OKC Thunder in Prime Position to Play on Christmas Day

The Thunder have an opportunity to compete on the NBA's premier day.

Dec 8, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7), and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrate after Chet Holmgren scores a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City emerged as one of the league’s best last season, and its schedule should reflect that.

Over the past few years, the Thunder have gone through a substantial rebuild, going from back-to-back seasons with a bottom-five record to the No. 1 seed in the West. While they had only achieved a spot in the play-in ahead of last season, the Thunder have staked their claim as a contender after their 57-win season.

Although the Thunder were touted as one of the most exciting young teams before last season, Chet Holmgren’s addition propelled the team to unforeseen heights. Next season, the Thunder will go in as a championship favorite, and they should have no shortage of nationally televised games on the schedule, which typically releases in August.

While the Thunder have played in some marquee matchups over the past couple of seasons, the team is hoping to snap its five-year stretch without a Christmas Day game, the longest since arriving in Oklahoma City. The NBA’s premier day contains five games featuring 10 of the league’s most intriguing teams.

As a No. 1 seed last season, the Thunder are in prime position to play on Dec. 25. Over the past 10 seasons, 15 of the 20 teams to be a No. 1 seed the previous season played on Christmas Day. All five top seeds that did not play on Christmas were from the East. The last time a No. 1 seed from the West did not play on Christmas was 2012, when the San Antonio Spurs were snubbed from the schedule.

Assuming the Thunder get on the schedule, it would be their first Christmas game since traveling to Houston in 2018. That loss capped a nine-year streak of playing on Christmas, where the Thunder had a 6-3 record.

There is no guarantee the Thunder will play on Christmas next season, but with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander starring in Oklahoma City, there should be no shortage of premier regular-season matchups for years to come.

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