense, which is averaging just 108.2 points.
There's also a pretty important difference in rest. OKC hasn't played since Wednesday, while Houston is coming off last night's loss. The Rockets gave up 28 fast-break points against the Mavs, and their defense looked tired late. If something similar happens tonight, the Thunder have a chance to steal this one, especially with SGA controlling the tempo.
Jabari Smith Jr. (17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.5 threes per game) has been playing some really good basketball to start the season. He scored 22 points against the Mavericks and should get plenty of looks tonight without Holmgren protecting the paint. Houston needs Smith to keep shooting well, especially if Sengun remains out and Durant has to handle most of the scoring.
One of the best things Tari Eason brings to Houston is his rebounding, and he showed that on Friday with 13 boards, including eight offensive rebounds. He's averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, although his 15.4% shooting from three has been pretty rough.
Ajay Mitchell has been one of the few positive stories for the Thunder on the other side. He's putting up 18.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 53.6% from the field, and he's getting a much bigger role with Williams sidelined. The Thunder need more than just Shai scoring, and Mitchell has shown he can handle that responsibility.
Jared McCain could also have a pretty important night, especially with the Thunder's outside struggles, making just 10.0 threes per game, so getting three or four from McCain would already help a lot. He's averaging 11.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 37.9% from three.
I'm going with Houston here, even if the back-to-back could make things closer than expected. The Rockets have been scoring almost 13 more points per game than Oklahoma, and they're shooting nearly 50.0% from the field. The Thunder still have SGA and a pretty good defense, but losing Holmgren, Williams, and Wallace is a lot to deal with against a team that has Durant available.
Prediction: Rockets vs. Thunder 115-107
