The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen an increase in nationally televised games as they position themselves to be among the best basketball teams. However, they see some disadvantage in their back-to-back schedule, which was disclosed with the release of their 2024–25 schedule.
Oklahoma City is tied for the most back-to-back sets among playoff team’s with the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and the L.A. Clippers. The Thunder will see themselves play in 16 back-to-back’s which will give them a rest disadvantage in 10 contests. Conversely the Thunder only have a rest advantage in nine tilts.
One killer back-to-back will come on Feb. 23 and 24 in a home-and-home set with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Of course, any time travel is involved in a back-to-back it is even more challengingg and these are divisional foes that saw three of their four tilts come down to a six-point or less margin of victory.
This becomes trouble in the heated Western Conference standings. If either party is missing a key piece for a week or two during this stretch they will miss two massive games – and three in short order with these two teams playing on Feb. 13 before the All-Star Break.
An early back-to-back out of the gate will test the Thunder’s focus – fresh off a pair of National TV game against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets as well as Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs, an emotional meeting in Chicago with the Bulls and the team’s home opener against the Hawks, the Thunder will waltz into Portland to take on the lowly Blazers’ on Nov. 1 before battling the L.A. Clippers on Nov. 2.
In the rough and tumble West, you can not afford to drop many games to teams that are already watching Cooper Flagg highlights.
