Wednesday night in the NBA was absolutely chaotic. If you went to bed early thinking you knew how things would shake out, you missed a historic bench explosion in Chicago and some serious "trap game" energy in Sacramento. Honestly, the league is so deep right now that no lead feels safe, and last night's slate of six games proved it.
Most of the talk this morning is centering on the United Center. You’ve probably seen the highlights by now, but the box score doesn't even tell the half of it.
The Bulls Survive a Career Night from Brice Sensabaugh
The Chicago Bulls managed to edge out the Utah Jazz 128-126, but it was almost the Brice Sensabaugh show. With Lauri Markkanen out sick, Sensabaugh stepped into the vacuum and dropped a career-high 43 points. He actually made history in the process, scoring 21 points in the first quarter alone off the bench. That’s the most by any reserve in a single quarter since they started tracking play-by-play data back in the 90s.
Chicago stayed alive because Nikola Vucevic decided he wasn't losing to a rookie-heavy squad. Vooch finished with 35 points and 7 rebounds, including the tiebreaking layup with only four seconds left on the clock. It was a messy, high-scoring affair with 26 ties and 17 lead changes. If you love defense, you would've hated this game. If you love pure, unadulterated bucket-getting, it was a masterpiece.
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Denver Dominates Dallas and the Rest of the West
Over in Texas, the Denver Nuggets took care of business against the Dallas Mavericks, winning 118-109. Jamal Murray was the engine for Denver, pouring in 33 points. The Mavs are clearly feeling the growing pains of a mid-season slump, and even a 24-point effort from Naji Marshall couldn't keep them afloat. Dallas is now 15-26, which is a bit of a shocker given the expectations.
Here is a quick look at how the rest of the night played out:
- Sacramento Kings 112, New York Knicks 101: The Kings pulled off a minor upset here. The Knicks came in as favorites, but Sacramento's depth—even without Sabonis—was too much.
- LA Clippers 119, Washington Wizards 105: The Clippers just look steady. They took control early at the Intuit Dome and never really let the Wizards back into the conversation.
- Toronto Raptors 115, Indiana Pacers 101: Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes combined for 56 points. Toronto is quietly climbing the Eastern Conference standings, now sitting at 25-17.
- New Orleans Pelicans 116, Brooklyn Nets 113: This one went down to the wire in the Big Easy, but the Pelicans held on to keep their momentum rolling.
What Most People Get Wrong About Mid-January Games
There’s this weird myth that NBA games in January don't matter. "Wait for the playoffs," people say. Kinda ridiculous, right? Tell that to the Jazz, who are fighting for lottery positioning, or the Bulls, who desperately needed this win to stay in the Play-In hunt.
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The Chicago Bulls victory puts them at 19-21, keeping them within striking distance of the Hawks and Heat. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are asserting themselves as the team to beat in the West again, moving to 28-13.
One thing to watch is the injury bug. We saw it last night with Markkanen (illness) and Josh Giddey (hamstring). These mid-season absences are forcing guys like Sensabaugh and Isaac Okoro into massive roles. It’s basically a trial by fire. If you’re a bettor or a fantasy manager, the lesson from last night is simple: always check the active roster 15 minutes before tip-off.
Actionable Takeaways for Your NBA Tracking
If you’re trying to keep up with the breakneck pace of the 2025-26 season, don't just look at the final scores. You have to look at the bench production. The Bulls won last night because five of their reserves hit double figures. That’s rare.
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- Watch the Raptors: Ingram and Barnes are developing a scary chemistry. They are a "buy low" team in terms of media coverage right now.
- Monitor the Knicks' Defense: They gave up 112 to a depleted Kings team. Something is slightly off with their rotations compared to a month ago.
- Keep an eye on the Jazz youngsters: Sensabaugh isn't a fluke. His shot creation is elite for his age.
The league is moving fast. We've got another big slate tonight, including the Celtics and Heat, so the standings will likely shift again by tomorrow morning. For now, the Bulls and Nuggets are the big winners of the night.
To stay ahead, make sure you're tracking the "Minutes Played" column for these emerging bench stars. When a team like Utah loses their primary scorer, the value shifts to the wings immediately. Last night was a perfect case study in that reality.