diff --git a/backend/app/api/routes/games.py b/backend/app/api/routes/games.py
index eb6000d..4129e5d 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/routes/games.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/routes/games.py
@@ -325,6 +325,22 @@ async def create_game(request: CreateGameRequest):
         teams_data = await sba_api_client.get_teams_by_ids(
             [request.home_team_id, request.away_team_id], season=request.season
         )
+
+        # Validate that we successfully fetched both teams
+        missing_teams = [
+            tid for tid in [request.home_team_id, request.away_team_id]
+            if tid not in teams_data
+        ]
+        if missing_teams:
+            logger.error(
+                f"Failed to fetch team data for IDs {missing_teams} in season {request.season}"
+            )
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=400,
+                detail=f"Could not fetch team data for team IDs: {missing_teams}. "
+                       f"Verify teams exist in season {request.season}."
+            )
+
         home_team_data = teams_data.get(request.home_team_id, {})
         away_team_data = teams_data.get(request.away_team_id, {})
 
@@ -439,6 +455,22 @@ async def quick_create_game(
         teams_data = await sba_api_client.get_teams_by_ids(
             [home_team_id, away_team_id], season=13
         )
+
+        # Validate that we successfully fetched both teams
+        missing_teams = [
+            tid for tid in [home_team_id, away_team_id]
+            if tid not in teams_data
+        ]
+        if missing_teams:
+            logger.error(
+                f"Quick-create: Failed to fetch team data for IDs {missing_teams}"
+            )
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=400,
+                detail=f"Could not fetch team data for team IDs: {missing_teams}. "
+                       f"Verify teams exist in season 13."
+            )
+
         home_team_data = teams_data.get(home_team_id, {})
         away_team_data = teams_data.get(away_team_id, {})
 
diff --git a/backend/app/services/sba_api_client.py b/backend/app/services/sba_api_client.py
index 56eb925..5d3599c 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/sba_api_client.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/sba_api_client.py
@@ -184,6 +184,16 @@ class SbaApiClient:
             team = await self.get_team_by_id(team_id, season)
             if team:
                 result[team_id] = team
+            else:
+                logger.warning(f"Team {team_id} not found in cache for season {season}")
+
+        # Log if we couldn't find all requested teams
+        missing = [tid for tid in team_ids if tid not in result]
+        if missing:
+            logger.warning(
+                f"get_teams_by_ids: {len(missing)}/{len(team_ids)} teams not found: {missing}"
+            )
+
         return result
 
     async def get_player(self, player_id: int) -> SbaPlayer: