Man, if you went to bed early last night, you missed a bizarre mix of absolute blowouts and one of the most absurd individual scoring performances we've seen in years. Honestly, the NBA schedule for Saturday, January 17, 2026, looked like a standard mid-season slate on paper, but the actual results were anything but normal.
From the Detroit Pistons looking like a legitimate juggernaut to Anthony Edwards going absolutely nuclear only to lose, there is a lot to catch up on.
Who Won NBA Game Last Night: The Biggest Scores
The headline of the night has to be the Detroit Pistons. Yeah, you read that right. The Pistons didn't just win; they absolutely dismantled the Indiana Pacers 121-78. A 43-point win in the modern NBA is basically a statement of intent. Detroit has now hit a 30-10 record, which is kind of wild considering where this franchise was just a couple of years ago. They are playing with a defensive edge that feels very "Bad Boys" era, and the Pacers honestly had no answers for it.
Then you've got the Boston Celtics continuing their dominance without Jayson Tatum. They rolled into Atlanta and hung 132 points on the Hawks, who were missing Dyson Daniels. Jaylen Brown is playing at an MVP level right now, finishing with 41 points. But the real story was Sam Hauser. He decided to turn into prime Steph Curry for a night, dropping 30 points and hitting 10 threes. He didn't even attempt a two-pointer. Every single shot was from deep. It was pure chaos.
Western Conference Drama
Out West, the Portland Trail Blazers took care of business against a Luka-less Los Angeles Lakers squad, winning 132-116. Luka Doncic was out with groin soreness, and while LeBron James put up a respectable 20 points, the Lakers' defense was essentially a revolving door. Portland had seven players in double figures. That’s how you win games when you don't have a singular "superstar" carrying the load.
The most heartbreaking game of the night? That would be in San Antonio. Anthony Edwards exploded for a career-high 55 points for the Timberwolves. He was hitting everything—step-backs, dunks, contested threes. It didn't matter. The San Antonio Spurs still won 126-123. Victor Wembanyama is just a different species at this point. He and Edwards traded buckets in the final three minutes like it was a Game 7. Wemby got the last laugh, and the Spurs' crowd was as loud as I've heard them all season.
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Klay Thompson’s Historic Milestone in Dallas
While everyone was watching the Ant-Man show, the Dallas Mavericks were systematically dismantling the Utah Jazz, 138-120. The big story here wasn't just the win; it was Klay Thompson. He scored 23 points, all in the first half, and in doing so, he eclipsed the 17,000-career point mark.
It’s sorta crazy to think about Klay’s journey. After the injuries and the move to Dallas, people thought he was done. He’s not. He shot 6-of-11 from deep and led the Mavs in scoring for the second straight game while Cooper Flagg sits out with that ankle sprain. Dallas was also missing Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, yet they still dropped 138. Utah’s defense is, well, it’s a work in progress, to put it politely.
Saturday Night Results at a Glance
- Pistons 121, Pacers 78: A total defensive masterclass from Detroit.
- Warriors 136, Hornets 116: De'Anthony Melton led the way while Steph had a quiet night.
- Celtics 132, Hawks 106: The Sam Hauser "Only Threes" game.
- Trail Blazers 132, Lakers 116: Portland exploited the Luka-sized hole in the Lakers' lineup.
- Suns 106, Knicks 99: Devin Booker’s 27 points were enough to beat a Brunson-less New York.
- Spurs 126, Timberwolves 123: The 55-point Edwards masterpiece that resulted in an "L."
- Mavericks 138, Jazz 120: Klay hits 17k as Dallas stays hot.
- Nuggets 114, Wizards 92: Denver just did Denver things. No drama there.
The Injury Bug is Hitting Hard
If you're looking at who won nba game last night and wondering why some of these scores look lopsided, you have to look at the training room. The league is beat up right now.
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Jalen Brunson's ankle kept him out for the Knicks, and you could see the lack of late-game execution in their loss to Phoenix. The Lakers' medical staff is being super cautious with Luka’s groin, especially with a back-to-back against Toronto looming. Coach JJ Redick said the MRI was "good," which is Lakers-speak for "he'll be back when he's 100% and not a second sooner."
Even the Heat-Thunder game was influenced by missing pieces. The Heat managed to pull off a gritty 112-108 win against the West-leading Thunder, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like he was playing through some heavy fatigue. OKC is still the best team in the West by a margin, but they looked human last night.
Why These Games Actually Matter for the Standings
We are past the halfway point of the season, and the "fake" contenders are starting to fall away. Detroit holding the #1 seed in the East with a 30-10 record isn't a fluke anymore. They’ve played 40 games. That’s a real sample size. They are currently 4.5 games ahead of Boston, which is a gap no one predicted in October.
In the West, it’s a total bloodbath. Only 5.5 games separate the #2 Spurs and the #7 Suns. Every single Saturday night game like the one we just saw has massive ripple effects for the play-in tournament. If the Lakers keep dropping games without Luka, they could easily slip from the 6th spot into that 7-10 danger zone.
What You Should Watch For Next
If you're tracking the league today, Sunday, January 18, keep an eye on the injury reports for the afternoon games. The Lakers are back in action against Toronto, and if Luka sits again, LeBron is going to have to carry a massive usage rate. Also, keep an eye on the Bucks. They’ve been sliding lately—losing three in a row—and they desperately need to figure out their defensive rotations before they fall out of the playoff picture entirely.
The best thing you can do right now is check the updated injury reports about 30 minutes before tip-off. With so many stars like Cooper Flagg, Jayson Tatum, and Jalen Brunson sidelined, the "lines" for these games are moving constantly. If you're into the betting side of things or just playing fantasy, the bench players for Boston (Hauser) and Dallas (Hardy) are becoming high-value assets.
Watch the waiver wire for Sam Hauser if your league rewards three-pointers. He's clearly got the green light while Tatum is out. Also, monitor the Pistons' defensive stats; they are historically good right now, and holding an NBA team to 78 points in 2026 is practically a miracle.