If you woke up this morning and hopped on Google to find out who won the nba championship last night, you might be a little confused by the results.
Honestly, it’s understandable. With the league's new schedule format and the rise of the Emirates NBA Cup, the "championship" terminology gets tossed around a lot more than it used to.
But here is the flat-out truth: Nobody won the NBA Championship last night.
The Larry O'Brien trophy isn't handed out in January. We are currently in the thick of the 2025-26 regular season. If you’re looking for the reigning, undisputed kings of the mountain, you have to look back to June 22, 2025. That was the night the Oklahoma City Thunder finally climbed the summit, defeating the Indiana Pacers in a legendary Game 7.
Right now? We’re just watching the scramble for playoff seeding. Last night, January 14, 2026, was a busy one on the hardwood, but it was about mid-season grinds, not rings.
Who Won Last Night? Breaking Down the January 14 Scoreboard
While there wasn't a parade, there were some massive performances that actually matter for the title race later this year.
The Toronto Raptors handled the Indiana Pacers 115-101. It’s kinda wild seeing the Pacers struggle like this—they're sitting at 9-31 right now—especially after they pushed OKC to seven games in the Finals just seven months ago. Losing Tyrese Haliburton to that Achilles injury in the Finals clearly left a scar that hasn't healed. Brandon Ingram was a total assassin for Toronto, dropping 30 points.
Then you have the Los Angeles Clippers. They beat the Wizards 119-105. Kawhi Leonard looks like his old self, putting up 33 points. The Clippers have won four straight and are finally digging themselves out of that 6-21 hole they started the season with.
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Other scores from the night:
- Cleveland Cavaliers 133, Philadelphia 76ers 107 (Donovan Mitchell is on an absolute tear with 35).
- Chicago Bulls 128, Utah Jazz 126 (A heartbreaker for Utah; Sensabaugh’s 43 points went to waste).
- Denver Nuggets 118, Dallas Mavericks 109.
- Sacramento Kings 112, New York Knicks 101.
- New Orleans Pelicans 116, Brooklyn Nets 113.
Why You Might Be Thinking of the NBA Cup
The confusion usually stems from the Emirates NBA Cup (the In-Season Tournament). The championship for that happened back on December 16, 2025, in Las Vegas. The Milwaukee Bucks took home the trophy after beating Oklahoma City.
So, if you heard "NBA Champions" recently, it was likely Giannis and the Bucks celebrating their mid-season hardware. It counts for bragging rights and some extra cash for the players, but it’s not the big one.
The Reigning Champs: Oklahoma City Thunder
If you're asking who won the nba championship last night because you missed the end of the last postseason, you missed a historic run.
The 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder were a juggernaut. They finished the regular season 68-14. That's tied for the sixth-best record ever. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) pulled off a "Triple Crown" that we haven't seen in 25 years: he won the regular-season MVP, the scoring title, and the Finals MVP.
The Finals themselves were a rollercoaster. Most experts thought OKC would sweep Indiana. Instead, it went to a Game 7. The Paycom Center was deafening. SGA had 29 points and 12 assists in the clincher, a 103-91 win. Chet Holmgren was a wall in the paint with 5 blocks.
"It doesn't feel real," Shai said after the game. "So many hours, so many nights of disbelief."
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It was the first title for the franchise since they moved from Seattle in 2008.
Who is the Favorite to Win it All in 2026?
Looking at the standings as of today, January 15, 2026, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the heavy favorites to repeat. They are currently 34-7. Basically, they're playing at an 80% win rate.
However, the Eastern Conference is looking weird. The Detroit Pistons—yes, the Pistons—are currently the #1 seed in the East at 28-10. It’s one of the biggest turnarounds in modern sports history.
Here is how the top of the league looks right now:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7): The gold standard.
- Detroit Pistons (28-10): The surprise of the century.
- San Antonio Spurs (27-13): Victor Wembanyama is officially a problem.
- Denver Nuggets (27-13): Never count out Jokic.
- New York Knicks (25-14): Solid, but just lost to Sacramento last night.
How the NBA Calendar Works (So You Don't Get Confused Again)
If you want to be the person in the group chat who actually knows what’s going on, keep these dates in your calendar. The NBA is basically a year-round machine now.
The NBA Trade Deadline is coming up fast on February 5, 2026. This is when teams like the Lakers (24-14) or the Celtics (24-15) might make a desperate move to catch OKC.
Then we have All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles from February 13-15.
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The actual NBA Playoffs don't start until April 18, 2026. That is when the real "winner" talk begins. The 2026 NBA Finals are scheduled to start on June 4, 2026.
So, if you find yourself asking who won the nba championship last night in early June, you'll finally get a real answer.
What You Should Do Next
Don't just look at the scores. If you want to see who is actually going to win the 2026 title, watch the San Antonio Spurs.
Wemby is averaging nearly 4 blocks a game, and the Spurs are sitting at #2 in the West. They play the Grizzlies today in Berlin as part of the NBA Global Games. It's a 3:00 PM ET tip-off.
Also, keep an eye on the injury report for the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton’s recovery is the only thing that can save their season. Without him, the team that almost won it all last year is spiraling toward a top lottery pick.
Check the standings tonight after the Suns and Kings wrap up their late-night sets. That's where the real story is being written right now. Regular season wins in January are the "boring" foundation that championship trophies are built on in June.
To stay ahead of the curve, track the point differential of the Thunder. Last year, they finished with a +11.8 differential, the largest cumulative gap in NBA history (+1,243 points). If they keep blowing teams out by 15+ points in January, the 2026 championship is already their trophy to lose.