The 2025-26 NBA season is here and the action starts on Tuesday, Oct. 21 with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Houston Rockets at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
This NBA game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on NBC. Fans looking to watch can do so for free by using DirecTV, which offers a free trial, or FuboTV, which also offers a free trial as well as up to $30 off your first month. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available for streaming the game. Peacock has plans starting at $7.99 a month and has exclusive NBA games on Mondays and also allows fans to watch games that are broadcast on NBC.
The Thunder are coming off a 68-14 regular season that was followed up by a postseason in which they went seven games in two series, swept another and won the fourth in five games. Led by reigning MVP, scoring champion and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City returns most of its core with Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein all back looking to be the first repeat champions since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.
The Finals MVP for those Warriors teams that went back-to-back is on the court Tuesday, making another return to Oklahoma City where he won his lone regular season MVP, as Kevin Durant looks to take the Rockets to the next level after they finished second in the West last season but were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Houston is already adapting thanks to the season-ending injury Fred VanVleet suffered in the offseason, setting the table for Amen Thompson to take over at point guard. The squad’s starting lineup will have four players who are listed at 6′11″ in Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengün and Steven Adams, with the 6′7″ Thompson rounding things out.
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Who: Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
When: Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT
Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City
Stream: DirecTV (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); SlingTV; Peacock
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
What is DirecTV?
DirecTV is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and up to $30 off the first month for new customers.
What is Sling TV?
Sling TV offers a variety of live programming ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancellation.
What is Peacock?
Peacock offers a variety of sports, including: NFL, MLB, NCAA (football and basketball), Premier League, NBA, NASCAR, PGA Tour, and more. The dedicated “Sports” section within Peacock provides replays, news and analysis. Sports airing on NBC, NBC Sports, USA Network, NBC Universo and Telemundo will be available to you if you have the right Peacock plan. Peacock Premium costs $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year. Peacock Premium Plus costs $16.99 per month, and includes all the same content as Peacock Premium, but without ads. Premium Plus subscribers can also download and watch select titles on the go, and stream their local NBC affiliate.
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