PHX 130, POR 125: Gillespie Makes It Look Easy: 57.8 Yahoo FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Collin Gillespie Just Broke the Internet, But Don't Get Attached Yet
Look, I've been doing this for 15 years with my crew at the firehouse, and I know what a breakout night looks like versus what a mirage looks like. Last night in Portland, Collin Gillespie put up numbers that had your group chat blowing up. 30 points, 10 assists, 57.8 Yahoo FP. That's the kind of line that makes you check the box score three times to make sure it's real.
But here's the thing: Gillespie is averaging 13.8 PPG and 4.7 APG on the season. He just went off for 16.2 points above his average and 5.3 assists above his average. That's not sustainable. That's a game.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Gillespie | 75.0 | 57.8 | 30/4/10 | 13.8/4.1/4.7 | +16.2 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 53.0 | 46.0 | 16/10/2 | 8.8/4.9/2.3 | +7.2 |
| Donovan Clingan | 46.0 | 42.5 | 14/15/3 | 11.2/11.2/2.0 | +2.8 |
| Mark Williams | 46.0 | 40.7 | 24/11/1 | 12.3/8.1/1.1 | +11.7 |
| Robert Williams III | 43.0 | 37.1 | 14/8/3 | 6.3/6.5/1.1 | +7.7 |
| Toumani Camara | 35.0 | 35.2 | 13/11/4 | 12.9/5.3/2.6 | +0.1 |
| Jrue Holiday | 34.0 | 32.8 | 15/4/6 | 14.4/4.5/6.6 | +0.6 |
| Grayson Allen | 38.0 | 31.2 | 24/1/4 | 16.9/3.0/4.0 | +7.1 |
| Jerami Grant | 29.0 | 28.4 | 23/2/4 | 18.7/3.5/2.5 | +4.3 |
| Sidy Cissoko | 30.0 | 25.5 | 12/5/5 | 6.5/2.4/1.5 | +5.5 |
The Real Winners Here
Mark Williams was the one I'm actually paying attention to going forward. 24 points on 11-14 shooting, 11 boards, +11.7 from his season average. That's an efficient big doing big things, not a random explosion. Williams has been solid all year, and nights like this show he can punish you if he gets rolling. He's a buy-low candidate if anyone's panicking on him.
Jordan Goodwin is another story. The dude pulled down 10 boards and added 5 steals off the bench. +5.1 rebounds, +7.2 points above his season pace. That's elite value for a bench guy, and if he's getting 22 minutes and producing like that, he's worth a look in 12-team leagues where his 8% ownership is criminally low.
Grayson Allen got the ownership bump for a reason. 24 points, 6 threes, 35 minutes. He shot 9-17 from the field and was hitting from deep all night. The thing about Allen is he's always had this in him, but consistency has been the question mark. One game doesn't change that, but if he's finding his rhythm heading into the second half, he's already 54% owned and climbing for a reason.
What Went Wrong in Portland
Jerami Grant was solid (23 points, +4.3 from his average), so no complaints there. But the real issue is who didn't show up. Deni Avdija played zero minutes, which is a problem if you had him on your roster expecting 25 PPG and a 7 AST average. That's a total ghost shift, and I need to know if it's load management, injury, or something else before I'm comfortable plugging him back into lineups.
The Blazers lost this game 130-125, and it felt like they had enough chances to win. Donovan Clingan did his thing with 14 points and 15 boards on 26 minutes, right on pace. Toumani Camara grabbed 11 boards and played 38 minutes. Robert Williams III came off the bench and was efficient with 14 points and 3 steals in just 19 minutes. These are role guys playing their roles.
But here's what I'm thinking: Portland didn't have enough playmaking. Jrue Holiday put up 15 points and 6 assists, which is close to his season average. That's fine, that's what you expect from him. The problem is nobody else could create offense except the occasional Clingan bucket. They needed more from their perimeter players.
The Ownership Move That Matters
Allen jumping 1.1% in ownership is the market working as intended. One hot shooting night, and people noticed. The question is whether he stays hot or reverts to his season average of 16.9 PPG. In my experience, wing players who shoot this well from deep tend to stay in rhythm longer than guards, so I'm not scared to hold Allen if I grabbed him cheap.
What I'm actually watching is whether Sidy Cissoko gets more run. 12 points, 5 assists, 5 boards in 21 minutes off the bench. That's +5.5 from his 6.5 PPG average. Small sample size, but if he's breaking into the rotation in meaningful minutes, that's a depth piece worth grabbing in deep leagues.
Bottom Line
The Suns won a close one without Devin Booker (seriously, that's wild). Portland stayed competitive but fell short. For fantasy purposes, this is a reminder that one breakout game doesn't mean you've found a league winner. Gillespie had the night of his life, but he's still a 13.8 PPG guy on the season. Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin showed sustainable value. Grayson Allen got the nod from the market for his shooting.
Hold your studs, don't overreact to one night, and keep an eye on whoever's getting the most minutes. That's the real tell in this league.