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The first major Houston Rockets schedule announcement places the team on a national stage during opening week. Houston will face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, Oct. 23, at the Moody Center in Austin.
The game begins at 8:30 p.m. CT and will stream nationally on Prime Video. It headlines an early NBA calendar filled with rivalry games, superstar debuts and a Christmas Day Finals rematch.
Houston Rockets Schedule Opens With Austin Matchup
The neutral-site contest will feature Kevin Durant against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Durant played one college season at the University of Texas in 2006-07 before entering the NBA.
Houston and San Antonio remain closely connected as Southwest Division rivals. The Spurs won three of their four meetings during the 2025-26 season. Houston had controlled the previous two season series with six wins in eight games.
The matchup also offers an early test for Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and Houston’s young core. Fred VanVleet is expected back after missing last season, while veteran guard Marcus Smart joins the rotation.
Durant led Houston with 26 points per game last season. Meanwhile, Wembanyama averaged 19.1 points across his first 11 career games against the Rockets. That is his second-lowest scoring average against any opponent, according to the NBA’s schedule announcement.
Before the regular season, Houston will play Dallas twice in Macao. The Rockets and Mavericks meet Oct. 9 and Oct. 11 in the NBA China Games.
Notable NBA Games During Opening Week
The 2026-27 regular season begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, with three games on NBC and Peacock. Boston visits Detroit at 2 p.m. CT before Philadelphia plays the defending champion New York Knicks at 6 p.m.
Oklahoma City then visits San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. CT. The game renews a rivalry that produced 12 meetings last season. San Antonio defeated the Thunder in seven games during the Western Conference Finals.
The opening slate also gives Philadelphia a major spotlight. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown will make their 76ers debuts against New York. James begins his record-extending 24th NBA season.
Opening week continues Oct. 21 with Minnesota at Miami and Golden State at the Los Angeles Lakers. Giannis Antetokounmpo will make his Heat debut, while LaMelo Ball begins his first season with Minnesota.
On Oct. 22, Cleveland visits Philadelphia before Denver plays Oklahoma City. The second matchup features Nikola Jokić and reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Prime Video’s Oct. 23 doubleheader starts with the champion Knicks visiting Boston. The Rockets-Spurs game in Austin follows.
Christmas Day Brings Five Marquee Games
The NBA scheduled five games for Christmas Day on ABC and ESPN. The slate begins with San Antonio visiting New York in a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Miami then visits Boston before Philadelphia plays the Lakers. That game will mark James’ first appearance in Los Angeles since leaving the Lakers.
Oklahoma City visits Minnesota in the fourth game. Denver and Golden State close the holiday schedule with Jokić facing Stephen Curry.
Houston was not included in the Christmas Day lineup. However, its opening-week appearance gives the Rockets a prominent early national platform.
The complete Houston Rockets schedule will provide additional details about home games, road trips and national broadcasts. Fans across Texas can already circle Oct. 23 for the season’s first major in-state matchup.