Amid a content drought, the NBA dropped its 2026-27 regular season schedule. The yearly event is an oasis in an otherwise mundane couple of months. We're deep in the summer months. Which means not much is going on in the NBA world.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have learned when and where they'll face their opponents in the 2026-27 regular season. The seven-month marathon has players either playing or traveling on a practically nightly basis. Expect them to get thrown the opposition's best punches. Even if they're no longer the reigning NBA champions.
Examining OKC's 2026-27 schedule, the Thunder are still one of the NBA's main characters. They have the fifth-most national TV appearances at 30 games. Only the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Los
Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers are ahead by a maximum of 34 games apiece.
How the national TV appearances look is an interesting peek behind the curtain. The NBA schedule-makers are basically forced to show their cards on who they think will be the top attractions and generate the best TV ratings. Looking at OKC's 30 games, four include the same opponent — showing that the powers that be are banking on a rivalry to brew.
The Thunder will face the Minnesota Timberwolves four times on national TV throughout the 2026-27 regular season. The Northwest division rivals will see their matchups in front of a national audience. I think it's a safe bet that they'll produce thrillers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are viewed as rivals. Even if the former made easy work of the latter in the 2025 Western Conference Finals. There's also a star-studded supporting cast in guys like Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Minnesota's newly-acquired LaMelo Ball. With Edwards and Ball, the Timberwolves should be Gen A's favorite backcourt.
The Thunder will host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 6:30 p.m. CT. That will be shown on ESPN. It's part of the 2026 NBA Cup West Group B slate. OKC then travels to Minnesota on Friday, Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. CT. That will be shown on ABC and ESPN as part of the 2026 Christmas Day slate.
Of course, Christmas is viewed as one of the NBA's best days of the regular season. An all-day slate has been a tradition for eons. Not surprising to see the Thunder part of the holiday — albeit even if it's surprising to see them be the road team instead of hosting the Timberwolves for an OKC Christmas home game.
The other two matchups happen after the 2027 NBA All-Star break. Higher stakes could be on the line with the postseason standings. The Thunder could be in another lengthy fight for the first seed and the Timberwolves could vie for homecourt advantage in Round 1 after the Edwards and Ball dynamics get figured out.
The Thunder will host the Timberwolves on Tuesday, Mar. 2 at 7 p.m. CT. That will be shown on NBC and Peacock. And then OKC goes to Minnesota on Sunday, Mar. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT. That will be shown on the same networks of NBC and Peacock.
The Thunder and Timberwolves should remain rivals for another season — even with their offseason changes. Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards are viewed as two of the top NBA superstars. Sharing the same division, that familiarity will naturally result in plenty of epic chapters between the two. The NBA schedule-makers believe so, too.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: All 4 Thunder-Timberwolves 2026-27 regular season matchups to be on national TV
