What happened: Houston closed its October Macao preseason slate to set its 2026-27 rotation. League-wide tipoff arrives this week as the regular-season schedule begins.

Why it matters: Opening week locks in the starting five and minute splits after camp experimentation. Early results set the initial seeding pace in a tight Western Conference.

What to watch: Houston will set its active roster ahead of opening night. The opener will show the first-choice rotation and back-to-back plan.