Who Else Should the Houston Rockets Face During NBA Rivals Week?

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the matchups for Opening Night and Christmas Day. While the Houston Rockets are not slated to play on December 25th, the franchise will be facing a divisional rival in its first game of the season.

The full schedule for the 2026-2027 season is set to be released on Thursday. One of the key stretches will be the lineup for NBA Rivals Week, established in 2022 to highlight classic and emerging rivalries between players and teams.

Last year’s Rivals Week matchup featured the Rockets against the Detroit Pistons. The most intriguing aspect from a rivalry perspective centered around twin brothers Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, both rising stars in the league.

There are numerous directions that the NBA can veer in for the Rockets’ inclusion in Rivals Week, but there is one marquee matchup that could serve as a battle of honor for Kevin Durant.

The Golden State Warriors

Durant and Stephen Curry are considered two of the most dominant players of the 2010s. When Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, joining Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, this led to the franchise being perceived as having a superteam.

Durant would go on to win two consecutive NBA championships with the Warriors, being named the NBA Finals MVP in both series. During that run, Golden State eliminated the James Harden-led Rockets in a 2018 Western Conference Finals series that went up to Game 7.

While the 16-time All-Star was a pivotal part of the team, there is an argument to be made that Curry was still viewed as the main franchise star regardless of NBA Finals stats. This is solidified by the two-time MVP leading the Warriors to another NBA championship in 2022, years after Durant’s departure.

Jumping to the present day, both Curry and Durant are still All-Star-caliber players holding their own against the next generation of talent. The 37-year-old Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over 78 games, while the 38-year-old Curry averaged 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over 43 games.

The Rockets and Warriors faced each other three times last season, with each game settled by less than five points. While Houston prevailed 2-1, Curry was absent for one of those games and had just returned from injury during another.

Overall, Durant versus Curry could be another interesting matchup for next season. It would be intriguing to see which generational talent comes out on top, with both franchises trying to maximize their respective championship windows.

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