MEM 129, SAC 125: Sabonis Shines in Thriller
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Grizzlies Steal One in Sacramento, But This Game Was Won by Role Players Going Nuclear
Alright, listen. Memphis wins 129-125 at Sacramento and it's not because of the stars showing up. It's because three guys nobody was paying attention to decided to turn into prime versions of themselves for 24 minutes. That's your headline right there.
Let me show you what actually happened:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domantas Sabonis | 49.0 | 48.5 | 24/15/3 | 15.8/11.4/4.1 | +8.2 |
| Ty Jerome | 55.0 | 42.7 | 28/1/7 | 22.3/2.7/7.0 | +5.7 |
| GG Jackson | 36.0 | 31.4 | 16/7/2 | 8.4/3.4/1.1 | +7.6 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 32.0 | 30.1 | 20/3/5 | 19.3/3.2/3.9 | +0.7 |
| Devin Carter | 30.0 | 29.7 | 10/6/5 | 3.7/1.8/1.4 | +6.3 |
| Cam Spencer | 31.0 | 28.1 | 20/3/5 | 11.9/2.7/5.6 | +8.1 |
| Santi Aldama | 26.0 | 27.2 | 12/6/0 | 14.0/6.7/2.9 | -2.0 |
| Cedric Coward | 23.0 | 24.4 | 5/7/6 | 13.6/6.3/3.0 | -8.6 |
| Dylan Cardwell | 21.0 | 22.7 | 5/11/1 | 4.7/7.1/1.1 | +0.3 |
| Russell Westbrook | 22.0 | 21.5 | 13/0/5 | 15.3/5.8/6.7 | -2.3 |
The Memphis Role Player Explosion
This is the story. Ty Jerome puts up 28/1/7 on 10-14 shooting in 20 minutes and scores +5.7 points above his season average. That's not noise, that's a guy who got his spots and didn't miss. 42.7 Yahoo FP in less than a full game's worth of minutes is the kind of line that makes you check if he's suddenly become a starter. He's not, but tonight he played like one.
Then you got GG Jackson at +7.6 from his average, 16 points on 6-8 shooting with 7 boards. This kid's been buried in the rotation all season (3.4 rebounds per game baseline), and suddenly he's pulling down 7. That's the difference in a 4-point game right there.
And Cam Spencer goes off for 20/3/5 on 7-13 shooting, +8.1 from his season average. Three from deep, hit his spots, looked comfortable. That's 28.1 Yahoo FP and he's barely cracking 26 minutes.
Sacramento had answers with Domantas Sabonis (48.5 Yahoo FP, +8.2 pts), who was doing his usual thing, 24 and 15 on efficient shooting. DeMar DeRozan was DeRozan (20/3/5, exactly what he does). But here's the thing, the bench guys didn't have the same magic.
Sacramento's Problem: Depth Got Exposed
Look at the Kings bench beyond Sabonis and DeRozan. Devin Carter and Dylan Cardwell had good nights (29.7 and 22.7 Yahoo FP respectively), but the usage wasn't there to sustain anything. Russell Westbrook took 14 shots and made 5, losing you 2.3 points off his average. He's still not the guy. Zach LaVine was a non-factor at 14.2 Yahoo FP, way down from his 19.5 PPG average. When your wing rotation isn't giving you production, and you're asking role players to beat a team, you lose these kinds of games.
The Waiver Wire Take
GG Jackson is worth a hard look in 12-team leagues if he's available. I get it, he's been a bench guy all year (8.4 PPG), but that's exactly how you catch guys breaking out. The usage is there when the right matchups hit. One game doesn't make a trend, but if he plays 25+ minutes again and continues to rebound like that, you're looking at a guy who could provide 15-20 fantasy points on a regular basis.
Cam Spencer already owned in most places, but if you grabbed him after a bad stretch, tonight validates that hold. He's getting 26 minutes and shooting at a level that suggests he's figured something out.
On the flip side, Russell Westbrook is still a hold but not a start situation right now. The 5-14 shooting night is more representative than the stat line suggests. You're not getting the volume that makes him work as a plug-and-play.
The Real Deal
This game reminds me of something I tell the crew at the station all the time: fantasy basketball isn't always about your top guy showing up. It's about the next three guys doing their job. Memphis had that tonight, Sacramento didn't. Sabonis and DeRozan played great. Just not great enough when the supporting cast is working this well for the other team.
Four-point game. Won by role players. That's basketball. That's fantasy.