The NBA schedule for today, Jan. 16, features six games across the league. These are the matchups, when they’ll start, and where they can be watched.
Which Teams Are Playing in the NBA Today?
Among the six games scheduled to take place tonight, two are between conference rivals, while the other four are interconference matchups.
Both intraconference matchups take place in the Eastern Conference: the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Chicago Bulls.
The interconference matchups are Indiana Pacers vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors vs. LA Clippers, Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings vs. Washington Wizards.
The first two matchups of the night are Cavaliers-76ers and Pelicans-Pacers, both scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET. The Cavs-Sixers game will be on League Pass and Disney+, while the Pacers-Pelicans game is exclusively on League Pass.
The Cavs (23-19), who are visiting the Sixers (22-17), are only a half-game behind them. A win for Cleveland would put them in position to overtake Philadelphia in the standings, which could matter for playoff seeding later in the season.
Meanwhile, the matchup between the Pelicans (10-33) and the Pacers (9-32) is one to watch for those monitoring the upcoming NBA lottery, including Atlanta Hawks fans. With both teams near the bottom of their respective conferences, every win impacts their odds of landing a higher draft pick.
Hawks fans may find this especially interesting because their team holds the Pelicans’ 2026 first-round pick. Based on the standings, New Orleans is directly battling Indiana for the best odds of securing the No. 1 pick.
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Clippers-Raptors matchup will tip off at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The game will be available to stream on NBA League Pass.
Analytics-wise, the Clippers (17-23) and Raptors (25-17) matchup features teams on opposite ends of the ratings spectrum. The Raptors are tied for the fourth-best defensive rating at 112.1, but their offense ranks 19th at 113.9. The Clippers, meanwhile, rank 12th offensively at 115.8, while their defense is near the bottom of the league at 24th with a 116.7 rating.
At the same time, the Nets (11-27) and Bulls (19-21) will play the first of two consecutive games against each other. The opener will be hosted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, after which the teams will travel to Chicago to face off at the United Center.
Brooklyn has a chance to snap a five-game losing streak tonight. For Chicago, the game presents an opportunity to respond against a team that already defeated them once this season.
Later, at 9:30 p.m. ET, the Western Conference matchup between the Timberwolves (27-14) and Rockets (23-15) will begin. The game will be available on Disney+ and NBA League Pass.
The Rockets will not have to contend with Anthony Edwards in this matchup, as he will miss a second straight game due to foot injury management. It will be an opportunity for Houston to bounce back after Wednesday night’s 111-91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Final pic.twitter.com/FeRTayddqt
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 16, 2026
While Edwards will remain sidelined, Rudy Gobert will return to the Timberwolves lineup. He missed Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks after being suspended for his sixth Flagrant Foul of the season.
The final game of the night will see the Wizards (10-29) visit Golden 1 Center, home of the Kings (11-30). Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and the game can be streamed on NBA League Pass.
The Kings are riding a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season, and will look to make it four in a row. Meanwhile, the Wizards will try to halt a four-game skid against a team that, like them, has struggled to find consistency throughout the season.
