The Houston Rockets and the rest of the NBA are deep into the 2026 offseason, with all the major roster moves and most of the major NBA stories (outside of Russell Westbrook’s recent retirement announcement) concluded at least before the start of the new season.
Players are taking part in their personal workouts, and organizations are preparing for another shot at a championship. That means it is pretty quiet in NBA circles, but that changed Thursday morning with the arrival of the 2026-27 schedule,
as the Rockets and the rest of the NBA now know their opening-night matchup, last regular-season matchup, and everything in between.
Like every offseason ahead of the schedule, we know some of the early games. Unlike last season, the Rockets will not take part in the NBA’s opening-night games. Those two matchups will be Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks.
The Rockets do know a few of the games they will be playing, including an early-season game in Austin vs. the Western Conference Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. With Thursday’s schedule drop, we now know every regular-season opponent for the Rockets. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting games and break down the key details of the Rockets’ 2026-27 schedule.
What stands out about the Rockets’ 2026-27 schedule
When looking at the Rockets’ schedule for this upcoming season, a few things stand out. The Rockets were the darling of the NBA last offseason, and their 28 nationally televised games reflected that. However, after a disappointing end to their 2025-26 season, the Rockets saw their nationally televised games drop to 21 for the upcoming season.
The Rockets started on the road last season, playing opening night in Oklahoma City against the then-defending champions. This season, the Rockets open at home against the upstart Dallas Mavericks. They should be welcoming back Kyrie Irving as he plays his first regular-season game with Cooper Flagg.
The Rockets have 14 back-to-back games this season, with four of those at home, which is a huge advantage for any team. The Rockets also have a home-heavy schedule to start the season.
The Rockets have 15 of their first 25 games at home, pending the results of the NBA Cup tournament, which could add additional home games to their December schedule. In the Rockets’ first 10 games, they will play 7 against teams that made the playoffs last season.
One of the teams that didn’t make it, the Mavericks, is expected to be much better than last season, and the Rockets face them twice in the first 10 games.
When it comes to the road, the Rockets’ longest road trip of the season is five games, from January 18th to the 26th. The Rockets will also have a stretch of 20 of 32 games on the road from December 18th to the All-Star Break.
The Rockets are hoping that, with a fully healthy roster, they can finally advance past the first round, and that quest begins October 21st at home against the Dallas Mavericks.
