OKC Thunder's Battle vs. Nets a Must-Win Ahead of Tough Stretch

Oklahoma City can't afford to drop its first game out of the All-Star break.

Feb 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center/forward Chet Holmgren (7) goes up for a basket against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s upcoming stretch will be tough, but it has a chance to start on a high note after the All-Star break.

On Friday night, the Thunder will be in Paycom Center for their first game in over a week. With the All-Star break now behind them, the Thunder can gear up for the stretch run and look to put themselves in the best position to win another title.

Of course, it won’t be easy for the Thunder to get into a rhythm immediately, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell all still sidelined for at least another week. Considering the Thunder have several contenders on the schedule in the next week, Friday night’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets is as important as they come.

Clinging to a slim lead for the No. 1 seed in the West and already surpassed by the Detroit Pistons for the league’s best overall record, the Thunder need every win they can get to maintain home-court advantage. With a few games upcoming where the shorthanded Thunder will likely be underdogs, they need to win what could be their final matchup as a favorite in February.

The good news for the Thunder is that they’ll still have a majority of the roster available. While Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Mitchell all missed the Thunder’s blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks before the break, it was on the second night of a back-to-back with Oklahoma City also missing Isaiah Hartenstein, who is set to suit up on Friday.

Along with Hartenstein, the Thunder will have Chet Holmgren inside as they will likely try to lean on their size against a Brooklyn team without any intimidating presence down low. Assuming the Thunder’s available players can put together a solid offensive attack and maintain the usual level of intensity on defense, beating the 15-win Nets, who just lost by 28 on Thursday, should be easily attainable. 

Of course, the Thunder will then need to carry that same level of intensity into next week, where the schedule heats up dramatically. Oklahoma City will face three contenders in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pistons and Denver Nuggets, with the 33-23 Toronto Raptors being the worst team it faces next week. 

A winless four-game week would have major consequences for the Thunder, but it’s well within the realm of possibility, given the injury situation. So, finding a way to get back in the win column against the Nets is a must before the Thunder embark on one of their most challenging weeks of the year.