OKC Thunder Looking to Finish Strong Ahead of All-Star Break

Despite being shorthanded, the Thunder still have a chance to carry some momentum into the break.

Jan 29, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during player announcements before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has only a few games before the All-Star break, and it will be looking to do more than just survive this stretch.

On Saturday afternoon, the Thunder will welcome the Houston Rockets into Paycom Center for the first time since opening night. Sitting at 2-0 against the Rockets this season, the Thunder are hoping to improve to 3-0 against their Western Conference counterpart.

Of course, it won’t be an easy task to get past the Rockets. Going into Saturday’s game, the Thunder are still missing some key pieces, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell all sidelined.

While Gilgeous-Alexander won’t be making his return until after the All-Star Game, Williams and Mitchell’s returns are still undetermined. With only four games remaining until the Thunder and the rest of the league get a week off for All-Star festivities, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the entire trio make a return after the break.

Although Oklahoma City will be missing some of its top players, and more importantly, its top three ball handlers, the Thunder are still looking to play to their standard. While offense could certainly get stagnant over the next week, Oklahoma City’s defense should remain elite, giving the Thunder a chance to win every time they step on the floor, as evidenced by a strong effort with a much more depleted roster in San Antonio on Wednesday.

Along with the matchup against the Rockets on Saturday, the Thunder will head on the road for matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns before returning home to face the Milwaukee Bucks. While the Lakers and Suns both appear well on their way to a playoff spot, the Thunder getting at least one of those games could be massive for their chances of staying in the No. 1 seed in the West.

The Thunder are currently 4.5 games up on the Spurs for the top seed in the West, but the possibility of extending this current losing streak to five games going into the All-Star break could have significant consequences. So, the Thunder need to get some wins on the board over the next week to remain at the top.

This stretch won’t be easy for the Thunder, but their depth and some extra contributions from first-time All-Star Chet Holmgren could be enough to help Oklahoma City enter the All-Star break with some momentum on its side.

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