How to Watch NBA Tip-Off — Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Stream on Peacock LIVE, Schedule, Tipoff Time
The 2025-26 NBA season begins on NBC and Peacock. Find out how to watch the Houston Rockets take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the NBA Tip-Off LIVE.

The NBA is back on NBC and for the first time ever, streaming LIVE on Peacock. It all starts Tuesday night with the NBA Tip-Off doubleheader. The new era begins in Oklahoma City, OK, where the Houston Rockets will take on the hometown Thunder.
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Rockets tore their way through the preseason, beating all four of their opponents. That’s an enviable start, proving this team is more than ready for what's ahead. Last season, they went 52–30 before losing to the Warriors in the first round. That wasn’t how Houston wanted things to end, and they’re hoping for a deeper run this year. To that end, they signed Kevin Durant in a 7-team trade deal that is reportedly the largest in history. Despite losing Dillon Books and Jalen Green in the deal, Houston was able to keep the majority of its talented core of young players. The hope is that Durant will bring his leadership and scoring ability to the team while allowing Houston to maintain the depth necessary for a deep playoff run. While it’s hard to take your eyes off Durant whenever he’s on the court, the Rockets have even more explosive players that are going to make an impact this season. Amen Thompson and Reed Shepard look like they can score from anywhere, and they’re both almost more dangerous on defense. This team faces their first real test against the defending NBA champions, but if the Rockets keep playing like they did in the preseason, they can take down anyone. And yes, that includes the Thunder in Oklahoma City on the NBA Tip-Off.
The Thunder did not win all their preseason games, but they also played two more than the Rockets. They did close out their preseason campaign with two straight wins over the Bucks and the Nuggets. Those teams are already looking like they’ll be dangerous this season, and the Thunder is starting the regular season with wins over both. They won their first NBA Finals last season since moving to Oklahoma City, and there’s no reason to think they can’t go back-to-back. They won that championship with an energetic, young team, and almost all of them stuck around. This team was scary last year, posting the highest point differential in NBA history. As they gain more experience, they could be truly unstoppable, especially if they can stay healthy. They did lose draftee Thomas Sorber for the season with an ACL injury, but if they can keep their core from last year on the court for the whole season, it’s hard to imagine a team they can’t beat. We’ve got a long season ahead of us, but there’s no better way the Thunder can set the tone than with a Tip-Off win at home on Tuesday night.
When does Rockets vs. Thunder start?
Coverage starts Tuesday, Oct 21 at 7p ET with analysis and predictions for the upcoming season. Tipoff for Rockets vs. Thunder is at 7:30p ET.
Where will Rockets vs. Thunder be played?
The game will be played at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK.
Where can I stream Rockets vs. Thunder?
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder will air on NBC and stream LIVE on Peacock. Just download the Peacock app, navigate to the Sports category, and start streaming the NBA LIVE
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