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There are still a handful of games remaining in the 2017-2018 NBA regular season but, on Thursday evening, word broke of a game that will involve the Atlanta Hawks... in October.
In short, the Oklahoma City Thunder participate in a preseason contest in Tulsa each year and the 2018 edition will include a visit from the Hawks on Oct. 7 at the BOK Center.
The Thunder have officially announced their annual preseason game in Tulsa for the 2018-19 season. It’ll be held Oct. 7 against the Atlanta Hawks.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) March 22, 2018
Thunder announces its annual preseason game in Tulsa will be against the @ATLHawks, Oct. 7, 2 p.m. at the BOK Center. The rest of the preseason schedule will be announced at a later date.
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) March 22, 2018
Obviously, this particular announcement will fade into oblivion over the next few months, with the Hawks (and fans of the Hawks) focusing on the draft lottery, draft, free agency and summer league before arriving at training camp in the Fall. Still, this gives Hawks fans nestled in Oklahoma (however few) some optimism about seeing the team in their backyard in October and provides the first concrete evidence of the 2018-2019 schedule.
There is a real premium on the amount of scheduled opportunities to see the Atlanta Hawks over the next few months and, as of Thursday, another one exists. Stay tuned.