MIL 141, NOP 137: III Stars in High-Octane Shootout
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Trey Murphy III Just Reminded Everyone Why He's a Must-Own
Look, I'm supposed to stay impartial, but watching the Pelicans come into Milwaukee and steal one, 137-141, hit different when it meant Trey Murphy III absolutely torched my Bucks for 65.2 Yahoo fantasy points. The man went off for 44 points on 15-28 shooting with 12 threes in 39 minutes. That's not just a good game. That's a "everyone in your league is texting asking if he's healthy" kind of performance.
Let me be clear about something though: this isn't a one-off. Murphy is +21.9 points above his season average. That tells you he wasn't just hot, he was dominant. Real dominance.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Murphy III | 80.0 | 65.2 | 44/6/6 | 22.1/5.8/3.7 | +21.9 |
| Kevin Porter Jr. | 54.0 | 49.7 | 18/6/9 | 16.8/5.1/7.5 | +1.2 |
| Zion Williamson | 42.0 | 42.0 | 20/5/8 | 21.4/6.2/3.5 | -1.4 |
| Ryan Rollins | 34.0 | 33.8 | 27/4/4 | 16.8/4.6/5.5 | +10.2 |
| Myles Turner | 36.0 | 32.3 | 16/9/1 | 13.0/5.6/1.6 | +3.0 |
| Saddiq Bey | 34.0 | 28.6 | 22/3/2 | 16.4/5.8/2.4 | +5.6 |
| Amir Coffey | 34.0 | 26.5 | 16/5/1 | 2.4/0.9/0.4 | +13.6 |
| AJ Green | 32.0 | 25.6 | 20/3/2 | 10.4/2.6/2.0 | +9.6 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 27.0 | 24.7 | 7/6/9 | 13.0/5.0/2.6 | -6.0 |
| Pete Nance | 32.0 | 24.1 | 16/3/3 | 4.9/2.1/0.6 | +11.1 |
The Bucks Had Answers, But Not Enough
Here's where I want to give credit to the homegrown heroes. Ryan Rollins stepped up with 27 points on 10-19 shooting, sitting +10.2 above his season average. That's the kind of performance that gets you locked in, and he earned those 39 minutes. Kevin Porter Jr. was steady, dropping 18/6/9 with 5 steals for 49.7 Yahoo points. He met his season expectations but wasn't the problem.
The real gut punch? The bench came through. Amir Coffey absolutely exploded for 26.5 Yahoo points on just 25 minutes. This is a guy who averages 2.4 PPG and suddenly he's +13.6 on his normal production. AJ Green went 7-13 with six threes for 25.6 points. Pete Nance came off the bench and turned 18 minutes into 24.1 fantasy points. That's not sustainable depth, but it kept this game close enough to hurt.
What Actually Happened Here
This wasn't a blowout. This was a close game where New Orleans' stars showed up bigger when it mattered. Zion Williamson didn't explode (he was actually slightly below his season average at -1.4), but he was steady with 20/5/8 on decent efficiency. Saddiq Bey added 22 points with four threes. The Pelicans spread it around and nobody panicked.
Milwaukee's issue? Missing production you expect to get. Myles Turner had a decent line with 16/9 and two blocks in limited minutes, but you need more from your center position against a team playing small. The depth carries them close, but it doesn't win the game.
What This Means for Fantasy
If you own Trey Murphy III, you don't panic and sell low after one game. You also don't overestimate this. He put up a career night against a defense that gave him space. The +21.9 variance is real, but it happened. Keep him locked in your lineup.
Ryan Rollins deserves to stay on your radar. He's getting minutes and showing he can create his own shot. If Cole Anthony stays out of the rotation or gets limited minutes, Rollins is your pickup in deeper leagues.
Amir Coffey looks like a one-game spike to me, but check the injury report. If someone's dealing with a minor issue and Coffey got opportunity minutes, that could expand. Right now, he's still a waiver wire dart, not someone to bank on.
The takeaway: New Orleans won this game by executing better down the stretch, and their wing depth (especially Murphy) is no joke. Milwaukee's bench held them in it, but sometimes that's not enough.