Man, if you weren't glued to the screen last night, you missed a serious amount of drama across the board. From overtime thrillers on the hardwood to some absolute blowouts on the ice, Friday, January 16, 2026, was one of those nights where the remote control definitely earned its keep. Honestly, trying to keep track of every whistle was like trying to drink from a firehose.
You're probably here for one specific result, but the reality is that "the game" could mean anything from the Clippers clawing out a win in Canada to a historic 9-goal explosion in Raleigh.
Let's break down the chaos.
NBA Scores: What Was the Score for the Game Last Night?
If you were watching the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Toronto Raptors, you saw a game that refused to end. It went into overtime at the Scotiabank Arena, and the Clippers eventually escaped with a 121-117 victory. It was a gritty win for LA, especially with Toronto's crowd being as loud as they usually are when the game is on the line.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the Cleveland Cavaliers barely squeaked by the 76ers with a 117-115 win. It was a heartbreaker for Philly fans, coming down to the final possessions.
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Here is the quick rundown of the other NBA results from Friday night:
- Indiana Pacers 127, New Orleans Pelicans 119
- Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109
- Houston Rockets 110, Minnesota Timberwolves 105
- Sacramento Kings 128, Washington Wizards 115
That Nets vs. Bulls game was a weird one. The Bulls actually took a lead late in the fourth quarter after being down by 20, but they just couldn't "solve the math problem" of Brooklyn’s three-point shooting. The Nets hit 19 triples, which is basically a cheat code if you're the Bulls trying to work the interior.
NHL Highlights and One Absolute Beatdown
If you're a Florida Panthers fan, you might want to skip this paragraph. The Carolina Hurricanes absolutely dismantled them 9-1. Usually, when you see a score like that, you assume it's a typo. Nope. Nine goals.
The rest of the league had much tighter contests. The St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning went all the way to a shootout, with the Blues taking it 3-2. Over on the West Coast, the Anaheim Ducks pulled off a similar feat, beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a shootout at Crypto.com Arena.
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Other Friday NHL finals included:
- Detroit Red Wings 4, San Jose Sharks 2
- Nashville Predators 7, Colorado Avalanche 3
The Predators' win over Colorado was a bit of a statement. Dropping seven goals on an Avalanche team in Denver isn't exactly an easy feat, but Nashville’s offense looked like it was playing on a different speed.
College Hoops and Other Friday Results
Over in the college world, No. 1 Kansas handled Baylor with an 80-62 win. Darryn Peterson was the story there, dropping 26 points, while Flory Bidunga dominated the glass with a double-double. If you follow Big 12 basketball, you know Lawrence is a tough place to play, but Baylor looked particularly out of sorts against that Jayhawks defense.
We also saw some high-level gymnastics as No. 2 Oklahoma narrowly defeated No. 7 Missouri with a score of 197.425 to 196.925. It was Missouri's SEC opener, and despite the loss, they put up a season-high on the vault.
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Looking Ahead to Today’s NFL Playoffs
While Friday was about the NBA and NHL, today—Saturday, January 17—is all about the NFL Divisional Round. If you’re looking for "last night's score" for football, you're actually looking for the Wild Card results from last weekend, because the real action starts today.
The Buffalo Bills are at the Denver Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Later tonight, we've got an NFC West grudge match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Basically, if you think last night was busy, today is going to be even more intense. The Seahawks and 49ers meeting in the playoffs is always a recipe for a physical, "throw the records out" kind of game.
Next Steps for Sports Fans:
- Check your local listings for the Bills vs. Broncos kickoff to see if Denver's altitude plays a factor in the divisional opener.
- Monitor the NBA injury reports for tonight's slate, especially the Lakers vs. Portland game, as back-to-back travel might affect starting lineups.
- Keep an eye on the NHL schedule for tonight’s massive 13-game slate, including the Battle of Ontario between Montreal and Ottawa.