The Houston Rockets (5-1) are back at Toyota Center on Saturday night to host the Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) at 7:30 p.m. CT. It’s a matchup of two of the West’s best early starters, and it airs nationally on NBA TV and in Houston on Space City Home Network and SCHN+.
Houston comes in on the second night of a back-to-back after its first loss of the season, a 116-111 Emirates NBA Cup game at Dallas on Friday where missed free throws in the fourth quarter proved costly. Houston played without Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard, and Kevin Durant still scored 28 and Jabari Smith Jr. hit all five of his free throws. Read our full Rockets-Mavericks recap. The Rockets haven’t lost two in a row yet, and a home crowd is a good place to start a new streak.
Game Info
- Matchup: Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) at Houston Rockets (5-1)
- When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, 7:30 p.m. CT
- Where: Toyota Center, Houston
- TV: NBA TV (national); Space City Home Network in Houston
- Streaming: SCHN+ in Houston
Where the Rockets Stand
Before Friday, Houston had won its first five: 128-110 over Dallas in the opener, 114-110 over San Antonio, 121-114 and 120-110 over Atlanta, and 132-100 over Milwaukee. Alperen Sengun leads the team at 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game, per ESPN, and Houston is 2-0 at home.
Friday’s loss came down to the stripe. Houston went 24-of-33 from the line in Dallas, with Durant (28 points) and Smith (22) leading the way and Fred VanVleet adding 16 points and six assists, per the ESPN box score.
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Where the Thunder Stand
Oklahoma City opened with four straight wins over San Antonio (116-104), Denver (96-84), the Clippers (108-101) and Phoenix (125-114) before a 120-96 loss at Dallas on Wednesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder at 26.0 points per game, and Isaiah Hartenstein is pulling down 9.6 rebounds, per ESPN. The Thunder have been off since Wednesday, so they come in rested while Houston plays for the second straight night.
Injury Report
Statuses per the NBA’s official injury report (12:30 p.m. ET Saturday) and ESPN. Houston had not yet submitted its official report as of midday Saturday, so check back closer to tip for final statuses.
Rockets
- Alperen Sengun – Day-to-day (low back soreness). Missed the last two games, at Milwaukee and at Dallas; a game-time decision.
- Reed Sheppard – Day-to-day (low back soreness). Missed Friday’s game at Dallas.
- Steven Adams – Out (right calf strain).
Thunder
- Chet Holmgren – Out (right knee patellar tendinitis).
- Jalen Williams – Out (left ankle surgery).
- Alex Caruso – Out (right ankle sprain).
- Cason Wallace – Out (left shoulder labral tear).
- Nikola Topic – Out (low back surgery).
- Thomas Sorber – Out (right knee surgery).
Last Time Out
The teams last met on Feb. 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City, and Houston won 112-106. Tari Eason led the Rockets with 26 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Durant scored 20 and Sengun posted 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, per ESPN. Oklahoma City won the season series 2-1. Saturday is the first of three meetings this season; the teams play again Dec. 27 in Houston and Jan. 13 in Oklahoma City.
Storylines to Watch
- Bounce back at home: Houston gets its first chance to answer the Dallas loss in front of its own fans.
- Back-to-back legs: The Rockets played Friday night in Dallas; the Thunder have had two days off.
- Short-handed Thunder: OKC is missing Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Caruso and Wallace, which puts more on Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Sengun’s back: Whether Houston’s leading scorer plays could shape the matchup inside against Hartenstein.
How to Watch
- National TV: NBA TV
- TV in Houston: Space City Home Network
- Streaming: SCHN+
- Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. CT
Fan Poll
Do the Rockets bounce back against the Thunder?
What’s Next
The Rockets stay home to host the Boston Celtics on Monday, Nov. 2, and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Follow all of LFG Houston’s Rockets coverage.
Stats via ESPN. Injury statuses via the NBA’s official injury report and ESPN. Schedule and broadcast info via NBA.com and the Houston Rockets.
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