Pair of OKC Thunder Games Flexed Into National TV Slot

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen two of its Janurary tilts be tossed into National TV slots, with the NBA catching up to the marketable - and good - Thunder.

Oct 27, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) moves against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) and forward Evan Mobley (4) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the best teams in basketball for the second straight season. The Thunder once again have the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, with an impressive 18-5 record - despite missing rising star Chet Holmgren for the majority of the regular season, along with other injury issues, the Thunder have been able to weather the storm.

This has led to some out cry about Oklahoma City's lack of representation on the biggest stage. With no opening night tilt, no Christmas Day contest and even an exclusion from other marquee dates in the NBA.

However, the NBA holds the power to flex games in and out of National TV slots. On Friday, the league announced it would be placing two of the most successful teams in the limelight, two additional times.

The NBA announced the Oklahoma City Thunder's road date against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 8 will be showcased on ESPN, while the return trip between these two teams in Oklahoma City will air on TNT on Jan. 16.

This will put Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley on display for a more casual basketball audience that perhaps is not checking in on a pair of small market squads. The Cavs have an impressive 21-4 record, good enough for the league's best.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.