Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Oct. 22 – The Oklahoma City Thunder will host its final game of the preseason in Wichita on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The team will take on the Chicago Bulls at 8:30 p.m. at INTRUST Bank Arena. Tickets for the game have sold out, but the game will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN.
Before the game begins, the Thunder will engage with Wichita fans through other events, including a community program for students and Thunder Alley, a family-friendly experience on the plaza outside of the arena before the game.
“We had a fantastic experience in Wichita last year,” said Brian Byrnes, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for the Thunder. “The fans and the community embraced us with tremendous enthusiasm, and we are looking forward to returning for a great night of basketball.”
Thunder Alley will open on the plaza on the south side of the arena at 5:30 p.m., and all fans are invited to take part in the pregame festivities. Thunder entertainers, including the Thunder Girls and Thunder Drummers, will be part of the Thunder experience outside the arena. The event will include interactive games, face painting, music, a mobile Thunder Shop and more.
The game at INTRUST Bank Arena will tip off at 8:30 p.m.; doors open to the public at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and wear blue to support the Thunder.
Local groups will be featured during the game presentation. Thomas Stowe of Westside Free Will Baptist Church in Wichita will give the invocation. Representatives from Tornado Alley Young Marines will present the colors, and Damien Williams, a student at Kansas State University, will sing the national anthem. In addition, Thunder mascot Rumble the Bison and the Storm Chasers dunk team will present the halftime show.
Fans can tune in to the game from home on ESPN, which is Cox channels 32/2032 HD for Wichita and 29/720 HD in Oklahoma City. The game will also be broadcast with Matt Pinto on the Thunder Radio Network, led by WWLS-The Sports Animal.
Before the game, the Thunder will host students from Wichita’s Minneha Core Knowledge Elementary School at INTRUST Bank Arena for a program designed to share the Thunder spirit, while encouraging them to continue to work hard and stay in school. The program will feature Thunder television broadcasters Brian Davis and Grant Long, along with team mascot Rumble the Bison and the Thunder Drummers. The event is part of the team’s Thunder Cares community outreach initiative.