BOS 102, POR 94: Brown Powers Through for 48 ESPN FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Celtics Grind Out Boring Win, but the Fantasy Story Is Messy
Look, I'm not gonna pretend this was a thrilling game to watch. Trail Blazers came to Boston, Celtics won 102-94, and I got to leave the Garden wondering if I just watched basketball or a defensive clinic. Eight points, folks. This is the kind of game that makes you appreciate why fantasy basketball exists, because the actual game was mid.
But here's the thing, and this is important: The fantasy performances tell a completely different story than the scoreboard. Some of you cashed in hard. Others got absolutely punked by guys you thought were locks.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 48.0 | 46.6 | 20/8/4 | 29.6/6.8/4.9 | -9.6 |
| Donovan Clingan | 38.0 | 40.5 | 9/15/1 | 11.2/11.0/1.9 | -2.2 |
| Toumani Camara | 38.0 | 36.1 | 18/8/1 | 13.1/5.1/2.6 | +4.9 |
| Payton Pritchard | 36.0 | 32.3 | 23/4/3 | 16.8/4.4/5.3 | +6.2 |
| Jerami Grant | 30.0 | 31.9 | 19/2/3 | 19.2/3.7/2.5 | -0.2 |
| Sam Hauser | 31.0 | 29.9 | 11/7/3 | 9.2/3.8/1.5 | +1.8 |
| Jrue Holiday | 32.0 | 29.1 | 14/3/3 | 15.3/4.5/6.9 | -1.3 |
| Amari Williams | 22.0 | 25.9 | 9/7/1 | 1.8/1.8/0.4 | +7.2 |
| Derrick White | 22.0 | 25.8 | 18/4/4 | 17.6/4.6/5.4 | +0.4 |
| Anfernee Simons | 25.0 | 22.7 | 12/1/1 | 13.9/2.4/2.5 | -1.9 |
Jaylen Brown Got Held Down (And I Still Love Him)
Look, I'm a Celtics guy through and through, but I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Jaylen Brown put up 46.6 Yahoo FP and that still feels like a letdown. He came in averaging 29.6 PPG and dropped 20. That's -9.6 from his season pace, and in a low-scoring game where every bucket matters, that stings.
The rebounds (8) and steals (4) kept him from totally flopping, and he was efficient enough (8-17 FG). But this is the All-NBA guy, right? When the Celtics win a game 102-94, you need your star to go off. He didn't. Portland's defense was there, sure, but Brown also looked a step off.
The good news? One game doesn't kill a player this talented. This is a "don't panic, but keep an eye on it" situation.
Payton Pritchard Finally Showed Up
Now here's the narrative flip. Payton Pritchard is our Sixth Man of the Year for the 2024-25 season, and he's been inconsistent in fantasy (16.8 PPG average). Tonight he decided to remember he could actually score, dropping 23 points on 8-16 shooting with 5 threes in 34 minutes.
That's +6.2 from his season average, and more importantly, it's 32.3 Yahoo FP in a game where the Celtics barely cracked 100. He was the closer tonight when it mattered. The 3-point volume was real (5 made threes), and his 2-4 FT line is actually fine.
If Pritchard keeps getting 34 minutes and playing with this aggression, he's a 30+ FP per night guy. Add him in 12-team leagues if you're desperate for bench scoring. The upside is there.
The Trail Blazers Deep Bench Went Absolutely Nuclear
Here's where the game gets weird from a fantasy perspective. Portland was getting cooked all night, but their role players were putting up points like they were in a pickup game.
Donovan Clingan, their young center, put up 40.5 Yahoo FP on 9 points and 15 rebounds. Yeah, that's not a typo. When your team loses a defensive slugfest, the rebounder still eats. He was +4.0 on the glass compared to his season average. If Clingan keeps getting 25+ minutes, he's a consistent 20 FP guy in deeper leagues.
Toumani Camara was even more ridiculous. 36.1 Yahoo FP on 18 points, 8 boards, and 3 threes. That's +4.9 on scoring and +2.9 on rebounding. This dude went off and Portland still lost. In a game that tight, if your role players are putting up 36 FP and you only score 94 points total, you ran out of gas somewhere else.
Jerami Grant did Grant things (19 points on solid efficiency, 10-15 FT), but he was basically league average. Not a story.
Celtics Role Players Showed Up When It Mattered
Sam Hauser (29.9 Yahoo FP) and Derrick White (25.8 Yahoo FP) were quiet contributors, but quiet was enough. Hauser put up 7 boards in 29 minutes (not normal for him, +3.2 vs average), and White was White, which means reliable 25 FP nights are in play.
The real shocker was Amari Williams, the Celtics backup center. He dropped 25.9 Yahoo FP on basically nothing (9 points, 7 boards, some defense in 25 minutes). That's a +7.2 on scoring. Dude went from a 1.8 PPG average to actually producing. If he's getting consistent bench time, he could be a sneaky grab in deep leagues.
What This Means for Your Lineup
Sell high on Pritchard if you can. One 32-point game doesn't fix "inconsistent bench scorer." If a league mate is chasing points right now, this is your window.
Don't panic on Brown. One off night in a defensive game. He's still elite.
Watch Clingan's minutes. If he's getting 25-28 MPG, he's a wire add in 12-team leagues. The rebound upside is real.
Shaedon Sharpe disappointed hard. He came in averaging 21.6 PPG and dropped 9. That's -12.6. He played 34 minutes and still couldn't find it. If this trends, you might want to move him while he's still got name value.
The Celtics grind out another W. Fantasy-wise, it was a weird night where the role players carried more weight than the stars.